Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Category: Featured Headline

Featured headlines from SpeedwayMedia.com

  • Hamlin holds off Dale Jr. at Homestead-Miami in the iRacing Pro Invitational Series

    Hamlin holds off Dale Jr. at Homestead-Miami in the iRacing Pro Invitational Series

    Due to the NASCAR season being suspended until at least May 3rd due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 35 drivers competed on Sunday in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Homestead Miami Speedway.

    Race leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the low line while Denny Hamlin took the high line entering turn four on the final lap of the race. They made contact coming out of turn four and Hamlin was able to maintain control of his car to complete the pass to capture the 100-lap virtual race win.

    “That was unbelievable.” Hamlin said. “I didn’t think we were going to get back there. Really made the top line work the last two laps to get the win.”

    Hamlin also pledged to donate $100 for each lap he led and $5000 if he won to benefit families affected by COVID-19 in the Homestead-Miami area. Kevin Harvick and FOX will match his $5000 donation as well.

    Earnhardt Jr, finished second, Timmy Hill third, Chase Briscoe fourth and pole sitter Garrett Smithley finished fifth.

    Alex Bowman finished sixth, Bubba Wallace seventh, Ryan Preece eighth, Ty Majeski ninth and Erik Jones rounded out the top-ten.

    Race results – Dixie Vodka 150

    1. (9) Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, 100.
    2. (5) Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 8 Chevrolet, 100.
    3. (7) Timmy Hill, No. 66 Toyota, 100.
    4. (6) Chase Briscoe, No. 98 Ford, 100.
    5. (1) Garrett Smithley, No. 51 Chevrolet, 100.
    6. (12) Alex Bowman, No. 88 Chevrolet, 100.
    7. (18) Bubba Wallace, No. 43 Chevrolet, 100.
    8. (13) Ryan Preece, No. 37 Chevrolet, 100.
    9. (3) Ty Majeski, No. 45 Chevrolet, 100.
    10. (25) Erik Jones, No. 20 Toyota, 100.
    11. (16) Matt DiBenedetto, No. 21 Ford, 100.
    12. (10) Landon Cassill, No. 89 Chevrolet, 100.
    13. (8) Parker Kligerman, No. 77 Toyota, 100.
    14. (4) Ross Chastain, No. 6 Ford, 100.
    15. (19) Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, 100.
    16. (11) Clint Bowyer, No. 14 Ford, 100.
    17. (23) Ryan Truex, No. 40 Chevrolet, 100.
    18. (29) Bobby Labonte, No. 19 Toyota, 100.
    19. (28) Ty Dillon, No. 13 Chevrolet, 100.
    20. (26) Justin Allgaier, No. 7 Chevrolet, 100.
    21. (33) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Chevrolet, 100.
    22. (15) Austin Cindric, No. 12 Ford, 100.
    23. (32) Michael McDowell, No. 34 Ford, 100.
    24. (20) Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet, 100.
    25. (30) Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, 100.
    26. (27) Christopher Bell, No. 95 Toyota, 100.
    27. (24) Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, 100.
    28. (21) Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford, 99.
    29. (34) Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, 94.
    30. (22) John Hunter Nemechek, No. 38 Ford, 93.
    31. (35) Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, 93.
    32. (17) Anthony Alfredo, No. 33 Chevrolet, 86.
    33. (14) Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, 86.
    34. (2) William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet, 79.
    35. (31) Kurt Busch, No. 1 Chevrolet, 46.

    Race statistics
    Margin of victory: 0.153 seconds.
    Caution periods: 9 for 42 laps.
    Lead changes: 11 among 6 drivers.
    Lap leaders: Byron (28), Smithley (24), Hamlin (14), Earnhardt (14), Hill (13), Briscoe (7).

