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  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoor Truck Series Preview-Daytona

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoor Truck Series Preview-Daytona

    It’s almost time for the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoor Truck Series drivers to hit the track for their season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 14 under the lights. The last time we saw the Trucks was the Championship 4 race at Homestead Miami Speedway, where Matt Crafton collected his third Truck Series championship of his career, just one away from tying series legend Ron Hornaday Jr.

    However, everything resets at Daytona and we will see if Crafton can continue his momentum from 2019 into 2020 and if he wins his fourth title in the series. Before we get that far though, let’s take a look at this week’s annual Nextera Energy Resources 250 and highlight five drivers that might have a shot at winning Friday night.

    Currently, there are 41 drivers entered on the preliminary entry list for 32 spots and many new drivers in new places. We’ll highlight those later.

    1. Johnny Sauter – After his win at Dover last year, Johnny Sauter went cold for the rest of the year scoring no wins and missed out on advancing to the next round of the Playoffs after a part failure at Las Vegas. Though, with a new year comes a reset for Sauter. 2020 will mark Sauter’s 17th year in the Truck Series and he looks to have a better season and that could start Friday night at Daytona. The Wisconsin native has 11 starts dating back to 2009 with three wins in 2013, 2016, and in 2018. Sauter, however, has one win under the ThorSport name that occurred in 2013. When he returned last year to the stable, Daytona did not fare well for him. A crash on lap 60 hindered his efforts in hopes of starting the year with momentum. In those 11 starts, Sauter has led 139 laps, earned four top-fives and five top-10s with an average finish of 14.3. Sauter also won Stage 2 last year. After a dismal 2019, Sauter hopes to start the year on the right foot in victory lane Friday night.
    2. Sheldon Creed – His Daytona outing did not fare well last year but when he came back for another superspeedway race at Talladega Superspeedway, Creed finished ninth after starting fifth and leading 20 laps. This year Creed will also have help from a stout GMS Racing stable with teammates Zane Smith, Brett Moffitt and Tyler Ankrum. During his ARCA outings, the GMS driver finished third in 2018. Creed can sometimes be a sleeper in a race and wind up getting a good finish. Don’t be surprised if the California native can get the victory to open up the season.
    3. Grant Enfinger – While his superspeedway stats may be up and down, Enfinger could snap his winless streak Friday night in Daytona. The Alabama native has five starts going back to 2012 but has made four consecutive starts since 2016. He has a best finish of second that came in last year’s race and in the previous year, Enfinger finished sixth. The finishes have created an average finish of 11.2 with an average start of 9.0. Despite those stats, some of that can be meaningless when it comes to tracks like these. But don’t get caught off guard if the ThorSport driver wins the season opener.
    4. Austin Hill- Speaking of getting off guard, Austin Hill somewhat shocked the world last year by winning the season opener last year in his first outing with Hattori Racing. The Georgia native was strong by leading 39 laps and finishing second in Stage 1. By winning at Daytona, Hill continued his superspeedways effort by finishing sixth at Talladega last fall. Watch out for Hill and the No. 16 Hattori Truck Friday night.
    5. Angela Ruch – She might not win the race Friday night but she most certainly can be a spoiler. Angela Ruch is back full-time this year, but with a new entry fielded by Reaume Brothers Racing, as she will pilot the No. 00 Chevrolet. In last years race, she finished eighth after leading for two laps. We’ve heard it for many years and we’ll hear it for years to come, all you have to do is start the race to have a chance to win the race. If Ruch can avoid the wrecks and find herself up front at the end, an opportunity may present itself where she might wind up in victory lane.

    As we mentioned above, there are many new drivers in the series along with current series drivers in different places.

    Truck Series newcomer Tate Fogleman pilots the No. 02 entry for Youngs Motorsports, Raphael Lessard in the No. 4 for Kyle Busch Motorsports, Korbin Forrister returns with his team in the No. 7 for All Out Motorsports, Christian Eckes in the No. 18 for KBM, Derek Kraus full-time in the No. 19 for Bill McAnally, Zane Smith in the No. 21 for GMS Racing and Brett Moffitt moves to the No. 23 with no owner points.

