Tag: Daytona 500

Suarez’s Daytona DNQ will not reflect team’s efforts in 2020.

Daniel Suarez still remains one of the most heralded drivers in NASCAR history. He also happens to be one of the more unfortunate ones as well. He lost his ride at Joe Gibbs Racing in favor of Martin Truex Jr., then lost his ride at Stewart-Haas Racing in favor of rookie Cole Custer.

Both moves were pure business and understandable moves at that, but they weren’t indicative of the talent that Suarez possesses. So when he tangled with Ryan Blaney in his Daytona 500 qualifying race, leading to the first Cup Series DNQ of his career in his first outing with Gaunt Brothers Racing, it was more heartbreaking to see than surprising.

The deal to race the No. 96 GBR Toyota was a last-minute deal and undoubtedly there were going to be some kinks to iron out. A DNQ was an understood possibility but considering Suarez’s resume, it was only logical to figure that he was going to find a way. But racing is unpredictable sometimes, and as his Toyota sat crumpled up in the Daytona tri-oval, everyone saw just how unpredictable it can be.

But all things considered, GBR is looking to attempt its first full season in its young history, and they’re looking to grow the team around Suarez’s talents. Leavine Family Racing went from a part-time team to contending for wins with Matt DiBenedetto in their No. 95; it stands to reason that GBR could build their team into a consistent contender with Suarez.

It also stands to reason that just because Suarez wasn’t cranking out the results his respective JGR/SHR teammates were doesn’t mean he’s untalented. In 2017 he was thrust into the No. 19 following Carl Edwards’s departure from the sport, and although he didn’t score a win he did score one top-five and 12 top-10s – stout numbers for a rookie.

In 2018, despite scoring a pole, three top-fives, and nine top-10s, he only DNF’d three times as opposed to six the year before. Also, 2018 was something of a down year for any JGR driver not named Kyle Busch; Erik Jones was the only other JGR driver to score a win. In 2019, Suarez’s first year with SHR, he scored a pole, four top-fives, and 11 top-10s, but Kevin Harvick was the only SHR driver to go to Victory Lane out of a four-car team.

Suarez’s lack of results isn’t from lack of effort, and that much is obvious to see. The GBR organization definitely sees this and wants to build their team around him. GBR has also proven to be a reliable team; in 38 starts this will be only their second DNQ. Otherwise, they’re consistently a top-15 to top-25 team with room to grow.

This season will be one of growing pains for Suarez and GBR. But in 2002, when Jimmy Spencer DNQ’d for the 500, he turned around and posted some solid results with two top-fives and six top-10s. In 2006, when Scott Riggs DNQ’d for the 500, he ended up with two poles, one top-five, and eight top-10s. In 2007, Brian Vickers DNQ’d 13 times, including the 500, and still posted one top-five, five top-10s, and ended up winning a race and making the Chase for the Cup two years later.

It’s easy to feel heartbroken for Suarez and admittedly, not every NASCAR champion succeeds in the uppermost levels of the sport. But it is too early to dismiss Suarez and GBR after just one DNQ. They’ll be looking to grow this season, and along with that, they’ll experience some growing pains. But they’re still a great combination to learn and grow together.

February 14, 2020
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wins Daytona 500 pole in debut with JTG Daugherty Racing

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. set the pace at Daytona International Speedway Sunday afternoon, earning the pole for the Daytona 500 with a 194.582 mph lap in the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet.

It was the third pole for the team, their first at an oval track and an auspicious beginning for Stenhouse who was released from Roush Fenway Racing at the end of the 2019 season.

When asked if he felt he had something to prove, Stenhouse said, “I think there’s a handful of us that feel like we have something to prove. And two of those are in my corner with me at JTG Daugherty Racing with Mike (Kelley) and Brian (Pattie). I know that I feel like I can still get the job done behind the wheel and win races like we did in the Xfinity Series, and I know Brian believes in what the JTG Daugherty ‑‑ their resources that they have at the race shop, the engines, the Chevys.”

On the significance of winning the pole, he continued, “Yeah, it’s huge. Any time you can start the season off, your first race with an organization, and to see all the work that they’ve put in; guys at the shop that I didn’t even know were working Saturdays and late nights all for the benefit of me to come down here and jump in this car and run fast. Touring the Hendrick engine shop, they were pumped-up for me to switch over into their horsepower. So, this goes to a lot of people that work hard behind the scenes for me to come out here and drive. It’s a cool way to start Speedweeks.”

Alex Bowman will start in second after posting a lap at 194.363 mph (46.305 seconds).

“I think we’re going to have a great race car in the race,” Bowman said. “Our Clash car has been driving really well, as well. Just excited to be back here with the new Camaro body. I think that’s going to be really great for us, and the Valvoline car looks really cool, so it’s been a good weekend so far.”