  • Formula 1 postpones more races due to Coronavirus/Update-Monaco Grand Prix canceled

    Formula 1 postpones more races due to Coronavirus/Update-Monaco Grand Prix canceled

    Like everything else in this world, almost all events are either getting canceled or postponed to a later date due to the Coronavirus pandemic. While Formula 1 made the decision last week not to race at Australia and for the few races following Australia, more news came today as F1 announced they are postponing three additional races in reaction to the virus. Those races are the Heineken Dutch Grand Prix, Grand Premio De Espana, and one of the most prestigious races of them all, the Monaco Grand Prix that was scheduled for late May.

    “Formula 1, the FIA and the three promoters have taken these decisions in order to ensure the health and safety of the traveling staff, championship participants and fans, which remains our primary concern.”

    Originally, these races were supposed to be run in May, but now those races will be scheduled for a later date. Should the Coronavirus wind down or get under control and the travel ban is lifted, Formula 1’s season will most likely start in June at Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, depending on where the other races will fall in the schedule.

    With these races being postponed, Formula 1 officials have decided to move the summer shutdown as they look at scheduling those races later this year. Obviously, we will find out more details in the days to come on what the the 2020 season will look like.

    Update – After this writing, F1 announced earlier this afternoon that the Monaco Grand Prix is now canceled. It’s the first time since 1954 that a race will not be held at Monaco.

  • NASCAR, iRacing Introduce eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series

    NASCAR, iRacing Introduce eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series

    NASCAR Cup Series Drivers and Racing Icons to Compete in Esports Series;
    Exhibition Races to Provide Fans with Entertaining Content While NASCAR’s National Series Await Return

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 17, 2020) – NASCAR and iRacing announced today the formation of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, an exhibition esports series featuring many of the sports most talented and popular drivers. The simulation-style showcase will include a cross-section of competitors from the NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series™ and a group of NASCAR dignitaries.

    The multi-week series will kick off Sunday, March 22 at 1:30 p.m. ET on the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. The remaining race and broadcast details will be announced at a later date.

    “Until we have cars back on track, the entire NASCAR community has aligned to provide our passionate fans with a unique, fun and competitive experience on race day,” said Ben Kennedy, vice president, racing development, NASCAR. “Our long-time partners at iRacing offer an incredible product and we are excited to see how many of our best drivers will stack up in the virtual domain of competitive racing.”

    NASCAR postponed events through May 3, prioritizing the health and safety of fans, the industry and race communities. The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series will provide much needed racing entertainment for sports fans on the premier motorsports racing simulation platform, often used by NASCAR drivers to prepare for race events.

    The exhibition series will feature some of the best NASCAR drivers including:

    • Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    • Kyle Busch
    • Denny Hamlin
    • Clint Bowyer
    • Kyle Larson
    • Christopher Bell

    NASCAR and iRacing have an unprecedented history in the esports space, currently in the 11th season of the longest-running officially sanctioned esports racing series, the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series™. The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series features 40 of the best sim racers in the world competing for more than $300,000, one of the richest payouts in esports racing competition. The elite series features NASCAR and professional esports teams, including those established by NASCAR Cup Series drivers William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Austin Dillon.

    About NASCAR

    The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, Americrown Service and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

    About iRacing.com

    The world leader in the online racing simulation and gaming market, iRacing was founded in 2004 by Dave Kaemmer and John Henry. Kaemmer was co-founder of Papyrus Design Group, developers of award-winning racing simulations including “Grand Prix Legends” and NASCAR 2003.” Henry is principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club, as well as co-owner of NASCAR’s Roush Fenway Racing. iRacing.com has developed dozens of formal partnerships in the motorsport industry to help create the most authentic racing simulation in the world including with NASCAR, IndyCar, International Speedway Corporation, Speedway Motorsports, IMSA, World of Outlaws, Mazda Motorsports, McLaren Racing, Williams F1, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volkswagen, the Skip Barber Racing School and General Motors.

  • Statement from NASCAR

    Statement from NASCAR

    Statement from NASCAR

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 16, 2020) – “The health and safety of our fans, industry and the communities in which we race is our most important priority, so in accordance with recent CDC guidance, NASCAR is currently postponing all race events through May 3rd, with plans to return racing in Martinsville. We appreciate the patience of our fans and we look forward to returning to the racetrack. We intend to hold all 36 races this season, with future rescheduling soon to be determined as we continue to monitor this situation closely with public health officials and medical experts. What is important now transcends the world of sports and our focus is on everyone’s safety and well-being as we navigate this challenging time together.”