    Tyler Ankrum moves over to GMS Racing in the No. 26 and Bryan Dauzat is back for his annual Daytona race in the No. 28. Jason White will compete in the No. 33 for Reaume Brothers Racing, Todd Gilliland in the No. 38 for Front Row Motorsports, Ross Chastain in the No. 40, Natalie Decker in the No. 44, and Ty Majeski in the No. 45 for Niece Motorsports. Riley Herbst will be in the No. 51 for KBM, Gus Dean in the No. 56 for Hill Motorsports and Todd Peck in the No. 96.

    Daytona International Speedway has seen 20 Truck Series races going back to 2000. Drivers Mike Wallace, Joe Ruttman, Robert Pressley, Rick Crawford, Carl Edwards, Bobby Hamilton, Mark Martin, Jack Sprague, Todd Bodine, Timothy Peters, Michael Waltrip, John King, Johnny Sauter, Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Kaz Grala, and Austin Hill have all visited victory lane. Toyota has the most manufacturer wins with nine (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2019). Ford has five wins, while Dodge and Chevrolet are tied with three wins.

    Only four times has a winner come from the pole. The first was in 2001 with Ruttman, 2006 by Martin, 2007 with Sprague and Grala in 2017. The lowest ever a driver has started was 36th back in 2005 by Hamilton.

    Superspeedway races are known for upset winners. As for the Truck Series, John King scored that upset in 2012 and to date, it is his only win in NASCAR. Kings’ last race was in 2014 coming at Daytona.

    Flashing back to last year’s race, only nine cars finished the race with the rest wrecking out of contention. The race was extended 11 laps into overtime and the event was finally completed on Lap 111. Austin Hill took the win after leading 39 laps. Grant Enfinger, Ross Chastain, Spencer Boyd, Matt Crafton, Josh Reaume, Timothy Peters, Angela Ruch, Austin Wayne Self, and Stewart Friesen completed the top-10.

    In Stage 1, Sheldon Creed won the stage followed by Hill, Christian Eckes, Brett Moffitt, Enfinger, Austin Wayne Self, Clay Greenfield, Myatt Snider, Brennan Poole, and Todd Gilliland were the top-10 finishers for Stage 1. In the second stage, Johnny Sauter collected 10 additional points with Friesen, Ben Rhodes, David Gilliland, Spencer Boyd, Enfinger, Snider, Todd Gilliland, Harrison Burton, and Wayne Self completing the top-10 for Stage 2. Eleven cautions slowed the pace for 55 laps with 15 lead changes.

    There will be two Truck Series practices tomorrow afternoon. The first practice takes place at 4:05 p.m. ET live on Fox Sports 2 lasting until 4:55 p.m. ET. Final practice is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. – 5:55 ET and will air live on Fox Sports 1. Qualifying is slated for Friday at 3:10 p.m. ET with an impound and one-lap procedure and will be televised live on Fox Sports 1.

    The NextEra Energy Resource 250 race will kick off the 2020 season Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET with coverage on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio. The event will see stages of 20/40/100 laps to make up the 250 miles.

  • Four Takeaways From Lucas Oil 200 ARCA Menards At Daytona

    Four Takeaways From Lucas Oil 200 ARCA Menards At Daytona

    The ARCA Menards Series was back in action this past weekend at Daytona International Speedway and it was a solid race for the most part. There were a lot of new faces in the ARCA field at Daytona trying to make their first start at the most historic place in racing.

    Some new, some old, but they all had the same mindset. Go out there and win, or in some cases, bring the car home in one piece and be satisfied with a top-five finish when others expected you not to finish there. Either way, the 2020 Lucas Oil 200 was a new era for the ARCA Menards Series officially falling under the NASCAR banner. Despite falling under the new banner, you didn’t really notice any major difference, unless you looked hard enough.

    With that out of the way, here are the four takeaways from the Lucas Oil 200 event.