Chase Elliott, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Aric Almirola, William Byron, Christopher Bell and Erik Jones rounded out the top 10 in qualifying.

Only the first two starting positions were set in qualifying with the remainder of the field competing for the remaining spots next Thursday in the Bluegreen Vacation Duels.

There are two separate Duel races consisting of 60 laps each. The race lineup for each Duel was determined by the qualifying speeds set today. Drivers who qualified in odd number positions will compete in Duel 1 while those in even-finishing positions will race in Duel 2.

The winner of Duel 1 will begin the Daytona 500 in third place and the second-place finisher will start in fifth continuing this pattern to set the inside row. The winner of Duel 2 will start in fourth place with the second-place finisher in sixth continuing on to set the outside row.

The 62nd annual Daytona 500 will air Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

February 9, 2020
Ryan Preece finishes eighth in Daytona 500 debut

Rookie Ryan Preece wheeled his way to an eighth-place finish Sunday evening in overtime scoring a top-10 in his debut Daytona 500.

It was an impressive performance considering he only had four previous Cup Series starts in 2015 with a best finish of 32nd. But, while it might sound like a dream come true, Preece had conflicting emotions about the outcome.

On the final restart, Preece was in the top five competing for the win. However, as he helped push Joey Logano into the top three he was shuffled back to eighth on the final lap as he tried to hold off the hard-charging No. 20 of Erik Jones.

“Sitting here watching this (replay), I’m probably going to get frustrated with myself because there’s a couple of things I could have done different to help my chances,” Preece said. “I was so committed to pushing Joey (Logano) that I focused more on him than I did on some of the runs I probably should have focused on. All in all it’s a good day. It’s an eighth-place finish.”

While Preece was second-guessing himself, his prowess on the track was undeniable to anyone watching the race. He started in 21st place in the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet and worked his way toward the front as he maneuvered his way through a few late race collisions including an incident on Lap 192 that collected 21 cars.

He may be a relative newcomer to the Monster Energy Cup Series but Preece has made his mark in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series with 22 wins, a championship in 2013 and four runner-up finishes in the series standings.

“A lot of you guys might not know me, but I’m from a racing background,” he said. “Typically I’m competitive. I’m going to nitpick myself right now, but when I get in my truck and drive home, I’m going to be happy, but I’m going to sit here and watch this finish and say I could have had fifth, I could have had third.

“But at the end of the day, it’s still a great day.”

Heading into the race, Preece was aware that he had a lot to learn and his goal was “to race around these guys and not be erratic and not do anything stupid.”

He also received some advice from former Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick.

“It was the best advice,” Preece said, “Keep it in one piece until the end.”

Mission accomplished.

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

February 19, 2019
The White Zone: Some thoughts on the 61st Daytona 500

The buildup and anticipation came and went. The 61st running of the Daytona 500 is officially in the books. A new season of NASCAR is truly underway.

But before we turn our focus to Atlanta Motor Speedway and beyond, here’s some thoughts I had on Sunday’s race.

“DiBurrito” had a breakout race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – FEBRUARY 17: Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the #95 Procore Toyota, races Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #17 Fastenal Ford, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 61st Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 17, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Photo: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Matt DiBenedetto has always been the eternal underdog in his years of racing in NASCAR. He’s shown flashes of excellence that made him a rising star in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series ranks, but it never really translated when he made it to the national level.

That changed Sunday, when he led a race high of 49 laps. For context, that’s more laps than he’s led in any race, any season and his cumulative Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series seasons combined.

“Unbelievable how fast my car was,” he said. “I’ve never had a piece under me like that, so that’s amazing.”

Now keep in mind that the racing we see at Daytona International Speedway isn’t what we see at any other track, besides Talladega Superspeedway. And come next week at Atlanta, DiBenedetto could be back to running mid-pack.

He also finished 28th, after being collected in the Big One with 10 laps remaining.

With that said, however, success at plate tracks is still noteworthy, and there’s a lot you can extrapolate from a strong run.

“Had a lot of changes with this team and we came out and led the most laps and were flying in our Toyota Camry today,” he added. “A lot of momentum going into the season even though it kind of ended pretty heartbreaking.”

If he has sustained success from Atlanta onwards, you can point back to Feb. 17 as the day he had his “breakout race.”

Sunday’s race saved a forgettable Speedweeks

Up until the green flag dropped on Sunday’s Daytona 500, Speedweeks 2019 stood to be arguably the most forgettable in recent memory.

The Clash was a single-file snoozefest that was highlighted by a misstep on Jimmie Johnson’s end that triggered a 17-car wreck. The Duels were a single-file snoozefest that was highlighted by Joey Logano’s last lap pass to win Duel No. 2. Saturday’s XFINITY Grand National Series race was a single-file snoozefest that had no bright spot.

