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  • Cindric prevails for first Cup triumph at the Daytona 500

    Cindric prevails for first Cup triumph at the Daytona 500

    In a late war of attrition between the young guns and the veterans, rookie Austin Cindric captured the main spotlight to commence a new season of NASCAR competition by winning the 64th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 20, and capturing his first NASCAR Cup Series career victory after fending off the field during an overtime attempt.

    The 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion from Mooresville, North Carolina, led four times for 21 laps, including the final eight, to fend off challenges from teammate Ryan Blaney, ex-teammate Brad Keselowski and Bubba Wallace on the final lap to grab his first win in his eighth career start in NASCAR’s premier series and in his first event driving the No. 2 Ford Mustang for Team Penske as a full-time Cup Series rookie candidate.

    The starting lineup was determined through two single-car qualifying rounds on Wednesday, February 16, followed by the Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday, February 17. Kyle Larson, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion, started on pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 181.159 mph and was joined on the front row with teammate Alex Bowman, who qualified at 181.046 mph. Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher, both of whom represent the newly named Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, occupied the second row after each won their respective Duel events.

    Prior to the event, George Spencer, the engineer for Chase Briscoe and the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang team, and JD Frey, the car chief for Daniel Hemric and the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team, were ejected from the event due to their respective cars failing pre-race inspection twice. In addition, Hemric was assessed a drive-through penalty at the start. Joey Logano also dropped to the rear of the field in a backup car along with Jacques Villeneuve, who dropped to the rear due to an engine change.

    When the green flag waved and the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season commenced, Larson jumped with an early advantage and moved in front of teammate Bowman from the tri-oval through the back straightaway while running on the inside lane. The outside lane, however, proved to be the fastest, preferred lane for a majority of competitors as Keselowski received drafting help from Ford teammates Austin Cindric, Chris Buescher and Michael McDowell to move into the lead entering Turns 3 and 4.

    When the field returned to the start/finish line, Brad Keselowski, making his first start as a driver/co-owner of the No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford Mustang, led the first lap ahead of Cindric and Buescher while Larson settled in fourth ahead of Michael McDowell, the reigning Daytona 500 champion. By then, Hemric served his drive-through penalty through pit road.

    By the fifth lap, a majority of the competitors were running in a long single-file line on the outside lane as Keselowski was leading Cindric, Buescher, McDowell and Kyle Busch. Christopher Bell, Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch, Bubba Wallace and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were in the top 10 while rookie Harrison Burton was the lead car on the inside lane in 14th place while receiving drafting help from names like Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez, Aric Almirola and Denny Hamlin.

    Two laps later, the momentum for the competitors running on the inside lane gained momentum towards the ones running on the outside lane as Kyle Busch, who darted to the inside lane, moved his No. 18 M&M’s Toyota TRD Camry to the front of the pack followed by teammate Bell. Soon after, Busch was engaged in a side-by-side battle with Keselowski’s No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang for the top spot.

    Through the first 10 laps of the event and with the field continuing to engage in close-quarters racing through multiple lanes, Keselowski, who fought back on the outside lane to retake the lead on Lap 8, was leading followed by Cindric, Buescher, McDowell and Stenhouse while Kyle Busch fell back to sixth ahead of Erik Jones, Bell, Larson and Truex. By then, Hemric was lapped behind the field.

    Five laps later, Jacques Villeneuve was lapped by the field as Keselowski continued to lead a bevy of competitors running towards the outside lane while Kyle Busch was the lead car for multiple competitors running on the inside lane.

    By Lap 20, Keselowski remained out in front on the outside lane ahead of Cindric, Buescher, McDowell, Stenhouse and a majority of the competitors while Kyle Busch continued to serve as the lead car on the inside lane with drafting help from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Bell and Truex along with 23XI Racing’s Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace.

    Seven laps later, the battle for the lead reignited between Keselowski and Kyle Busch as Busch received drafting help from his Toyota teammates on the inside lane to return to the lead. 

    Through the first 30 laps of the event, Kyle Busch remained as the leader of the field by a narrow margin over teammate Keselowski while Bell, Cindric, Truex, Buescher, Kurt Busch, McDowell, Wallace and Denny Hamlin were in the top 10. By then, Greg Biffle, making his return to the Cup Series following a five-year absence, took his No. 44 NY Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the garage due to an engine issue. 

    By Lap 35, a majority of the field moved to the inside lane as Kyle Busch continued to lead ahead of Bell, Truex, Kurt Busch, Wallace, Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Keselowski and William Byron.

    A few laps later, the first round of green-flag pit stops commenced as names like Cindric, Blaney, McDowell, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Cole Custer, David Ragan, Aric Almirola and Chase Briscoe pitted. During the following lap, a majority of competitors led by Kyle Busch pitted. Then during the following lap and with another wave of competitors pitting, Villeneuve spun near the pit road entrance, but he proceeded without making contact with the wall as the race continued to run under green. In the midst of the pit stops, Ty Dillon was penalized for speeding on pit road.

    Then on Lap 40, the first caution of the event flew when Kaz Grala lost a right-rear wheel of his No. 50 Money Team Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Turn 2. At the same time, Briscoe got bumped by Cindric entering Turn 1 and spun his No. 14 Mahindra Ford Mustang, though he continued without sustaining any significant damage. Under caution, some like Larson and Bowman pitted.

    When the race restarted under green on Lap 45, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano occupied the front row ahead of Hamlin and Harrison Burton. At the start, Busch jumped ahead through Turns 1 and 2, but Logano used the outside lane to his advantage as he received a push from Burton’s No. 21 Motorcraft/DEX Imaging Ford Mustang to challenge Busch for the lead.

    Through the first 50 laps of the event, Kyle Busch was leading ahead of teammates Hamlin and Bell while Byron and Kurt Busch were in the top five. By then, Elliott, rookie Todd Gilliland, McDowell, Logano and Ross Chastain were in the top 10. 

    Shortly after, the caution returned when Justin Haley lost a right-front tire from his No. 31 LeafFilter Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Turn 1. Under caution, some like Noah Gragson, Harvick, Custer, and Almirola pitted while the rest led by Kyle Busch remained on the track.

    On Lap 56, the race proceeded under green as teammates Kyle Busch and Hamlin occupied the front row. At the start, Busch, who restarted on the outside lane, jumped with another strong advantage before moving in front of teammate Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Toyota TRD Camry to retain the lead. Behind, Byron challenged Logano for third place with drafting help from Harrison Burton. During the following lap, Byron moved his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the lead through the back straightaway as he also moved in front of Busch’s No. 18 Toyota. 

    Then with the field engaged in close-quarters racing through double lanes, Harrison Burton received a push from Truex to challenge Byron for the lead.

    By Lap 60, Burton was leading ahead of Keselowski before Truex mounted his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota TRD Camry alongside Burton’s car in Turn 1 in a bid for the lead. 

    Two laps later, however, the caution flew for a multi-car that started when Harrison Burton, who was challenging Truex for the lead, got bumped and turned off the front nose of Keselowski entering the back straightaway as he made contact with Byron, Kyle Busch, Hamlin and Bell. While Byron slid and pounded the inside wall head-on, Burton’s No. 21 Ford went airborne and landed upside down on the roof before flipping back on all four wheels and coming to rest with a destroyed race car. Also involved were Ross Chastain and Alex Bowman. Despite the incident, Burton emerged uninjured as his strong start to the race came to an early end along with Byron, Hamlin and Chastain.

    The multi-car wreck concluded the first stage scheduled for Lap 65 under caution as Truex claimed the first stage victory of the season. Keselowski settled in second ahead of Todd Gilliland, Stenhouse, Logano, Austin Dillon, Kurt Busch, Erik Jones, Larson and Elliott.

    Under the stage break, some including Kurt Busch, who received minor damage from the multi-car wreck, pitted early. Not long after, the remainder of the field led by Truex pitted for service.

    The second stage started on Lap 71 as Erik Jones and Ryan Blaney occupied the front row. At the start, Jones and Blaney dueled through the first two turns until Blaney received a push from teammate Cindric to clear Jones for the lead and retain the top spot when he returned to the start/finish line. 

    By Lap 75 and with the field fanning out to double lanes, Blaney continued to lead ahead of teammate Cindric and Jones, both of whom battled dead even for the runner-up spot. Chris Buescher and Stenhouse were in the top five ahead of Kevin Harvick, Daniel Suarez, Keselowski, Larson and Gilliland.

    Fifteen laps later on Lap 90, Blaney remained as the leader ahead of teammate Cindric, Buescher, Harvick and Keselowski as the field settled in a long single-file line towards the inside lane.

    At the halfway mark on Lap 100, Blaney was leading ahead of teammates Cindric, Buescher, Harvick, Gilliland, Custer, McDowell, Ty Dillon and Briscoe as Ford competitors occupied nine of the top-10 spots. Almirola, Logano, Larson, Gragson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Tyler Reddick, Erik Jones, Truex, Wallace and Kyle Busch were running in the top 20 ahead of Kurt Busch, Daniel Suarez and Elliott, all of whom were running under three seconds behind the leader. Hemric, Corey LaJoie, Austin Dillon were in 24th, 25th and 26th followed by Landon Cassill, Codey Ware, David Ragan and Jacques Villeneuve, all of whom were on the lead lap.