    1. Venturini back in victory lane – Whenever it comes to an ARCA race, you can almost always expect a Venturini car winning the race, or coming up short. Many wondered if the organization could follow up their impressive 2019 season by winning half the races, the Owners Championship, and of course, the prize everyone is chasing, the ARCA Menards Series title. Well, those questions were answered on Saturday when returning driver Michael Self claimed his first-ever Daytona pole. Having a fast car, Self was hoping to do a repeat performance from two years ago in 2018 by winning that race. It was a wreck-fest of a race, but the Venturini driver avoided all of them and found himself in contention to win at the end. Self wound up leading 61 of the scheduled 80 laps en route to victory. Not a bad first step in 2020 in hopes of getting back to the championship after falling short last year.
    2. Wreck-Fest Extravaganza – When it comes to Daytona, you never know what to expect until the race begins. In some races, the race goes the complete distance without a yellow, while others can be a wreck-filled race. Saturday’s race was a wreck-fest with 33.8 % of the race running under yellow. The pace was slowed by six cautions for 27 laps. Just 17 out of the 33 cars were running at the finish. A wild way to open up the 2020 ARCA Menards Series season.
    3. Deegan shines in first outing at Daytona – It wasn’t easy for her, but NASCAR superstar Hailie Deegan had a decent performance at Daytona. The DGR-Crosley driver qualified seventh and finished second after all the chaos especially after being caught up in an incident of her own. Toward the end of the race on Lap 51, Deegan caught the No. 11 machine the wrong way off Turn 2 and sent Chuck Hiers into the wall. While most certainly Deegan did not mean to do so, the Fast Track Racing team might make it tough on her in the races to come whenever she tries to pass them.
    4. Sean Corr continues to impress – Sean Corr is a name many people might not hear all that much, but he is always there at the finish, at least in the Superspeedway races. In 2013, Corr notched his first top-five finish at Daytona by finishing fifth. He followed that up again a couple of years later at Talladega by finishing fifth again. The Goshen, New York native also did the same in last year’s Daytona race. Coming into 2020, Corr was hoping to do the same. The No. 8 NESCO Chevrolet qualified 20th and ran solidly throughout the event. When it came down to it, Corr found himself again in the same position and was able to capitalize. In fact, he scored his best career finish to date in the ARCA Menards Series by finishing fourth.
  • Michael Self sweeps at Daytona after starting on pole

    Michael Self sweeps at Daytona after starting on pole

    In what was a wreck-filled race and day, one driver was able to survive the madness and that was Venturini Motorsports’ Michael Self who brought home the checkered flag at Daytona International Speedway to win the Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire.

    Self qualified on the pole and pretty much stayed out front for the majority of the race. Most importantly, he missed several wrecks including a big one that happened on Lap 49. In the end, Self accomplished his second win at Daytona for Venturini Motorsports, having also won in 2018.

    “It’s unbelievable. I can tell you the second time is every bit as sweet as the first,” he said. “And to do it with this group of people around me. Sinclair Oil, Toyota, my family here, a bunch of my friends here. It’s no secret, it’s a little extra special to come to Daytona. And to do it here with these guys makes it more special on top of that. Just a truly amazing day for us a little bit surreal.”

    After a long off-season, the ARCA Menards Series drivers had their first race of the season on a sunny and cool Saturday afternoon in Daytona Beach, Florida. It didn’t take long though for the cautions to start flying. In fact, the first quarter of the race was run almost under caution.

    The cautions started out on the first lap of the race. Andy Seuss in the No. 02 OUR Motorsports got tangled up going into Turn 3. Seuss had contact with World of Outlaw star David Gravel, which sent Seuss spinning in the grass and coming back up the track collecting Scott Reeves in the No. 88 and Eric Caudell in the No. 7. Then on Lap 11, the caution came out again for the No. 97 of Jason Kitzmiller. Kitzmiller had an engine failure on track, which prompted ARCA officials to throw the caution. The same would happen again just after a Lap 16 restart for Brad Smith in the No. 48. Smith also experienced an engine failure that ended his day early.

    A restart came on Lap 24 and we saw a few green flag laps before another caution fell. On Lap 38, a big wreck occurred going into Turn 1. Several drivers were involved including Natalie Decker, Willie Mullins, David Gravel, Connor Hall, Dave Mader III, John Ferrier, and J.J. Pack.

    It seemed like the word caution would be the drinking word for the Lucas Oil 200, at least for the first half of the race. A yellow slowed the pace once more on Lap 49 for the No. 11 of Chuck Hiers in the Andy Hillenburg entry. Hiers got an accidental bump draft that went wrong after a slight shove from Hailie Deegan in the No. 4 off Turn 2. Hiers’ No. 11 slammed the backstretch wall and the car was totaled and was done for the night.

    It seemed like this race would never get some green flag laps under its belt, but a long green-flag run broke out after a restart on Lap 55. The drivers maintained their cool and continued to set a smooth pace, hoping for a clean race to the finish.