The only race that wasn’t a snoozefest, prior to the 500, was Friday night’s Gander Outdoors Truck Series race. And that was a wreck-filled event in which only nine trucks finished the race and a crew member was run over.

Sunday’s Daytona 500, however, was an exciting race that saved this year’s Speedweeks. Granted, there were some of the usual drawbacks of modern restrictor plate racing: The lead car had such strong control of the draft and could block any advance at whim. And while the finish suffered because of this, passing wasn’t a Herculean task.

With this being the final restrictor plate race, these drawbacks could be a non-issue at Talladega.

The final restrictor plate race

While restrictor plates had been used prior to 1988, Feb. 14, 1988 was the first time NASCAR mandated its at both Daytona and Talladega.

While intended as a safety device, the restriction of air flow to the engine, thus reducing horsepower, had the byproduct of bunching the field together and creating the multi-line pack racing, and multi-car wrecks that became synonymous with Daytona and Talladega.

With NASCAR’s new aero package slowing down speeds, the restrictor plate has become redundant.

It’s too soon to say if the plate will ever make a comeback. There’s always the chance that NASCAR doesn’t like what it sees at Talladega and Daytona (safety speaking) with the new aero package and brings the plates back.

But if it truly is the final time we ever used the plates, and while I don’t expect the racing at Daytona or Talladega to change that much, there’s a part of me that’s sad to see the device that led to the most competitive races (objectively speaking) NASCAR sees year in and year out.

Ratings are up

At the time that I wrote this, the overnight ratings for Sunday’s Daytona 500 were released.

🚨@FOXTV earned a 5.5 overnight rating for yesterday's #Daytona500, up 8% from a 5.1 for last year's race, per @AustinKarp.

➖ The race got a 6.5 in '17. pic.twitter.com/s71T3XtFhZ
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) February 18, 2019

It also finished as the highest rated sports event of the weekend, beating out the NBA All-Star Game.

This comes after an increase in ratings for The Clash.

Of course, we have 35 more races to run. So it’s too early to say if this weekend was just a bright spot or sign of turning the ship around. But it’s great to have more people watching NASCAR’s biggest race this year.

February 18, 2019
Daytona 500 Finish Shows Manufacturer Solidarity Can Be Detrimental

Following Sunday’s Daytona 500, Joey Logano and Michael McDowell had a brief exchange on pit road where Logano explained that he believed that had the two linked up, Ford driver to fellow Ford driver, they could have contended for the win instead of Logano finishing fourth and McDowell finishing fifth.

“Typically you kind of expect manufacturers to work together like the Toyotas do or the Chevys do, and just was expecting that, as well, in that moment coming to the checkered flag. I was very surprised by his decision,” said Logano. But according to McDowell, not only did he feel that Logano would have slowed them down due to damage on his rear end, he was adamant that he had to look out for himself in the final run to the finish.

“My team doesn’t pay me to push Joey Logano to the win, it’s as simple as that,” said McDowell. “At 200 mph, I made a split-second decision about who had the fastest car, and that’s where I went. I wanted to put myself in the best spot to win the race, and the Fords weren’t that friendly to me this weekend.”

Although manufacturer solidarity is usually prevalent on the superspeedways as well as other situations when in the hunt for a manufacturer’s championship, sometimes it’s been shown to be a liability for drivers in search of a win, especially in the case of McDowell, who has never won a Cup race in 286 starts. This is in comparison to Logano, who along with winning the 2015 500, also won the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship last season.

Late in the going of any race, it should always be every driver for themselves regardless of team or manufacturer loyalty. Sure, it may be a few extra bucks in bonuses after the race should a manufacturer sweep a position, but putting manufacturer goals ahead of driver goals essentially robs the the fans and the drivers who are participating. Last October at Talladega the race was dominated by the Stewart-Haas Racing Fords, who at times were several seconds ahead of the rest of the field before SHR driver Aric Almirola took the checkered flag.

Of course, in terms of team loyalty, it’s common and in some cases expected for Hendrick Motorsports drivers to help each other out or for Team Penske drivers to give each other a push. Given the circumstances surrounding the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas entering this year’s Daytona 500, it’s only fitting that they finished 1-2-3 at the checkered flag.

But when it counts late in the going, the overall goal is for a driver to go for the win regardless of team loyalties. Even then, manufacturer loyalties shouldn’t have as much clout as team loyalties, because much like the Owner’s Championship, the Manufacturer’s Championship is nothing more than a paper title in order to get a few extra bucks.

Obviously a few extra bucks goes a long way in an organization’s daily operations, but when the goal of racing becomes more of a battle for cash instead of the ultimate battle for a win, then it’s obvious that the racing isn’t fun anymore.

McDowell’s point was valid and true: His team doesn’t pay him to push Logano or any other Ford driver to the win. He’s there to race and succeed, which is and should be the ultimate goal of any race car driver.

