Heading into Thursday’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel races at Daytona International Speedway, we knew the front row for Sunday’s Daytona 500 main event after single-car qualifying Wednesday.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman is on the Busch Pole, his fourth consecutive front-row start in The Great American Race and first driving the No. 48 Chevrolet. His teammate, William Byron, will officially be credited with second-place starting position when the green flag drops Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), although he may need to drop to the back if his team uses a backup car after a Thursday night wreck.
We also knew Thursday’s twin 60-lap races would set the remainder of the running order, as well as the final two spots in the field.
As a refresher, Duel 1 results set the inside row of the Daytona 500 starting lineup. Duel 2 set the outside row. The 36 Charter teams are guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500 field, and eight Open, non-Charter teams competed for the final four spots via a mix of Duel results and single-car qualifying speeds from earlier in the week.
After the Bluegreen Vacations Duel races, here is the Daytona 500 starting lineup.
* indicates one of the four open teams that made the field.
Alex Bowman had his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at full song to win the Busch Pole Award in Wednesday’s Daytona 500 qualifying session. One night later, that same car faltered in the Bluegrass Vacation Duel.
Bowman dropped off the pace midway through Thursday’s first 150-mile qualifying race, and the crew raised the hood on the No. 48 Chevy. More unscheduled pit stops followed, and Bowman finished four laps down, 20th in the 22-car field.
“Definitely a bummer there,” Bowman said.” We had something going on and a big vibration with the car. We had some radio issues and couldn’t hear anyone. We have a clean race car for Sunday and have time to diagnosis that vibration. There is definitely something going on, but it looks like the engine is good which is the important thing.
“The Hendrick Motorsports engine shop does a great job with our engines and that thing is totally fine. We just have something going on that is shaking the car, so we just have to figure that out.”
Bowman locked up the No. 1 starting spot for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM), sealing an all-Hendrick sweep with teammate William Byron second in the No. 24 Chevrolet. Only an engine change or another unapproved adjustment would drop him to the rear for the NASCAR Cup Series’ season opener.
Bowman started first in the opening Duel but did not lead a lap as eventual race winner Aric Almirola took control. Once Bowman’s problems arose near the halfway point and with only stage points on the line, No. 48 crew chief Greg Ives went into diagnosis mode.
“Obviously, we were trying to run as hard as we could there at the beginning of the race,” Ives said. “We wanted to try to stay in the draft and understand what the handling was. He felt it handled fine and then went toward the back of the pack. Alex felt and heard something in the engine which turned into a vibration in the chassis. Being a non-points race and being locked in, it allowed us to do some things that would make us a few laps down.
“We talked through engine diagnostics and sent some guys over pit wall who don’t normally go over the wall. Our Ally Racing team was able to go through some tire sets to make sure it wasn’t that. There were a lot of things you always think you are going to be prepared for until you actually go through them. I feel like we did a good job understanding it and hopefully we are able to diagnose it and make sure everything is good.”
Chad Knaus, in his first year as Hendrick Motorsports’ vice president of competition, said Friday morning the No. 48 car had been impounded until after the second Duel qualifying race. With no on-track activity scheduled for the Cup Series on Friday, Knaus said the diagnostic work would continue until Saturday’s two 50-minute practice shakedowns.
“We think the engine’s OK, but it’s undecided just yet,” Knaus said. “… We’ve got two practice sessions (Saturday), so we’ll take a look inside of it today with the borescope and see if we see any issues like a scored piston or something weird like that. But if we don’t see any issues, we’ll go out and practice and make a decision (Saturday).”
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – Three drivers who entered Thursday’s action during the 55th World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway as division point leaders all made trips to Victory Lane.
Tour-Type Modified leader Matt Hirschman, Super Late Model leader Derek Griffith and Pro Late Model leader Kody Swanson were all victorious on Thursday as the action ramped up ahead of the final two nights of racing at the half-mile asphalt oval.
After coming close to finding Victory Lane multiple times earlier this week, Matt Hirschman finally sealed the deal on the seventh night of the 55th World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
Hirschman, the two-time and defending champion of the World Series in the Tour-Type Modified division, muscled his way past Jon McKennedy on the final lap. Hirschman has won the World Series title in three of the last four years and now heads into Friday’s finale, the Richie Evans Memorial 100, with a fourth title in his sights.
Front row starter Ronnie Williams started the race by taking the lead from polesitter Ron Silk, but Hirschman quickly went from fourth to second. They ran that way until the first caution waved with 11 laps complete.
After another caution for a crash in turn one during the restart, racing resumed and it was McKennedy who took advantage from the outside of the second row. McKennedy was able to get by Hirschman to take second before quickly turning his attention to Williams.
