Category: NASCAR Cup PR

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Daytona 500 Practice | Friday, February 16, 2024

Michael McDowell, driver of the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang Dark Horse, was the fastest Ford in today’s only NASCAR Cup Series practice (9th). He stopped by the infield media center to answer questions from the media about starting on the front row for Sunday’s scheduled Daytona 500.

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang Dark Horse – ARE YOU FEELING SOME GOOD MOMENTUM HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND? “It’s been a great weekend so far. We’ve had a really fast car. Last night, we were fortunate to keep it out of trouble, but able to race really hard and see what we had. We made a few adjustments for today, so smooth. We’re all done now and we’ll get ready to race on Sunday.”

TOYOTA WON BOTH DUEL RACES AND THEY WERE FAST TODAY. DOES THAT MEAN ANYTHING? “They definitely have speed. I think that when it comes to race time they always do, even before their body update, so I feel like it’s no different than any other year down here. I still feel like we’re in a really good spot and the Fords are fast. They did a good job of getting in position and winning both races, but I felt like we were fast enough to win last night and be in position. We just didn’t make the right moves to do it, so I’m not worried about it if that makes sense. I don’t feel like we’re down at all. It’ll be fun on Sunday.”

YOU GOT SHOVED OUT OF LINE AT THE END. WAS THAT A DECISION ON YOU TO JUST BAIL AFTER THAT? “Denny threw a big block and if you guys remember about 10 laps before that 10 cars crashed on the front straightaway. I had the option to do that and decided that was a bad option, so I rolled out of the gas and just the timing of it is when I rolled out of the gas and got to Denny’s bumper the 2 was on mine and so kind of got me out into that third lane and once I was in the third lane I knew our chances of winning the race were over, so I just kind of bailed after that. I had all intentions up until that point to try to race for the win and then once I wasn’t in position to win, then it made no sense to be in any sort of mess.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU LOST SOMETHING IN THE TRANSITION FROM THE GEN 6 TO THE GEN 7 CAR? “Yeah, definitely. I feel like I had work to do as far as what I was doing behind the wheel with the Next Gen car compared to what used to work, and so a lot of that is just situational and muscle memory and kind of just your approach of how you make runs, build runs, keep your energy up, keep your speed up, and I think it’s different now in this Next Gen car. I always love hearing these answers because I watch them and I want to hear what other drivers say, but if I was guessing, much like myself, Denny probably just went and studied the guys that were doing it well and figured out how you need to adjust and now he’ll be back to where he was and I feel like that’s the same for me. I just had to make some adjustments on how I was approaching things and what I was doing to change the style because the car drives differently and the runs come differently and that third lane doesn’t build like it used to and keeping the cars behind you and keeping them attached and having more than one, there’s a lot of things that go into it that didn’t play in as much as it did in the Gen 6 car. I think it’s just becoming a student and trying to figure out what this car needs and things you could have done better in the past.”

DID THE PENSKE ALLIANCE PLAY ANY ROLE IN YOUR FREE AGENT STATUS AND COMING BACK? “The timing of it, there were conversations that had started, but they were early on, so I couldn’t honestly tell you that it had an effect on it, and really, ultimately, the decision wasn’t in my hands, it was in Front Row’s hands. Like I told you guys before, this is where I want to be. I want to turn this into a championship-winning team and I want to be the guy that helps steer the ship to do that, and so these things that have come together over these last few months are moving us in that direction to be able to do that and to sustain us for a long time to come. Things are really good right now. I’m happy. I’m happy where I’m at. Obviously, Daytona isn’t an indication of your entire season, but it is a good indication of where we were last year and where we start this year and I think that we’ll be able to put ourselves in position to win multiple races and get into the playoffs. That’s what we want to do. There’s gonna be a little bit of learning and growing process here over the next few weeks, but I think overall once we get into the meat of the season, we’re gonna be in a much better spot than we were last year.”

