NASCAR’S 75th season officially kicks off this week at Daytona International Speedway. Country music recording artist Dierks Bentley will provide the entertainment Sunday afternoon prior to the running of the historic 65th Daytona 500.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers with three wins in this prestigious event (2016, 2019 and 2020). Jimmie Johnson has visited victory lane twice (2006, 2013) as he returns to NASCAR this year on a part-time schedule with Legacy Motor Club. They are joined by drivers Austin Cindric, Michael McDowell, Austin Dillon, Joey Logano, and Kevin Harvick, who have one Daytona 500 victory to their credit.
Three active drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series have previous wins heading into the, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300, race. Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley won the event in 2020 and 2021 and Austin Hill went to victory lane in his rookie season last year with Richard Childress Racing. Jeremy Clements is the defending race winner and will make his 26th career start at Daytona.
In the last six Craftsman Truck Series races at Daytona, there have been six different winners – Kaz Grala, Johnny Sauter, Austin Hill, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes and Zane Smith. Four of those drivers are entered in this weekend’s NextEra Energy 250 including Johnny Sauter, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes and Zane Smith, the defending race winner.
Hendrick Motorsports Cup Series driver Chase Elliott will also participate in the Truck Series race along with Spire Motorsport’s Corey Lajoie. Travis Pastrana, driving for 23XI and attempting to qualify for the Daytona 500, will join them on the track in the No. 41 Niece Motorsports entry. Pastrana has five previous starts in the series.
Wednesday, Feb. 15
8:15 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/2 Rounds FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
Thursday, Feb. 16
4 p.m.: Truck Series random drawing for Qualifying 4:05 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Practice – No TV 5:05 p.m.: Truck Series Practice – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM 7 p.m.: Cup Series Duel 1 (60 laps/150 miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM 8:45 p.m. (approx.) Cup Series Duel 2 (60 laps/150 miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
Friday, Feb. 17
1:30 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Qualifying (Impound, Groups) 3 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (Impound-Single Vehicle, 1 Lap, 2 Rounds) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM 4:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM 5:30 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM 7:30 p.m.: Truck Series Race – (Stages 20/40/100 Laps = 250 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM The Purse: $1,025,847
Saturday, Feb. 18
10:30 a.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – FS1/FS2/MRN/SiriusXM 11:30 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying (Impound-Single Vehicle, 1 Lap, 2 Rounds) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM 1:30 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Race – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM 5 p.m.: Xfinity Series Race (Stages 30/60/120 Laps = 300 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM The Purse: $3,327,595
Sunday, Feb. 19
2:15 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros 2:30 p.m.: Cup Series 65th Daytona 500 (Stages 65/130/200 Laps = 500 Miles) FOX/MRN/SiriusXM The Purse: $26,934,357
The Money Racing Team will attempt to compete in this year’s 65th running of the Daytona 500 by fielding the No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 throughout this year’s Daytona Speedweeks with Conor Daly set to pilot the entry.
The news comes as the organization owned by former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. is coming off its first part-time campaign in the NASCAR Cup Series by fielding the No. 50 entry in four events. Kaz Grala debuted the team’s presence in the Cup circuit by qualifying for the 64th running of the Daytona 500, where he went on to finish 26th. Grala then finished 25th at Circuit of the Americas and 23rd in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, respectively before Daly made his debut in NASCAR’s premier series with the organization in the Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course last October, where he finished 34th.
For this upcoming season, the 31-year-old Daly from Noblesville, Indiana, will attempt to make his debut in the Great American Race at Daytona International Speedway with the Money Racing Team, which will compete as a non-chartered organization, as BitNile will sponsor the team’s entry. The season opener at Daytona is the first of select planned events for Daly and the team to compete in for the 2023 campaign. Daly is also set to return as a full-time competitor in the NTT IndyCar Series for Ed Carpenter Racing, where he has accumulated a single pole, a single podium, 136 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.5 in 97 career starts.
Daly and the Money Racing Team’s bid to compete in this year’s Daytona 500 commences next Wednesday, February 15, during Busch Light Pole Qualifying followed by the Bluegreen Vacations Duels that will take place next Thursday, February 16, as they attempt to secure a starting spot for the main event.
The 65th running of the Daytona 500 is scheduled to occur on February 19 and air at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
After enduring a difficult 2022 season mired with no victories and missing the Playoffs, Martin Truex Jr. responded back with vengeance by winning the second annual Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 5.
The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion from Mayetta, New Jersey, took care of business at the start of the weekend by being the fastest competitor during Saturday’s practice session before winning the second of four Heat qualifying events, which placed him on the front row for the main event. During the main event, he led the final 25 of 150-scheduled laps and survived a chaotic evening mired with multiple on-track incidents and restarts, including the last one with seven laps remaining, to fend off Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch for his first career victory in the Clash.
The eligibility for the event included all NASCAR Cup Series chartered team competitors along with open teams. The lineup for the heat qualifying events was determined through a single-round and single-car qualifying session that occurred on Saturday, Feb. 4.
At the conclusion of Saturday’s qualifying session, Justin Haley posted the fastest-qualifying lap at 67.099 mph in 13.413 seconds and started on the pole position for the first heat event. Kyle Busch, who posted the second-fastest qualifying lap at 66.406 mph in 13.553 seconds, started on the pole position for the second heat event while Christopher Bell, who posted the third-fastest qualifying lap at 66.328 mph in 13.569 seconds, claimed the top starting spot for the third heat event. Lastly, William Byron, who posted the fourth-fastest qualifying lap at 66.196 mph in 13.596 seconds, was awarded the number one starting spot for the fourth and final heat event.