    Shortly after, names like Austin Dillon, Hemric, LaJoie, Cassill, David Ragan and Corey Ware pitted under green as Blaney continued to lead the field. During the pit stops, Cassill nearly clipped two of Cody Ware’s crew members while trying to exit his pit stall.

    Then on Lap 107, a wave of competitors led by Blaney pitted, but Keselowski and Buescher managed to exit pit road ahead of Blaney. During the next lap, another wave led by Truex pitted. In the midst of the pit stops, Briscoe slid past his pit stall while Elliott stalled his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on pit road. In addition, Suarez was busted for speeding on pit road and forced to serve a drive-through penalty through pit road.

    By Lap 110, Keselowski returned to the lead followed by Buescher, Blaney and the field. A few laps later, Custer pitted for a second time due to not getting fuel in his car during his first stop.

    Through Lap 120, Keselowski continued to lead ahead of Buescher, Blaney, Harvick and Gilliland while Larson, who was running within the top 10, formed a line on the outside lane in his bid for the lead followed by Stenhouse, Logano and Truex. 

    Then five laps later, Larson motored his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the lead, but Keselowski fought back on the inside lane after receiving a push from ex-teammate Logano. As Larson drifted back into the top 10 while receiving no drafting help, Keselowski retained the lead ahead of Logano, Truex, Wallace and Cindric.

    Then approaching the final lap of the second stage, Briscoe blocked Keselowski in an attempt to remain on the lead lap. Entering Turn 1, Keselowski moved to the inside lane in an attempt to pass Briscoe, but the rest of the field drafted with Briscoe as Logano moved his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang into the lead followed by Truex and Wallace. Then entering the tri-oval, Truex made his move beneath Logano and edged Logano to claim the second stage victory on Lap 130. Logano settled in second followed by Wallace, Keselowski, Stenhouse, Cindric, Buescher, Harvick, Larson and Gilliland.

    Under the stage break, the field returned to pit road for service and Keselowski exited with the lead followed by Cindric, Larson, Wallace and Harvick. During the pit stops, McDowell was penalized for speeding on pit road. In addition, Logano made a second trip to pit road to have the lug nuts on his car tightened. 

    With 63 laps remaining, the final stage started. At the start, Keselowski quickly moved in front of Cindric to retain the lead and gain momentum. Behind, Wallace was in third while Harvick gained a run on the outside lane. 

    Soon after, Keselowski led a seven-car breakaway from the field followed by Cindric, Wallace, Erik Jones, Blaney, Buescher and Briscoe while Harvick fell back in a side-by-side battle with Gragson, who was piloting the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in his Cup debut.

    Down to the final 50 laps of the event and with the majority of the field running on the inside lane while the rest settled on the outside lane, Keselowski was leading ahead of Cindric, Wallace, Jones and Blaney. 

    Just then, the caution flew when Tyler Reddick got bumped and turned off the front nose of Villeneuve entering the frontstretch and came across the path of Truex, Kurt Busch and Logano, with the former sustaining front-nose damage while the latter two spinning towards the tri-oval grass as Stenhouse also sustained damage. In the aftermath of the wreckage, Logano and Reddick needed assistance from wreckers to get their stuck cars out of the grass, which dropped them out of lead lap contention. 

    Under caution, the field pitted for a potential final round of fresh tires, fuel and adjustments as Cindric exited with the top spot following a two-tire pit stop ahead of Wallace, Blaney and Jones,  all of whom took fuel only, while Keselowski exited in fifth place with two fresh tires.

    With 41 laps remaining, the green flag waved. At the start, Cindric retained the lead ahead of teammate Blaney and Jones while Wallace got shoved out of the top five while making an attempt for the lead on the outside lane. 

    During the following lap, Cindric was out in front of a four-car breakaway followed by Blaney, Jones and Keselowski while Briscoe, Wallace and the field closed in through Turns 3 and 4. 

    Another three laps later, Kyle Busch shoved Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota TRD Camry to the lead on the outside lane as Cindric fought back on the inside lane with drafting help from Blaney’s No. 12 Menards Blue DEF Ford Mustang.

    With 35 laps remaining and the field engaged in a duel and close-quarters racing, Wallace, who had Kyle Busch pushing him on the outside lane, battled Cindric, who had teammate Blaney pushing him on the inside lane, for the lead. By then, the top-15 competitors were separated by half a second.

    Five laps later, Wallace and Cindric continued to duel dead even for the lead. Soon after, the inside lane gained a brief advantage as Cindric cleared Wallace to assume full command of the lead followed by Blaney, Erik Jones, Keselowski and Briscoe while Wallace was back in sixth alongside McDowell’s No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang.

    Another five laps later, the outside lane regained their momentum as Kyle Busch shoved Wallace back to the lead ahead of Cindric. Soon after, Wallace and Kyle Busch cleared the field and moved in front of Cindric’s No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang. By then, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. started to formulate a run for the lead on the outside lane with drafting help from Chris Buescher’s No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang.

    With 20 laps remaining, the battle for the lead and the win continued to intensify as Wallace and Stenhouse engaged in a heated duel for the top spot. While Stenhouse’s No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 had drafting help from Buescher, Wallace continued to fight back on the inside lane with drafting support from Kyle Busch.

    Two laps later, the outside lane prevailed as Stenhouse started to lead a multi-car breakaway followed by Buescher, Larson, Gilliland, Harvick and Erik Jones. The field soon settled in a long single-car line on the outside lane as Wallace was mired back in 11th.

    Down to the final 10 laps of the event and with fuel in question for the front-runners, Stenhouse, who was told he had enough fuel to finish, continued to lead. Then just as the intensity started to crescendo with the competitors fanning out to double lanes, a multi-car wreck erupted just past the start/finish line when Harvick, who got caught up in an accordion effect with Buescher and Larson, slipped sideways off the front nose of Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet and clipped Gragson, who pounded the inside wall head-on in front of Larson, which destroyed his car. Also involved were Erik Jones, Elliott and rookie Todd Gilliland, who also impacted the inside wall head-on. The wreck was enough for NASCAR to pause the race for approximately five minutes before the field proceeded under caution.

    When the race proceeded under green with six laps remaining, Stenhouse and Cindric engaged in a heated battle for the lead before Cindric started to pull away on the inside lane with drafting help from Blaney. As the field returned to the start/finish line, Stenhouse got turned off the front nose of Keselowski and bounced off of Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota before spinning and slapping the outside wall as Buescher got collected in the carnage. The wreck evaporated Stenhouse’s hopes of winning his first Daytona 500 as he was unable to continue.

    The late incident involving Stenhouse was enough to send the event into overtime. At the start, Cindric jumped with an early advantage and immediately moved in front of teammate Blaney from the outside to the inside lane to retain the lead. Through the back straightaway, Keselowski received a push from Briscoe to try to close in on Cindric on the outside lane. 

    When the white flag waved, Cindric was still leading by a narrow margin over teammate Blaney, Keselowski and the field. Through the first two turns and the back straightaway, Cindric continued to maintain his ground on the inside lane with teammate Blaney settling behind him while Keselowski continued to lurk but not close on the outside lane. 

    Then entering Turns 3 and 4, Cindric started to pull away followed by Blaney and Wallace while Keselowski could not gain drafting help from Briscoe. Entering the frontstretch and the tri-oval, Briscoe then squeezed himself past Keselowski towards the outside wall as Blaney and Wallace mounted a final challenge on Cindric for the win. As Blaney made a move to the outside of Cindric, Cindric blocked Blaney while making slight contact with his Penske teammate. That opened the door for Wallace to pounce, but at the finish line, Cindric edged Wallace by 0.036 seconds to win as another multi-car wreck erupted behind, among which were involved included Blaney and Keselowski.

    With the victory, Cindric, who won in NASCAR’s first points-paying event with the new Next Gen stock cars, became the 41st different competitor to win the Daytona 500 and the ninth to notch a first Cup career victory in the 500 as he delivered the 17th 500 triumph for the Ford nameplate, the first for crew chief Jeremy Bullins and the third for Team Penske and team owner Roger Penske, who turned 85 years old. In addition, Cindric became the 199th different competitor to win in NASCAR’s premier series and the 37th different competitor to achieve a victory across NASCAR’s top three national touring series (Camping World Truck, Xfinity and Cup).

    Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    “Oh my god!” Cindric exclaimed on FOX. “You know what makes [winning] better. A packed house! A packed house at the Daytona 500! I’ve got so many people to thank, first and foremost. Roger Penske, happy birthday! Oh my gosh! [I] Appreciate Ryan [Blaney] being a great teammate. Obviously, he wants to win this one. I’m so pumped for Discount Tire, Menards, Ford, everyone who works so hard with this Next Gen car through this whole process. I am so excited. This makes up for losing a [Xfinity] championship last race I did.”

    “I’m surrounded by great people,” Cindric added. “That’s all there is to it. I know there’s gonna be highs and lows being a rookie in a field of drivers this strong. I’m just grateful for the opportunity. [I’m] Excited to climb the mountain we got ahead of us on this No. 2 team. We’re in the Playoffs! That’s one good box check, but oh my gosh! What an awesome group of fans. What an awesome race car. Just really thankful.” 

    Behind Cindric was Wallace, who nursed his car with a damaged right-front fender to tie his best Daytona 500 result with a runner-up result while Briscoe made a late charge to finish third, which marks his first top-five result in the Cup circuit. Blaney fell back to fourth despite getting consumed in the final lap accident while Aric Almirola commenced his final full-time Cup season in fifth place.