February 18, 2019
When It Comes To The Daytona 500, Mayhem Is The New Standard

It doesn’t seem like that long ago where suspense was the name of the game in terms of the Daytona 500. Looking back at the 1998 Daytona 500 where Dale Earnhardt was leading late in the going, the CBS booth’s tense commentary as the laps wound down was nothing short of memorable as the fans were on the edge of their seats watching Earnhardt, Bobby Labonte, Jeremy Mayfield, and Rusty Wallace all slice and dice for position while trying to oust that black No. 3. Anyone who watched the race can close their eyes and hear the near shout of the announcers as the No. 24 of Jeff Gordon fell off the pace with three laps left due to engine issues.

That race was just one example of many, including the 2004 Daytona 500 finish, the 1993 Daytona 500 finish, or for that matter even the 1984 Daytona 500 finish. The suspense during the finishes of these races was a real, palpable thing with fans and peers on the edge of their seat.

These days, it’s all about carnage in the Daytona 500. Mayhem, anarchy, madness, destruction; these are all adequate words to describe what to expect in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season opener. Instead of waiting breathlessly for some gonzo pass for the lead, the question is now, “Who’ll wreck next? How big will the wreck be? How banged up will the winning car look like? Will Lionel make a raced version of the diecast?”

It’s hard to be angry when this is considered today’s normal standard. But look at Sunday’s 500; the amount of unscathed cars could be counted on one hand. Jimmie Johnson scored a ninth-place finish without a rear bumper, a left-rear fender, or a left-front fender. Seventh-place finisher Kyle Larson seemed to be involved in almost every accident late in the going.

For that matter look at the 2018 500. Sure, the eight cautions weren’t as bad as the 12 cautions on Sunday, but at least 17 cars were banged up from one crash or another. In 2017, Kurt Busch’s winning ride barely had any paint on the right side of the car and looked to be made more of duct tape than anything.

But look at the 1994 500, which had four cautions for 23 laps. The 1998 500 only had three cautions for nine laps. The 1990 500 also had three cautions, but in that case that was for 15 laps. The 1984 edition had seven cautions for 39 laps, but in the end Cale Yarbrough was victorious in a long green flag run that saw him hold off Earnhardt. Once again, the focus wasn’t on mayhem, but rather another suspenseful finish.

Of course, NASCAR racing today is an entirely different product compared to what it was all those years ago. Pack racing, stage racing, a new breed of driver, all are ingredients into the sort of carnage we’re seeing in the 500 these days. The racing product is still excellent, with side-by-side action late in the race as the drivers still in contention do what the can to go to Victory Lane in the Great American Race. But there’s a lot more wrecks, a lot more red flags, and fewer cars out there are going home unscathed.

This is the new normal. It is no longer the era of legendary passes and clean green flag finishes. It’s now the era of keeping the fingers crossed, multiple NASCAR Overtime restarts, and lots of duct tape. The only thing still the same is that it is the Daytona 500, and drivers will do anything to win it, even if it means bringing home the steering wheel instead of the trophy.

February 18, 2019

Denny Hamlin Wins The 61st Daytona 500

In a race that featured two big wrecks, two Red Flags and a long winless streak broken, Denny Hamlin won the 61st Daytona 500 for the second time in his 15 year career and 32nd time he has found victory lane.

“The whole family, they’ve just done so much for me throughout the course of my career. This one’s for J.D.,” Hamlin said after the race. “We’re desperately going to miss him the rest of our lives, but his legacy still lives on at Joe Gibbs Racing.”

Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Erik Jones and Michael McDowell rounded out the top 5.

“We had a really good Shell/Pennzoil Ford.” Logano said. “I actually felt like we had the car to beat and just couldn’t get there. It’s so hard to get to the front. Once I got to the front, I felt like we had a really fast car.”

“We just didn’t have any outright speed to break the 18 or the 11.” -McDowell said after the race. “When the 18 shot to the outside, he had a lot of momentum, a big run. I tried to go with him, to hope the 18 and 11 would get to together to steal a win but a Top 5 is great.”

Stage 1:

Under beautiful and bright sunny skies, William Byron led the field to the green flag with his 88 teammate of Alex Bowman to the right of him. Byron led the first 6 laps in his 24 Axalta Chevrolet.

Pit stops for the first time happened around Lap 19 with Kurt Busch stopping to lead us off. He almost took the fuel can with him but they got it right in the nick of time.

However, during pit stops, the 32 of Corey Lajoie’s right front tire blew causing the first caution of the race and the season.

The cars that didn’t come in during the green flag stops, did come which included the teams like Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace, Jimmie Johnson, Hamlin & Ryan Preece.

