With pen to paper, Corey LaJoie makes heartfelt job inquiry with Hendrick Motorsports

Posted on February 10, 2020February 10, 2020 by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Finding a way to distinguish yourself in a crowded crop of NASCAR talent isn’t easy, even for a guy who started last year’s Daytona 500 with a close-up of his face superimposed on his car.

Carl Edwards handed out business cards before reaching elite driver status. Steve Letarte swept floors before becoming a winning crew chief. So in a world of all things digital and rapid-fire communication through text and e-mail, Corey LaJoie went analog to try to make an impression.

In cursive, no less.

LaJoie, starting his second full season for Go Fas Racing’s No. 32, revealed this weekend that he had reached out to team owner Rick Hendrick to openly express his interest in a ride. The story was first told to RacinBoys.com’s Lee Spencer.

RELATED: Daytona Speedweeks schedule

LaJoie’s method: A handwritten letter that he delivered in person at the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Induction Night on Jan. 31. The note was designed not only to showcase his penmanship, but his desire for a top-tier seat in NASCAR’s Cup Series. The overture also coincides with a vacancy opening up on the No. 48 Chevrolet team upon Jimmie Johnson’s retirement from full-time racing at season’s end.

“I mean, I think you’ve kind of got to stand out,” LaJoie said before Sunday’s Daytona 500 qualifying, where he posted the 37th-fastest speed. “It’s hard to stand out on the race track, especially in the Cup Series, because they’re the best stock-car drivers in the world, driving the best-prepared cars by the best, most-qualified people. So it’s hard to take a 30th-place car and make yourself known. So I have to do some stuff off the race track and sometimes you’ve got to think outside the box a little bit.

“I have nice cursive handwriting, so I figured why don’t I just pen this guy a letter. I don’t think that I should be necessarily the leading candidate, but I would like to think I’d be on the list because just the experience and all the stuff I’ve gained by doing it the hard way. I think I can kind of fit in their mold pretty well.”

LaJoie, 28, posted his best finishes of his journeyman career last season with the Archie St. Hilaire-owned team, recording his first two top-10 results. He said he’s hopeful for improvement this year, with his Go Fas team benefiting from an influx of newer equipment handed down from Stewart-Haas Racing.

MORE: Daytona 500 qualifying speeds

But a potential opportunity with perennial contender Hendrick Motorsports would represent a major jump in stature. It’s what helped him work up the gumption to approach the NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner on one of the sport’s biggest gala evenings.

“I was nervous when I gave it to him, because that guy could change my life and my family’s life forever,” LaJoie said. “That’s why I spent extra time. I started writing it around Christmas and finally got it nailed down. I had a couple of rough drafts that my wife scratched up for me. It reminded me how English was my least favorite subject in school.”

His choice of old-school media found a fan close to Hendrick’s heart in Johnson, who caught wind of LaJoie’s plan before the Hall of Fame ceremonies. LaJoie said the seven-time champion vouched for him when he landed his first steady job for BK Racing in 2017. Johnson also endorsed the thoughtful act of putting pen to paper.

“I think it’s fantastic,” Johnson said. “Corey and I spoke a little bit and he was trying to figure out how to stand out and how to really connect with Rick, and when he brought up the idea of a handwritten note, I’m like, yeah. I mean, his phone’s ringing, text messages come in, people are always trying to get to him, and if you really think about the last time he’s had a handwritten note come across his desk, that’ll definitely leave a lasting impression.”

“I got a text from him after he delivered the letter. I know he was nervous about it, but I commend him for pouring his heart out and kind of being a little vulnerable in a sense, and doing something different.”

The competition to be Johnson’s successor in the No. 48 Chevy is expected to be stout. Though other names haven’t been explicitly linked to Hendrick Motorsports, LaJoie may have raised his hand first — all with a flourish, etched in ink.

“It was a letter to say, just keep your eye on me,” LaJoie said. “Obviously, there’s probably quote-unquote better candidates of what the media and the fans might think, but just no reason why I shouldn’t be considered is kind of what I learned.”

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Staff Report

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin couldn’t help but contribute to the Brad Keselowski-Joey Logano discussion on Sunday evening following the Busch Clash.