The lineup for the exhibition feature was determined through four 25-lap heat races as nine competitors from a total of 36 competed in each. The top-five finishers from each heat (20 total) earned a one-way ticket to the Clash. Afterward, the competitors who did not advance to the Clash via the heat races participated in two 50-lap Last Chance Qualifying races. The top-three finishers in each Last Chance Qualifying event advanced to the Clash while the rest were left on the sidelines.
In the first Heat event, Aric Almirola, who started on the front row alongside Justin Haley, capitalized in a race-long battle against Haley to win and claim the pole position for the main event as he also made the Clash at Los Angeles for the first time in his career. Also transferring to the main event were Alex Bowman, Haley, rookie Noah Gragson and reigning series champion Joey Logano, all of whom finished in the top five in the first heat event, while Michael McDowell, Harrison Burton, Ty Dillon and Chris Buescher were sent to the Last Chance Qualifiers.
In the second Heat event, Martin Truex Jr. prevailed in a five-lap shootout to beat Kyle Busch and win as he claimed a front-row starting spot for the main event. Busch, who led a race-high 18 laps, settled in second followed by teammate Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick, who edged Chase Elliott at the finish line to claim the fifth transfer spot as he makes his 19th and final career start at the Clash. Meanwhile, Elliott joined Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Cindric (who spun twice) and BJ McLeod as competitors who were sent to the Last Chance Qualifiers.
In the third Heat event, Denny Hamlin overtook teammate and pole-sitter Christopher Bell on the sixth lap and retained the lead for the remainder of the event, which included two late-race shootouts, to win and claim the third-place starting spot for the main event. Joining Hamlin in the main event were Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and, Daniel Suarez, who rallied from a late run-in with Brad Keselowski and overtook Todd Gilliland on the final lap to claim the fifth and final transfer spot. Meanwhile, Bell, who spun with three laps remaining, was sent to the Last Chance Qualifier along with Gilliland, Keselowski and JJ Yeley.
In the fourth and final Heat event, William Byron cruised to the heat event after leading all 25 laps as he claimed a second-row starting spot for the main event. Byron beat runner-up Bubba Wallace by more than a second as both, along with top-five finishers Ross Chastain, Ryan Preece and Erik Jones, who fended off rookie Ty Gibbs, and AJ Allmendinger on the final lap, transferred to the main event. Meanwhile, Gibbs and Allmendinger joined Corey LaJoie and Cody Ware as the next four competitors to be sent to the Last Chance Qualifier.
Prior to the event, Logano was the lone competitor who was guaranteed a spot in the 2023 Busch Light Clash based on a point provisional and being the reigning Cup Series champion. With both Logano and championship runner-up Chastain earning a top-five result in their respective heat events and racing their way into the main event, however, Bell was the next competitor in line to be guaranteed a spot for the Clash based on the points provisional after finishing in third place in the 2022 Cup standings. Despite having the option to not run the Last Chance Qualifier and take the provisional to start in 27th and last place for the main event, he opted to compete in the first Last Chance Qualifier as he started alongside pole-sitter McDowell.
In the first Last Chance Qualifying event, Michael McDowell led all 50 laps en route to the qualifier victory to claim a transfer spot for the Clash. Bell and Todd Gilliland finished second and third as they both also transferred into the main event while Harrison Burton, Brad Keselowski, Ty Dillon and JJ Yeley failed to qualify.
With Bell racing his way into the Clash based on a transfer spot, Elliott, who started on the pole position for the second and final Last Chance Qualifying event, was the next competitor in line to be guaranteed a provisional to compete in the main event. In addition, Chris Buescher, who initially did not earn a transfer spot in the first Last Chance Qualifier, was left to await his fate of racing or not racing in the main event, based on if both Elliott and Austin Cindric would earn transfer spots through the upcoming qualifying event.
In the second and final Last Chance Qualifying event, Elliott led all 50 laps and edged rookie Ty Gibbs in a photo finish to win and race his way into the Clash. Gibbs and AJ Allmendinger, both of whom finished second and third, also transferred along with Cindric, who finished fifth but was awarded a provisional to make his first career start in the Clash, where he will roll off the starting grid in 27th and last place. This officially left Buescher out of the event along with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Corey LaJoie, Cody Ware and BJ McLeod.
When the main event commenced under green, the 27 starters battled against one another for positions through two lanes around the one-quarter mile short track, among which included front-row starters Almirola and Truex until Almirola pulled ahead to lead the first lap by a fender over Truex. During the following lap, Almirola managed to clear Truex and control both lanes through the first two turns. Behind, Truex managed to settle in second in front of a side-by-side battle between Denny Hamlin and William Byron while Alex Bowman and Kyle Busch battled for fifth place.
Through the first five scheduled laps, Almirola was leading by nearly half a second over Truex followed by Hamlin, Bowman and Byron while Busch, Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, Justin Haley and Austin Dillon were running in the top 10. Meanwhile, Tyler Reddick was in 11th ahead of Ross Chastain, Ryan Preece, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney while a flurry of names led by Joey Logano duked it out for spots within the top 20.
Ten laps into the event, Almirola extended his advantage to more than a second over Hamlin, who was being pressured by teammate Truex for the runner-up spot, while Bowman led a parade of competitors in fourth place.
Six laps later and just as Almirola started to catch and lap the competitors at the rear of the field, including Todd Gilliland, the first caution of the event flew when Erik Jones, who was trying to challenge Harvick for position midway in the field, spun his No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 through Turns 1 and 2 after getting bumped and turned by McDowell as he became the first retiree of the event.
When the race restarted under green on Lap 16, Hamlin and Almirola dueled for the lead until Hamlin prevailed during the following lap by a fender. Shortly after, Truex got sideways entering Turn 1 after he got hit by Byron as he bumped and rubbed against Almirola, which moved the latter up the track as he fell out of the battle toward the front of the pack.