McKennedy dispatched Williams on lap 16, with Hirschman quickly following him around Williams to take second one lap later.
Hirschman would hound McKennedy for the next 18 laps, shadowing him in every turn as he looked for his way past. When the white flag waved Hirschman made his move, giving McKennedy’s rear bumper a shot with the nerf bar on his No. 60 to help McKennedy up the track.
That allowed Hirschman to get to McKennedy’s inside as they came out of turn two and down the backstretch. They stayed that way through turn three until Hirschman pushed McKennedy up the track in turn four, allowing Hirschman to pull ahead and beat McKennedy to the checkered flag.
“At least we got one because one is going to be tough to get this week,” said Hirschman.
Tour-type Modifieds (35 laps)
1. Matt Hirschman, 2. Jon McKennedy, 3. Ron Silk, 4. Patrick Emerling, 5. Ronnie Williams, 6. Craig Lutz, 7. Eric Goodale, 8. J.R. Bertuccio, 9. Anthony Nocella, 10. Tyler Rypkema
11. Chuck Hossfeld, 12. Stephen Kopcik, 13. Eddie McCarthy, 14. Jimmy Blewett, 15. Matt Galko, 16. Dave Sapienza, 17. Amy Catalano, 18. Tom Martino Jr., 19. Brian Robie, 20. Danny Knoll Jr.
12. Chris Finocchario, 22. Buddy Charette, 23. Tyler Catalano, 24. Chris Ridsdale, 25. Chris Jensen, 26. Jim Gavek, 27. Marcello Rufrano, 28. Tommy Catalano, 29. Bobby Measmer Jr., 30. Timmy Catalano
31. Zane Zeiner, 32. Bobby Jones, 33. Jeremy Gerstner, 34. Jonathan Laureigh, 35. Paul Hartwig Jr.
After coming up one position short of his third victory of the week Wednesday, Griffith made sure not to miss out a second time.
Griffith dominated Thursday’s 35-lap Super Late Model feature, which was marred by a massive crash during an early restart.
The crash came after two single-car incidents slowed the field after one lap had been completed. Contact between Jacob Goede and Jesse Love, who were racing inside the top-five, resulted in a massive pileup in turn one that included 10 cars and completely blocked the track.
Racing resumed after a brief red-flag to clean up the mess in turn one, with Griffith in command ahead of Nasse, who tried multiple times to take the lead but was unable to complete the pass each time.
The last caution of the race would wave after 16 laps when R.J. Braun crashed in turns one and two. Griffith would get away from the field on the restart and he never looked back as he cruised to his third victory of the week heading into Saturday’s Orange Blossom Special 100 that will bring the World Series to a close.
Griffith is committed to compete in the ARCA Menards Series opener on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, and will need to hurry back to New Smyrna Speedway at the end of that event to compete in the finale that evening.
“I’m just real happy. We’ve had a good car all week and some circumstances haven’t gone our way,” Griffith said. “Man, to get another one here…we’ve struggled down here for so many years. We had a really good year last year. It means the world to come down here and run good.”
Brad May slipped by Nasse during the final restart to finish second, his best finish of the week. Nasse, Sammy Smith and Connor Mosack completed the top-five.
Super Late Model (35 laps)
1. Derek Griffith, 2. Brad May, 3. Stephen Nasse, 4. Sammy Smith, 5. Connor Mosack, 6. Ryan Moore, 7. Dan Fredrickson, 8. Jett Noland, 9. Chris Hacker, 10. Patrick Thomas
11. Steve Weaver, 12. R.J. Braun, 13. Doug Elliott, 14. Jesse Love, 15. Jacob Goede, 16. Daniel Dye, 17. Michael Hinde, 18. Jake Finch, 19. Jake Garcia, 20. Travis Wilson
21. Justin Mondeik, 22. Kelly Moore
Matt Hirschman won Thursday’s Tour-Type Modified feature at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway. (Jim Dupont/NASCAR)
After multiple near misses and three runner-up finishes, Kody Swanson finally earned his first victory in a stock car in the 35-lap Pro Late Model event.
Swanson dominated, but had to survive a restart with six laps left that saw Conner Jones pull ahead of the five-time USAC Silver Crown Series champion.
However, Jones was deemed to have jumped the restart and was ordered to give the lead back to Swanson, who would go on to lead the rest of the race to earn his first Pro Late Model victory and further extend his lead in the division standings ahead of Friday’s 100-lap finale.
“It’s hard to put into words, you know? I’ve had some opportunities to win and be close,” Swanson said as he fought back tears in Victory Lane. “Three second-place finishes, but I don’t want to win if we can’t do it the right way. Thankful for everyone on Team Platinum for all their effort and for hanging with us all week and for all the hard work.”