Keselowski, knocked out of the race early after Logano and Kyle Busch got tangled up battling for the lead, was pointedly critical of his Team Penske teammate Logano’s decision to throw multiple blocks. “It was just a dumb move,” Keselowski said, in part. “There was no reason to make that move. It’s never gonna work. And it didn’t.”

Hamlin, who pushed Erik Jones to victory, agreed with Keselowski and threw in a needling of his own.

Correct assessment. Please repeat this statement in your team meeting. https://t.co/dJyTzf99O6

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) February 9, 2020

Friendly reminder of what happened the last time Hamlin and Logano had an on-track disagreement.

Posted on February 9, 2020February 9, 2020 by Staff Report

The Busch Clash race-winning No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Erik Jones passed post-race technical inspection Sunday at Daytona International Speedway with no issues.

The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was found to be compliant with the NASCAR Rule Book after Jones won the 75-lap exhibition race.

With post-race teardown complete, the race results are official.

RELATED: Results

This is the second year of a post-race process to bring a more timely approach to inspection for all three NASCAR national series. Competition officials announced last February that thorough post-race inspections would take place shortly after the checkered flag at the track instead of midweek at the Research & Development Center.

Those inspections come with a stiffer deterrence structure that includes disqualification for significant rules infractions — “a total culture change,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer. Prior to the 2019 season, race-winning teams found in violation of the rules were penalized with post-race fines, points deductions and/or suspensions, but victories were allowed to stand.

Competition officials introduced the quicker post-race inspection timetable in an effort to make the results official on race day, aiming for a 90-minute target time frame to complete their scrutinizing. The new post-race inspection process was also designed to deal with potential violations more promptly, avoiding any midweek news that might cloud the previous week’s results or the build-up to the following week’s event.

NASCAR will still inspect cars and parts at the R&D Center as needed, but the more comprehensive at-track inspection will take priority.

According to NASCAR statistical archives, the last time a premier-series driver was disqualified occurred in 1973, when early retiree Buddy Baker was demoted to last place in the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The last time an apparent race winner in NASCAR’s top division was disqualified came on April 17, 1960, when Emanuel Zervakis’ victory at Wilson (N.C.) Speedway was thrown out because of an oversized fuel tank on his No. 85 Chevrolet.

Posted on February 9, 2020March 6, 2020 by Reid Spencer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Denny Hamlin couldn’t win the Busch Clash at Daytona for himself, but he made sure his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate did.

For nearly the entire final lap in the third attempt at overtime, Hamlin pushed the mangled Toyota of Erik Jones all the way to finish line in a race that saw only six of 18 cars running at the finish.

With the nose of his car caved in and held together with tape, Jones led only the final lap—the 88th of the race and the 13th of overtime—in collecting his first victory in the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race.

Jones’ No. 20 Toyota Camry sustained heavy damage during a spate of wrecks that started on Lap 66 of a scheduled 75 and continued into the extra circuits. Hamlin, whose No. 11 Toyota was damaged in the Lap 66 wreck and spun with a flat tire in the first overtime attempt, lost two laps on pit road after the incident.

But Hamlin’s car was still running at the finish, and he was there to push Jones past the lead-lap cars of Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer on the last circuit.

“I knew he was going to be in for a ride,” Hamlin said. “It was just a matter of whether he could handle it … I knew that last lap he needed to strap in, because I was going to push him. I didn’t care if I pushed him into a wreck — I was going to push him.”

That’s exactly what Jones did, even though his battered machine looked more like a refugee from a salvage yard than the sleek race car that started the race.

“It was an awesome race,” Jones said. “I’ve got to give a huge thanks to Denny. He gave us a huge push that last run. It wasn’t the fastest car in the race, but we brought it home.

“I think, honestly, it was so draggy it wasn’t too much for him to lock on and push us to the win. Hopefully, next Sunday (in the Daytona 500) we can cap off another one.”

Five drivers have completed a Clash/Daytona 500 double. Hamlin accomplished the feat most recently, in 2016.

By the time Dillon led the field to green to start the third overtime on Lap 87, 11 cars already had gone to the garage in various stages of disrepair. The mayhem began on Lap 66 when Joey Logano tried to block Kyle Busch in Turn 4 and contact between their two cars triggered a six-car crash that eliminated Busch and Brad Keselowski, Logano’s Team Penske teammate.