Then on Lap 23, the caution returned when a domino effect within the middle of the pack resulted in Chase Briscoe bumping and sending Ryan Blaney spinning his No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang through Turns 3 and 4. Blaney’s incident ignited a stack-up and chain reaction as Daniel Suarez, Elliott and Gibbs sustained damage to their respective cars while trying to avoid Blaney.
During the following restart on Lap 23, Hamlin retained the lead ahead of Busch and Truex as the rest of the competitors behind jostled for positions. Hamlin would continue to lead through the Lap 35 mark. By then, teammate Truex was in second followed by Wallace and Austin Dillon while Busch was back in fifth. The third caution of the event would then fly on Lap 42 when Gibbs bumped Gilliland into AJ Allmendinger entering Turn 2 as Allmendinger spun his No. 16 Action Industries Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into the Turn 2 outside wall. The caution period allowed Elliott, who was lapped by Hamlin, to cycle back on the lead lap.
With the event restarting under green on Lap 42, Hamlin retained the lead by a narrow margin through the first two turns. Then entering Turn 3, an accordion effect that started with Truex bumping into the rear of Wallace on the inside line resulted in Wallace bumping and sending his owner Hamlin up the track as he lost the lead and was relegated back to sixth. This, however, allowed Wallace to move into the lead followed by Truex, Byron, Dillon and Busch.
At the Lap 50 mark, Wallace was leading by six-tenths of a second over Truex followed by Byron, Dillon and Busch while Reddick, Preece, Bowman, Larson and Logano were running in the top 10. Amid the battles around the circuit, Hamlin had fallen back to 12th.
Ten laps later, Wallace continued to lead by four-tenths of a second over Truex while Byron, Dillon and Busch remained in the top five. By then, Almirola was lapped by Wallace while Hamlin was still mired in 12th.
Then with two laps remaining in the first half of the event, trouble struck for Hamlin as he spun his No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota TRD Camry entering Turn 2 after getting bumped by former rival Chastain. Hamlin’s incident generated the event’s fourth caution and set the stage for a two-lap shootout to conclude the first half of the event.
During the two-lap shootout, Wallace managed to fend off Austin Dillon and retain the lead for two cycles around the Coliseum before the event reached its halfway mark and the competitors entered an intermission period. With Wallace out in front, Truex managed to move into second followed by Dillon, Byron and Reddick while Preece, Busch, Bowman, Logano and Larson were scored in the top 10. In addition, 23 of the 27 starters were scored on the lead lap.
At the conclusion of the intermission period, which included a performance by rapper Wiz Khalifa, the race proceeded under green with 75 laps remaining. At the start, Wallace remained as the leader by a narrow margin over Truex before Truex started to ignite a challenge for the top spot followed by Dillon. The caution, however, was quick to return during the following lap when Gibbs got bumped by teammate Hamlin and spun his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota TRD Camry in Turn 2.
Over the course of the next five laps, starting with 74 laps remaining, Wallace retained the lead ahead of Truex, Dillon and Preece amid three caution periods and three separate incidents that involved Harvick, Bell, McDowell, Hamlin, Gibbs and Gilliland. Then during a restart with 68 laps remaining, Preece, who had slowly moved his way up the leaderboard and was running within the top five, executed his mark as he moved into the lead over Wallace, which dropped Wallace into the runner-up spot while Bowman and Truex battled for third place. It only took three laps for the caution to fly due to an incident in Turn 2 that involved Allmendinger, Cindric and Bell. Then as Preece retained the lead during the following restart with 65 laps remaining, the caution quickly returned a lap later when Logano, who overshot his entrance into Turn 3, got into the left-rear quarter panel of Busch’s No. 8 BetMGM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 as Busch spun and plummeted below the leaderboard.
As the race resumed under green flag conditions with 64 laps remaining, Preece managed to fend off Bowman to retain the lead while Truex was in third ahead of Wallace while Austin Dillon and Byron were in fifth and sixth.
Down to the final 50 laps of the event, Preece was leading by three-tenths of a second over Bowman followed by Truex, Wallace and Dillon while Byron, Larson, Haley, Reddick and Briscoe were in the top 10. By then, all but two of 27 starters were running on the track, with 26 scored on the lead lap.
Six laps later, the caution flew when Haley spun his No. 31 Celsius Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Turn 2 after getting hit by Reddick, who got hit by Briscoe entering the turn.
With the race restarting with 44 laps remaining, Preece and Bowman engaged in another brief battle until the former prevailed. Three laps later, another accordion effect resulted in Briscoe spinning in Turn 3 as he also collected Gragson, thus drawing another caution period. As the field attempted to restart with 41 laps remaining, where Preece outdueled Bowman with the lead, it only took four laps for the caution to return as Blaney wrecked against the outside wall in Turn 2 after getting bumped by Reddick and Chastain.
Amid a restart with 37 laps remaining, Preece pulled ahead once again through the first two turns to retain the lead as Truex started to intimidate Bowman for the runner-up spot by bumping him. A few laps later, Truex carved his way into second, which allowed Wallace to challenge Bowman for third as Austin Dillon joined the battle.
Down to the final 30 laps of the event, Preece was leading by half a second over Truex followed by Wallace, Dillon and Bowman. Behind, Byron was in sixth ahead of Larson, Chastain, Gragson and Reddick.
Then with six laps remaining, Truex overtook Preece and assumed the lead, with the latter reporting a mechanical issue but keeping his No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang on the track. Soon after, Preece started to fall off the pace as both Dillon and Wallace moved into podium spots.
With 15 laps remaining, Truex was out in front by more than a second over Dillon and more than two seconds over Wallace while Bowman and Byron were in the top five. Meanwhile, Preece was back in sixth while Chastain, Busch, Larson and Reddick were in the top 10. By then, McDowell was also starting to fall off the pace due to a mechanical issue.