    “What could have been, right?” Wallace said. “Just dejected, but the thing that keeps me up is just the hard work that we put into our speedway stuff. The hard work from everybody at 23XI [Racing]. Proud of them. Can’t thank them enough. I knew this was a big move last year for me to go out and be competitive. We’re showing that. There’s always a first race into the season. You’re getting through everything, but when you come out of the gates like that, it’s empowering. It’s encouraging, so thanks to everybody back at the shop. McDonald’s almost got them another [win], back-to-back superspeedway wins. That would’ve been awesome, especially with them being in the 500. Just short…Great Speedweeks, though. We come home second. I’m gonna be pissed off about this for a while. I was happy on the first second-place we got a couple years ago. This one sucks when you’re that close, but all in all, I’m happy for our team. Happy for our partners and on to California.”

    “I needed to be able to get to Brad [Keselowski to win],” Briscoe said. “He was having to drag so much brake for me to be able to help him that I wished I was more help. I felt like if I could’ve just locked on, I could’ve gotten him up there. To be sleeping on couches and volunteering at shops six or seven years ago, and now to have a chance to win the Daytona 500 at the end, to finish third and start the year off with these Mahindra Tractors folks and HighPoint.com, all the people that get us to the race track. We wanna be a Playoff contender this year and having a good run here is a good start. [I] Wished we could’ve had one more lap. You never know what could happen, but yeah, super cool to finish third.”

    “Coming to the restart there for the green-white-checkered, I really had those thoughts like, ‘Man, this is gonna be a storybook ending coming down here for my last full-time season with this team,” Almirola said. “Having Shane [Smith, President and CEO of Smithfield] and so many people from Smithfield here. I felt like I was in a great spot. It still hurts. It’s an awesome feeling. I’m gonna miss that, coming down the white flag lap, feeling like you have a shot to win the Daytona 500. That’s an incredible feeling. Just so proud of Ford for getting to Victory Lane…This is incredible to come here and almost feel like we had a shot at getting it done. Dang it. So close.”

    Kyle Busch, McDowell, Ragan, Keselowski and Elliott finished in the top 10 as 15 competitors finished on the lead lap.

    Truex settled in 13th behind Daniel Hemric, Daniel Suarez ended up in 18th ahead of Kurt Busch and Logano finished 21st ahead of Villeneueve. Stenhouse, Harvick and Larson were scored in 28th, 30th and 32nd after having their opportunities to win the 500 spoiled due to the late carnage.

    There were 36 lead changes for 13 different leaders. The race featured seven cautions for 37 laps.

    Following the first event of the 2022 Cup Series event, Austin Cindric and Brad Keselowski are locked in a tie for the lead in the regular-season standings by five points ahead of Martin Truex Jr., seven over Bubba Wallace and 13 ahead of Chase Briscoe and Ryan Blaney.

    Results.

    1. Austin Cindric, 21 laps led

    2. Bubba Wallace, 12 laps led

    3. Chase Briscoe

    4. Ryan Blaney, 36 laps led

    5. Aric Almirola

    6. Kyle Busch, 28 laps led

    7. Michael McDowell

    8. David Ragan

    9. Brad Keselowski, 67 laps led

    10. Chase Elliott

    11. Ty Dillon

    12. Daniel Hemric

    13. Martin Truex Jr., 11 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

    14. Corey LaJoie

    15. Landon Cassill

    16. Chris Buescher, one lap down

    17. Cody Ware, one lap down

    18. Daniel Suarez, one lap down

    19. Kurt Busch, two laps down

    20. Cole Custer, two laps down

    21. Joey Logano, three laps down, one lap led

    22. Jacques Villeneuve, three laps down

    23. Justin Haley, three laps down

    24. Alex Bowman, four laps down

    25. Austin Dillon, four laps down

    26. Kaz Grala, five laps down

    27. BJ McLeod, five laps down

    28. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – OUT, Accident, 16 laps led

    29. Erik Jones – OUT, Accident, three laps led

    30. Kevin Harvick – OUT, Dvp

    31. Noah Gragson – OUT, Accident

    32. Kyle Larson – OUT, Accident, one lap led

    33. Todd Gilliland – OUT, Accident

    34. Christopher Bell – OUT, Accident

    35. Tyler Reddick – OUT, Accident

    36. Greg Biffle, 65 laps down

    37. Denny Hamlin – OUT, Accident

    38. William Byron – OUT, Accident, one lap led

    39. Harrison Burton – OUT, Accident, three laps led

    40. Ross Chastain – OUT, Accident

    With the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season underway, the competitors will be embarking on a three-race West Coast swing over the next three weeks, beginning with the return of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, following a one-year absence. The event is scheduled to occur on Sunday, February 27, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Buescher avoids final lap calamity to win second Bluegreen Vacations Duel; Biffle transfers to the Daytona 500

    Buescher avoids final lap calamity to win second Bluegreen Vacations Duel; Biffle transfers to the Daytona 500

    Chris Buescher capped off a perfect day for the newly named Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing by winning the second Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, February 17, despite being involved in a last lap incident with Joey Logano that sent Logano hard into the wall and with a wrecked race car leading up to this year’s 64th running of the Daytona 500.

    The second Duel victory awarded Buescher a starting spot on the second row alongside teammate Brad Keselowski in fourth place as he will contend for his first victory in his seventh career start in the Great American Race.

    Prior to the event, Alex Bowman, who claimed a front row starting spot for the 64th running of the Daytona 500, started on the pole and was joined on the front row with Aric Almirola. In addition, Jacques Villeneuve, who locked himself into the 500 based on qualifying speed, fell out of lead lap contention after enduring a throttle cable issue before he could roll his car out on the track for the pace laps.

    When the green flag waved and the race started, Bowman assumed an early command with the lead while Almirola challenged Martin Truex Jr. for the runner-up spot on the outside lane.

    By the first lap, Bowman was leading ahead of Truex, who had Joey Logano challenge him on the outside lane with drafting help from rookie Harrison Burton while Almirola lost the draft and drifted towards the rear of the field.

    During the following lap, Logano led by a hair through the tri-oval before Bowman stormed back to the lead on the inside lane in Turn 3 with drafting help from Truex and the competitors lined up on the inside lane.

    By the fifth lap, Bowman was leading ahead of Logano and Truex, both of whom were locked in a side-by-side battle in front of Burton, Denny Hamlin and the field. 

    Three laps later, Logano peaked his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang ahead with the lead. Another two laps later, however, Bowman fought back to lead another lap for himself before Logano assumed full command, beginning on Lap 11.

    By Lap 15, the Dillon brothers moved to the front as Austin Dillon assumed the lead followed by brother Ty. Another two laps later, however, Chris Buescher moved his No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang into the lead before Ricky Stenhouse Jr. led a lap for himself on Lap 18.

    Through the first 20 laps of the event, Buescher was leading ahead of Stenhouse, Kevin Harvick, Michael McDowell Logano while Burton, Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Greg Biffle and Kyle Busch were in the top 10. 

    On Lap 26, some competitors that included Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin pitted under green. In the midst of the pit stops, Hamlin locked up the front tires of his No. 11 FedEx Toyota TRD Camry while trying to enter pit road and spun just past the pit road entrance. Despite continuing, he lost the draft with his Toyota teammates and was mired back in 19th place.

    Back on the track, Buescher continued to lead followed by Stenhouse, Harvick, McDowell and Logano. 

    At the halfway mark on Lap 30, Buescher retained the lead ahead of Stenhouse, Harvick, McDowell and Logano. Burton, Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Biffle and Kyle Busch were in the top 10. By then, Biffle was in a transfer spot and 12 spots ahead of Timmy Hill, who was also vying for a transfer spot but mired back in 21st place, dead last.

    Two laps later, the next wave of competitors led by Stenhouse pitted under green. Then coming to Lap 34, Buescher pitted as Logano cycled to the lead. In the midst of the pit stops, Biffle endured a long pit stop after his pit crew had issues while trying to get fuel in his car, but he retained a transfer spot for the 500 ahead of Hill and Villeneuve.

    With 20 laps remaining, Logano was leading ahead of Buescher, McDowell and Harrison Burton, all of whom were separated by less three-tenths of a second while fifth-place Stenhouse trailed by less than nine seconds. Harvick, Kyle Busch, Bell, Truex and Bubba Wallace were in the top 10 while Biffle retained a transfer spot in 14th place, six spots ahead of Timmy Hill and seven ahead of Villeneuve.

    Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Logano continued to lead by a narrow margin over Buescher, McDowell, Harrison Burton and Kyle Busch while Bell, Truex, Wallace, Stenhouse and Harvick were in the top 10. Behind, Biffle was in 14th ahead of Bowman, but in a transfer spot while Hill and Villeneueve were mired back in 20th and 21st.

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Logano continued to lead ahead of Buescher, McDowell and Burton as Harvick was lapped. Then entering the backstraightaway, Buescher, who tried to make a move beneath Logano, made contact with Logano as Logano tried to block Buescher’s run, which sent Logano head-on into the outside wall. While Buescher and McDowell bolted to the left to avoid the carnage, Burton made contact with Logano’s damaged No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang, which sent his car spinning while Burton continued. 

    Logano’s wreck ended the event under caution as Buescher crossed the finish line in first place ahead of McDowell and Burton. Shortly after, Buescher was declared the winner of the event following an official review.