Six laps later, the majority of the field wrecked on a restart, when the “accordion effect” produced a chain-reaction incident near the start/finish line.

The first two overtime attempts pared the field to six cars on the track, with Dillon coming home second, .697 seconds behind Jones. Bowyer was third, followed by Kyle Larson, who held the lead briefly in the final overtime but lost ground on the final lap.

Newman came home fifth, followed by Hamlin, who finished one lap down.

Posted on February 9, 2020February 9, 2020 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It was a relatively calm but unmistakably race-y start to Sunday’s Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway, but by the last of three overtimes were complete, the garage area was littered with bent-and-dent race cars and some equally banged-up feelings.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Erik Jones led only the last lap to claim his first Busch Clash win in a finish that echoed his first NASCAR Cup Series victory – also at Daytona when he led only the last lap in the annual summer-time Coke Zero 400.

Jones had plenty to smile about, but several of his competitors were certainly less than thrilled about their race day including Team Penske teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano.

Logano and two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch were involved in a collision on Lap 66 at the front of the field that collected Keselowski, who was running just behind them – and three other cars who were able to continue.

Busch’s and Keselowski’s cars suffered enough damage that they could not return to the race. In fact, as soon as the 2012 Cup champion Keselowski climbed out of his car near Turn 4, he threw his hands up in the air in pure frustration. He led a race best 33 laps only to finish his afternoon in the speedway’s infield care center.

“Just got wrecked for no reason; just dumb, dumb racing, just dumb moves being thrown out there,” Keselowski said after emerging from the medical center. “Guys that don’t know what they’re doing throw crazy blocks and it’s just ridiculous. We shouldn’t be wrecking all these cars.

“This is just dumb. We had a good car, my Ford was capable of winning the race, led a lot of the race. We were in good position to finish it off and got destroyed for no reason.”

Asked if he wanted to address the situation with anyone following the race, Keselowski deferred, “I’m going to Disney World tomorrow.”

Busch was also disappointed in the outcome. But he seemed to concede the afternoon’s frustration level was an entirely expected possibility — the perfect storm of close-quarter competition so frequently forecasted at the big tracks such as Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway.

“We were better than those guys I feel like and we had better handling,” Busch said of his attempt to pass the leader Logano just before the accident.

“Looked low on the 22 [Logano] and he came down to block me there. And I went high and he drove all the way up the hill in front of me. So I was like, OK now I’m going back down. I didn’t know Denny was already alongside of me so when I did that didn’t know how much room I had.

“The 22 and I touched and the wreck was on.”

PHOTOS: See the wrecked cars of the Busch Clash

Logano was able to continue despite some damage on his car. He avoided a massive 10-car pileup on the front-stretch on the ensuing restart. But he was collected again in an 11-car overtime incident in Turn 4 that resulted in a 7:27 red flag stoppage of the race.

Asked about the first incident at the front of the field with Busch, Logano cast it as typical Daytona racing.

“Kyle had a run, I blocked it to the bottom,” Logano said. “I blocked him back at the top.

“Thought I did a good job blocking and he just got to the inside of me and there really wasn’t a hole and it just hooked me around. So that was the first crash. Then they wrecked on a restart and we didn’t really hit anything on that one. The last one, Denny blew a tire and dang it, I almost made it through. I needed about three more feet.”

Asked about his teammate’s frustration, Logano offered a smile.

“I’m going to Disney World too, so I’ll see him there,” Logano said. “I’m sure he’s alright. We get along fine.”

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Justin Haley played another waiting game at Daytona International Speedway, though the stakes — and the weather — were far different this time. Brendan Gaughan had his own fretful moments, handled with his trademark loquacious manner.

At the end of Sunday’s Daytona 500 time trials, the youngest and oldest drivers on the entry list could breathe easier, locking in starting berths for next Sunday’s “Great American Race” (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) on the basis of qualifying speed.