With 10 laps remaining, the caution flew when McDowell stopped on the track amid a fuel issue with his No. 34 FR8Auctions.com Ford Mustang. The caution erased Truex’s steady advantage over Dillon as the field stacked up for a 10-lap shootout.
At the start of the 10-lap shootout to the finish, Truex managed to persevere over a brief challenge from Wallace to retain the lead as Dillon ignited a challenge on Wallace before overtaking him for the runner-up spot. Wallace, however, fought back as he repeatedly bumped against Dillon through the straightaways and the turns in front of Busch and Bowman. Then with seven laps remaining, Dillon delivered the final blow to Wallace as he sent the latter spinning into the Turn 1 outside wall with the caution flying. Under the caution period, Wallace pulled his No. 23 DoorDash Toyota TRD Camry in front of Dillon and hit the right-front fender of Dillon’s No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to express his displeasure before dropping back to the rear of the field.
As the race restarted with seven laps remaining, Truex engaged in a tight battle with Busch, who had methodically carved his way back to the front, before the former prevailed on the inside lane during the following lap and through Turn 4. As the laps started to dwindle, Truex retained the lead as Busch surrendered the runner-up spot to teammate Dillon with four laps remaining.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Truex retained the lead with a decent advantage over Dillon. As a series of late battles and chaos ensued within the middle of the pack, Truex was able to cruise away with the lead and cycle his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota TRD Camry around the quarter-mile short track for a final time as he crossed the finish line in first place and claim the first checkered flag of the 2023 Cup season.
Truex’s first Clash career victory occurred in his 12th start in NASCAR’s exhibition event as he also recorded the 11th Clash victory for Joe Gibbs Racing and the seventh for Toyota. The 2023 season is set to mark Truex’s 18th full-time season competing in NASCAR’s premier series as he sets his sights on winning a second Cup championship.
“It was just a really good race car,” Truex said on FOX. “The [pit crew] guys did a great job with this Bass Pro Shops Club Toyota Camry. Last year was a pretty rough season for us with no wins. To come out here and kick it off this way, just really proud of all these guys. Tonight was just kind of persevere, not give up and just battle through it. We found ourselves in the right spot at the end. Sometimes, they work out. Sometimes, they don’t. Tonight, it went our way and we made some good adjustments too.”
With Truex winning the event, Austin Dillon nursed his wounded No. 3 car to a second-place finish while teammate Busch settled in third place in his first start driving for Richard Childress Racing. At the conclusion of the event, all three competitors took part in the series’ inaugural medals ceremony beneath the Coliseum’s Olympic cauldron.
Photo by David Myers for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“I hate it for Bubba [Wallace],” Dillon, who achieved his fourth top-five result in the Clash, said. “He had a good car and a good run. You can’t tell who’s either pushing him or getting pushed. I just know he sent me into the corner. I saved it three times through there, released the brake, all kinds of stuff and when I got down, I was gonna give the same [to Wallace]. Probably, it was a little bit too hard. The Get Bioethanol Chevy was pretty good. It’s beat up, used up. [Thanks to] Teammate [Kyle Busch] for letting me go try and get Truex at the end. That was nice. It’s been fun. Hopefully, we can do this more often.”
“It was a battle all night long,” Busch added. “You can’t count us out. You always gotta bet on us with the BetMGM Camaro. We’ve used the outside [lane] on a lot of passes, everybody would get bottled up on the bottom [lane] and start bumper-tagging, and I’d just go around them on the outside. When you’re deep in the field, you can do some of that and work your way around. Overall, good to get back up to third. We could’ve got second, but like Austin [Dillon] said, I let him go. He was better than us in practice and was better than us in the beginning of the race there on the long runs. I thought he could have a shot at trying to get closer to [Truex] and I’ll push him through [Truex] in order for us to get the one, two [finish], but never made it there.”
Bowman and Larson claimed top-five results while Reddick, Preece, Chastain, Hamlin and Byron finished in the top 10.
There were four lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured a total of 16 cautions as 22 of 27 starters finished on the lead lap.
Results:
1. Martin Truex Jr., 25 laps led
2. Austin Dillon
3. Kyle Busch
4. Alex Bowman
5. Kyle Larson
6. Tyler Reddick
7. Ryan Preece, 43 laps led
8. Ross Chastain
9. Denny Hamlin, 26 laps led
10. William Byron
11. Justin Haley
12. Kevin Harvick
13. Christopher Bell
14. Noah Gragson
15. Chase Briscoe
16. Joey Logano
17. Ryan Blaney
18. Aric Almirola, 16 laps led
19. Daniel Suarez
20. AJ Allmendinger
21. Chase Elliott
22. Bubba Wallace, 40 laps led
23. Todd Gilliland – OUT, Fuel
24. Michael McDowell – OUT, Fuel
25. Austin Cindric – OUT, Engine
26. Ty Gibbs – OUT, Suspension
27. Erik Jones – OUT, Suspension
The NASCAR Cup Series teams and competitors will be taking a one-week break before returning to action at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the 65th running of the Daytona 500. Qualifying that will determine the front row for the main event will occur on February 15 at 8:15 p.m. ET on FS1 while the rest of the lineup will be determined through the Bluegreen Vacation Duels on February 16, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. The 500, which will launch NASCAR’s 75th season of competition, is scheduled to commence on February 19 with the event’s coverage to occur at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
This weekend NASCAR travels to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to kick off the 2023 season with The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum.