DOES THE PLAN CHANGE NOW THAT THERE ARE THREE FRONT ROW CARS IN THE RACE? “So, it’s always better to have more and so Kaz making the race is really big for the company and for us. The goal is to have us all together to make that work, but as you guys have seen, it doesn’t always work that way. Obviously, with us starting on the front row, I’m not gonna drop back to pick Kaz up early on, so he’s got his work cut out for him to get up there, but there’s a lot of strategy involved in that and trying to pit together and doing all the things that we’ll try to do to get us hooked up when it counts once you sort of get past that halfway, so it’s great for the organization to have three cars in. Hopefully, if it all plays out, it’ll help us at the end of the race when it counts. The good news is we still have a lot of Ford Mustangs out there, so we should be in a pretty good position if we can keep everybody straight and running all the way to the end.”

DO YOU REGULARLY CHECK YOUR NAME ON THE TROPHY? “No. That’s the first time. I’ve seen it out in the display area and I figure there’s probably only one of these. I hadn’t seen it and just wanted to make sure they hadn’t made a duplicate and I was thinking maybe they’re presenting this to me. Maybe they’re giving us the big one (joking).”

HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU SEE THAT? “It’s cool. Obviously, this is what will last forever. This trophy will be here at Daytona International Speedway for a long time. I get a kick out of looking at it because it goes every 10 years and so you’ve got Michael Waltrip, Trevor Bayne and then me all on that same row. Michael Waltrip, obviously, gave me my first shot in the Cup Series and I wouldn’t be here without him. Michael Waltrip also hired me to train Trevor Bayne. Trevor Bayne is my best friend, and so to see our three names lined up there is kind of fun. It’s not that big of a deal, but it’s cool to see.”

WHAT ARE THE DEBRIEFS LIKE NOW WITH PENSKE AND HOW DO THEY DIFFER FROM WHAT YOU’VE DONE IN THE PAST? “We’re learning as we go here of what that will look like. It’s just early stages. It’s early on. I mean, I’ve always had a close working relationship with the other Ford drivers, but in particular with Joey. I’ve had a good relationship with him for a long time, so that part of it is pretty easy. Now I feel less awkward asking him things and talking about all of it because I feel like we’re supposed to be working together a little bit more, but as far as how that will look every week in and week out we’re still sorting through that. I know all the crew chiefs are getting together and talking about it and discussing things and going over that, and so I think we’re all sort of learning what that process will look like. What’s beneficial? What’s not beneficial? What’s too much? What’s not too much? All those things, so it’s early stages for that, so I think that there will be some learning curves and we’ll figure out what works best.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS FUEL SAVING SITUATION AT DAYTONA OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS? “Maybe not after last night. I mean, the guys that saved really well they only went one lap further, which was silly. They could have gone another six or seven and that would have made more sense, so I think you might change it up for Sunday. I think more than anything is you’re getting data while you’re out there to figure out what the options are and to give yourself more options with longer stages and different windows. Some of that is just gaining information and how slow are you when you’re doing it and how to do it efficiently, but after what I saw last night, I feel like there’s a limit of your wasting time and track position and not utilizing what you save, so I think we’re all learning as we go as far as what that looks like.”

Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 16, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media after leading Friday’s NASCAR Cup Series practice session in preparation for the Daytona 500.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Does Toyota have a big advantage this weekend?

“It’s more the way it worked out for sure. We had a big tow from another manufacturer pack of cars and that really plays a big factor into what kind of lap times you run and whatnot. When there weren’t as many cars out there, we ran about the same speeds as everyone else.”

Have you identified a favorite in this race?

“There are none in this race. There is no favorite in this race.”

Have you noticed any differences with the new Toyota Camry body in the draft?

“Yes and no. It’s very similar to what we had in the past. I think how you connect to cars and how long you can stay attached is really circumstantial to what kind of technique you use to get there and then do you have enough push to come from behind. Maybe I noticed that I can get pushed a little bit straighter than what it was in the past but it’s tough for me to say. It’s still not enough time and data points to really pinpoint what exactly is different.”

Was there ever any internal concern after qualifying results on Wednesday?

“Yeah, we kind of knew we were not going to be very good in the single car qualifying. I don’t think anyone thought it was going to be that bad for sure. But obviously it put our concerns to rest when it obviously raced well, right? I think there’s just a balance sometimes you have to strike there.”