Pro Late Model (35 Laps)
1. Kody Swanson, 2. Conner Jones, 3. Hunter Wright, 4. Stephen Nasse, 5. Jean-Phillipe Bergeron, 6. Jerick Johnson, 7. Nick Panitzke, 8. Zachary Tinkle, 9. Max Calles-McDonald, 10. Jett Noland
11. Justin Drawdy, 12. Jerry Artuso, 13. Cody Hall, 14. Hayden Sprague, 15. Colt Hensley, 16. Chad Butz, 17. Kevin Folan, 18. Jade Buford, 19. Chase Williams, 20. David Weaver
21. Tommy Neal, 22. Paige Rogers, 23. Braison Bennett, 24. Andrew Scheid, 25. Joey Miller, 26. Will Cox.
“I’ve never felt so small in my life,” Austin Cindric said after Thursday night’s opening Daytona 500 qualifier. At 6-foot-4 and one of the tallest drivers to roam the garage, that’s quite the statement.
A pit-road speeding penalty in the first Bluegreen Vacations Duel threatened to thwart the defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champ’s bid to make the 40-car grid. Instead, thanks to Ryan Preece edging out Ty Dillon in a battle of Open teams ahead of him, the 22-year-old Cindric will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Kaz Grala emerged from the second Duel after a crash-slowed 14th-place result, besting Garrett Smithley and Noah Gragson, who were also involved in a late-race wreck. David Ragan had already sealed a Daytona 500 berth on speed, but raced in as the top finisher from an Open team, leaving Grala to fall back on his qualifying speed.
Cindric finished one lap down in 16th place in the No. 33 Team Penske Ford, losing touch with the pack after serving a pass-through penalty. But when Preece — who had at least clinched a locked-in spot based on his Wednesday qualifying speed — topped Dillon for fifth place to finish as the top Open driver, that allowed Cindric to fall back on his effort from time trials.
“I get the bonehead-of-the-race award, speeding in the last section of pit road when I nailed everything else the whole night that I didn’t know how to do,” said Cindric, who will participate Sunday as the fourth driver under the Team Penske banner. “So my guys can all have a shot punching me wherever they want to, but I’m obviously really happy to get our Verizon 5G Ford Mustang into the big show. There’s a lot left for me to learn, but racing on the biggest stage against the best drivers is an amazing opportunity.”
Dillon, making his first start in the No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota, failed to make the Daytona 500 field. Timmy Hill, who raced his way into the 500 field last season, was the other driver to miss The Great American Race from Duel 1.
Cindric, realizing the chain of events that placed him in the Great American Race, walked over to the No. 96 to shake Dillon’s hand and console him.
“Obviously Ty drove a really great race. I think he outdrove what he was driving, put himself in a great position,” Cindric said. “It’s unfortunate because he’s definitely a veteran of the series. I think he deserves to be in the race. Like I said, some days it’s your day and some days it isn’t.”
Grala put Kaulig Racing into the 500 for the second straight year, despite his No. 16 Chevrolet sustaining damage when Chase Briscoe’s spin sparked a multicar melee off Turn 2 with 25 laps to go in regulation. He continued and his chances improved once Smithley collided with Brad Keselowski on Lap 56, collecting Gragson’s No. 62 Chevy in its wake.
Sunday’s race will mark Grala’s second Cup Series start. He placed seventh last August on the Daytona Road Course as a fill-in for Austin Dillon, who prevailed in Thursday’s second Duel.
“It’s great. Obviously, we knew coming into it, this was going to be a really hard year to make the race — excellent competition, great teams, great drivers trying to make this race without charters,” Grala said. “So we knew it was a tall order, but I will say now, being able to breathe a sigh of relief that we are in, it makes it that much sweeter knowing that we beat some real incredible teams and drivers to get into this race.”
Austin Cindric officially locked into Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Radio) following Thursday night’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel Race No. 1 at Daytona International Speedway.
As a result, Ty Dillon was knocked out of Daytona 500 contention following a sixth-place finish in the first of two 150-mile qualifying races. Timmy Hill, another driver for one of the eight Open (non-Charter) teams attempting to qualify for the race, also did not qualify for the Great American Race.
Here’s the breakdown of how Cindric qualified and Dillon did not.
• There are eight Open teams competing for four available Daytona 500 spots. Two spots are determined by results in the Duel qualifying races. The final two spots are determined by top speeds in single-car qualifying.
• Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet, was already locked into the Daytona 500 on qualifying speed with the best time among Open cars. David Ragan logged the second-fastest speed in single-car qualifying, so he also is locked into the field.
• Preece was the highest-finishing Open car in Duel race No. 1 with a fifth-place finish. That means Preece improved his qualifying position, so his spot in the Daytona 500 was determined by his Duel result — not qualifying speed.