It will be a star-studded event to usher in NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season. Actor Rob Lowe will be there as the Grand Marshal to start the race by giving the command, “Drivers, start your engines.” Caleb Williams, the 2022 winner of the Heisman Trophy will serve as the Honorary Starter with entertainment provided by Cypress Hill and Wiz Khalifa.
The entry list for the exhibition race will be comprised of 23 drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series Charter teams. Four additional drivers from the Open teams will also compete to make up the 27-car field.
The eligible drivers will hit the track Saturday evening at 6 p.m. ET for practice. They will be divided into three groups and each group will have three practice sessions. Single-car and single-round qualifying will follow practice at 8 p.m. ET. There will be four 25-lap heat races (only green-flag laps will count).
Each driver will have one warm-up lap and two timed laps. The qualifying order will be based on the 2022 Cup Series owner points standings, from lowest to highest. The fastest qualifier will start on the pole for Heat 1, the second fastest will earn the pole for Heat 2, etc.
The top-five finishers in each of the four heat races will automatically transfer to the Clash (20 drivers). The remaining drivers who finished outside the top five in their heat race will advance to the 50-lap Last Chance Qualifiers.
The first Last Chance Qualifier will consist of the drivers who finished sixth-10th in Heats 1 and 3. The final Last Chance Qualifier will include the drivers who finished sixth-10th in Heats 2 and 4.
The top three drivers in each of the Last Chance Qualifier races will advance to compete in the Clash (6 drivers).
The final spot (27th) will be awarded to the driver who finished the highest in the 2022 season points standings but did not qualify for a starting position in the Clash.
Saturday, Feb. 4 (All events on FS1/MRN/SiriusXM) 6 p.m.: Practice (Groups 1, 2, 3) Three timed sessions per Group 8:30 p.m.: Qualifying (Single Vehicle/Three Laps All Positions)
Sunday, Feb. 5 (All events on FOX/MRN/SiriusXM) 5 p.m.: Qualifying Heat 1 5:15 p.m.: Qualifying Heat 2 5:30 p.m.: Qualifying Heat 3 5:45 p.m.: Qualifying Heat 4 6:10 p.m.: Last Chance Qualifying – Race 1 6:35 p.m.: Last Chance Qualifying – Race 2 7:05 p.m.: Pre-Race Concert 7:50 p.m.: Driver Intros 8 p.m.: Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum
Since Kevin Harvick announced his retirement following the 2023 season, I’ve been reflecting on his career. Harvick has meant so much more to NASCAR than some people realize.
Scroll back to the dark day at Daytona in 2001, when Dale Earnhardt Sr. was killed and the devastation we felt, along with the helplessness. Some fans refer to it as the day NASCAR died. How could we recover? Even fans who didn’t like Earnhardt were stunned.
Harvick was slated to run in the Xfinity Series for Richard Childress Racing when he got the news that he would have the biggest shoes in NASCAR to fill. He was young and yet he was ready for the task at hand. Feelings were still raw and I think he realized all eyes would be on him.
It was a few weeks later at Atlanta Motor Speedway when we all watched as the No. 29 rolled onto pit road. Many fans teared up at not seeing the familiar black No. 3 on the track.
Some of us were surprised to see him running up front, but no one expected what would happen next. Harvick was battling with Jeff Gordon for the win and somewhere along there, something changed, as we started to root for him. It would come down to a photo finish and young Harvick got his first career NASCAR Cup Series win.
As he took his cool-down lap, his hand came out of the window with three fingers held high. Fans held up three fingers as well. The Richard Childress team members were hugging each other and everyone watching had tears running down their faces, including myself. I believe that day Dale was looking down and smiling.
That one simple motion let the fans know that although it wasn’t the same, it was okay to move on. And, at every race that year, on the third lap, fans held up three fingers to pay homage to their fallen hero.
Since then, we’ve watched Harvick grow up, have a family, move to another team and became a Champion. As he gets in his car this year for his final season, he is more than just a driver. Fans will never forget his remarkable talent, or how he came through for us when we needed him most.
Thank you, Kevin Harvick, for all you’ve done for the fans and for NASCAR. We can’t wait to see what’s next.
Miller Named Competition Strategist After More Than 40 Years In Motorsports – Probst Promoted to Chief Racing Development Officer – Jacuzzi, Patalak, Thomas Promoted to Vice President
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 18, 2023) – NASCAR today announced that Elton Sawyer has been named its Senior Vice President of Competition, replacing Scott Miller, who will assume the newly formed role of Competition Strategist within the NASCAR Competition team after a more than 40-year career in motorsports.
NASCAR also announced the promotions of several individuals to key positions within its Competition leadership team. John Probst has been promoted to NASCAR Chief Racing Development Officer; Dr. Eric Jacuzzi has been promoted to NASCAR Vice President, Vehicle Performance; Dr. John Patalak has been promoted to NASCAR Vice President, Safety Engineering; and Brandon Thomas has been promoted to NASCAR Vice President, Vehicle Design.
“Elton Sawyer has shown incredible versatility throughout his four-plus decades in motorsports,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Chief Operating Officer. “Following his lengthy driving career, Elton held key leadership positions for several race teams and here at NASCAR for the last eight seasons. He will excel in this role, and we look forward to watching him continue to grow the Competition team during this crucial era in our sport’s history.
“We are thrilled that Scott Miller has chosen to remain a key part of the NASCAR Competition team. When he joined NASCAR in 2016, Scott lent immediate credibility to the position. A trusted voice in the garage, Scott used his decades of experience to lead our Competition team to new heights during a time that saw a new race format, a new playoff format and a new race car. The mark he leaves on the organization is significant.
“John Probst’s leadership and tireless devotion in the development of the Next Gen car over the last three years has been extraordinary. This project was among the most challenging and important endeavors in NASCAR history, and leaders like Probst, Dr. Eric Jacuzzi, Dr. John Patalak, Brandon Thomas and many others worked incredibly hard to not only put this car on the race track, but to make it a success for our industry and our fans.”