    The victory marked Buescher’s first victory in the NASCAR Cup Series since claiming his first career victory at Pocono Raceway during a rain-shortened event and his first career Daytona Speedweeks win.

    “What a way to start Speedweeks out here,” Buescher said on FS1. “To put both [Roush Fenway Keselowski] Ford Mustangs to Victory Lane. To get Fastenal their first win on a Cup car. I know it’s not the big show, but we got a really good hot rod here. Just hats off to everybody back at the shop. I know it’s been a heck of an off-season for everybody at our sport, but we’ve had a lot of changes going on and that’s cool to see it play out…We’re in a good spot here. That’s exciting.”

    Following his wreck, Logano ended the night in ninth place, the first competitor a lap down.

    “I just made a mistake,” Logano, who emerged from the infield care center uninjured, said. “I didn’t think the run would come that quick. It just seemed like it happened really quick. Even watching the replay, it happened quicker than I thought it would. I knew a run was gonna happen at some point on the last lap. I thought that was pretty early…Thought I was still clear and I wasn’t. I apologize to my race team…Just blew it. ”

    McDowell and Burton were scored in second and third while Kyle Busch and teammate Bell finished in the top five. Truex, Wallace and Stenhouse finished sixth, seventh and eighth while Harvick settled in 10th, a lap behind.

    Meanwhile, Greg Biffle finished 13th and raced his way into this year’s 64th running of the Daytona 500 while driving the No. 44 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for NY Racing. With the accomplishment, Biffle will be making his 511th career start in NASCAR’s premier series and contend for his first victory in the Great American Race, which will mark his 15th career start in the 500.

    “It was a tough go,” Biffle said. “I gotta thank Chevy, [Richard Childress Racing], Hendrick engines and [crew chief] Jay Guy. The car drove so good. This was a last minute deal. These team guys thrown together. We had trouble getting fuel in the car. I ran out of gas with two laps to go…Everything happened tonight, but we finished 14th. I’m glad maybe that fuel stop wasn’t perfect because I might’ve been in that wreck [on the final lap]. ”

    Timmy Hill, who finished 20th, failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 while Jacques Villeneuve, who retired in 21st place, dead last, secured the final transfer spot to the 500 based on his qualifying speed. 

    There were 11 lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured one caution for one lap.

    Results.

    1. Chris Buescher, 17 laps led

    2. Michael McDowell

    3. Harrison Burton

    4. Kyle Busch

    5. Christopher Bell

    6. Martin Truex Jr.

    7. Bubba Wallace

    8. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., one lap led

    9. Joey Logano – OUT, Accident, 33 laps led

    10. Kevin Harvick, one lap down

    11. Corey LaJoie, one lap down

    12. Ty Dillon, one lap down

    13. Greg Biffle, one lap down

    14. Alex Bowman, one lap down, seven laps led

    15. Denny Hamlin, one lap down

    16. Cody Ware, one lap down

    17. David Ragan, two laps down

    18. Austin Dillon, two laps led

    19. Aric Almirola, two laps down

    20. Timmy Hill, four laps down

    21. Jacques Villeneuve – OUT, Electrical

    With the starting lineup for the 2022 Daytona 500 established, the main event is set to commence on Sunday, February 20, which will also mark the start of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. Coverage for the event is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Keselowski wins first Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona; Grala transfers to the Daytona 500

    Keselowski wins first Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona; Grala transfers to the Daytona 500

    Brad Keselowski commenced a new beginning to his racing career as a driver and co-owner of the newly named Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing on a high note by winning the first Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, February 17, following a late battle against his fellow Ford and ex-teammates from Team Penske that included rookie Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe.

    The first Duel victory awarded Keselowski the third-place starting spot for this year’s 64th running of the Daytona 500 as he will contend for his first victory in the Great American Race in his 13th career start in the 500.

    Prior to the event, Kyle Larson, who claimed the pole position for the 64th running of the Daytona 500, started on the pole for the first Duel event and was joined on the front row with teammate William Byron. Kaz Grala, competing for the non-chartered Money Team Racing that needed to race their way into the Daytona 500, started at the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to have his digital dash fixed in his car.

    When the green flag waved and the race started, Larson moved in front of teammate Byron to retain the lead ahead of the field. With the field fanning out to double lanes and in close quarters racing, Larson led the first lap.  

    Behind Larson on the inside lane were his Hendrick Motorsports’ teammates Byron and Chase Elliott while Ross Chastain, who had drafting help from Tyler Reddick, started to mount a challenge for the lead on the outside lane. 

    Through the first 10 scheduled laps, the field settled in a long single file line as Larson continued to lead ahead of teammates Byron and Elliott followed by Daniel Suarez and Ryan Blaney. Brad Keselowski, rookie Austin Cindric, Kurt Busch and Cole Custer were running sixth through ninth while Chastain, who made several attempts to take the lead on the outside lane early, slipped back to 10th place ahead of Reddick, Erik Jones, Chase Briscoe and Kaz Grala. By then, Grala was five positions ahead of J.J. Yeley, who needed to race his way into the Daytona 500, and seven ahead of Noah Gragson, who was guaranteed a starting spot for the 500 based on his qualifying speed.

    Ten laps later on Lap 20, the field continued to run in a long single file line as Larson remained as the leader ahead of teammates Byron and Elliott followed by Suarez, Blaney, Keselowski, Cindric, Kurt Busch, Chastain and Reddick. Grala was back in 18th place ahead of Yeley, B.J. McLeod and Gragson.

    When the field Duel event reached the halfway mark on Lap 30, the 21-car field was broken apart in certain segments with a majority running closely at the front while the rest settled far back at the rear of the field. At the front, Larson retained the lead ahead of teammates Byron and Elliott while Suarez, Blaney, Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Cindric, Erik Jones and Chastain were in the top 10.

    Five laps later, all three non-chartered competitors were scored a lap behind as Grala lost a lap to the leaders while running ahead of Yeley and Gragson.

    Just then, a wave of competitors led by Larson pitted under green while Blaney assumed the lead. Soon after, Blaney, Keselowski, Briscoe and Cindric pitted for two fresh tires as they emerged ahead of the pack. In the midst of the pit stops, Grala was forced to serve a pass-through penalty for speeding on pit road during his service.

    With 20 laps remaining, Blaney was leading ahead of ex-teammate Keselowski, Briscoe and teammate Cindric while Reddick and Kurt Busch were in fifth and sixth. Elliott was in seventh ahead of Erik Jones while Larson was back in ninth ahead of teammate Byron, Chastain, Suarez, rookie Todd Gilliland, Justin Haley, Landon Cassill, Daniel Hemric and Cole Custer. By then, Yeley was in a transfer spot in 18th while Gragson and Grala were mired back in 20th and 21st.

    Five laps later, the top-five competitors led by Blaney were more than five seconds ahead of sixth-place Elliott as Blaney remained as the leader ahead of Keselowski, Briscoe, Cindric and Reddick.

    Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Blaney continued to lead by a narrow margin over Keselowski while Briscoe, Cindric and Reddick remained in the top five. Elliott continued to trail by less than five seconds in sixth place ahead of Erik Jones, Larson, Kurt Busch and Byron. By then, Yeley was in 18th but in a transfer spot ahead of Grala and Gragson.

    With five laps remaining, the top-four Ford competitors distanced themselves from the rest of the field by less than five seconds as Blaney led Keselowski, Briscoe and Cindric across the start/finish line.

    Then during the following lap, Keselowski made a bold move on the outside lane past the tri-oval to take the lead followed by Briscoe while Blaney and Cindric fell back to third and fourth. Blaney and Cindric, however, returned the favor by overtaking Briscoe to move back to second and third during the following lap as Keselowski made his way past three lapped competitors. 

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Keselowski continued to lead despite being pressured by Blaney, who was drafting Keselowski through the first two turns. Then through the backstraightaway, Cindric and Briscoe made their move to pass Blaney and close in on Keselowski for the lead entering Turns 3 and 4. Entering Turn 4, however, Briscoe made a move on Cindric for the runner-up spot, which allowed Keselowski to pull away from his fellow Ford competitors as he crossed the finish line to win by more than two-tenths of a second.

    The victory was Keselowski’s first in a Daytona Duel event and his first as a co-owner and competitor of the newly named No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford Mustang team as he will occupy the inside line on the second row for this year’s Daytona 500. 

    “I felt pretty good about our car on practice on Tuesday,” Keselowski said on FS1. “I gotta give credit to the other Fords. We worked really well together. Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Austin [Cindric]. We had a great strategy. We stuck together and we drove away. Got ourselves in position where we could control the finish of this race. I’m happy to see all those Fords upfront. Good job to all those guys. Great start for our Kohler Generators Ford team! This is special.”

    Behind, Cindric edged Blaney and Briscoe in a photo finish to finish second while Elliott settled in fifth place, trailing by more than two seconds. Erik Jones, Larson, Reddick, Kurt Busch and Chastain rounded out the top 10 on the track.

    Meanwhile, Kaz Grala managed to track down Yeley and overtake him on the final lap while two laps behind to finish 18th and earn a transfer spot in this year’s Daytona 500, which will mark the first NASCAR Cup Series start for the Money Team Racing co-owned by former boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. The accomplishment will allow Grala to make his fifth career start in NASCAR’s premier series and his second in a row in the Daytona 500.

    Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    “I made it happen not the way I wanted to,” Grala said. “I made a mistake. I sped on pit road and I thought we were out of it, but I wasn’t gonna give up no matter what. We got into a little line in there with Kurt Busch pushing us and we were running fast lap times, and I was hoping the timing was gonna work out. It wasn’t by much, but it did. We caught them in [Turns] 1 and 2 on the very last lap and was able to get by [Yeley] for it. [I] Pulled a couple years off my life, but it doesn’t matter because we’re gonna be out there on Sunday and we got a shot to win the Daytona 500. I’m really grateful, I’m excited for the Money Team Racing. Floyd Mayweather’s car is gonna be out there, making its debut, and I’m really, really grateful to be the one holding the wheel. We’re gonna have fun. This is gonna be a fun ride together all year with them and I can’t wait to get it started.”

    Yeley, who ended up in 19th place, failed to qualify for this year’s Daytona 500 while Gragson, who settled in 21st place, dead last, made the 500 based on his qualifying speed.

    There were two lead changes for three different leaders. The race featured no cautions.

    Results.

    1. Brad Keselowski, four laps led

    2. Austin Cindric

    3. Ryan Blaney, 22 laps led

    4. Chase Briscoe

    5. Chase Elliott

    6. Erik Jones

    7. Kyle Larson, 34 laps led

    8. Tyler Reddick

    9. Kurt Busch

    10. Ross Chastain

    11. Daniel Suarez 

    12. William Byron

    13. Justin Haley

    14. Landon Cassill

    15. Todd Gilliland

    16. Cole Custer, one lap down

    17. Daniel Hemric, one lap down

    18. Kaz Grala, two laps down

    19. J.J. Yeley, two laps down

    20. B.J. McLeod, two laps down

    21. Noah Gragson, three laps down

    The second Bluegreen Vacations Duel is underway at Daytona International Speedway, which will complete the starting lineup for the 64th annual running of the Daytona 500 scheduled for Sunday, February 20, at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Exclusive: First Seasons with Jimmy Vasser

    Exclusive: First Seasons with Jimmy Vasser

    In this edition of First Seasons where Speedway Media takes a look back on a driver’s rookie years in racing, we caught up with former CART racer turned IMSA co-owner, Jimmy Vasser. Vasser discusses how he got into open-wheel racing with Hayhoe Cole Racing and his decision not to go to Europe and race in the states. He also talked about his memories of making his first start at Queensland, earning a ride with Chip Ganassi in 1996, and winning the championship that year among many other moments throughout his career.

    SM: In 1992, you made your debut racing in the now-defunct CART Series for Hayhoe Cole Racing at the age of 26. Can you discuss what it was like making your debut during that time period and why you chose the CART Series? Did you feel as though you had a late start in racing at that age?

    JV: “I didn’t feel like it was a super late start, really,” Vasser said about making his debut. “I had been racing since I was six years old with quarter midgets and worked my way up. At that time, it was young, but nowadays, that’s a lot older. I had a choice to go to Europe, which at the time was Formula 3000, and have a chance to do the Indy 500, being a young American.

    “I just didn’t think I was going to get a fair shot at it (racing) and my dream was to be in the Indy 500, not Formula 1 like it is today.”

    SM: Discuss how you got connected with Hayhoe Cole Racing for your first opportunity in open-wheel racing.

    JV: “I was racing in Formula Atlantic and I had met Jim Hayhoe through Rick Gallas who was the team owner at the time in IndyCar and won the championship with Al Unser Jr. at the time,” he said. “There was a whole group of guys that kind of came together and helped fund me in Formula Atlantics’ and Hayhoe/Cole decided to start a team and take me to IndyCars.”

    SM: In the ‘92 season, you attempted the full season with the exception of not qualifying at Nazareth. Despite not qualifying, you competed in 15 of 16 races. As a rookie in the series during that time, what kind of expectations did you have? Obviously, winning races and championships are on your mind, but realistically, how did you manage those expectations being a rookie driver, and did those ever change throughout the season?

    JV: “We never intended to do a full-season,” Vasser said. “The Nazareth deal was a start and park situation. I mainly practiced and then parked the car for Derrick Walker who was trying to maintain the franchise. It (being at Nazareth) was probably the most frightening thing I ever did. I practiced but never got to race because that was good enough for Walker as he got his franchise money so to speak.

    “I broke my leg during the Indy 500 that year (1992 Indy 500). “I was the fastest rookie and broke my leg about halfway in the race, which took me out for a couple of races. Three to four weeks later, I raced with a rod in my leg and raced at Portland, my first race after the Indy 500.”

    SM: Your first race that season came in Queensland where you qualified 17th but finished 15th due to an electrical problem. Before we talk about the race itself, what were the weeks like leading up to your debut in CART? Were you anxious and nervous or were you ready to go as the event approached?

    JV: “(I) was super ready to go,” the 10 time CART winner said when getting ready to make his debut. “We took a team meeting or team vote whether or not to go to the race and the team voted ‘No, we weren’t ready.’ It’s funny, Mike Cole who was our team manager at the time, Bill Papis was my engineer and everyone took a vote not to go to the race. There were three of us that voted to go, Jim Hayhoe, myself, and one other and I guess our votes outweighed the others.”

    SM: Then in the race itself, you were relegated to 17th with the electrical problem. Is there anything you think you could have done differently to have a higher finish in your first race and were you still in awe that you had just competed in your first CART race at the end of the day?

    JV: “It was a little bit of both really,” Vasser said about his first race. “We should’ve finished better. We came out of the pits on fresh slicks on a previous stop and by the time I came down to the two chicanes, it was an absolute monsoon downpour. I just slid straight off the track and our day was done. I don’t think there’s anything I could’ve done differently, but maybe stop a lap later and we would’ve had rain tires on.”

    SM: At Long Beach, you had your career-best finish of seventh. However, you made your first Indy 500 start that year where you finished 21st due to a crash. With the exception of the crash, what do you remember about your first 500 experience, making the practice laps for the first time, being in the garage area, prerace ceremonies, and the race itself? Was it a surreal moment for you to be in the 500 for the first time?

    JV: “Everything was surreal to me,” the 1996 CART champion said. “As for Long Beach, I was following Rick Mears and I was just in awe of racing with Mears. Other than the crash and breaking my leg during the 500, it was a full month of Indy. I was bumped out of the field and I sat for a whole week on the bubble. Finally, they bumped me out and I re-qualified back into the race with my backup car and was the fastest rookie. That was an experience like no other.”

    SM: In your first season, you would only go on to finish in four races that year with your best finish of seventh occurring at Long Beach as we previously mentioned. As you continue to reflect on your career, was there a learning curve in driving the car? I’m sure it had to be frustrating wanting to learn but not finishing races. Was it the car itself?

    JV: “It was a bit of the healing, but back then in that era, you were just happy to be learning,” Vasser said. “I was lucky to have a year old car with an engine that was out of date and probably 50 horsepower down. Nowadays, everyone has the same equipment and the same car to compete with. Back then, you took what you were able to get, whether it was a two-year-old car. As a driver, if you were able to perform well with equipment that shouldn’t, then you would catch the eye of another team owner.”

    SM: By the time the end of the season came, you finished 22nd in the standings. While it wasn’t the finish you wanted, were you satisfied with what you were able to accomplish that year, or were you ready for the season to be over with the amount of trouble you had?

    JV: As a driver, you can always do more, but I was satisfied with my rookie year,” he said. “I thought I did well at Indy aside from the crash, but in general, I think I showed well with the equipment I had.”

    SM: As the ‘93 season came along, you opened up the season with a 24th place finish at Queensland, but obtained your only podium of the year by finishing third at Phoenix. How special was it for you to get your first podium especially after the year you had in ‘92?

    JV: “It was one of the most special moments of my career actually,” Vasser said. “That race stands out a lot as it was my first podium finish, but also Mario Andretti’s last win of his career. I was on the podium with Mario and Paul Newman was up there as well. I was like ‘Wow, I’m up here with these guys sharing the podium.’”

    SM: After the ‘94 season and spending three years with Hayhoe Racing, you got an offer to compete with Chip Ganassi Racing from 1995 through 2000. It would be some of your best years spent in the sport winning the CART championship in 1996 and winning some of your first races. How did you get the opportunity to race with Chip Ganassi and was racing with him a fresh start for you?

    JV: “Jim Hayhoe was shutting down his team due to the lack of funding,” he said. “Jim had some assets of the team and some sponsorship and he put a deal together with Chip and that was the beginning. Jim Hayhoe was actually the one that put the team together.”

    SM: Eventually, you scored your first ever career win in your championship season by winning at Homestead in ‘96. You qualified third and led 32 laps en route to victory. What does that first victory still mean to you to this day and have you ever had a chance to rewatch that race?

    JV: “I haven’t watched that race back (Homestead ’96). I’m not the one who goes back and watches races,” Vasser said. “The win was a sweet victory for me because going into the end of 1995, I finished second in Portland and post-race inspection had disqualified Al Unser Jr., so I originally was the race winner. However, Penske Racing took the decision to CART in court in the winter and the finish was reversed and my win was taken away.”

    SM: In the ‘96 season, you went on to win at Queensland and Long Beach before having solid finishes along the way. At what point, did you and the team feel you were championship contenders?

    JV: “We were contenders the whole season,” he said. “We were the quickest in preseason testing, we had a great combination of the Firestone tires and we won four out of the six races. So, we were contenders the whole season and we were really hanging onto the championship.

    “My teammate, Alex Zanardi, was learning the IndyCar and he got competitive in the middle of the season, so the championship got very competitive.”