    Some activity started to develop, however, with 15 to go. Smoke began to come out of the back of the No. 17 of DGR-Crosley driver Tanner Gray. Gray, who was Deegan’s teammate for this race, was eventually black flagged for excessive smoke. Gray brought his car down pit road and was done early due to a blown engine.

    While a caution did not come out for Gray, it came out for debris with 10 to go on the backstretch. It appeared as though this debris came from the No. 28 of David Gravel as when he came down pit road, the entire right side of the door came off his car. In what is mandatory for the ARCA Series, Gravel needed a window to go back on the track and finish the race. He was able to get a window, but his whole right side was tapped up in order to finish.

    A late-race restart came with four laps to go with Michael Self, Hailie Deegan, Drew Dollar and Bret Holmes out front, all searching for their first Daytona victory. With very little time, Deegan tried all she could to make a move on Self, but eventually she ran out of time to get a run on the No. 25 machine as Self went on to take the checkered flag at Daytona.

    This was Self’s first victory at Daytona International Speedway. Self led 61 of the scheduled 80 laps to earn his eighth ARCA Menards Series victory.

    Despite falling short, Deegan was still excited about her second-place finish in her Daytona debut.

    “Pretty much at the end there, all I wanted to do was finish,” she said. “My goal for this race was top three to top-five was a victory for me. I was totally fine finishing second. I wasn’t going to try to do anything to Michael. It is a long season and I have to race against these guys week in and week out. It is best to stay on good terms with them.”

    Official Results

    1. Michael Self
    2. Hailie Deegan
    3. Drew Dollar
    4. Sean Corr
    5. Thad Moffitt
    6. Jason White
    7. Riley Herbst
    8. Willie Mullins
    9. Bret Holmes
    10. Scott Melton
    11. Thomas Praytor
    12. David Gravel, one lap down
    13. Charles Buchanan Jr., one lap down
    14. Con Nicolopoulos, four laps down
    15. Benny Chastain, five laps down
    16. Tanner Gray, 10 laps down
    17. Eric Caudell, 13 laps down
    18. Tim Richmond, 25 laps down
    19. Chuck Hiers, OUT
    20. Connor Hall, OUT
    21. Ryan Huff, OUT
    22. Ryan Repko, OUT
    23. Gus Dean, OUT
    24. J.J. Pack, OUT
    25. Dominique Van Wieringen, OUT
    26. Natalie Decker, OUT
    27. Jacob Heafner, OUT
    28. Andy Seuss, OUT
    29. John Ferrier, OUT
    30. Dave Mader III, OUT
    31. Brad Smith, OUT
    32. John Kitzmiller, OUT
    33. Scott Reeves, OUT

    Up Next: The ARCA Menards Series takes a few weeks before their next race on Friday, March 6 at Phoenix International Raceway.

  • Deegan and Hall set pace at Daytona in ARCA practice

    Deegan and Hall set pace at Daytona in ARCA practice

    After a long off-season, the ARCA Menards Series drivers were back on track today at Daytona International Speedway. There were two practice sessions that took place in the afternoon with most of the field taking laps.

    In the first practice, it was NASCAR Superstar Hailie Deegan placing fastest in the No. 4 DGR-Crosley Ford with a lap time of 49.027 seconds at a speed of 183.572 mph. In the final practice session, ARCA newcomer, Connor Hall, set the pace for Chad Bryant Racing in the No. 22 with a time of 49.476 seconds at 181.906 mph.

    While this will be Deegan’s first full-time season in the ARCA Menards Series, it won’t be her first rodeo as she has six starts to her credit with a best finish of fifth at Indianapolis Raceway Park last season. Despite not having much superspeedway experience, she was still able to learn some things for tomorrow’s Lucas Oil 200.

    “That was the real drafting practice that I had with more than five cars,” she said. “I needed that, and I didn’t get a lot of that in the test. It was really good leading the pack too. Felt super stable, not darty at all.”

    One practice was good enough for the Temecula, California native as she did not compete in the final practice session.

    Well over 32 cars took to the track in the first practice session with Deegan being the fastest followed by Drew Dollar in the Venturini Motorsports No. 15 Toyota, Tanner Gray in the No. 17 DGR-Crosley Ford, Riley Herbst in the No. 18 Toyota, Bret Holmes in the No. 23 Chevrolet, Connor Hall in the No. 22 Ford, Jacob Heafner in the No. 77 Ford, Gus Dean in the No. 32 Chevrolet, Michael Self in the No. 25 Toyota and Ryan Repko in the No. 20 Toyota rounding out the top-10.