• Because Preece used his Duel result to qualify, Cindric was able to use his qualifying speed to transfer into the Daytona 500. Cindric finished third overall in single-car qualifying. Despite a 16th-place result in Duel race No. 1, he gets in on speed thanks to Preece’s result.
• Dillon finished one spot behind Preece in sixth place, but only the top-finishing Open driver in each Duel race advances. Because Dillon did not have a qualifying time better than Cindric, he needed to finish ahead of both drivers to make the Daytona 500. Dillon was unable to do so, sending the No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing team home.
Austin Dillon edged out Bubba Wallace coming to the finish line to win the second Bluegreen Vacations Duel race in overtime late Thursday night, into Friday morning at Daytona International Speedway.
Wallace took the lead on the final lap and held it until the exit of Turn 4 when Dillon dove from the top lane to the bottom lane to get underneath Wallace’s No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota, gaining enough momentum in the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to grab the victory, earning 10 points toward the regular-season standings.
It is the first Daytona qualifying race Dillon has won and he did it leading the only two laps on the night, lap 33 and then the last lap (63). It was similar to what he did in winning the 2018 Daytona 500 in the famed Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevrolet when he led only the last lap – finishing a quarter-second ahead of Wallace then too.
“I was talking to my spotter before the restart and he was like, ‘We’ve got the 4 (Kevin Harvick) behind us and he’s been pushing well all night.’ He had the 12 (Ryan Blaney in a Ford, like Harvick) so I knew the manufacturer thing was going to be tough,” Dillon said. “I made a decent block on the backstretch and just a heckuva push through (Turns) 3 and 4. I knew Bubba was going to try and block, but I just whipped the wheel and it worked out well.”
Wallace held on for second place, followed by Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott to round out the top five.
A crash with three laps remaining brought out the second caution of the race to set up the overtime battle. The wreck occurred when Garrett Smithley, who had to race his way into the Daytona 500, and Brad Keselowski came together going into Turn 1. Daytona 500 front-row starter William Byron was also involved and received significant damage on his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Others collected included Ross Chastain in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet and Noah Gragson in the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet.
Gragson, who also needed to race his way in, retired from the race and will miss the Daytona 500 in his first attempt.
The calamity worked out for David Ragan, who raced his way into Sunday’s race with an eighth-place result. Ragan was already locked in with the second-fastest Open car speed from Wednesday night’s single-car qualifying session. Ragan’s finish therefore meant Kaz Grala in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet earned the final spot up for grabs.
Grala was initially involved in an earlier crash on Lap 36 involving Anthony Alfredo, Chase Briscoe and Smithley. Rookie Briscoe lost control of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford at the exit of Turn 2. Alfredo, a rookie in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford, and McLeod in the new No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford were unable to continue, but both were previously locked into the race as members of Charter teams.
NASCAR Cup Series drivers will be on track next for the Daytona 500’s second practice Saturday at 9:30 a.m. ET on FS2.
BLUEGREEN VACATIONS DUEL 1
Aric Almirola held off a hard charge from Joey Logano coming to the checkered flag to win Thursday night’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway.
Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, led 52 of the 60-lap qualifying race for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell passed Logano coming to the finish line to finish second, followed by Ryan Newman, Logano and Ryan Preece to round out the top five.
Preece edged Ty Dillon by a scant .04 seconds at the finish line to race his way into the Daytona 500. That gave reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindric a starting bid based on qualifying speed – despite his 16th-place finish in the Duel due to a pit-road speeding penalty – and sent Ty Dillon home. Three of the four transfer positions were then evident after the first Duel – with Preece, Cindric and David Ragan (who qualified on speed). Another will be determined in the second Duel.
“First of all, I get the bonehead-of-the-race award for speeding on the last section of pit road when I nailed everything else the whole night that I didn’t know how to do,” Team Penske driver Cindric said of receiving a speeding penalty after a mid-race pit stop. “I’m obviously really happy to get the Verizon 5G Ford Mustang into the big show. Obviously, a lot for me left to learn, but racing on the biggest stage against the best drivers, it’s an amazing opportunity.”
The Fords – specifically Almirola – dominated Duel 1, spending most of the race bumper-to-bumper in varying order out front. Almirola and Logano, the 2015 Daytona 500 winner, spent a lot of time running 1-2. There were nine lead changes among five drivers.
After the race, the Tampa, Florida, native Almirola smiled and mentioned the recent good run for Tampa sports – a nod to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl win last week.
“Great way to start Speedweeks,” Almirola said. “This thing is really fast and I can’t wait until Sunday.”