    SM: At the end of the ‘96 season, you won the CART title over Michael Andretti by 22 points. What was it like being able to achieve the championship for Ganassi and especially winning over Michael Andretti? Did the championship do wonders for your career?

    JV: “It was everything for my career,” the California native said. “You strive for race wins, championships, and the Indy 500. At that point in time, winning the championship was just magical.”

    SM: I’m sure there are many races where you wish you had another chance. Are there any races that come to mind, and if so, which race sticks out the most, and why?

    JV: “The one race that’s obvious is when I finished second at Long Beach in 2002,” Vasser said. “We were leading when a caution came out and in that time of CART, there was a strange race format where if you pitted, you couldn’t take fuel every 29 laps and everyone had just pitted.”

    “However, Michael Andretti and Max Papis had just pitted and were running in the back at the time. When the yellow came out, they told me to save fuel and slow down. For Michael and Max, they were still able to pit and I slowed down and they came out in front of me. That’s how I lost the lead in that race. I was able to get back by Max but never could with Michael.”

    SM: Out of your 10 victories, which trophy means the most to you in your collection?

    JV: “I would say the 1996 championship means the most to me,” he said. “As far as race victories, I would say the 1998 Fontana California race on a last-lap pass of Greg Moore. Got second in the championship that year, which was another good chunk of money. Winning that race was like winning the Indy 500 for me.”

    SM: Some drivers keep a memorabilia collection and some don’t. Are you a driver that collects your own merchandise and if so, what do you have in your collection that reminds you of your rookie years?

    JV: “I keep all of my gear as I’m not much of a merchandise collector,” Vasser said. “I have my very first helmet that I drove from my rookie year.”

    SM: Wrapping this interview up, it’s hard to believe your debut came 30 years ago. However, if time travel was available, what would a 56-year-old Jimmy Vasser tell a 26-year-old Jimmy Vasser? Is there anything you would do differently?

    JV: “I don’t think there’s anything I would do definitely, as I’m really happy currently,” the ‘96 champion said. “I would probably say, ‘Stay on the right track and you’re doing just fine.’”

    Throughout Vasser’s career, the California native has made 232 CART Series starts earning 10 career victories with 33 podium finishes and winning the 1996 championship with Chip Ganassi. In addition, Vasser had made six NTT IndyCar Series starts, eight IROC starts, and two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in 2003. Vasser now co-owns the Vasser-Sullivan Lexus Motorsports IMSA team in GTD Pro competition.

    Fans of Jimmy can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

  • Larson wins first Daytona 500 pole, teammate Bowman completes front row grid

    Larson wins first Daytona 500 pole, teammate Bowman completes front row grid

    Kyle Larson picked up right where he left off from the previous season and saved his best for last after the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion from Elk Grove, California, claimed the pole position for the 64th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday, February 16.

    The qualifying format that determined the front row of this year’s Daytona 500 was based on two single-car qualifying sessions, each comprised of a single-lap qualifying session for each competitor, where the top-10 fastest qualifiers from a total of 42, transferred from the first to the second round and contended for the pole position.

    Larson, who was the second-to-last competitor to roll his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on the track to post a qualifying lap through the first and second sessions, secured the pole position with a pole-winning time at 49.680 seconds at 181.159 mph. With his accomplishment, Larson, who notched his 11th Cup Series career pole, became the 44th different competitor to win the pole for the Great American Race and the first pole winner in the new Next Gen stock cars as he seeks his first 500 victory this weekend. The 500 pole award also was the 15th for Hendrick Motorsports and the 31st overall, 10th in a row, for the Chevrolet nameplate.

    “Yeah, it’s really neat,” Larson said on FS1. “You are really proud of your team to get a pole here because this is the littlest it has to do with us drivers; qualifying at superspeedways. Just a huge thank you to the engine shop at Hendrick Motorsports. Everybody who’s had a part in touching these vehicles; whether it be on the computer, engineering, or just hands-on. It’s really neat. Just awesome the speed in our HendrickCars.com Chevy. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a really good weekend…I think it just be even more special if we could win the Duels tomorrow and go on Sunday and win the [Daytona] 500.”

    Joining Larson on the front row will be teammate Alex Bowman, who made history by claiming his record-setting fifth consecutive front-row starting spot for the 500 as Hendrick Motorsports’ competitors swept the front row for the 500 for the seventh time in 13 seasons. Bowman, the reigning two-time Daytona 500 pole winner, posted the second-fastest qualifying time of 49.711 seconds at 181.046 mph in his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

    “It’s unbelievable,” Bowman said. “I’ve come down here not locked in, qualified poorly, had to race our way in. It just says so much about Hendrick Motorsports and all these guys. Congrats to [Larson] on getting the pole. It’s cool to be like to have the record, but I feel like [crew chief] Greg Ives and my race team should be the ones that should get the credit for that record because the driver doesn’t really have much to do with it, but glad I didn’t mess it up for them and really happy for Ally and Chevrolet. Cool to be a part of it. We’ve found out every way to lose a 500, so hopefully, we can figure out how to win in on Sunday.”

    William Byron, the 2019 Daytona 500 pole winner, posted the third-fastest qualifying time of 49.711 seconds at 180.850 mph in his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 followed by Aric Almirola, the fastest non-HMS competitor who commenced his swan song season as a full-time NASCAR competitor by posting the fourth-fastest qualifying time of 49.854 seconds at 180.529 mph in his No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang. Chase Elliott settled in fifth place with the fifth-fastest qualifying time of 49.913 seconds at 180.314 mph, thus placing all four Hendrick Motorsports competitors in the top five.

    Rounding out the top 10 in qualifying time and speed were Martin Truex Jr., Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suarez and rookie Harrison Burton.

    Daniel Hemric, the reigning Xfinity Series champion who was the first competitor to roll off the grid and was one of 32 competitors that did not transfer to the second qualifying round, posted the 11th-fastest qualifying time of 50.160 seconds at 179.429 mph ahead of Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Chase Briscoe and Austin Dillon.

    Meanwhile, Noah Gragson and Jacques Villeneuve were also left victorious after both raced their way into the Daytona 500 after emerging as the fastest two qualifiers competing for non-chartered teams.

    Gragson, a five-time Xfinity Series race winner who failed to qualify for the 2021 Daytona 500 after being collected in a late multi-car wreck during the second Daytona Duel event, posted the 33rd-fastest qualifying time of 50.689 seconds at 177.553 mph, which was enough for him and his No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team to emerge as the fastest of the non-chartered competitors and teams on the leaderboard. With his accomplishment, Gragson will make his debut in NASCAR’s premier series and in the Great American Race this upcoming weekend.

    “It’s pretty special,” Gragson said. “We have one employee [at Beard Motorsports] with [crew chief] Darren Shaw. We have a lot of help from [Richard Childress Racing] and a great power unit under the hood with ECR. The Beard family, Mrs. Beard and the rest of the family, they allowed me to come drive this race car. [Brendan Gaughan] called me about a year and a half ago, he asked me to come drive this car, and we came up short last year. To be able to make my first Cup start on Sunday, it’s really special. We were the fastest out of all the open cars, so that’s pretty good. [I’m] Gonna be busy this year with JR Motorsports and now the Beard Motorsports’ car this weekend, so super excited, super thankful, and just very proud.”

    Villeneuve, who made his return to the Cup Series for the newly formed Team Hezeberg, posted the 36th-fastest qualifying time of 51.010 seconds at 176.436 mph as he guaranteed himself a starting spot for the 500 based on his speed. With his accomplishment, the 50-year-old Quebec veteran will be making his first Cup career start since competing at Sonoma Raceway in June 2013 and his first career start in the Daytona 500.

    Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    “Obviously, it’s not a win,” Villeneuve said. “It’s not like winning the Indy 500 or the [Formula One] championship. But at this point in my career, the last time I tried to qualify here was 14 years ago, just to make the show is incredible. Because we’re a small team, we didn’t link up with a big team to get the car ready, and it’s highly unexpected to be able to make it on time. So it ranks right after these big wins.”

    The remaining four open competitors that includes Kaz Grala, Greg Biffle, J.J. Yeley and Timmy Hill will compete for the final two open spots for the Daytona 500 through the Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday night.

    Next on the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series schedule are a pair of Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona International Speedway that will determine the rest of the starting lineup for this year’s 64th running of the Daytona 500 scheduled for February 20 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX. The first Bluegreen Vacations Duel will occur on Thursday, February 17, at 7 p.m. ET on FS1 while the second Bluegreen Vacations Duel will occur approximately two hours later at 9 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Country Music Icon Trace Adkins to Sing National Anthem Ahead of NASCAR’s Most Iconic Race – The DAYTONA 500 This Sunday, Feb. 20

    Country Music Icon Trace Adkins to Sing National Anthem Ahead of NASCAR’s Most Iconic Race – The DAYTONA 500 This Sunday, Feb. 20

    NASCAR’s New ‘Next Gen’ Car Will be Showcased in The Great American Race, the Season-Opener for the NASCAR Cup Series and Culmination of Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 15, 2022) – Award-winning, multi-platinum Country music icon and star of the upcoming FOX series MONARCH, Trace Adkins will perform the National Anthem prior to the start of The Great American Race – the 64th running of the DAYTONA 500 this Sunday, Feb 20 (FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

    Adkins will give his rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner in front of a packed house for the DAYTONA 500, which is a complete sellout. The season opener for the NASCAR Cup Series, which will feature NASCAR’s anticipated ‘Next Gen’ car, gets underway at 2:30 p.m. (FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

    In his 25-year career in Country music, Adkins has sold over 11 MILLION albums, charted more than 20 singles, earned numerous awards, multiple GRAMMY nominations, and garnered over TWO BILLION streams. A Grand Ole Opry member for nearly two decades, the Louisiana native is known for dynamic baritone and fiery, always-memorable live performances, and has expanded his Country career to include film and TV acting.