What has changed from Gen 6 to the Next Gen car when it comes to drafting and do you feel like you have gained back what you lost, knowledge wise, with the Gen 6 car?

“Yeah, for sure. I think certainly it’s an evolution you’ve got to continue to change because the Next Gen cars do draft so much differently than what we saw for the Gen 6 cars. Obviously, you saw two-by-two racing. You’re going to see that for the bulk of Sunday as well. It’s just these Next Gen cars have a lot of drag in them which is why we qualify 20 miles an hour slower than we used to. So, with that, you’ve really got to stay in line for the bulk of the race. Once you establish whether you’re on the inside or the outside, there’s no real opportunities to make moves like you used to. So, you’ve got to just be patient and try to cycle up to the front through strategy or pick the right lane when a lane starts to bobble, right? It’s just different in that aspect, so it takes a little more patience for the Next Gen.”

Do you have a good sense of what you can and can’t do with this new body?

“I do. I feel like I started to continue pushing the limits of pushing throughout the on-track time. Certainly, yesterday I really didn’t really lock on to with anyone or push anyone for most of the race – there were a few instances. But then, now it’s Friday and getting closer to Sunday and I’m starting to push the limits of how far can I go, how hard can I push and how long can I push. I feel pretty good about my understanding of that now.”

How do you judge something that may work in the Duel versus what will work in the race like the block you had on Michael McDowell?

“Yeah, 100 percent. I think it’s a little different situation because I know (Michael) McDowell had to protect his car so you can kind of put those guys in a little different spot because they are in protection mode. But certainly, going back and watching it I didn’t realize the run was as big as it was and it was certainly a very, very late block from my end. You watch it, you learn, and you try to figure out how you can do it better.”

Is it frustrating that superspeedway racing has become so strategy focused?

“You have to embrace it for sure. I think that strategy has become such a big deal at superspeedways because we are running so much slower than we were before. Although the speeds may show fast today in practice, a lot of that is because how tight we are able to be with each other. If the cars had less drag, they would run faster by themselves, and arguably not run as fast in a pack. You do have to suck it up and embrace it that it’s more strategy racing and it is craft racing. Now its craft racing now towards the end. When the pack starts going crazy, and the air starts getting disturbed, you have to figure out the right lane to be in, but for 95 percent of the race – it is all strategy and people are trying to spend the least amount of time on pit road as they can, save fuel and not get out of line, because the determinate and the drag of the car will take you to last.”

What is the balance of saving fuel or being in the front in the mix of things, but burning more fuel?

“If you save fuel, you are not going to go backwards, because no one is able to pull out and pass. If you try to pull out and try to start a third line, it’s going to be really impossible. What it allows you to do, is just run 10th and just sit there and run half throttle and save fuel, because you have no ambitions of going forward because you are not going to go forward unless you are pushing your line to try to get your whole line free – which that doesn’t happen. It’s a yo-yo affect. You see it constantly – it’s the inside line, and then it’s the outside line – they just do that back and forth till someone pulls down or pulls up. You know you’re not going anywhere so you just slow down by running half throttle, where in the old car if you did that, whoever is behind you is just going to pull out, pass you, and get back in line because the cars had less drag. The whole new ballgame of fuel strategy, and all of that, that is a Next Gen thing. It is not the teams just getting smarter over time – we are racing what we’ve got.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 16, 2024

 AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 RICHARD CHILDRES RACING CAMARO ZL1, was the fastest Chevrolet driver in the NASCAR Cup Series’ practice session at Daytona International Speedway. Media Availability Quotes –

Is there any concern that Chevrolet is not up to speed with the Fords and Toyotas?