    As for the final practice, it was a who’s who in the top-10. Hall was fastest with Dave Mader III in second, Dominique Van Wieringen in third, Willie Mullins in fourth, Sean Corr in fifth, Jason White in sixth, Thad Moffitt in seventh, Natalie Decker in eighth, Chuck Hiers in ninth, and Jacob Heafner completing the top-10 in the final practice session. Only 24 cars participated in the session. Michael Self, Drew Dollar, Ryan Repko and Riley Herbst did not take a lap in final practice.

    With both practice sessions done for the day, the ARCA Menards Series drivers will take to the track tomorrow with group qualifying scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET with no live TV coverage. That will set the field for the annual Lucas Oil 200 at 4:30 p.m. ET live on Fox Sports 1.

  • Weekend Schedule for Busch Clash at Daytona

    Weekend Schedule for Busch Clash at Daytona

    NASCAR returns to Daytona International Speedway this weekend for the Busch Clash. Jimmie Johnson is the defending race winner. He also won the event in 2005.

    The other active drivers who have won include Brad Keselowski (2018), Joey Logano (2017), Denny Hamlin (2016, 2014, 2006), Kevin Harvick (2013, 2010, 2009), Kyle Busch (2012) and Kurt Busch (2011).

    The ARCA Racing Series will kick off the competition Saturday at 4:45 p.m. in the Lucas Oil 200. The Cup Series will qualify Sunday and the Busch Clash will close out the weekend at 3 p.m.

    The Busch Clash at Daytona will consist of 75 laps with an opening segment of 25 laps and a final segment of 50 laps. The starting lineup will be set by a random drawing that will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Fan Zone.

    All times are Eastern.

    Saturday, February 8
    11:35 a.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Busch Clash at Daytona final practice – FS1/MRN/TSN
    12:30 p.m.: ARCA qualifying – No TV
    1:35 p.m.: Cup Series Daytona 500 qualifying practice – FS1/MRN/TSN
    3 p.m.: Cup Series Daytona 500 qualifying final practice FS1/MRN/TSN
    4:45 p.m.: ARCA Auto Racing Lucas Oil 200 – FS1

    Sunday, February 9
    12:30 p.m.: Cup Series Daytona 500 qualifying – FOX/MRN/TSN
    3 p.m.: Cup Series Busch Clash at Daytona – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Entry List for Busch Clash:

    Aric Almirola (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Ryan Blaney (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Alex Bowman (former Daytona 500 pole winner)
    Clint Bowyer (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Kurt Busch (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Kyle Busch (former Clash winner)
    William Byron (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Austin Dillon (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Chase Elliott (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Denny Hamlin (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Kevin Harvick (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Jimmie Johnson (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Erik Jones (2019 Cup Series playoff driver)
    Brad Keselowski (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Kyle Larson (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Joey Logano (2019 Busch Pole Award)
    Ryan Newman (former Daytona 500 winner)
    Martin Truex Jr. (former Daytona 500 pole winner)

    There are 20 drivers eligible for the 2020 Busch Clash but only the 18 drivers listed above will compete. Daniel Suarez will focus his efforts on qualifying for the Daytona 500 with Gaunt Brothers Racing. Daniel Hemric, who will drive for JR Motorsports part-time in the Xfinity Series, is not entered in the Clash.

  • Josh Williams Motorsports seeks driver with sponsorship for Lucas Oil 200

    Josh Williams Motorsports seeks driver with sponsorship for Lucas Oil 200

    It has been two years since Josh Williams has fielded an ARCA car for a race. The last time his own team competed on the ARCA circuit was in April of 2018 at Talladega Superspeedway, where Williams started 12th and finished sixth.

    Recently the Port Charlotte, Florida native brought his team to the annual ARCA test session at Daytona with Ryan Vargas who piloted the No. 60 Chevrolet at the test and led the team to finish 11th on Saturday.

    The test went so well that the team hopes to have a funded driver for the season opener at Daytona next month on Saturday February 8th. Co-Owner Kevin Williams says the test went better than expected.

    “The test was successful, real successful,” said Kevin Williams, co-owner of JWM. “It’s been a while since JWM has participated in an ARCA Menards Series test session at Daytona, but we came to the test and had speed and our drivers did exceptionally well, including Ryan. Quietly we’ve been working hard behind the scenes at JWM to not only prepare to compete at Daytona but other races on the schedule in 2020.”