  • CMI Motorsports Withdraws From Atlanta Truck Race

    CMI Motorsports Withdraws From Atlanta Truck Race

    Announced today via CMI Motorsports, Team Owner Ray Ciccarelli will be withdrawing from the Atlanta Truck Series race scheduled to take place Saturday afternoon. While the coronavirus had an impact on the decision, the weather forecast was also a factor. Ultimately the team decided to stay home and focus on the upcoming races. Below is a report from team owner Ray Ciccarelli.

    “We had a very hard decision to make today, but with everything going on and the potential of rain Friday, we thought it was best to withdraw from Atlanta and focus on completing our move into the new building,” Ciccarelli said. “We’re getting both Trucks ready for Miami and Texas. We can’t thank Springrates enough for there support.”

    “Thanks to all our fans as well for their understanding and supporting.”

    So far in 2020, CMI Motorsports has only made one start with Stefan Parsons, which occurred at Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago. Parsons was credited with a 29th place finish after some issues with the truck earlier in the night. He was 22 laps down.

    Overall, CMI has made 11 starts over a span of three years since debuting at Pocono in 2018. Their best finish took place last year at Michigan, where Ciccarelli finished ninth after starting 30th.

    For more info on CMI Motorsports, you can follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook.

  • David Ragan will return to Truck Series for one race at Richmond

    David Ragan will return to Truck Series for one race at Richmond

    Announced today via DGR-Crosley retired Cup Series star David Ragan will make his return to the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series on Saturday, April 18 at Richmond International Raceway. Ragan is scheduled to drive the No. 17 Ford Performance F-150 Ford out of the DGR-Crosley stable. This will be the first time since 2006 that Ragan has competed in the Truck Series and will be the first time he’s competed in a Truck at Richmond.

    “I’m really looking forward to racing one of DGR-Crosley’s F-150’s at Richmond,” said Ragan. “I’ve been friends with David [Gilliland] for a long time, and I see how much work he’s putting into this team and the success they’ve had early on. They have a shop full of great people and I’m glad that we could make all this happen.”

    The last time Ragan raced in a Truck was 2006 at Phoenix, where the Georgia native finished 17th after starting 20th. Ragan notes that this is something he’s planned on ever since retiring from full-time competition last year in the Cup Series.

    “It’s been a long time since I’ve raced in the Truck Series, and I’m incredibly thankful to Select Blinds for supporting me and allowing me to do this,” remarked Ragan. “This is what I wanted to do when I decided to stop racing full-time at the end of last season; I want to race in different series, with different teams. Obviously, we want to be competitive, and I have no doubt that DGR-Crosley will bring me a great truck. Richmond has always been one of my favorite tracks that we race at; hopefully, we can get the folks from Select Blinds another good finish this year and put on a good show for the fans.”

    Ragan will carry sponsorship with Select Binds.

  • Team Penske favorites to win IndyCar opener at St. Petersburg

    Team Penske favorites to win IndyCar opener at St. Petersburg

    With the Team Penske Chevrolet camp in the NTT IndyCar Series looking to dominate yet again in the 2020 season, there’s no better place to begin than Sunday’s upcoming Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Penske driver Josef Newgarden won last year’s season opener on the way to winning three more times and his second series championship, having won the 2017 title with Penske as well.

    Along with Newgarden, Penske driver Will Power is a two-time event winner (2010, 2014) and holds five podiums at St. Petersburg, three of which came after starting from the pole. While Newgarden has shown more promise on the mile-and-a-half speedways, Power has excelled on the street/road courses in the IndyCar series with 26 of his 35 career wins coming on those types of tracks.