Sawyer joined NASCAR in February of 2015 as managing director of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Most recently, he held the role of NASCAR vice president, technical inspection and officiating, a role he assumed in 2016. In that capacity, Sawyer oversaw race event management, transportation and NASCAR official training and development.
In his new role, Sawyer will oversee all aspects of on-track competition, inspection, rule development and officiating, focusing specifically on NASCAR’s three national series – the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
“I have been a proud member of this extraordinary team for eight years, and I look forward to continuing to help grow the outstanding competition we’ve seen over the last several seasons,” Sawyer said. “NASCAR racing has been my life for decades. I have a deep passion for the sport, and am honored to be in a position to help shepherd the Competition team during these exciting times.”
Sawyer began his racing career competing at Langley Speedway in his home state of Virginia. He debuted on the NASCAR national series scene in 1983, racing in what is now the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Prior to joining NASCAR, Sawyer served as Director of Team Operations for IMSA’s Action Express Racing. He has also previously held competition roles at Red Bull Racing and Evernham Motorsports.
Miller has decided to step down from his post after seven seasons leading NASCAR’s at-track competition team, an era that included transformative growth and some of the strongest competition in the sport’s history.
“After more than 40 years around race cars week after week, it’s time to step back and look at the next chapter of my life in motorsports,” Miller said. “I’m thankful to the France Family and everyone at NASCAR for the opportunity they gave me seven years ago, and I appreciate the chance to stay in the fold to help however and wherever I can. We have a strong team at NASCAR, and I’m excited to remain a part of it.”
Joining NASCAR in December of 2015, Miller will remain with the sanctioning body as its Competition Strategist. In this capacity, Miller’s focus will center on a several ‘big picture’ special projects such as the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway and the Chicago Street Course race, as well as long-lead planning around NASCAR Competition strategy.
Probst, who most recently held the title of Senior Vice President of Racing Innovation, oversaw the development and evolution of the Next Gen race car, a groundbreaking innovation that produced several on-track competition superlatives – including a record-tying 19 different race winners during its debut season. Probst joined NASCAR in 2016, providing senior oversight of an engineering group that develops and incorporates new technology into all aspects of NASCAR competition. Prior to NASCAR, Probst spent 10 years as the Technical Director for both Chip Ganassi Racing (2011-16) and Red Bull Racing (2006-11). Probst began his career as an engineer for Ford Motor Company in 1994.
Jacuzzi, who manages aerodynamic engineering for NASCAR, joined the sanctioning body after working as a computational aerodynamicist for Corvid Technologies and assigned to Richard Childress Racing. Since joining NASCAR in 2014, Jacuzzi has led the team tasked to design the aerodynamic elements of the race vehicles for all three national series – including the Next Gen car – as well as the Garage 56 car scheduled to run in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Patalak, who has worked at the NASCAR R&D Center since 2005, oversees NASCAR’s safety team, researching, developing and approving driver and vehicle safety systems. In this role, Patalak also investigates all crashes and driver protection issues. Prior to NASCAR John worked for an engineering consulting firm specializing in vehicle crashworthiness and occupant protection.
Thomas joined NASCAR in 2019 following time as a crew chief and engineer with Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Petty Enterprises, Red Bull Racing and Hall of Fame Racing. Brought to NASCAR to help shepherd the Next Gen project, Thomas led the day-to-day management of the Next Gen car since the beginning of the development cycle in 2019.
About NASCAR
Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series (Canada), NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will be vying for the Memorial Day ‘Double Duty’ challenge by competing in both the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2024.
In an announcement made on Thursday, January 12, Larson, who pilots the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports in the Cup circuit, will also be piloting a Chevrolet entry for Arrow McLaren in the NTT IndyCar Series for the 108th running of the Indy 500. Larson’s McLaren entry will be back by his Cup Series owner Rick Hendrick, who will co-own the entry, and sponsored by HendrickCars.com.
The announcement comes as Larson, who will attempt to make his IndyCar debut next season, is coming off his eighth full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series and second driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Having won the 2021 Cup title on a strength of 10 victories and during his first season at HMS, Larson achieved three victories before finishing in seventh place in the 2022 final standings. He also achieved a total of four poles, 13 top-five results, 19 top-10 results, 635 laps led and an average-finishing result of 14.1 throughout the previous Cup season.
“I’m super excited,” Larson, a 19-time Cup winner, said. “Competing at the Indianapolis 500 is a dream of mine and something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time – since I was a child before I ever began competing in sprint cars. To do it with McLaren and Mr. Hendrick especially is a dream come true. I’m grateful for the opportunity and am really looking forward to it even though it’s still about a year-and-a-half away. I’m really looking forward to competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Charlotte 600 and maybe even get a win or two that day.”
In announcing his plans for the ‘Double Duty’ challenge, Larson will attempt to become the fifth competitor to accomplish the feat that was first started by the late John Andretti in 1994 and was soon followed by Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch.
Busch is the latest competitor to pull the ‘Doubly Duty’ feat in 2014, where he competed between Andretti Autosport and Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart, who competed in the double twice (1999 and 2001), is the lone competitor to successfully complete the double’s 1,100 miles of racing between the two events in the same day after finishing sixth at Indy with Chip Ganassi Racing before finishing third at Charlotte with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Like Larson, the 2024 ‘Double Duty’ bid will also mark a new first for team owner Rick Hendrick, who will own an IndyCar entry for the first time in his career. The 2023 season is also set to mark Hendrick’s 40th season as an owner in NASCAR’s premier series, where he has accumulated an all-time record 14 championships and 291 victories. He has also accumulated 239 poles, 1,190 top-five results, 2,045 top-10 results and 77,317 laps led.