    Despite the season opener quickly approaching, the team still does not have a driver but hopes to have one in time before the week of the race. Even though the team has hopes to race at Daytona, they aren’t expecting to run the full ARCA schedule this late in the off-season. However, they have cars ready for any of the upcoming races on the ARCA schedule.

    Team Owner Josh Williams gives more explanation about the situation.

    “We’re not looking to run a full schedule at this point, but the races that we’re able to field an ARCA car – we’re focused on going to the track with a ton of leadership, a confident group and fast race cars. We have opportunities this year for funded drivers on a variety on levels, including single-race and multi-race options and hope to make some announcements in the near future.”

    The team says if any driver has the funding or is interested to compete at Daytona, they are advised to contact Josh Williams Motorsports at 941-628-9362.

    Williams had a breakout year in the ARCA Menards Series in 2016, having two wins, five top fives and 11 top-10 finishes. The year prior, he had six top fives and 15 top-10 finishes in the ARCA Series.


  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex was one of 17 cars victimized on lap 119 when Austin Dillon and Clint Bowyer made contact, spinning Dillion into oncoming traffic. Truex finished 22nd.

    “All four Joe Gibbs Racing cars were damaged in that accident,” Truex said. “And Joe Gibbs was feeling really down about it. It’s a far cry from the elation Joe felt from winning three Super Bowls. Seeing four cars damaged in a single wreck? Well, that ‘Super blows.’”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 14th in a wild and rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400.

    “This will certainly be the defining moment of Justin Haley’s career,” Busch said. “Will he ever be able to duplicate this feat? Ironically, he was the winner because lightning struck twice.”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano won Stage 1 and finished 25th at Daytona, his chances at the win ended when he was collected in a massive pileup on lap 119.

    “Like many,” Logano said, “I got caught in the big wreck caused by Austin Dillon and/or Clint Bowyer. Who’s to blame? In tennis, they would call it a ‘double fault.’ In football, it would be called ‘pass interference.’ In NASCAR, it’s called ‘racing.’”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski wrecked on lap 83 after a big push from Kevin Harvick turned the No. 2 Penske Racing Ford. Keselowski finished 39th.

    “Now that’s what I call getting ‘rear-ended,’” Keselowski said. “Of course, when your car is rendered useless, you need to catch a ride. So, I did, in fact, ‘Lyft.’”

    5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished 35th at Daytona.

    “At the speeds seen at Daytona,” Elliott said, “the turbulence is extreme. It even caused the decals of some guys to peel off. It’s just another way that NASCAR is ‘losing sponsorship.’”

    6. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 10th at Daytona, but could have been the winner if NASCAR officials had called off a restart just a few moments earlier. Instead, Busch surrendered the lead to pit, thinking a restart was imminent.

    “The win was mine,” Busch said, “until NASCAR decided to shaft me. I feel like I just got punched in the stomach, which is a weird feeling because I’m used to getting punched in the face.”

    7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 29th at Daytona, suffering extensive damage in a lap 83 crash, and then cutting a tire later.

    “My car was all over the place,” Harvick said. “Now, I can spin that in an interview in which I mention sponsors and say, ‘The No.4 Jimmy John’s Ford Mustang was ‘going places.’

    ‘I sure gave Brad Keselowski a big bump. Sadly, it knocked him out of the race. I guess I gave him a personal ‘drive-through penalty.’”

    8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 26th in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

    “This may have been the last time we raced at Daytona in July,” Hamlin said. “The 2020 schedule shows an August date at Daytona, making it the regular-season finale. So, I guess there will no longer be fireworks, but with most of the field scrambling for a last chance playoff spot, there at least will be plenty of ‘sparks.’”

    9. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 21st at Daytona.

    “That’s two consecutive first-time race winners,” Bowman. “First me at Chicagoland, then Justin Haley at Daytona. I thought I was young; have you seen Haley? He’s just a kid. But let’s face it, Kurt Busch should have been the winner at Daytona. And Kurt’s his typical whiny self about it. No matter whose side you’re on, the Daytona winner is acting ‘childish.’”

    10. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished seventh at Daytona.