They went back to green on Lap 24 and there we not just one lane that was moving forward, but there was two lines. Unlike the XFinity race the previous night, there was two lanes of racing which made it much better racing for the fans, drivers, and everybody involved.

Jimmie Johnson took the lead on Lap 39 however it did not take long as the dark M&M’s car of Kyle Busch retook the lead, just a couple circuits later.

With two laps to go in Stage 1 and everybody itching for stage points, Bubba Wallace collided with Darrell Wallace Jr, sending Wallace Jr. around. Wallace collected Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray, who is racing in his final race. All had minor damage and were able to continue.

We went back to green with 7 to go in Stage 1 with the two Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammates, one two. Would Hamlin make a move to grab a stage win? You better believe he did but he made the move too soon and fell to sixth to end the stage while his JGR teammate of Kyle Busch, won the first stage of the season.

Stage 2:

Stage 2 got going with the defending champion and the winner of the 2nd Duel on Thursday, Joey Logano with the lead spot until lap 73 when Logano among with Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick and a host of Ford’s came into Pit lane and got mostly fuel only.

Matt DiBenedetto retook over the lead and for DiBenedetto, this is already turning into a historic day. According to Racing Reference, Before today’s race, DiBenedetto led only 23 laps in his 140 starts in the Monster Energy Cup Series. Today? By the time he passed the start/finish line on Lap 87, he already surpassed that.

There was only 19 cars on the lead lap when Matt DieBenedetto caught the pack that went to pit lane on Lap 73, on Lap 104. The lucky thing for the guys that were about to be lapped, they were saved by the 27 of Casey Mears. The driver of the second Germain car, that raced his way in, made contact with the 96 of Parker Kligermann heading into Turn 1.

Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Preece, and Kyle Larson stayed out and took the first two rows on the restart. Kyle Busch restarted fifth after pitting.

Blaney went back to green with the lead…and did not give it away as he took the Green and White Checkers to end the second stage.

Byron, Erik Jones, Brad Keselowski and Ricky Stenhouse Jr did not pit.

Stage 3:

Byron led off the third stage and was definitely proving that the duo between him and Chad Knuas was working well. Byron, was however, was battling Knaus’ former driver as Jimmie Johnson for multiple, multiple laps.

During Green Flag pit stops, the real drama began. Multiple drivers, including Johnson, were involved in a wreck when the 52 of Cody Ware and the 51 of BJ McLeod was trying to slow down which ran into Tyler Reddick. Reddick then, proceeded to drive into the 48. Johnson’s entire back side of his car near his fuel cell, was destroyed.

They went back to green and after a couple of quick cautions for the 42 of Larson cutting a tire and the 2 of Keselowski incident on the front stretch, the carnage started to occur and the big one struck on with 9 laps to go.

21 drivers were involved in the big one in which Paul Menard made contact with Matt DiBenedetto which set a series of sparks and carnage throughout the field. Among the ones involved? Blaney, Stenhouse Jr, David Regan, Truex Jr, Johnson, William Byron and David Regan.

“I just saw a replay and I didn’t realize that all that was going on but it was very dark and I saw sparks flying around so I knew I was underneath someone. I cant thank NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway, the safety they have is unbelievable.” Regan said. “That is just speedway racing. Everyone is blocking, everyone is racing hard, not cutting an inch and that’s what happens when you’re going for the Daytona 500.”

The sparks and excitement weren’t done though as 2 laps later, a “mini” big one occurred when Larson got involved with Stenhouse Jr which included Chase Elliott, Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Kevin Harvick and Ty Dillon.

The chaos was not over as the Big One Part 2: happened during NASCAR Overtime when the 14 of Clint Bowyer, turned down into the 34 of Michael McDowell sending a gaggle of cars into the mayhem that is accustomed with Daytona International Speedway.

“Hey it is the Daytona 500, I had to go for it. This just sucks man. We had such a good Rush Truck Centers, Mobile 1 Ford Mustang. We had a shot at it and I just took it.” Bowyer said

Among the number of cars involved? Cassill, McMurray, Gaughan and Keselowski.

NASCAR Overtime was back at it again, and this time, they got to the checkered flag. Hamlin went neck and neck with Busch, Logano and McDowell but it was just too little and too late as the Chesterfield, VA native broke his 47 winless drought at the great spectacle in racing, the Daytona 500.