With 29 laps to go, Daytona 500 pole-sitter Alex Bowman reported to his No. 48 Chevrolet team that he felt like the engine was “blowing up,” but after the crew checked under the hood, he returned to the track. He finished 20th in the event.
Two-time defending Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, who is trying to become the first driver in history to win three consecutive versions of NASCAR’s Great American Race, finished 13th. He had to push his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota back into the pits after the race because he ran out of fuel on the final lap – after taking the white flag in fourth position.
NOTE: Both the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Austin Dillon and the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Aric Almirola passed post-race technical inspection Thursday night/Friday morning after winning the NASCAR Cup Series’ Bluegreen Vacations Duel races at the Daytona International Speedway. There were no other issues.
Before flying down to Daytona International Speedway to begin his sixth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ryan Blaney enjoyed the last bit of down time at home, sipping on a cup of morning coffee.
The No. 12 Team Penske driver looks to finally land in Victory Lane after finishing second in the Daytona 500 on a pair of occasions so far in his young career. The first came in a runner-up finish to Kurt Busch in 2017 while driving the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. The second occurred in last year’s memorable ending, this time to Denny Hamlin in the second-closest finish in the race’s history.
Blaney doesn’t lament the near-wins, but he doesn’t forget the disappointment.
“It’s frustrating at the time when you finish second and you’re like, man, we were so close,” Blaney told NASCAR.com. “ … We’ve had a few chances to win that race, honestly. I feel like in 2018, we had the fastest car there and got caught up in a wreck late at the end of the race. We’ve been close. Losing that thing last year by a couple feet definitely stung.”
Hindsight is always 20/20. Blaney hopes to learn from the decisions he’s made in the past during the final laps that didn’t go according to plan. But when you’re in a 200-mile per hour traffic jam, life comes at you fast while racing to the checkered flag.
“The two races we ran second in I would have done things differently now, obviously looking back on it,” Blaney said. “… It’s hard to make those decisions in the moment. You try to make the best decision you think is right in the moment and sometimes it doesn’t pan out for you. You don’t have time to process these decisions. You just kind of have to make your mind up and do it because things happen so fast on superspeedways.”
While Blaney has been on the wrong side of luck in The Great American Race (if you can even call second-place finishes unlucky), Talladega Superspeedway has been a different story, winning two of the past three races there. In a sport where inches and hundredths of a second determine winning and losing — he won both races at ‘Dega by .007 seconds — you have to be around when it counts the most. For Blaney, he and spotter Josh Williams have a knack for doing just that on the high banks.
“Winning those two Talladega races, we were just in a spot where we were running at the end and running up toward the front where we could make good moves,” Blaney said. “We’re on the fortunate side of winning them by a foot, and then the 500 last year we were on the unfortunate side of losing it by a foot. I think it just goes into fast cars, good communication with your spotter, good strategy to get toward the front and a little bit of luck.”
Winning the Daytona 500 in Blaney’s seventh try on Sunday would kick-start a season full of possibility for the No. 12 squad. It looked as though Blaney was in prime position to win early in Tuesday night’s Busch Clash on the Daytona Road Course, but a last-ditch effort on the final lap by 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion and longtime friend Chase Elliott ruined that chance after contact in the frontstretch chicane sent the No. 12 Ford into the outside wall.
That finish was an extension to the frustrations of the 2020 season that showed an abundance of promise, winning the spring race at Talladega and earning a solid seeding in the playoffs. Untimely misfortunate in the Round of 16 resulted in a premature postseason exit. Despite the early elimination, however, Blaney and team were able to rally back the final five races, earning finishes of seventh or better in that final stretch.
Blaney knows he and the team are Championship 4-caliber. This year, the goal is to stack up wins in the regular season to provide a good points cushion in the playoffs. With momentum from the ending of last year on his side, Blaney is determined to fully prove they can make those goals happen.
“I think this team has so much potential, we just have to execute,” Blaney said. “Work on things that we really do need to work on. I think this team can genuinely run for a championship. We have the people to do it. It’s just all about getting the wins and finishing out these races the way we should.”
Blaney stopped short of calling the 2021 season a redemption year, but rather a 36-race stretch full of “opportunity.”
“I just want this team to perform like I know we can,” Blaney said. “… Just working on things from last year. You’re hoping you have the same speed in your cars that we did last year. You hope everybody gets better and keeps improving, myself included.
“Those things all add up for sure,” he added. “It takes a village to win these races and go far in the championship. If we work together, I think we can do it.”
As Kyle Larson was growing up in Elk Grove, California, his weekends were consumed at local race tracks honing his craft behind the wheel, working hard for opportunities to advance.
Racing was a full-family weekend activity. Larson’s natural talent was obvious from the beginning and the future always looked bright. Winning seemed to come easily.