    “Justin Haley captured what has to be the most unlikely win in Daytona history,” Almirola said. “Sure he was lucky, but he was awfully grateful afterward, thanking his Almighty Father and his Mother Nature.”

  • Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona postponed to Sunday

    Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona postponed to Sunday

    The Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway that was originally scheduled for Saturday night has been postponed because of persistent rain and a bleak forecast. It has been moved to Sunday, July 7 at 1 p.m. and will air live on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Rain moved into the area a couple of hours before the scheduled start time of 7:40 p.m. Although NASCAR made an effort to dry the track, the race was eventually postponed.

    Qualifying for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 was canceled Friday due to inclement weather and the starting grid will be set by based on owner points. Team Penske driver Joey Logano will lead the field to green from the pole position in his No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford. Kyle Busch will join Logano on the front row in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota.

    Erik Jones is the defending race winner while Busch enters the race with the highest driver rating of 91.2.

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

  • Ross Chastain captures first win for Kaulig Racing at Daytona

    Ross Chastain captures first win for Kaulig Racing at Daytona

    Ross Chastain won the NASCAR Xfinity Series Circle K Firecracker 250 Friday night at Daytona International Speedway, earning Kaulig Racing their first NASCAR victory.

    Chastain’s teammates Justin Haley and AJ Allmendinger followed his lead in what appeared to be a 1-2-3 finish for Kaulig Racing. However, Allmendinger’s car failed the post-race inspection and, as a result, he was officially scored in last place.

    Wayne Auton, Xfinity Series managing director, explained the inspection process, saying, “Post-race teardown at all of our races we check a vacuum test on the cars and the engine would not hold a vacuum. So looking at parts on the car we found a discrepancy in one area of the car.”

    Allmendinger’s disqualification moved Christopher Bell up to third, with Austin Cindric in fourth place as Stephen Leicht rounded out the top five. Brandon Brown, Jeff Green, Gray Gaulding, Jeremy Clements, and Matt Mills rounded out the top 10 finishers.

    It was a hard-fought victory for Chastain in a tumultuous race that included five multi-car wrecks. He was competitive from the start, winning Stage 1 and finishing third in Stage 2. After the final caution of the night, he took the lead on Lap 93, passing Tyler Reddick, and holding off his teammates to claim the checkered flag.

    As Chastain climbed from his car and faced the cheering fans, he told NBCSN, “Oh my gosh, we did it! I sat here as a kid. I watched these races as a kid every Fourth of July, never could come in the spring because we were growing watermelons. These guys right here gave me a race car that, oh my gosh, could win a race at Daytona!”

    He celebrated by taking a watermelon to the start-finish line and smashing it on the pavement, a nod to his family, watermelon growers in Florida.

    More importantly, the win was also a testament to Chastain’s determination. He lost his Xfinity Series ride with Chip Ganassi Racing when sponsorship issues arose after the end of the 2018 season. Although he declared to run for Xfinity Series points at the beginning of the year, he decided to switch mid-season to make a run for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship instead. Things did not go as planned when his win at Iowa was disqualified after he failed post race inspection. But Chastain persevered and won the following race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

    And now, he’s in victory again.  

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

    Xfinity Series Race Number 16
    Race Results for the 18th Annual Circle K Firecracker 250 at Daytona Powered by Coca – Cola – Friday, July 5, 2019
    Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, FL – 2.5 – Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 100 Laps – 250. Miles