Monster Energy Cup Series Race Number 1
Unofficial Race Results for the 61st Annual Daytona 500 – Sunday, February 17, 2019
Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, FL – 2.5 – Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 207 Laps – 517.5 Miles

Fin	Str	Car	Driver	Team	Laps	Stage1Pos	Stage2Pos	Pts	Status
1	10	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express Toyota	207	6	0	45	Running
2	31	18	Kyle Busch	M&M’s Chocolate Bar Toyota	207	1	0	45	Running
3	28	20	Erik Jones	Sport Clips Toyota	207	10	0	35	Running
4	4	22	Joey Logano	Shell Pennzoil Ford	207	3	10	42	Running
5	34	34	Michael McDowell	Love’s Travel Stops Ford	207	0	0	32	Running
6	22	13	Ty Dillon	GEICO Chevrolet	207	0	0	31	Running
7	26	42	Kyle Larson	Credit One Bank Chevrolet	207	8	0	33	Running
8	21	47	Ryan Preece #	Kroger.com Chevrolet	207	0	0	29	Running
9	17	48	Jimmie Johnson	Ally Chevrolet	207	0	9	30	Running
10	36	15	Ross Chastain(i)	Chevrolet	207	0	0	0	Running
11	2	88	Alex Bowman	Nationwide Chevrolet	207	2	0	35	Running
12	35	2	Brad Keselowski	Discount Tire Ford	207	0	4	32	Running
13	5	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Fastenal Ford	207	0	5	30	Running
14	19	6	Ryan Newman	Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Ford	207	0	0	23	Running
15	25	96	* Parker Kligerman(i)	Gaunt Brothers Racing/Toyota Toyota	205	0	0	0	Running
16	20	3	Austin Dillon	Dow Chevrolet	205	0	0	21	Running
17	18	9	Chase Elliott	NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet	200	7	0	24	Accident
18	32	32	Corey LaJoie	Old Spice Ford	200	0	0	19	Running
19	38	51	BJ McLeod(i)	Jacob Companies Chevrolet	200	0	0	0	Running
20	6	14	Clint Bowyer	Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford	199	0	0	17	Accident
21	1	24	William Byron	Axalta Chevrolet	198	0	2	25	Accident
22	16	40	Jamie McMurray	McDonald’s/Cessna/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet	198	0	0	15	Accident
23	30	62	* Brendan Gaughan(i)	Beard Oil Distributing/South Point Chevrolet	197	0	0	0	Accident
24	27	0	Landon Cassill	PERMATEX Chevrolet	196	0	0	13	Accident
25	12	1	Kurt Busch	Monster Energy Chevrolet	196	0	0	12	Running
26	3	4	Kevin Harvick	Busch Beer Car2Can Ford	194	9	7	17	Accident
27	39	31	* Tyler Reddick(i)	Symbicort Chevrolet	191	0	0	0	Accident
28	9	95	Matt DiBenedetto	Procore Toyota	190	0	6	14	Accident
29	7	21	Paul Menard	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford	190	0	0	8	Accident
30	24	38	David Ragan	Select Blinds Ford	190	0	0	7	Accident
31	14	12	Ryan Blaney	Menards/Peak Ford	190	5	1	22	Accident
32	8	10	Aric Almirola	Smithfield Ford	190	0	3	13	Accident
33	23	41	Daniel Suarez	Haas Automation Ford	190	4	8	14	Accident
34	29	8	Daniel Hemric #	Bass Pro Shops/Caterpillar Chevrolet	190	0	0	3	Accident
35	11	19	Martin Truex Jr.	Bass Pro Shops Toyota	190	0	0	2	Accident
36	33	36	Matt Tifft #	Speedco Ford	190	0	0	1	Accident
37	15	37	Chris Buescher	Kleenex Wet Wipes Chevrolet	190	0	0	1	Accident
38	13	43	Bubba Wallace	Aftershokz Chevrolet	169	0	0	1	Accident
39	37	52	Cody Ware #	Winn Dixie Chevrolet	155	0	0	1	Accident
40	40	27	* Casey Mears	Chevrolet	104	0	0	1	Accident

February 17, 2019

Kyle Busch leads third practice at Daytona

Daytona Beach, FL – Kyle Busch led the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series third practice Friday at Daytona International Speedway with a lap time of 44.936, just over 200 at 200.285 mph.

Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Preece, Erik Jones, and Ryan Newman rounded out the top five in this round of practice

Pole Sitter William Byron was 18th quickest which was the third fastest of the four Hendrick Motorsports cars.

Denny Hamlin led the fastest 10 consecutive laps with an average speed of 198.107 mph.

There is one more practice session today from 3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m. ET which will be televised on Fox Sports 1. The final Cup Series practice will be held Saturday at 12:05 p.m. ET on FS1.

Complete Friday Cup Series Practice Results

February 15, 2019

Harvick and Logano win Duels at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.— Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano won the Gander RV Duels at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday night to set the starting lineup for the 61st annual Daytona 500 on Sunday.

Duel 1:

William Byron led the field to the green flag and led the first 15 laps until green flag pit stops arrived.

Byron fell back to sixth after the green flag pit stops cycled though with Kevin Harvick taking the lead and never letting it go.

Harvick led the final 44 laps of the first Duel for the second Duel victory of his 18-year career.