    Fellow Team Penske driver Simon Pagenaud is also a two-time St. Petersburg winner (2016-17), with 12 of his 14 career wins coming on street/road courses showing that he too has a prediliction toward those types of races. His strengths are more similar to Power’s than Newgarden’s, but with all three of the Team Penske drivers former winners at St. Pete’s, it’s a clear bet that they’re the safest bets to win come Sunday.

    That isn’t to say there won’t be challenges elsewhere during the 100-lap event. Ganassi Racing’s all-time champion Scott Dixon has 24 of his 45 wins on street/road courses despite being winless at St. Pete’s, while former series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay has eight wins on street/road courses. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Graham Rahal has six wins in the series but is a former St. Pete’s winner, having won there in 2008.

    Five of Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi’s wins come on street/road courses including a huge defeat in the 2018 edition of St. Pete’s, where a late-race incident ended his chances while running up front. He’s Andretti Autosport’s strongest driver and he knows how to get around St. Pete’s, but in the end he’s yet to be as successful as the Team Penske camp.

    With that said, the odds are in favor for the Penske Chevrolets, all of whom are not only St. Pete champions but series champions as well. With five victories in the event among three drivers, it’s not a matter of if they’ll win, but which one will win. This is coming on the heels of former Penske IndyCar drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Helio Castroneves and their winning pedigree at St. Petes, as both drivers have a combined five wins among themselves while driving for Penske.

    The race will begin at 3:30 p.m. EST, and will air on NBCSN live and on radio network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, indycar.com, indycarradio.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.

  • Four Takeaways from the General Tire 150 at Phoenix Raceway

    Four Takeaways from the General Tire 150 at Phoenix Raceway

    The ARCA Menards Series visited Phoenix Raceway this past weekend for their series debut. A total of about 25 cars made the field with no one going home. Only one car withdrew from the entry list and that was the No. 48 of Brad Smith. As expected in the ARCA Series, the Venturini Motorsports teams are tough to beat, even when they faced some adversity throughout the General Tire 150. Despite Chandler Smith (No relation to Brad) not dominating the whole race as Ty Gibbs did, he found himself with an opportunity to win with a one-lap to go restart. With the Venturini teams taking the top two spots, there were some stories race fans might have missed in the second race of the 2020 ARCA Menards Series season. 

    1. Chandler Smith Scores Surprise Win At Phoenix – As mentioned, Smith didn’t dominate the whole race and didn’t seem to even have the car to win. But, a late-race yellow saw the Venturini cars come down pit road and Smith got the two-tire call. After one final caution, the Talking Rock, Georgia native found himself P1 on the last lap restart. There were some final hard charges from Ty Gibbs and teammate Michael Self in the last turn, but Smith held them off to score his eighth career ARCA Menards Series win.

    2. Armani Williams Places 17th In Series Debut – Probably one of the most unique stories of the night was Detroit, Michigan native Armani Williams finishing 17th in the first race of his career. What makes it an interesting story is that Williams was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 5. Despite being diagnosed, that does not slow down the Michigan native as he is living his dream of being a racecar driver. Williams had a partnership from Centria Autism, a nationally known provider that does therapy and provides varied services, as well as injury services. Nonetheless, this was one of the stories overlooked. Williams has six NASCAR Pinty Series starts, two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and East Series starts. His best finish in his young NASCAR career so far is ninth in the Pinty Series that came in 2018 at New Hampshire.

    3. Bret Holmes Black Flagged After Restart Confusion – Late in the race following a caution, there was some confusion regarding the restart order as to who was restarting where. As a result, several laps were wasted in trying to figure out the restart order. One driver, unfortunately, caught the backlash and that was the No. 23 of Bret Holmes. Holmes was penalized for a restart violation and relegated to a disappointing 15th place finish, four laps down. A forgettable night for sure for the family owned team.