    Fin Str No Driver Team Laps S1Pos S2Pos S3Pos Pts Status
    1 4 16 Ross Chastain(i) Ellsworth Advisors Chevrolet 100 1 2 0 0 Running
    2 7 11 Justin Haley # LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet 100 0 3 0 43 Running
    3 8 20 Christopher Bell Ruud-Ferguson Toyota 100 8 5 0 43 Running
    4 19 22 Austin Cindric Pirtek Ford 100 0 9 0 35 Running
    5 25 1 Stephen Leicht Flex Glue Chevrolet 100 0 0 0 32 Running
    6 33 86 Brandon Brown # BMSraceteam.com Chevrolet 100 9 0 0 33 Running
    7 20 38 Jeff Green Larry’s Hard Lemonade Chevrolet 100 0 0 0 30 Running
    8 5 8 Gray Gaulding WorldWide Safety Consulting Services Chevrolet 100 0 0 0 29 Running
    9 37 51 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet 100 0 0 0 28 Running
    10 28 5 Matt Mills J.F. Electric Toyota 100 0 0 0 27 Running
    11 27 78 Vinnie Miller Pit Viper Toyota 100 0 0 0 26 Running
    12 29 99 Stefan Parsons Jacob Companies Toyota 100 0 0 0 25 Running
    13 36 7 Ray Black II ISOKERN Fireplaces & Chimneys Chevrolet 100 0 0 0 24 Running
    14 35 0 Garrett Smithley Flex Tape Chevrolet 100 0 0 0 23 Running
    15 16 9 Noah Gragson # Switch Chevrolet 99 4 6 0 34 Running
    16 1 2 Tyler Reddick Gimme Country Chevrolet 99 7 0 0 25 Running
    17 12 7 Justin Allgaier Vannoy Construction Chevrolet 99 6 4 0 32 Running
    18 11 18 Riley Herbst(i) Monster Energy Toyota 98 3 8 0 0 Running
    19 22 25 Chris Cockrum Advanced Communications Group Chevrolet 97 0 0 0 18 Running
    20 18 66 Timmy Hill VSI Racing/Overkill Motorsports Toyota 97 5 0 0 23 Running
    21 32 28 Shane Lee Circuit City Toyota 97 0 0 0 16 Running
    22 21 23 John Hunter Nemechek # Digital Ally Chevrolet 93 0 0 0 15 Accident
    23 6 21 Joe Graf Jr. Eat Sleep Race Chevrolet 92 0 0 0 14 Accident
    24 14 39 Ryan Sieg CMR Roofing Chevrolet 89 2 10 0 23 Accident
    25 3 1 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 86 0 1 0 22 Accident
    26 15 0 Cole Custer Jacob Companies Ford 86 0 7 0 15 Accident
    27 31 42 Chad Finchum Amana Heating & Air Conditioning Toyota 86 0 0 0 10 Accident
    28 26 36 Josh Williams Sleep Well/Star Tron Chevrolet 86 0 0 0 9 Accident
    29 13 90 Caesar Bacarella Fisher House Foundation/Alpha Prime Chevrolet 86 0 0 0 8 Accident
    30 17 19 Brandon Jones Menards/ORCA Toyota 76 0 0 0 7 Chassis
    31 23 93 Scott Lagasse Jr. Chevrolet 73 0 0 0 6 Accident
    32 34 52 David Starr Starr Mechanical/Tomi Aircraft Chevrolet 72 0 0 0 5 Accident
    33 30 15 BJ McLeod Flex Shot Chevrolet 72 0 0 0 4 Accident
    34 9 8 Sheldon Creed(i) Chevrolet Accessories Chevrolet 71 0 0 0 0 Accident
    35 10 98 Chase Briscoe # Ford Performance Ford 44 10 0 0 3 Accident
    36 38 13 Joe Nemechek(i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 39 0 0 0 0 Steering
    37 24 4 Landon Cassill Flex Seal/Contec Chevrolet 12 0 0 0 1 Accident
    38 2 10 AJ Allmendinger Cornerstone Produce Group Chevrolet 100 0 0 0 1 Running
  • Weekend schedule for Daytona-2

    Weekend schedule for Daytona-2

    The NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series head to Daytona International Speedway this weekend. Saturday will mark the end of an era as next year’s event will be moved from its traditional Independence Day date to Aug. 29 where it will host the regular season finale.

    Kyle Larson is the Xfinity Series defending race winner and Erik Jones returns to defend his 2018 Cup Series win. Joey Logano is the current points leader heading into the Coke Zero Sugar 400 with 677 points followed by Kyle Busch in second, 18 points behind. Busch also has the highest average driver rating at Daytona of 91.2.

    All times are Eastern.

    Thursday, July 4

    1:05 p.m. – 1:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice – NBCSN

    2:05 p.m. – 2:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice – NBCSN/MRN

    3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice – NBCSN

    4:05 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice – NBCSN/MRN

    Friday, July 5

    3:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) – NBCSN

    5:05: Cup Series qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) – NBCSN/MRN

    7:30: Circle K Firecracker 250 Xfinity Series race (Stages 30/60/100 Laps = 250 miles) – NBCSN/MRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Saturday, July 6

    7:30 p.m.: 61st annual Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Stages 50/100/160 Laps = 400 miles) – NBC/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – POSTPONED to Sunday, July 7 at 1 p.m.

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