There was only one caution which was for the 18 of Kyle Busch getting turned around by Jimmie Johnson. Busch was none too pleased with the contact between him and the seven time champ.

“I don’t want to (expletive) hear it,” Busch told to his team when he got told what Johnson radioed to his team during the race. “Use his damn eyeballs. It’s twice he’s done the same thing in two (expletive) races.”

After the race, unlike the Clash from Sunday, Johnson took full blame for the wreck.

“I firmly believe the Clash was a racing incident. This one was a mistake on my behalf. Everybody makes mistakes.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Paul Menard, Matt DiBenedetto and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top five.

Parker Kilgerman beat Ryan Truex by one position to get one of the final two open team places in the 61st running of the Great American Race.

Duel 2

Joey Logano needed to lead just one lap and that was the last one. Logano did just that to win his first career Daytona qualifying race.

Logano led the final and most important of the 60 laps run in the second duel after he crafted a brilliant plan to go from fourth to first, on the final lap.

“You have the whole race to think about making a move, and we were all out there just waiting,” Logano said. “Everyone behind me really wanted to go, and I just knew that I had to wait. The later you can do it, the less the risk if it doesn’t work. I got a good run from the 12 (Ryan Blaney) behind me and went to the bottom and got a good run.”

Alex Bowman started out with the pole for the second consecutive year as he led the field in the first duel, just like a season ago. Like Byron, Bowman led the first 11 laps before his first green flag pitstop of the season, relinquishing the lead to Clint Bowyer. Bowyer then, took his turn to head to pit road for his only stop of the race and he took his No. 14 Rush Truck Centers to pitlane.

That gave the lead to Brendan Gaughan in the 62 who is one of the four teams without a charter. Gaughan, who runs Daytona and usually Talladega in the Cup Series, led six laps before giving the lead back to Bowyer but Gaughan did hold off Joey Gase to get the final spot in the 500.

Bowyer led two times for 41 laps but couldn’t get the job done and will start the 500 in sixth place.

Aric Almirola, Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch rounded out the top five.

Brendan Gaughan raced his way in which means that Ryan Truex and Joey Gase will be leaving Daytona without racing in the Great American Race.

The 61st running of the Daytona 500 is on Sunday, Feb. 18th, at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Daytona 500 Starting Lineup:

Starting Position	Driver	Team
1.	William Byron	Hendrick Motorsports
2.	Alex Bowman	Hendrick Motorsports
3.	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing
4.	Joey Logano	Team Penske
5.	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Roush Fenway Racing
6.	Clint Bowyer	Stewart-Haas Racing
7.	Paul Menard	Wood Brothers Racing
8.	Aric Almirola	Stewart-Haas Racing
9.	Matt DiBenedetto	Leavine Family Racing
10.	Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing
11.	Martin Truex Jr.	Joe Gibbs Racing
12.	Kurt Busch	Chip Ganassi Racing
13	Bubba Wallace	Richard Petty Motorsports
14.	Ryan Blaney	Team Penske
15.	Chris Buescher	JTG Daugherty Racing
16.	Jamie McMurray	Spire Motorsports
17.	Jimmie Johnson	Hendrick Motorsports
18.	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports
19.	Ryan Newman	Roush Fenway Racing
20.	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress Racing
21.	Ryan Preece	JTG Daugherty Racing
22.	Ty Dillon	Germain Racing
23.	Daniel Suarez	Stewart-Haas Racing
24.	David Ragan	Front Row Motorsports
25.	Parker Kligerman*	Gaunt Brothers Racing
26.	Kyle Larson	Chip Ganassi Racing
27.	Landon Cassill	Starcom Racing
28.	Erik Jones	Joe Gibbs Racing
29.	Daniel Hemric	Richard Childress Racing
30.	Brendan Gaughan*	Beard Motorsports
31.	Kyle Busch	Joe Gibbs Racing
32.	Corey LaJoie	GO FAS Racing
33.	Matt Tifft	Front Row Motorsports
34.	Michael McDowell	Front Row Motorsports
35.	Brad Keselowski	Team Penske
36.	Ross Chastain	Premium Motorsports
37.	Cody Ware	Rick Ware Racing
38.	BJ McLeod	Petty Ware Racing
39.	Tyler Reddick*	Richard Childress Racing
40.	Casey Mears*	Germain Racing

February 14, 2019

William Byron: No Ordinary 21-Year-Old

William Byron is no regular 21-year-old.

Byron, the 21-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, won the pole for the 61st annual Daytona 500 on Sunday. But as Chad Knaus told Fox’s Mike Yocum, “He is a man. Not a kid.”

It was business as usual for the Liberty University college student.

“It is a good first start for us, but we got a lot more to do and that starts with the Duels on Thursday.”

Byron got his start in racing by a man named Dennis Lambert. Lambert was no slouch and challenged William but he also simplified it for him as well.