“I don’t know. I mean we looked pretty good in qualifying and it’s hard to tell when you have small packs out there. The RCR cars and the HMS cars made a run together, but you throw in the Trackhouse guys then maybe we start running the same lap times that the other manufacturers are running. They were just in bigger groups, so I think more is better. At least it was right there it seemed like. We were kind of working on our car because we had quite a bit of damage from the other night, but it seemed to turn a pretty decent lap, wasn’t very good getting pushed, so we made an adjustment, and it seemed like that was a positive there at the end. Kyle (Busch) was able to push me there at the end and I could feel better because that was kind of our Achillies heel, because we couldn’t be pushed. But that was better right there. Pretty happy with it and if we can make that a little better then we can go into Sunday and have a little fun.”

I noticed a backup car on a flatbed. Were you guys ready to go to a backup if your car couldn’t be repaired?

“I am assuming that was because the No. 8 went to a backup, and we probably carry one backup car in the two haulers. So, they probably brought one down last night. That’s probably what that was, in case something happened in practice.”

Do you and Kyle (Busch) feel good about going into this race as well as you ran last year?

“I felt really good about it last night when we took off there in the front. It’s so hard with the Duels and the way it works out right now with the speedway racing we have right now where you are racing to a fuel window. You saw Denny gained 15 spots by saving fuel and that was kind of what we were trying to do. And when someone in front of you makes a mistake getting to pit road like the 45 and the 19 and then we got sideswiped, it just kills your day, and you are trying to fight back. It’s not like a couple of years ago when you could just drive back to the front if you had a good car, and you made some good moves. Now, you just start side drafting each other and you just don’t have that third lane. My hope now is now with more race cars that we get a third lane formed. It usually changes a lot from the Duels to the race, so I want to see better racing. I don’t know about the current package, and I don’t know how great it is, I don’t know how good it is with the ones we have had in the past. I say that, but you can always make it worse.”

With the fuel mileage, is there a disadvantage to leading?

“I mean look at the 47 last night. He carried everybody and looked like a hero, but then has to come to pit road laps early and he is pretty much stuck in the back and gets caught up in a wreck. So, you can get some TV time for your partners by going up there and staying 100% throttle, knowing that you are going to rotate to the back for the next run and hope that you can get back up through there by just being patient, making some good moves and trying to take advantage of people who are lifting. It’s just kind of an accordion to who is running wide open and who is not. It’s different because you always wanted to be the guy that was 100% running in the throttle all the time. And now its become a fuel saving game to flip pit strategy. It’s just different.”

 

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 16, 2024

 KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 ZONE CAMARO ZL1, met with the media ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series’ practice session at Daytona International Speedway. Media Availability Quotes –

“Happy to have Zone as a new partner at RCR and we are excited to carry their colors. Was hoping for a better night last night, definitely got them some TV time, but not quite the glamorous way to victory lane, but hopefully on Sunday.”

What are you gaining skill-wise in running all these micro dirt races? Are you able to take some of those learnings to Cup, or how does that work?

“No, its just practice. Just staying in the car, staying sharp and doing all those things. I used to do that with all the unlimited Truck starts, unlimited Xfinity starts. Did that for a long time, but then got limited on that. Then I started doing some Super Late Model stuff, and started doing that a little bit more and more, but years went on and that stuff is just crazy, crazy expensive. The Micro thing, with Brexton going to the races he is going to, I can run on the same track as he can, and I can just get out there and run around and just get laps and do it for fun mostly. I have won a few shows. I won I think two winged shows at just different tracks across the country, not the big ones, I am not that good. The wrong Kyle. The point is to just go out there and get some track time and I can help with Brexton’s stuff when I can feel and see what the track is doing than just being a spectator or crew chief on his car.”

What are you looking for out of the next two rounds of practice in your backup car?

“Yeah, I thought media day was Groundhog’s Day. Then I had yesterday running the Duels Groundhog Day from last year getting torn up and crashed, having to go to a backup car, and starting all over again. I don’t know if we saw our shadow today or not, but we will get out there and work on the things that we know we need in our car which is the drivability of it. I will probably get out there and make a single car lap or two just to make sure the heights are all right and make sure everything is good, nothing is bottoming out and nothing is not how we expect it to be. Then we will get in a pack draft with our Chevy key partner teams, go out there and make some laps, and trade some positions. See what it’s like out front, see what its like in the back, and that is kind of all you can really learn.”