    4. Sam Mayer Has Disappointing Season Opener – Anytime Sam Mayer is entered in the field whether it is the ARCA East or ARCA West Series, he is a fan favorite to win the race. Mayer was making his first start of the season at Phoenix Raceway and had hoped to make some noise as he had done in the first two races of the season falling under the East and West category. Mayer qualified fourth and was in contention for a top-five finish in the mid-stages of the race. However, a mechanical issue took out the GMS Racing driver late in the race on Lap 87. Mayer was credited with a 20th place finish. 
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart to compete in NASCAR Xfinity Series Race July 4 at Indianapolis

    NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart to compete in NASCAR Xfinity Series Race July 4 at Indianapolis

    Tony Stewart will compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race July 4 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a Ford Mustang from Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

    The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee will headline the inaugural Xfinity Series event on Indianapolis’ 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course, with the 62-lap race serving as Stewart’s 28th overall start at the Brickyard but his first in the Xfinity Series. Stewart has competed in 18 Brickyard 400s, five Indianapolis 500s and four IROC Series races. Stewart is a two-time Brickyard 400 winner (2005 and 2007) and a member of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame.

    “Everyone knows what Indy means to me, so I can’t think of a better place to race on Fourth of July weekend,” said Stewart, who grew up 45 minutes from Indianapolis in the towns of Columbus and Rushville, Indiana. “It’s going to be cool making history by turning left and right in a stock car at the Brickyard, and the racing will be full of action and contact. Any time you can drive any racecar at the speedway is special, and you know I’m going for the win. The date is already circled on my calendar.”

    The road course at Indianapolis has hosted INDYCAR, Formula One, sports cars and even MotoGP, but never NASCAR. And while Stewart is no stranger to Indianapolis, be it in open-wheel Indy cars or full-bodied stock cars, he has never driven the road course in any type of racecar. But Stewart has proven to be prolific when turning left and right. He has eight road-course wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, including his 49th and final career victory in 2016 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. Stewart is second to only Jeff Gordon for the most road-course wins in the NASCAR Cup Series with a tally that includes Sonoma in 2001, 2005 and 2016 and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

    Outside of the NASCAR Cup Series, Stewart has a road-course win in IROC and a near win in the prestigious Rolex 24 At Daytona. Stewart won Round III of IROC XXX on the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway road course en route to the 2006 series championship. He also competed in the prestigious Rolex 24 At Daytona five times, with a best finish of third in 2005 with co-drivers Jan Lammers and Andy Wallace. Stewart nearly won the 2004 Rolex 24 At Daytona, where with co-drivers Wallace and Dale Earnhardt Jr., they led 355 of the 526 laps available and had a commanding five-lap advantage before mechanical problems less than 20 minutes short of the finish ended their shot at victory and placed them a disappointing fourth.

    Stewart’s most recent road-course outing came in a demonstration run last October at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. He took an SHR-prepared Ford Mustang specially outfitted with a passenger seat around the 3.426-mile, 20-turn layout and showed Haas F1 Team drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen how to wheel a 3,200-pound racecar around America’s only purpose-built Formula One track.

    “It was a lot of fun for me to get in one of our Ford Mustangs and do that exhibition run at COTA,” Stewart said. “It kind of got my juices flowing to get back in a car again, and what better place to come back than Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”

    The Indiana 150 will mark Stewart’s 95th career Xfinity Series start and his first since the 2013 season opener at Daytona, where Stewart collected his 11th Xfinity Series victory. It will also mark Stewart’s first NASCAR start since the 2016 NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    “People sometimes say, ‘We miss seeing you behind the wheel,” and I’m like, ‘Well, you’ve just got to go to different places now’,” said Stewart, who has collected 23 wins in an assortment of sprint car races since retiring as a full-time NASCAR driver at the end of the 2016 season. “I’m racing 100 times a year in a sprint car, but seeing some of these road-course races – especially the Roval at Charlotte – piqued my interest a bit, and running the stock car at COTA, it kind of fed my hunger. All of it has led me back to the place I’ve always called home – Indy.”

    Details regarding Stewart’s car number, crew and primary partner will be announced closer to the race.