“Having the opportunity to support Kyle, partner with an elite team like Arrow McLaren and promote HendrickCars.com in one of the world’s great auto racing events is truly unique,” Hendrick said. “All of us are competitors. Putting Kyle in top-level equipment and allowing ample time for him to prepare for such a difficult challenge was important. It’s going to be very, very special to field a Chevrolet in the Indy 500 as a car owner. A collaboration like this was what we needed to make it happen, and fortunately the stars aligned. We’re 100% committed to doing it right and look forward to working with Zak [Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing] and his organization.”
Like Larson and Hendrick Motorsports, the 2024 season will also mark McLaren’s first participation in the ‘Double Duty’ challenge in a storied career highlighted with 12 drivers’ championships, eighth constructors’ titles and 183 victories in Formula One competition. The McLaren manufacturer has also made a total of three trips to Victory Lane in the Indy 500 three times, with the first occurring in 1972 with Mark Donohue. After achieving a second Indy 500 victory with Johnny Rutherford in 1974, McLaren’s latest Indy 500 victory occurred in 1976 with Rutherford.
The Arrow McLaren team, which has been rebranded from Arrow McLaren SP, is set to field three full-time entries in this year’s IndyCar season for drivers Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi. The 2013 Indy 500 champion Tony Kanaan is also set to pilot a fourth Arrow McLaren entry for this year’s 107th running of the Indy 500.
“Adding Kyle Larson with a HendrickCars.com partnership to the Indy 500 lineup in 2024 is exciting for our Arrow McLaren team as well as for race fans,” Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, added. “He’s a complete driver, known for racing anything on wheels, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Kyle can do in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car. It’s been great working with Rick Hendrick and [Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman] Jeff Gordon to pull this together, so a big thank you to them for what’s to come in May 2024.”
Additional details regarding Larson’s number and car livery for the Indy 500 remains to be determined.
With his plans for the 2024 Memorial Day weekend set, Larson’s 2023 Cup Series season is set to commence at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the second annual Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum, which will occur on February 5 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. This event will be followed by the 65th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, which will occur on February 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Stewart-Haas Racing announced today that Ryan Preece will move to a full-time position with the team in 2023, driving the No. 41 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series.
He will replace Cole Custer who has driven the SHR No. 41 since 2020 with one Cup Series win at Kentucky Speedway. Custer will remain with the team but return to the Xfinity Series where he has 10 wins, highlighted by seven victories during the 2019 season.
Preece’s promotion signifies the end of a somewhat unique alliance. In January 2022 Preece was signed as a reserve driver for the organization while also competing on a limited schedule in all three of NASCAR’s top series. His results included one Camping World Truck Series win at Nashville Superspeedway.
Though it was an unconventional arrangement with no guarantee that it would evolve into a full-time position, Preece seized the opportunity. It was a calculated decision by the Berlin, Connecticut native, who made his mark in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, winning the championship in 2013 and earning 25 career wins.
But despite his success across multiple series, he wanted more.
“This is a second chance and something where I’ve won in everything I’ve ever been in. I’ve won so many different championships at a local level, whether it was track championships or regional championships, it’s just been something where I’ve learned how to be a winner and I wanted to do it at NASCAR’s highest level.”
And for Preece, it was a gamble he was willing to take.
“This could have gone way different, but I’ve never been the conservative type of person. I’m willing to risk it all and it’s worked out.
“I did turn down truck opportunities, Xfinity opportunities,” he added. “There were quite a few different teams that came to me, whether they were full-time or part-time, and I thought about if there was the smallest bit of opportunity for me to end up at Stewart-Haas, I wasn’t gonna walk away. I was willing to sit there until there was absolutely no hope and possibly be jobless, possibly not have a ride, but I was willing to take that risk.”
As an added bonus, Preece heads into next season with the support of team co-owner, Tony Stewart, who reportedly was one of the main factors in the decision to promote Preece.
“To have a guy like him in your corner trying to help you fight for that opportunity because sometimes it just takes somebody cracking that door open so you can bust through it,” he said, “and it’s taken a lot of people to do this.
“Ultimately, it’s worked out and this opportunity has come.”
Preece is determined to make the most of it.
“A lot of that comes down to how bad somebody wants it and what they’re willing to do, and I think my past experiences show that I’m willing to do whatever it takes.
“I’m not willing to lose. I’m not willing to fail.”
Ten days after capping off an eventful 2022 campaign with his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, Ty Gibbs’ racing career is set to ascend to a new level. On Tuesday, November 15, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that the 20-year-old Gibbs from Charlotte, North Carolina, will be graduating to the NASCAR Cup Series on a full-time basis while replacing two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch in the team’s fourth and final vacant seat for the upcoming racing season.
Gibbs, a grandson to team owner Joe Gibbs, will be piloting the No. 54 Toyota Camry TRD Pro, the same number he piloted to the 2022 Xfinity Series title along with 11 Xfinity career victories between 2021 and 2022. This means that the No. 18, which has been sported by JGR in the Cup circuit for the past 31 years, will not be sported by a JGR entry in NASCAR’s premier series for the 2023 season.
The announcement comes as Gibbs is coming off his competitive season to date, where he campaigned in the Xfinity Series on a full-time basis for the first time. Throughout the 33-race schedule, he achieved seven victories along with five poles, 16 top-five results, 23 top-10 results, 990 laps led and an average-finishing result of 9.2. Amid his share of run-ins and controversies both on and off the track, including some that involved his JGR Xfinity teammates, he defied the odds by capturing this year’s Xfinity title by winning the finale at Phoenix Raceway in early November while squaring off head-to-head against a trio of JR Motorsports’ competitors (Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry and Noah Gragson). Gibbs’ championship celebration, however, was quickly overshadowed with tragedy when his father and co-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, Coy, died at age 49 overnight and hours after the title.