What is it like seeing your old team KBM having success and in a way keep what you started going?

“Yeah, I told them, don’t screw it up. I left it in a pretty good spot. I am excited about the opportunity to get some races over there, but we haven’t finalized all that yet. They have got a great organization, a lot of really good people. A lot of them stayed, some left, so it does look a lot different. That shop is entirely different than what it was the last 12-13 years or however many I was in it. They are doing a good job with what they got, and I am supposed to go over there….I am a consultant. I am supposed to go over there next week and do some consulting and talk to them about some of their race stuff and what they go through tonight. Excited to see the progress, sit down with the guys, the drivers, stuff like that, and to continue that leadership role.”

Regarding being an athlete and there is one thing you are striving for, how you approach the disappointment of the Daytona 500 and not have won it but have come close?

“I would say the biggest thing that helped me through that is being in the Championship Race at Homestead and letting that race play out and letting everything kind of happen because we went into that race playing with house money. Nobody thought we should be there, all the stuff, whatever. And then we were like, ‘oh well, we are not going to be expected to win the championship, so let’s just go see what we can do’. And low and behold we win the race, and we win the championship and so that kind of taught me right there that you can’t force things always. Even last year I tried to force situations and I ended up spun out and backed into the fence. I had to go backwards down the track to get to my pit box. You know, it’s stuff like that where a lot of people try to force a lot of things in this race, and they get themselves in trouble. Some moment it pays off for them. There’s guys that have made good moves, aggressive moves, that have won this race too. You just have to play it out as it comes to you and be ready for the unexpected.”

Does this race become more like your job, or are there still butterflies, but now that you have done it six thousand times, is it any different?

“Its six hundred and eight-something. God, six thousand, that would be a lot. No, coming here for the first two or three…..so I was here three years with Hendrick (Motorsports) then two with Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing), the second year with Gibbs, probably five years in, it was kind of like – it’s a big deal, this is a big race, this is a big moment. It was butterflies, it was all that sort of stuff, especially when you get down toward the end. Since I got comfortable at JGR, it was like ‘man, its just another race’, don’t let it get to you and don’t let the meaning of this race counteract the events of you trying to win. Vegas for instance. I went to Las Vegas, my home track, and I watched that place be built and all that. I put so much pressure on myself in winning an Xfinity race there that I crashed every year, did stupid stuff, spinning out at the checkered flag, and whatever, you know? Finally, we won that thing and it was like a relief and it was like, ‘wow, you really didn’t have to do as much’. You know? You do have to put all the right pieces in the right places. You have to have the right car, you have to have good pit stops, you have to do your job, and if we can all execute and do our job as our team, with this No. 8 Zone Camaro ZL1 on Sunday, then its meant to be and its our day, then by all means we are going to celebrate like crazy.”

In 2015, did you gain perspective in having to watch that race from wherever you were and missing that race?

“I was watching it in Halifax Hospital, don’t remember what room I was in, or floor number, but I was laying in a hospital bed and wondering if I was ever going to walk again. Just being a little dramatic after the day’s prior event, but yeah, watched the start. Remember seeing it. Shed a few tears, crying to just if I was going to get back, or if I was going to get back. I had the determination to get back. You just don’t know at that point. Then I passed out for a good while. Drugs were good. I don’t remember a whole lot of the race, but then somehow, I think I did wake up somewhere near the end and I think Logano won that year. So, I did see that and that didn’t make me feel any better.”

 

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Family-Owned and Operated Winery Aligns With Driver Ryan Preece and No. 41 Team

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 16, 2024) – Iconic wine producer Caymus Vineyards has renewed its partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing, the championship-winning NASCAR team co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart and Haas Automation founder Gene Haas.