“He really helped me start my career,” Byron said. “Taught me a lot about driving. Learning from him, he was a challenge to me. He was really good in the cars and I could learn a lot from him. He made it simple and some people make it really complicated but he just made it simple for me and I think that has helped me along the way as well.”

He then moved up to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Series in 2015 where he ran the entire year with Justin Marks and Liberty University. This is the first step for many drivers that are currently in the Cup Series as they start their NASCAR career, and for Byron, it was beneficial beyond belief.

“It kinda taught me how it is to race in a big series for the first time,” said Byron. “Having some televised events and bigger tracks like Bristol, Iowa, Richmond. It kinda taught me the ropes of those tracks so I don’t forget.”

Byron racked up four wins, five top fives and he ran every single lap except for one at Winston-Salem, finishing off the year with his name above everyones on the top of the point standings.

After a K&N Pro Series East championship, it was time to take a step up as Kyle Busch Motorsports offered Byron a full ride in the No. 9 Truck with Liberty University at the helm for the 2016 season. Once again, nothing was stopping Byron as he tallied up his first win at Kansas followed by wins at Texas, Iowa, Kentucky and Pocono. Byron was neck and neck with Johnny Sauter all the way until the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. And even though he did everything he could do (win the race, and score the most amount of points), it was just not enough as Sauter finished third and won the title by three points. That didn’t discourage Byron. In fact, the defeat did the exact opposite. It encouraged him to want it more.

With a bunch of determination, Byron took the next step toward his destination as JR Motorsports offered him the No. 9 Xfinity Series car with, once again, Liberty University, as his main sponsor. Obviously driving for the 14-time most popular driver in the highest NASCAR series, would be intimidating beyond belief for the average driver but for Byron, only just a tad.

“I mean, only a little at first,” he said. “I think you learn to block out the outside noise. What really matters is what is inside that car, what is inside that team, so if the team is really not letting it get to them I don’t let it get to me. I would say yeah, there is some added pressure but you got to make sure you live up to that by the way you do things and the way you approach things so I think you learn that over time. So, it’s about what is inside that team.”

If you didn’t believe Byron was intimidated driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr., his performance on the track didn’t tell anybody otherwise. Byron received the checkered flag first in Iowa, and seven days later captured another victory at the World Center of Racing, Daytona International Speedway. He followed that up with a win and a kiss at the yard of bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When he needed to win, he succeeded by doing just that at the second to last race of the season at Phoenix and qualifying for the final 4 for the Championship at Homestead.

Nervousness? Hardly any at all. This is nothing new for Byron. Byron finished third in the race, the highest of all the drivers in the final four and won the 2017 Xfinity Series Championship.

So, what was next for Byron? Would he spend another year in the Xfinity Series or move up to Cup? He didn’t know.

There is one thing that will always advance drivers in any sport and that is winning. For Byron, that was no different, as he received the opportunity to move up to the Cup Series.

“Most opportunities came above other people by just winning,” Byton said. “You just need to win races so that is what afforded me to get this chance. That’s really what afforded me the opportunity in the Cup Series was winning and the championship and that’s kinda how it has gotten to me to this point so you really have to win to stay around.”

In what was a rough first season in the series for Byron (by his standards), he had zero wins, but it did seem like he was getting onto a streak toward the end of the year.

Now it is on to the 2019 season for the young Hendrick driver and while he returns to the same car for the season, he has a new superstar in his crew chief and that is Chad Knaus. Knuas has spent the last 17 seasons as the crew chief for Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time champ. It has since been a seamless transition between the two.

When asked if Johnson talked with Byron about working with Knaus and if he has given any advice to the young 21-year-old, Byron said, “We have talked a lot. Chad and I have talked.”

Johnson confirmed this during his media availability at the Daytona 500 Media Day, saying, “William and Chad have talked. I and William have talked. I think the situation that they are in, Chad is going to be able to bring so much to the table for William to make him grow to become the driver that he wants to be.”

What does the future hold for Byron? Time will tell. Many of his competitors agree though, that Byron is definitely one to watch.

“You look at a guy that has probably the best equipment out there in William Byron.” Casey Mears said during Media Day. “I know he sat on the pole here for Daytona. He still has a lot to prove, you know? Watching last season, I don’t think Hendrick Motorsports was really where they needed to be last year as well. I’m really curious as to how he progresses now that he has a year under his belt and hopefully the team being a little down the road.”

This year’s expectations, though?

“Yeah obviously, playoffs, wins, those are great,” said Byron, “but we got to do the work first to get there. We are going to get through the first four and five races first and then once we get through the first four and five races, hopefully we are where we want to be and we can work from there to figure out how we can get better and go from there.”

William Byron is no normal 21-year-old. He is a star in the making.

February 14, 2019

Tag: Daytona 500

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