When Larson was just 19 years old, he was given a crucial opportunity as a NASCAR Drive for Diversity competitor to be a developmental driver for Chip Ganassi Racing. It was the ultimate young star grab for Ganassi and the ultimate course to big-time success for Larson, who in 2013 at age 21 was picked to drive the No. 42 CGR Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series – a car most recently driven by international racing star Juan Pablo Montoya.
Larson won six NASCAR Cup Series races for Ganassi, including a career single-season best of four in 2017. He finished top 10 in the championship standings from 2016-19.
But then in the midst of riding that huge wave of potential – winning NASCAR Cup Series races, growing into a legitimate championship contender, becoming a favored corporate pitchman and enjoying huge fan adoration – Larson, 28, veered off course.
He used a racial slur while competing in an iRacing event during the pandemic shutdown last April. Live streams captured the moment, and the fallout was swift and immense. Larson was suspended from NASCAR. He lost his job with Ganassi.
And Larson faced the greatest challenge of his life — to earn repentance and to restore his name and character. Larson, who immediately apologized, says his lapse in judgment has been life-changing. And 10 months later, he is intent to show the incident does not reflect the higher standard he expects of himself.
“I think going through what I did and educating myself as much as I could throughout the last year and meeting different people and trying to … educate myself on the struggles African Americans have gone through, it helps me know I am a good person and just had a bad moment of ignorance and judgment,” Larson said. “And now I think going forward I have to do a good job of showing people who I really am and that what I did was just a horrible mistake.”
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
The path back
Larson has spent the months since his suspension doing everything he could to show he is an improved man, awakened to the pain of others, eager to show the error of his ways and humbled by the way life can change in an instant.
Having suddenly lost his primary source of income, Larson began racing at the local level again as often as he could logistically do so. It was a full-circle sort of existence for him and his family, which includes 6-year-old son Owen and 2-year-old daughter Audrey. And as he traveled around the country – he tallied 42 wins, ironically — he was working with a diversity coach and having important, difficult conversations in an effort to learn and grow.
Larson stopped in cities near the short tracks he raced on and spent quality time working with inner-city youth and speaking to African Americans about their plights. He said meeting people in Minneapolis in the midst of the George Floyd protests for social justice had a particularly significant impact on him.
When Larson speaks now, he takes full ownership of his mistake. He does not feel sorry for himself for the upheaval it caused in his life. Instead, he wants to do better, to be better. The terms of his reinstatement to NASCAR require it. The sanctioning body mandated sensitivity training, ongoing speaking engagements to share his experiences, plus coaching and mentorship opportunities with the Urban Youth Racing School (UYRS) and Rev Racing initiatives.
And Larson has secured that all-important platform to prove himself. Hendrick Motorsports has hired him to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet – with the crew and team for recently retired seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson.
“Kyle and I spoke several times after what happened,” team owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick said. “We didn’t talk business. Just checking in.
“Once I started learning about all the work he was doing behind the scenes and how sincere he was about it, the lightbulb went off that it might be a real possibility (to sign him). It took a lot of time. I wanted to see how he handled the situation and if he would continue making that effort.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
“He did, and we kept talking and the more I saw from him, the more I felt like he was truly taking responsibility and growing as a person. That was key. I love watching these guys (drivers) grow as people and be successful in their personal and professional lives. I want to see them be winners on and off the track. That’s what we expect of all our drivers and I have zero doubt about Kyle’s ability to deliver.”
Larson says his gratitude and his commitment to do better are immense. He says there was a time – not too long ago – that he genuinely wondered if he would ever get another chance in NASCAR’s premier series.
“It wasn’t that I had given up on it, but maybe lost a little hope and I was accepting of it because I knew the magnitude of my mistake,” Larson said. “Then out of nowhere, I was able to start having conversations with (Hendrick Motorsports).
“Mr. H is obviously one of the most respected people in the sport. For him to reach out and lend support and give me a chance to get back in a Cup car with the best Cup team out there is just so special to me, and I’m very, very thankful for the opportunity. To be around a person who is that well-respected is just going to teach me even more about how to be better.”
Larson compares this opportunity with Hendrick to his first, with Ganassi.
“Even when I got my first chance with Chip, I was always very thankful for that and always loyal to him because of that opportunity,” Larson said. “So I feel in a way, I’ve been given an opportunity very similar to that in a way, maybe more so.
“So I’m definitely going to be loyal to Mr. H forever, or as long as me wants me. I’m a lucky person and humbled by it.”
Expectations
Kurt Busch, Larson’s former Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, said he has zero reservations about Larson’s commitment to rebuild his life and career. The 2004 series champion says he is not surprised about the new opportunity and expects Larson could immediately be a title contender with the team. The two kept in touch even as Larson was racing around the country and Busch is positive that Larson has grown as a person.