Prior to this past season’s Xfinity championship-winning season, Gibbs excelled in his inaugural start in the Xfinity circuit in February 2021 when he scored his first career victory at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. He went on to win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, Watkins Glen International in August and at Kansas Speedway in October while making 18 starts throughout the 33-race schedule. Throughout his part-time campaign in the Xfinity Series, he also captured the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship.
Through a total of 51 career starts in the Xfinity Series, Gibbs has achieved 11 victories, six poles, 25 top-five results, 33 top-10 results, 1,234 laps led and an average-finishing result of 9.5.
Amid his on-track success in the Xfinity circuit, Gibbs is not a stranger to the Cup Series. In mid-July, he made his first appearance in NASCAR’s premier series as an interim competitor for 23XI Racing at Pocono Raceway when the 2004 Cup Series champion Kurt Busch was sidelined due to suffering concussion-like symptoms after wrecking the day prior to race day. With Busch being sidelined for the remainder of the 2022 season and eventually from full-time competition, Gibbs ended up competing in the following 14 Cup events while also vying for the Xfinity title. Throughout his 15-race campaign in the Cup circuit, his best on-track result was a 10th-place run at Michigan International Speedway in August followed by a 13th-place run at Daytona International Speedway three races later. His average-finishing result during his part-time Cup campaign was 22.9.
Gibbs’ entrance to the Cup Series on a full-time basis comes two months after Kyle Busch, who won two Cup Series championships and 56 races throughout a 15-year run with Joe Gibbs Racing, revealed that he will be departing JGR to drive for Richard Childress Racing for the upcoming Cup season. The departure of Busch from JGR comes after a season-long turmoil with the team struggling to find a sponsor and financial stability for Busch after his initial primary partner, Mars Inc., terminated its partnership with the team and NASCAR following the 2022 season.
Gibbs is not the only one moving up to the Cup Series for next season. Chris Gayle, who led Gibbs’ to this past season’s Xfinity Series title, will also be moving up and continue to work as his crew chief. The 2023 season will mark Gayle’s return as a crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series since 2020, where he worked with Erik Jones.
In 142 appearances as a Cup crew chief, Gayle has achieved two victories between 2018 and 2019. In addition to the 2022 Xfinity title, he has also achieved 37 victories as an Xfinity crew chief.
With his plans for the upcoming season officially set, Gibbs’ first full-time campaign in the NASCAR Cup Series will commence at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the Busch Light Clash, which will occur on February 5 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. He will then make his first Cup points start for JGR in the 65th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
1. Joey Logano: Logano started on the pole at Phoenix and dominated on his way to the Cup championship, the second of his career.
“I’m the champion,” Logano said. “Or, you can just call me driver ‘1A.’ All the other championship-round drivers? They are not ‘1A.’ And judging by their championship aspirations, they were also not ‘2B.’”
2. Ross Chastain: Chastain started 25th and finished third at Phoenix, just coming up short as Joey Logano won the race and championship.
“I still consider this season a success,” Chastain said. “Maybe I didn’t win the title, but the word ‘Chastaining’ will forever be in the racing lexicon.”
3. Ryan Blaney: Blaney led 109 laps and finished second at Phoenix, completing the 2022 season without a win.
“I honestly don’t know how to explain to someone why we couldn’t manage a single win,” Blaney said. “I mean, I could try, but my feeling is it would be a no-win situation.”
4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished eighth at Phoenix, posting his 16th top 10 of the season.
“It was weird for me not racing for the championship,” Hamlin said. “It wasn’t weird for me not winning the championship.”
5. William Byron: Byron finished sixth at Phoenix.
“I’m pleased with my finish,” Byron said. “No, it’s not a win, but it is a bit of momentum heading into next season. And I’m sure we could maintain that momentum if the Daytona 500 was tomorrow, and not three months from now.”
6. Chase Elliott: Elliott’s championship hopes were shattered when he spun on a final stage restart, with a little help from Ross Chastain. Elliott fell a lap down and never recovered, finishing 28th.
“I’m devastated,” Elliott said. “But I’m not looking for anyone’s sympathy or charity. And speaking of ‘charity,’ Chastain’s ‘helped’ a lot of people this season.”
7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fifth at Phoenix.
“Congratulations to Joey Logano,” Harvick said. “And congratulations to the Xfinity and Truck champs, Ty Gibbs and Zane Smith, respectively. I hear Gibbs might be the next big thing in the Cup series. And by ‘thing,’ I mean ‘douchebag.’”
8. Christopher Bell: Bell suffered a horrible pit stop with less than 35 laps to go, which cost him several spots to Joey Logano and Ross Chastain. Bell wasn’t able to make his way to the front and finished a disappointing 10th.
“My pit crew member got his finger stuck between the nut and the spindle,” Bell said. “That has to be incredibly painful. Still, I’m not sure who it hurt worse, me or him?”
9. Kyle Larson: Larson finished ninth at Phoenix.
“Tough break for my Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott,” Larson said. “I’m sure it was unexpected when contact with Ross Chastain sent Chase for a spin. Of course, anytime Chase gets spun, it’s unexpected unless it’s me doing it. He’s come to expect that.”
10. Chase Briscoe: Briscoe came home fourth at Phoenix, registering his sixth top-five of the season.
“Seeing Joey Logano win the championship makes me hungry to work harder for a championship I can call my own,” Briscoe said. “Tony Stewart also said seeing Logano made him hungry, mostly because Joey’s nickname is ‘Sliced Bread.’ Tony also wished there was a driver nicknamed ‘Sandwich Meat.’”