  • Busch Clash At DAYTONA Moving to DIS Road Course, New Date in 2021

    Busch Clash At DAYTONA Moving to DIS Road Course, New Date in 2021

    ·         Move Reflects Fans’ Interest in More Road Courses on NASCAR Schedule

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 4, 2020) – In a response to fans’ increased interest in road-course races, Daytona International Speedway announced today that the Busch Clash At DAYTONA will move to the speedway’s 3.56-mile road course and be held under the lights on Tuesday, Feb. 9, making the annual preseason NASCAR Cup Series event one of the most unique in all of motorsports.

    The 2021 Busch Clash at DAYTONA, an exhibition-style event, will be held on the same course as the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA and the DAYTONA 200, North America’s premier races for sports cars and motorcycles, respectively. Road-course racing has always been a vital component on the speedway calendar, with the Rolex 24 first held in 1962 as a three-hour race called the Daytona Continental while the DAYTONA 200 moved off the old Daytona Beach-Road Course to the speedway in 1961.

    “The famed road course at Daytona has a long and storied history with sports cars and motorcycles, and now we can write a new chapter on it with stock cars,” NASCAR Vice President of Racing Development Ben Kennedy said. “Fans coming to the track will get to see six consecutive days of exciting NASCAR action, with no two days being the same.” 

    In contrast to the tightly packed competition on the speedway’s famed 2.5-mile high-back-tri-oval, the reimagined Busch Clash will utilize approximately three-quarters of the tri-oval along with the challenging infield portion of the road course. That translates into 12 turns instead of the usual four.

    “Having driven on the road course at Daytona in the Rolex 24, I know how difficult the circuit can be,” said NASCAR Hall of Famer and current FOX NASCAR analyst Jeff Gordon. “It will present a real challenge to the drivers and teams, and I’m looking forward to calling what I believe will be a lot of action from the booth.”

    That challenge entails the high-speed entrance into Turn 1, as drivers dive left off the front straight to begin the twists and turns the infield offers, including the east and west Horseshoe turns and the trick negotiation of the back stretch chicane prior to a climb back atop the bank in Turn 3.

    “NASCAR fans have asked for more road-course competition and the industry is listening,” Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile said. “With the talent level the Busch Clash brings to the table, the race will now clearly have its own look and feel during DAYTONA Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth in 2021 and beyond.

    “The new placement on the Speedweeks schedule also adds to the anticipation. That switch will make for a fuller Speedweeks calendar. Fans also will have the opportunity to engage in a festive infield atmosphere, similar to the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, with many prime viewing opportunities.”

    The Busch Clash At DAYTONA was held for the 42nd consecutive time on Sunday, February 9, featuring NASCAR Cup Series pole winners and playoff participants from the previous season, former Busch Clash champions and former DAYTONA 500 champions and pole winners who competed full time in 2019.

    “Busch Beer is excited to play an integral role in this historic shift for NASCAR and its fans,” said Nick Kelly, vice president partnerships, beer category and community, Anheuser-Busch. “Moving the Busch Clash to Daytona’s road course will differentiate the event from every other race during DAYTONA Speedweeks and drive even more attention to the first NASCAR Cup Series race of 2021.” 

    “We know how passionate our viewers are about both Daytona International Speedway and road course racing,” said Brad Zager, FOX Sports Executive Producer, EVP/Head of Production & Operations. “Additionally, fans have been craving mid-week races. These changes to the 2021 opening slate of races will provide new and unique story-telling opportunities when we kick off the season on FOX Sports.”

    In addition to the changes to the Busch Clash, it was also announced the Lucas Oil 200 Driven By General Tire ARCA Menards Series season-opening race shifts to Saturday, Feb. 13, as part of a doubleheader with the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the NASCAR Racing Experience 300. 

    DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Kroger will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 10, to set the front row for the DAYTONA 500. The Bluegreen Vacations Duel at DAYTONA qualifying races will remain on Thursday night, Feb. 11, followed by the NextEra Energy 250 to open the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season on Friday night, Feb. 12.

    Tickets for the 63rd annual DAYTONA 500, the 43rd annual Busch Clash and all other speedway events can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat, and by downloading Daytona International Speedway’s mobile app, for the latest Speedway news throughout the season.