    He broke out in 1996 with the debut album, DREAMIN’ OUT LOUD, cracking the Top 5 of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with “Every Light In the House Is On” and following with the #1 smash, “This Ain’t (No Thinkin’ Thing).” Since then, Adkins has pioneered a mix of classic Country minded traditionalism and adventurous, good-natured showmanship, breaking open new avenues in modern Country through fun-filled hits like “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” and “Hillbilly Bone” (with Blake Shelton).

    Adkins is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his debut with 2021’s THE WAY I WANNA GO (Verge Records), a 25-song album that released to critical acclaim with Rolling Stone praising as “lighthearted club-ready fun…,” PEOPLE noting it’s “packed to the hilt with hits,” and Billboard applauding “a creative tour de force that serves up the lyrical and stylistic diversity that would make his hero Milsap proud.” Mixing pure-Country reverence with standout collaborations featuring Blake Shelton, Melissa Etheridge, Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder on harmonica and more, the LP introduces Adkins’ latest single “Where The Country Girls At” (featuring Luke Bryan and Pitbull). Launching his headline THE WAY I WANNA GO TOUR this spring, Adkins will also host Season 3 of Ultimate Cowboy Showdown premiering in April on INSP plus star in FOX’s new drama series, MONARCH, expected to premiere in the fall.

    While the DAYTONA 500 is sold out, there are still plenty of exciting ways to experience the pageantry of Speedweeks Presented By AdventHeath with an excited lineup of super-competitive races. For ticket information, log onto www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

    • Tuesday, Feb. 15: DAYTONA 500 Practices (5:05 p.m./6:35 p.m. ET).
    • Wednesday, Feb. 16: DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Busch Light (8:05 p.m. ET).
    • Thursday, Feb. 17: Bluegreen Vacations Duel At DAYTONA qualifying races (7:00 p.m. ET); NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice (4:35 p.m. ET) & ARCA Menards Series practice (5:30 p.m. ET).
    • Friday, Feb. 18: NextEra Energy 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race (7:30 p.m. ET); ARCA Menards (1:30 p.m. ET) and Camping World Truck Series qualifying (3:00 p.m. ET); NASCAR Cup Series practice (6:00 p.m. ET).
    • Saturday, Feb. 19: Lucas Oil 200 Driven By General Tire ARCA Menards race (1:30 p.m. ET) and Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series event (5:00 p.m. ET); NASCAR Cup Series final practice (10:30 a.m. ET); NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying (11:35 a.m. ET).
    • Sunday, Feb. 20: DAYTONA 500, The Great American Race (2:30 p.m. ET).

    ** Schedule subject to change

    Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.

    Fans can follow Adkins on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

    About Daytona International Speedway
    Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training. The iconic venue will be the site of a host of motorsports events early in 2022, beginning with AHRMA Classic Motofest and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA in January, and the 64th DAYTONA 500, which will debut the first points race for NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth in February. The tradition-rich 81st Annual Bike Week At DAYTONA returns in March, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, and in May with the Heroes Honor Festival. Later in the summer during Independence Day weekend, the track, in association with Torneos, will host Soccer Fest before the NASCAR Cup Series returns for the final race of the regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 27.

  • Biffle joins NY Racing for Daytona 500 bid

    Biffle joins NY Racing for Daytona 500 bid

    NY Racing will attempt to compete in this year’s 64th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway with former NASCAR veteran Greg Biffle selected to drive the team’s single-car entry throughout Daytona Speedweeks.

    The 52-year-old veteran from Vancouver, Washington, will be piloting the No. 44 NY Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with sponsorship support from Grambling State University and HBCU League Pass Plus. Veteran Jay Guy will be serving as Biffle’s crew chief as the team will be fielding cars built from Richard Childress Racing and powered by Hendrick Motorsports engines.

    Should he qualify for the 500 with NY Racing that enters Daytona Speedweeks without a charter nor a guaranteed starting spot, Biffle will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start since the 2016 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which also marks his last full-time Cup and Daytona 500 campaigns to date. It will also mark his first NASCAR national touring series start since competing in the Camping World Truck Series event at Darlington Raceway with GMS Racing in September 2020.

    “I’m really excited to have the opportunity to drive the Next Gen car and help NY Racing make its entry into the 2022 season,” Biffle announced in a team release. “I’ve always said since the day I stepped away from full-time competition that I would return under the right circumstances.”

    Since making his debut at Auto Club Speedway in April 2002 through his last scheduled start at Homestead in November 2016, Biffle has made a total of 510 starts in NASCAR’s premier series (504 with Roush Fenway Racing, four with Andy Petree Racing, and two with Petty Enterprises). During this span, he has achieved 19 career victories (all with RFR) with his last occurring at Michigan International Speedway in June 2013. He has also achieved 13 Cup career poles, 92 top-five results, 175 top-10 results, 5,844 laps led, an average-finishing result of 16.6 and seven Playoff appearances with a best points result of second place in 2005.

    Biffle is a former champion of the Camping World Truck Series (2000) and Xfinity Series (2002). In 244 Xfinity career starts, he has achieved 20 victories, 14 poles, 93 top-five results and 149 top-10 results with his final victory occurring at Phoenix Raceway with Roush Fenway Racing in April 2009. In 83 Truck career starts, he has achieved 17 victories, 12 poles, 43 top-five results and 55 top-10 results with his final victory occurring at Texas Motor Speedway in a one-race deal with Kyle Busch Motorsports in June 2019.

    Biffle has also made 14 consecutive starts in the Daytona 500 (2003-2016) with his best on-track result being third place twice in 2010 and 2012. While he has yet to achieve his first 500 victory, he is a former winner at Daytona International Speedway after winning in July 2003, where he notched his first win in the Cup Series.

    “Urban Edge Network, Inc., is excited to announce our relationship with black owned NY Racing,” Todd F. Brown, CEO of Urban Edge Network, Inc., said. “John is an alumni of Grambling State University. We’re excited to bring our HBCU audience across 101 campuses into the NASCAR arena virtually and physically. We know that our fan base supports sports that reflect and invite blacks into the experience. We’re looking forward to branding and partnering with Fortune 500 companies to support this fully black owned team as they’ve supported other NASCAR teams in the past.”

    Biffle’s 2022 Daytona 500 bid with NY Racing will commence on Tuesday, February 15, for a pair of practice sessions (the first at 5:05 p.m. ET on FS1 and the second at 6:35 p.m. ET on FS1) followed by the Daytona 500 pole qualifying session on Wednesday, February 16 (8:05 p.m. ET on FS1), and the Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday, February 17 (Duel 1 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1 and Duel 2 at 8:45 p.m. ET on FS1). The 64th running of the Daytona 500 is scheduled to occur on Sunday, February 20, at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Daytona Speedweek schedule and format

    Daytona Speedweek schedule and format

    NASCAR kicks off the start of the 2022 season at Daytona International Speedway this week culminating in the 64th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday afternoon. While we got a glimpse of the Next Gen car in the Busch Clash at the L.A. Coliseum, the true test begins this weekend as the regular season begins.

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will compete Friday night in the ‘NextEra Energy 250’ and the Xfinity Series will be on track Saturday evening for the ‘Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300.’

    Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is set for Wednesday night and will have a new look this year. There will be two rounds of qualifying with the top 10 fastest cars moving to the second round. The fastest two cars in Round 2 will lock in their starting positions on the front row.

    The remaining starting positions will be determined in the Bluegreen Vacation Duels on Thursday evening. The lineup for the Duels will be set by the single-car qualifying results from Wednesday.

    The cars that finished first, third, fifth, etc. in the single-car qualifying will make up the field for Duel 1. The cars that finished in even-numbered positions will compete in Duel 2. There will be the same number of Open teams in each Duel race.

    The Bluegreen Vacation Duels will set the starting lineup for the Daytona 500. The drivers from Duel 1 will line up on the inside row in order of their finish and the drivers from Duel 2 will line up on the outside row in order of their finish.

    The fastest open team in each Duel will qualify into the Daytona 500. The two open teams with the fastest times in single-car qualifying that did not qualify through the duels will make up the final two spots in the field.

    This year the top-10 finishers in each Duel will receive points that will count toward the regular-season championship. The winner receives 10 points, the runner-up nine points, etc., with the 10th-place finisher earning one point.

    If it rains and the Duel races cannot be run, the starting grid for the Daytona 500 will be set based on the best qualifying speeds along with the four fastest Open cars, If only the second Duel race is canceled due to rain, the highest-finishing open team from the first duel plus the three remaining fastest open teams from qualifying will advance to the Daytona 500.

    All times are Eastern.