“I think we saw a good dose of that in 2020 with how he handled the departure from Chip Ganassi Racing and how he elevated his game to a whole new level on the dirt circuits everywhere,” Busch said. “I was texting him win, after win, after win and I got behind about the 20th win.
“Ultimately, the way he presented himself, the way he carried himself, showed his initiative with NASCAR on rectifying the problem and going through the road to recovery, just everything about him last year shows what he’s going to bring to the track in 2021. The professionalism of Hendrick Motorsports has never been questioned. The guidance there and just everything that I’m seeing adding up is that once he gets the feel of the car, and once he’s in sync with his crew chief – they’re going to be a tough train to stop. I see that program as being one of the top contenders already.”
Larson had earned three top-10 finishes with the Ganassi team in the first four races before the COVID-19 stoppage last year – with a best showing of fourth at Phoenix Raceway just before the season halted.
There’s reason for Larson to be upbeat and motivated as he prepares for 2021. Since January, he’s scored his second consecutive win in the prestigious Chili Bowl Nationals and two weeks ago, posted a career-first win in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
He enters the season with high expectations for himself, both on and off the track.
“I don’t think (redemption) happens overnight and I’m very thankful I have the opportunity with Mr. Hendrick in getting a second chance in NASCAR to kind of have that platform to go out there and show people I am a good person,” Larson said. “But it does take a long time.”
In the meantime, Larson hopes it won’t take as long to get reacquainted with NASCAR, become familiar with his new race team and continue to build on his off-track outreach efforts.
“Hendrick Motorsports has great, great people there and I’m very lucky to be a part of that team and surrounded by amazing people,” Larson said. “I really don’t think there’s a better team I could have ended up with after the situation I put myself in. Not a better team for Kyle Larson.
“I’m happy, maybe as happy as I’ve ever been, because I have a great opportunity and a second chance,” Larson added, carefully choosing his words. “I think I’m a better person than I was a year ago. I’m content with where I’m at in my life. I have a new perspective on a lot of things. I grew more last year than any other year by far, and I think growth is always good as a person, as a race car driver, as a husband.
“I’m just ready to now get this new year started and get a fresh start.”
RALEIGH, N.C. – Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket parts retailer and the Official Auto Parts Retailer of NASCAR, and Team Penske today announced a unique activation around the No. 12 Ford Mustang driven by Ryan Blaney in the NASCAR Cup Series.
During the 2021 season, Advance will use its associate sponsorship of the No. 12 Ford to showcase NASCAR-sanctioned local short tracks across the United States and Canada that are part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. Each week, up to two different Weekly Series tracks will be featured on Blaney’s car, alongside Advance’s iconic checkered-flag logo. The activation begins this week, as New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., will ride shotgun on Blaney’s No. 12 at the Daytona International Speedway.
Additionally, for every Ryan Blaney victory, the NASCAR Weekly Series track(s) featured on his car will each receive $1,200 to be used for track operations, local track driver winnings, or supporting a charity of the track’s choosing.
Advance will continue its sponsorship of Team Penske’s No. 12 Ford in four races this season: at the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race on March 28, Darlington Raceway on May 9, Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 11 and the night race at Richmond on September 11. The company is entering the second season of a multi-year agreement with Team Penske.
“We are delighted to partner with Team Penske to advance local racing through this activation,” said Jason McDonell, Advance’s chief marketing officer. “We believe this program will create a sense of pride with each of NASCAR’s local tracks while drawing more attention to the vital role these tracks play in their communities. We proudly support Ryan and Team Penske and look forward to celebrating in victory lane with Ryan this season.”
“Every driver in the Cup Series garage got their start racing locally on short tracks, so it’s meaningful for me to carry the flag with Advance Auto Parts to represent NASCAR’s local tracks on my No. 12 Ford,” said Blaney. “I look forward to being part of this program, winning races and benefiting a lot of short tracks in the process.”
Blaney will kick off the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season at the Daytona 500, held at the Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 14 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX).
A NASCAR race team works best when all the cogs in the engine, so to speak, are working seamlessly together, forming a cohesive bond for the good of the whole to get the job done.
Fictional or not, the Bobby Spencer Racing team crew, comprised of a diverse cast of characters portrayed by a multi-faceted group of actors in Netflix’s The Crew (debuts Feb. 15) learned just that – and so much more about NASCAR.