After serving as an associate partner last year, the family-owned and operated winery has expanded its role with Stewart-Haas in 2024. Caymus Vineyards will have a yearlong presence on the lower-rear quarter panel of the No. 41 Ford Mustang driven by Ryan Preece, along with branding on Preece’s firesuit. Additionally, Caymus Vineyards will have heightened signage on all four Stewart-Haas cars – the Nos. 4, 10, 14 and 41 of Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe and Preece, respectively – at select NASCAR Cup Series races. And at all Cup Series races, guests of Stewart-Haas can enjoy Caymus Vineyards’ lineup of wines, most notably, its renowned Cabernet Sauvignon, at the team’s trackside VIP hospitality area.

Last June at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, guests toasted with Preece in victory lane, raising glasses of Caymus Vineyards’ Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon after he won the ARCA Menards Series West race. Preece dominated in his Bonanza Cabernet Ford Mustang by winning the pole and leading twice for a race-high 50 laps, including the final 32 tours around the 1.99-mile, 10-turn road course, securing the victory with a commanding 9.675-second margin over his nearest pursuer. It was Preece’s first ARCA win and the first race victory for Caymus Vineyards.

“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing and we’re proud to have the Caymus name grace the No. 41 Ford Mustang of Ryan Preece, who memorably put our Bonanza Cabernet car in victory lane last year at Sonoma,” said Karen Perry, Executive Vice President, Caymus Vineyards. “Much like Chuck Wagner and his family, Tony Stewart and Gene Haas have worked incredibly hard to build a championship organization. Whether it’s on the track or in the vineyards and cellar, what we have in common is a drive to be the very best through a commitment to excellence.”

Chuck Wagner and his late parents, Lorna and Charlie Sr., opened Caymus Vineyards in 1972, starting off with 240 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon. Based at its original “home ranch” in Rutherford, California – deep in the heart of Napa Valley Wine Country and just a 45-minute drive north of Sonoma Raceway – Caymus Vineyards remains a hands-on family affair. In addition to their famed Cabernet Sauvignon, Chuck, Charlie and Jenny Wagner make a range of white and red wines, each with a character all its own.

“Representing Caymus Vineyards and Bonanza last year at Sonoma allowed me to see just how hands-on the Wagner family is when it comes to their wine-making,” Preece said. “It’s impressive, and it’s something I can really appreciate. I’m hands-on with my racecars because I want them to be the very best. They have the same mindset at Caymus. That’s why they’re a great partner for our race team.”

The partnership with Stewart-Haas complements Caymus Vineyards’ portfolio of championship teams and iconic drivers the company has partnered with in the last decade. In 2024, Caymus Vineyards is also a full-season sponsor of Meyer Shank Racing driver Felix Rosenqvist in the NTT INDYCAR Series.

About Caymus Vineyards:

The Wagner Family has a long history in Napa Valley dating back to the 1850s. Through the years, they have embraced a hands-on work ethic and are constantly trying out new ideas in pursuit of making exceptional wines. Whether it’s venturing to different regions to find diverse sources of top-quality grapes or experimenting with new farming techniques, the result is a pairing of tradition with innovation, a respect for the old and the promise of the new. The Wagners’ dedication to agriculture will be celebrated in June of 2024 when the family will proudly release their 50th vintage of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Chuck Wagner and his late parents, Lorna and Charlie, started Caymus Vineyards in 1972. They were a family of farmers who worked together for decades to create a signature style of Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, the family’s Napa Valley Cabernet and Special Selection are among Napa Valley’s most celebrated wines. Chuck now works alongside two of his children, Charlie and Jenny, and the family produces diverse wines from Napa Valley, other parts of California and beyond. Continually pursuing new ideas, they feel extremely fortunate to spend their days farming grapes and making wine. For more information, please visit us online at caymus.com or wagnerfamilyofwine.com, and on social at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, two NASCAR Xfinity Series championships and 100 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at StewartHaasRacing.com and on social at Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.