    Tuesday, Feb. 15:
    5:05 p.m.: Cup Series First Practice – FS1/MRN
    6:35 p.m.: Cup Series Second Practice – FS1/MRN

    Wednesday, Feb. 16:
    8:05 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying – Single Vehicle, One Lap, Two Rounds – FS1, MRN

    Thursday, February 17
    4 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series practice
    5 p.m.: Truck Series practice – FS1
    7 p.m.: Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 – 60 Laps, 150 Miles – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
    8:45 p.m.(approx.): Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 – 60 Laps, 150 Miles – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Friday, February 18
    1:30 p.m.: ARCA Qualifying (Groups)
    3:00 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (Single Vehicle, One Lap, Two Rounds) FS1
    4:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice – FS1
    6 p.m.: Cup Series Third Practice – FS1/MRN
    7:30 PM Truck Series NextEra Energy 250 (Stages 20/40/100 Laps=250 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Saturday, February 19
    10:30 a.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – FS2/MRN (coverage moves to FS1 at 11 a.m.)
    11:35 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying (Single Vehicle, One Lap, Two Rounds) – FS1
    1:30 p.m.: ARCA Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire (80 Laps, 200 Miles) FS1/MRN
    5 p.m.: Xfinity Series Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 (Stages 30/60/120 Laps=300 Miles) FS1/MRN/SiriusXM SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Sunday, February 20
    2:30 p.m.: Cup Series Daytona 500 (Stages 65/130/200 Laps=500 Miles) FOX/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

  • Fr8Auctions Continues Major Partnership with Front Row Motorsports in 2022

    Fr8Auctions Continues Major Partnership with Front Row Motorsports in 2022

    The Asset Liquidation Firm to Primary Support 10 Events with McDowell and Smith

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 8, 2022) – One of Front Row Motorsports (FRM) most loyal partners returns to the organization this season in an increased effort of its NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) teams. Fr8Auctions, the Atlanta-bases asset liquidation firm, which auctions excess freight inventory will again support Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Ford Mustang team and now also play an integral part of Zane Smith’s run for the NCWTS championship. Fr8Auctions will also be a major associate partner of both teams all season.

    Fr8Auctions will begin their primary partnership with McDowell, the defending Daytona 500 champion, at its home track, the Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. The company will run double duty, also debuting the Fr8Auctions Ford F-150 with Smith during the NCWTS event the same weekend. The popular Fr8Auctions brand will return with McDowell at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte in May and be the primary partner at Atlanta in July, the Pocono Raceway on July 24, the Darlington Raceway on September 4, and the Martinsville Speedway on October 30. Both vehicles will focus on the “.com” in “FR8Auctions.com” as they look to debut their online presence in the coming months.

    Smith will welcome Fr8Auctions back on the No. 38 Ford F-150 at the Darlington in May, Pocono in June, and the Richmond Raceway in August.

    Fr8Auctions partner with freight lines, distribution companies, and consumer product-based businesses to help sell excess, discontinued or damaged inventory outside of traditional distribution channels. Utilizing industry leading merchandising techniques, product presentations, and a competitive bidding environment, Fr8Auctions offers both their partners and buyer’s opportunities to maximize returns on their investments. Buyers can also access online (sealed bid) auctions to bid on the thousands of pallets of merchandise, which can range from gas grills to ceiling fans and cleaning products. FR8Auctions are soon to offer a new interactive online buying platform to increase their exposure to buyers all over the country while still offering the largest selection of goods in the market.”

    “It’s so cool to see all the support that Fr8 Auctions gives to NASCAR and their growth as a business, too,” said McDowell. “They have been one of our biggest fans and supporters at Front Row Motorsports. I consider Marcus a friend and he treats us like family. We cannot have the success that we have found over the past two seasons without the support and efforts of Marcus and his staff at Fr8Auctions.”

    “But most importantly is the work that we do for Brave Like Wyatt,” added McDowell. “That is a Foundation that is close to Fr8Auctions heart and ours, too. FRM has done a lot to support the Foundation, but we always want to do more and will continue to do more this year.”

    The Brave Like Wyatt Foundation was established in 2019 to honor the memory of Wyatt Hatcher, who loved life and loved superheroes. He was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and had a heart transplant before his second birthday. The transplant allowed Hatcher to enjoy nine more years of life and had even beat cancer. However, the chemotherapy medication had damaged the donor heart and Hatcher passed in January of 2022. The Brave Like Wyatt mission was then born to help ease the burden of families dealing with similar circumstances by contributing to community resources, providing financial assistance for household bills, travel and when needed, funeral expenses.

    You can learn more at www.bravelikewyatt.com.

    “We enjoy our partnership with Front Row Motorsports and watching their recent success,” said Marcus Barela, owner Fr8Auctions. “We are excited to grow with them, and expand our involvement in their truck series program, too. Their support of Fr8 Auctions and the Brave Like Wyatt Foundation has meant a lot and I hope we both continue our success together this year.”

    For more information about Fr8 Auctions, visit www.Fr8Auctions.com and follow Fr8 Auctions on Twitter at @fr8auctions and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Fr8Auctions.

    About Front Row Motorsports
    Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

  • Logano Hopes to Become the Sixth Driver in History to Win the DAYTONA 500 After Capturing the Busch Light Clash Just Days Before

    Logano Hopes to Become the Sixth Driver in History to Win the DAYTONA 500 After Capturing the Busch Light Clash Just Days Before

    Denny Hamlin Last Driver to Pull off the Feat in 2016; The Great American Race, Set for Sunday, Feb. 20, Will Showcase NASCAR’s New ‘Next Gen’ Car

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 7, 2022) – With his triumph in Sunday’s Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, Team Penske driver Joey Logano has the opportunity to join some elite company when he competes in the 64th running of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20 (FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

    The Busch Light Clash was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the first time. On six occasions in the history of the Busch Light Clash, which was showcased at Daytona International Speedway from 1979-2021, the winner of the exhibition race went on to become Champion of the DAYTONA 500. They included Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1987), Dale Jarrett (1996, 2000), Jeff Gordon (1997) and Denny Hamlin (2016). Here’s a recap of each, historic DAYTONA 500 from those years:

    • 1982 – For the first time, the DAYTONA 500 was the season-opener for the NASCAR Cup Series. Allison led the most laps in his No. 88 DiGard Racing machine, and finished over 23 seconds ahead of Cale Yarborough.
    • 1987 – Elliott won the Busch Light Pole, then dominated by leading 104 of 200 laps. Benny Parsons finished three car lengths back in second.
    • 1996 – Jarrett outlasted Dale Earnhardt, Sr, the same 1-2 result that took place in 1993 when Jarrett claimed his first career triumph, in the Great American Race.
    • 1997 – At age 25, Gordon became the youngest DAYTONA 500 winner ever. Hendrick Motorsports posted a 1-2-3 finish with HMS teammates Terry Labonte and Rick Craven finishing second and third, respectively.
    • 2000 – After winning the Busch Light Pole Award, Jarrett was victorious again in the 500, holding off Jeff Burton. He became the first and only driver to date to win the Busch Light Clash and the DAYTONA 500 in the same season twice.
    • 2016 – Hamlin won in a photo finish over Martin Truex, Jr. by a mere .010 seconds. It was his first of three DAYTONA 500 victories to date.

    Logano already has impressive credentials at Daytona International Speedway. He has one DAYTONA 500 victory on his resume, coming in 2015. He won the Busch Light Clash in 2017 but wound up sixth in the DAYTONA 500. Logano has competed in The Great American Race 13 times (first in 2009) with three top-five finishes and six top-10s. He is a former Busch Light Pole winner at Daytona in the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400.

    The DAYTONA 500, which feature NASCAR’s anticipated ‘Next Gen’ car, has sold out of reserved frontstretch seating and RV camping, but fans can still be a part of the DAYTONA 500 experience with fan hospitality options. There’s still a variety of hospitality packages left in the Rolex 24 Lounge Suites and the all-new Harley J’s Experience (High Banks Suite with incredible view of the frontstretch), plus options for other events as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth. For ticket information, log onto www.DAYTONA500.com. The full schedule is below:

    • Tuesday, Feb. 15: DAYTONA 500 Practices (5:05 p.m./6:35 p.m. ET).
    • Wednesday, Feb. 16: DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Busch Light (8:05 p.m. ET).
    • Thursday, Feb. 17: Bluegreen Vacations Duel At DAYTONA qualifying races (7:00 p.m. ET); NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice (4:35 p.m. ET) & ARCA Menards Series practice (5:30 p.m. ET).
    • Friday, Feb. 18: NextEra Energy 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race (7:30 p.m. ET); ARCA Menards (1:30 p.m. ET) and Camping World Truck Series qualifying (3:00 p.m. ET); NASCAR Cup Series practice (6:00 p.m. ET).
    • Saturday, Feb. 19: Lucas Oil 200 Driven By General Tire ARCA Menards race (1:30 p.m. ET) and Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series event (5:00 p.m. ET); NASCAR Cup Series final practice (10:30 a.m. ET); NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying (11:35 a.m. ET).
    • Sunday, Feb. 20: DAYTONA 500, The Great American Race (2:30 p.m. ET).

    ** Schedule subject to change

    Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.

    About Daytona International Speedway
    Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training. The iconic venue will be the site of a host of motorsports events early in 2022, beginning with AHRMA Classic Motofest and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA in January, and the 64th DAYTONA 500, which will debut the first points race for NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth in February. The tradition-rich 81st Annual Bike Week At DAYTONA returns in March, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, and in May with the Heroes Honor Festival. Later in the summer during Independence Day weekend, the track, in association with Torneos, will host Soccer Fest before the NASCAR Cup Series returns for the final race of the regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 27.