The Crew stars Kevin Jamesas a NASCAR crew chief for the once-prominent Bobby Spencer Racing team. As the series begins, the organization finds itself in one of the valleys of the up-and-down nature of running a NASCAR Cup Series organization, mired in a mid-pack malaise as it strives to regain its footing. The owner sparks change by stepping down to pass the team off to his daughter Catherine (Jillian Mueller), who attempts to modernize the No. 74 Fake Steak-sponsored car by replacing the team’s driver Jake Martin (Freddie Stroma) with an up-and-coming female driver in Jessie (Paris Berelc).
Through working together as a unit, however, the pieces begin to fall into place and the start of something special happens.
The cast of The Crew carries that spirit, effusing that cohesion and using their divergent backgrounds in comedy and theater to put something on film they feel has that certain something to be significant.
“I think it’s a great show, and it sounds cheesy-like, but there’s something in it for everyone,” Mueller told NASCAR.com. “Truly, with the NASCAR angle, we had (Senior Vice President & Chief Digital Officer) Tim Clark and (Managing Director, Entertainment Marketing and Content Development) Matt Summers who are NASCAR producers. They work for NASCAR, working on our show. They tried to be true and really keep it in the world of NASCAR so that way NASCAR fans are proud of it and happy with the show. And obviously we have the real drivers do cameos on the show, and they were amazing.
Courtesy: Netflix
“So we have that for the NASCAR fans but then also for somebody that might not have been paying attention to NASCAR but enjoys Netflix like we all do; watching it, it’s not like they’re going to be lost. It’s not something you need to have prior knowledge of to watch the show. If anything, it’ll just make you more interested. It’s definitely something that will bring new fans, that’s for sure.”
The entire cast doted on the authenticity of the true-to-NASCAR aspects of the show, despite its comedic nature as a Kevin James vehicular (no pun intended) sitcom. It’s something NASCAR fans will notice and appreciate, but something that new fans can use as an entry point for the sport.
“That NASCAR name and just the product, there’s legitimacy to the whole thing,” said Gary Anthony Williams (TMNT, Malcolm in the Middle), who plays Chuck. “From the racers to the look of it to us even having our own (stock car) in the show, there’s that legitimacy. It’s fun on so many levels and it’s just funny. It’s kind of the relief that the world needs right now. Just to be able to sit back and laugh and actually learn, too.”
The series’ appreciation for the ins and outs of the sport also got a thumbs-up from those who are closest to the action.
“The racers and the commentators that would come on set would be like whoa, this is legit. This looks real,” said Dan Ahdoot (Cobra Kai, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$), who plays Amir. “It was so great to know that, because there’s nothing worse than when you’re watching a show and it’s like … a lot of my friends are doctors and we’d watch a show together and they’d be like ‘that’s not real, he’s not really dead, he wouldn’t be doing that’ and it’s so annoying. So the fact that people will get to appreciate the details about this is pretty awesome.”
Cup stars Ryan Blaney, Cole Custer and former Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon all make cameo appearances in the show.
The cast, which displayed genuine rapport over a Zoom interview — no easy feat — during two panels with NASCAR.com, repeatedly pointed to the fact that despite the heavy NASCAR-influence and context of the show, it truly is a comedy for everyone.
Think of it this way: How many people are passionate about the paper industry? Definitely not as many as people who fell in love with The Office.
Courtesy: Netflix
“You don’t have to know about NASCAR to totally love and enjoy the show. It’s a workplace comedy,” said Sarah Stiles (Broadway, Off-Broadway), who plays Beth. “There’s great characters, great relationships and it’s about changing the old and updating it and new technology coming in, and we can all relate to that.”
The Crew is another example of NASCAR itself continuing to propel itself into the future with more widespread cultural appeal and outreach to all demographics.
“I’ve been really impressed with NASCAR over the last year, banning the confederate flag and things. I think they’re moving into the future in a good way,” said Freddie Stroma (Harry Potter, Bridgerton), who plays Jake. “And that’s why I hope that this show can be part of those good decisions that NASCAR’s been making recently and hopefully, I really want the NASCAR fans to enjoy the show.”
As NASCAR makes its maiden voyage into the deep sea of TV sitcoms, it’s clear that the future of stock car auto racing is unfolding now, and not some nebulous time further down the line. The Crew is one of just many ways the sport is advancing itself and creating progress, taking the green flag on the next era of NASCAR.
“It’s just very cool to suddenly be a part of this world and be a part of history,” said Ahdoot, “to be the first show that’s done based on NASCAR.”
Jeff Lowell (The Ranch, Two and a Half Men, Spin City) will serve as writer, showrunner and executive producer. Andy Fickman (Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, Playing With Fire) directed all episodes and serves as an executive producer. James, Jeff Sussman (The King of Queens, Paul Blart) and Todd Garner (Tag, Isn’t It Romantic, Mortal Kombat) will also serve as executive producers. Clark and Summers will executive produce for NASCAR.