BLUEGREEN VACATIONS DUEL RACES
Daytona Beach, Florida – February 15, 2024
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY – NASCAR 101

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD MUSTANG

START: 2ND FINISH: 2ND DAYTONA 500 STARTING POSITION: 6TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang, charged to a strong runner-up finish in the second Duel Thursday evening at Daytona International Speedway, narrowly missing out on the race victory. The 25-year-old Team Penske driver rolled off the grid from the front row and maneuvered throughout the pack over the course of the 150 miles, ultimately finding himself in contention to win on the final lap. The second-place finish in the 60-lap sprint earned him a sixth-place starting position for Sunday’s prestigious DAYTONA 500.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “It was a really strong effort by everyone on the Discount Tire Ford Mustang. Obviously we had good pace in qualifying and had a really strong car and great execution in the race. I wish things would have played out differently in the last five laps. We were able to get back up to the front and had some good runs and we got a couple Fords up there in the top-five. Overall, I am just poised to get to the 500 and see what we’ve got for the long race.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/PEAK FORD MUSTANG

START: 9TH FINISH: 18TH DAYTONA 500 STARTING POSITION: 32ND

RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney’s run in Thursday night’s second Daytona Duel was cut short with 11 laps to go as the No. 12 Menards/Peak Ford Mustang was collected in a multi-car incident in the tri-oval to halt a late charge to the front of the field. Due to the damage sustained in the wreck, the No. 12 team will go to backup car for Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Blaney began the 60-lap event from the ninth position before dropping to the back half of the field during the opening run as the reigning Cup Series champion was feeling out which line had the greater momentum in the early going. As green flag pit stops began on lap 42, Blaney cycled to second in the running order before hitting pit road on lap 44 for fuel only. Blaney assumed the lead coming off of pit road before settling into sixth with under 15 laps to go. As the field made its way through the tri-oval coming to 11 to go, Blaney was turned into the outside wall head-on, setting off a multi-car wreck in the process and ending the night for the No. 12 team.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “I’m OK. By the replay it just looks like awful pushes in terrible spots. That’s usually how these wrecks happen. Three times in a row here I’ve been right-reared by someone else’s awful push, so I’m getting pretty sick of it. I don’t get it, so just a shame we have to be the one with a tore up race car when it’s someone else’s issue.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

START: 1ST FINISH: 7TH DAYTONA 500 STARTING POSITION: 1ST

RACE RUNDOWN: After securing the pole for the 66th Daytona 500 Wednesday night, Joey Logano wheeled the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang to a seventh-place finish in the first 60-lap Duel race. After starting from the inside of row one, Logano gave way to the top lane with a better run before dropping back in the field after experiencing a loose-handling condition. As green flag pit stops began to cycle, Logano cycled to second in the running order before pitting with a group of Fords on lap 44 for fuel only. Logano led the group off of pit road to assume the lead with 15 laps to go, but gave way to four Chevrolets in the draft before settling at the tail end of the pack in fifth. Following a caution on lap 49, Logano lined up from the inside of row three for the restart and ultimately crossed the line seventh.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “I was a little further back than I wanted to be. We did a good job with our cycle and got ourselves out there, but there weren’t a lot of Fords with me. I was on my own there and the Chevy gang came and got by us and the Toyotas were coming and there’s no defending it. We just didn’t have enough numbers in this race and that was just by luck. That kind of cycled us a little bit too far back and I thought I could maybe push the bottom row and get going, but just kind of ran a little bit short.”

The NASCAR Cup Series will have practice for the 66th DAYTONA 500 Friday at 5:35 p.m. ET on FS1.

RICK WARE RACING
Bluegreen Vacations Duel
Date: Feb. 15, 2024
Event: Bluegreen Vacations Duel
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Format: Twin 150-mile qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500

Duel No. 1 Winner: Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing (Toyota)
Duel No. 2 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

RWR Finish:

● Justin Haley (Started 15th, Finished 10th/ Running, completed 60 of 60 laps in Duel No. 2)
● Riley Herbst (Started 6th, Finished 20th/ Accident, completed 47 of 60 laps in Duel No. 2)

Notes:

● Drivers earning odd-numbered positions from Wednesday’s pole qualifying session were assigned to the first Duel race. Drivers earning even-numbered positions from pole qualifying competed in the second Duel race. The starting positions for each Duel race were based on qualifying times.

● This was Haley’s fourth appearance in the Duel. His 10th-place result bettered his previous best finish in the Duel – 13th, earned in 2022.

● Haley scored one regular-season point. Only the top-10 finishers in each Duel were awarded regular-season points.

● This was Herbst’s second appearance in the Duel. He equaled his previous best finish in the Duel – 20th, earned in 2023.

● Herbst led three times for seven laps in Duel No. 2.

● Haley will start 22nd in the Daytona 500. His best Daytona 500 finish is 13th, earned in 2020.

● Herbst will start 36th in the Daytona 500. His best Daytona 500 finish is 10th, earned in 2023.

Justin Haley, driver of the No. 51 Tree Top / Fraternal Order of Eagles / Jacob Ford Mustang:

“The No. 51 team had a good race. Obviously there was some damage there after getting caught up in that wreck, but our Ford Mustang was still pretty good. I feel like we have a really good car for the Daytona 500. We’ve got some things to fix up. We’ll keep at it and hopefully have a good run on Sunday for everyone at Rick Ware Racing.”

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 15 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Ford Mustang:

“Man. That was just an unfortunate ending to what was shaping up to be a good night. Our No. 15 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Ford Mustang was fast. We just got hooked in the right rear. I haven’t seen the replay yet, but it’s just wrong place at the wrong time. We’ll have to fix the damage, but we had the speed which is a good thing for Sunday.”

Next Up:

The 66th running of the Daytona 500 takes place at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
No. 42 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE

START: 19th
FINISH: 4th
POINTS: N/A

How did you miss that wreck?

“I think I closed my eyes and held the wheel straight. No, it was good spotting there at the top. We have a new spotter, Ryan Blanchard, and with myself, I felt like we worked well together. His first superspeedway race ever. A lot to learn, but I feel like we did well. Stayed out of the mess, stayed out of the carnage. Missed it by not very much. Overall, really solid night. I’m proud of the effort from everyone at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. The whole Toyota, TRD camp – it was awesome to be able to lineup with Denny (Hamlin) and CBell (Christopher Bell) there at the end. I really had a shot to go up there and push and try to get a win. At least a Toyota won. It’s cool for CBell, but our Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE is really fast and it drives well. I’m looking forward to Sunday. I’ve got to make a few adjustments, work on it a little bit tomorrow in practice, a little drafting stuff – but learned a lot tonight – my first experience at a superspeedway in a Next Gen car. A lot to learn in a really short period of time, but I feel like we executed pretty well.”

What does this say about the start for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB – to put Jimmie in the field and top-fives for both full-time drivers?

“It’s awesome. It’s really, really cool to have both us finish that well, and to have Jimmie (Johnson) in the race as well. That was the most stressful part of the night – watching Jimmie race his way in. Overall, solid night by all three LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Camrys. Pretty cool to see Jimmie in a Toyota as well.”

ERIK JONES
No. 43 ADVENTHEALTH TOYOTA CAMRY XSE

START: 12TH
FINISH: 5TH
POINTS: N/A

How much did you learn tonight?

“It was good. We had to kind of race all night. Had that mindset going in just with the new body and new manufacturer just to try to learn and figure out what it was going to do on Sunday. Yeah, it was quick. As soon as the green dropped, I was like, ‘Man, it’s good.’ And we were able to cycle right there to the front. It’s such a short race. Things just didn’t play out good enough for us to try and have a shot between pit road, and then that yellow came out right when we got cycled back to 11th. It just didn’t play out right. The Advent Camry was good, so it makes me look forward to Sunday a lot more than probably last night. We were a little worried about speed and it feels good now.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON
No. 84 CARVANA TOYOTA CAMRY XSE

START: 18th
FINISH: 12th
POINTS: N/A

What was your experience like tonight racing to get into the Daytona 500?

“We had a really competitive car. This Carvana Toyota Camry was very, very capable in the draft. It was pretty easy to get up to the front and kind of maintain. And, while I was enjoying my position on track, I just knew it was too early, I knew stuff was coming and I knew something would happen. A few things happened after the pit stop that were quite exciting. Thankfully, we were in the right spot at the right time at the checkered flag.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice “Maury” J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The Club competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Johnson. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King” serves as Club Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.