Haley’s Kaulig Racing No. 16 Chevrolet was the fastest of the seven open, non-chartered teams vying for four remaining starting spots, posting the 31st-fastest lap (190.018 mph). Trailing just behind was Gaughan’s No. 62 Beard Motorsports entry, which was 33rd-fastest at 188.945 mph.

Those speeds assured Haley and Gaughan their spots in the prestigious season opener. But five drivers have work to do in Thursday’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races; two of those drivers will transfer into the main event, and three will fail to qualify.

MORE: Daytona Speedweeks schedule

Haley, a 20-year-old Xfinity Series regular, is double-dipping into the Cup Series again this week. Both he and his team are relative newbies — Sunday’s 500 will mark just his fourth premier-series start and team owner Matt Kaulig’s Cup debut — but Haley returns to Daytona as the historic track’s most recent winner.

Last July, Haley waited out an agonizing rain delay here, physically shaken in a bundle of nerves before his surprising triumph in an abbreviated Coke Zero Sugar 400. Sunday’s wait came under sun-splashed skies, but his anxious state of mind made the transition from summertime to winter.

“I didn’t think I was going to be that nervous, right?” Haley said. “Because it’s Daytona, the driver doesn’t really do much, but you do have to nail your shifts, you have to get off pit road good, you have to just do everything right. There was a little bit of nerves, even though I’ve got a few Cup starts, it’s still the Daytona 500. It’s something I’ve always dreamed about.”

When asked which wait was more heart-wrenching, Haley laughed.

“I would say probably the rain situation, but who knows,” he said. “We definitely have a car fast enough to win this race under green-flag conditions this time. So I’m really looking forward to actually racing at a superspeedway in the Cup Series.”

MORE: Duel starting lineups

Haley’s career is just starting, but the 44-year-old Gaughan has confirmed that the Daytona 500 is the starting point of his four-race farewell tour in 2020. As he’s done the previous three seasons, the veteran is pairing with team owner Mark Beard’s family operation for the four superspeedway events — two races each at Daytona and sister track Talladega.

Sunday’s show of speed meant an easier week for Gaughan, who was able to keep his plans to scuba dive this week with a worry-free conscience.

“My old heart, man,” Gaughan said. “I’m the oldest guy in the field. That heart … I can’t take those things anymore. I want an easy day.”

Gaughan will have fewer restless days in the interim, but the remaining five drivers will need speed, strategy and good fortune on their side in Thursday’s 150-mile qualifiers. Reed Sorenson, Daniel Suarez and Chad Finchum will compete for the lone starting berth available in Duel 1, and Timmy Hill and JJ Yeley will decide the final berth in Duel 2.

“We have to race. We have to race hard,” said Suarez, prepping for his first start in the Gaunt Brothers Racing No. 96 Toyota. “We knew that we would have a lot of challenges and that we didn’t also have the raw speed, but I know what I can do. I just have to go out there … Thursday and get it done.”

Posted on February 9, 2020February 9, 2020 by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get the NBC Sports App | Get TrackPass today | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

Monday, Feb. 10
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
9 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Busch Pole Qualifying at Daytona (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
11 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Busch Clash at Daytona (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App

Tuesday, Feb. 11
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, Feb. 12
Noon, Daytona 500 Media Day, FS1/FOX Sports App
5 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR The Decades: The 1990s (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Busch Pole Qualifying at Daytona (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Busch Clash at Daytona (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
10:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1998 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
11 p.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1988 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App

On MRN
1 p.m., NASCAR Coast to Coast

Thursday, Feb. 13
10 a.m.: Beyond the Wheel (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
11 a.m., Daytona 500 Media Day (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Busch Clash at Daytona (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
4 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: Daytona practice, FS2/FOX Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1998 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: Daytona final practice, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FS1/FOX Sports App
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona, FS1/FOX Sports App
10 p.m., NASCAR Presents: This Racing Life, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
6 p.m., Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona

Friday, Feb. 14
3:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
1 p.m., NASCAR ARCA Menards Series, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Daytona practice, FS1/FOX Sports App
3 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying, FS1/FOX Sports App
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Daytona final practice, FS1/FOX Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona practice, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
6:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, FS1/FOX Sports App
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona, FS1/FOX Sports App
10 p.m., NASCAR Presents: Neil Bonnett, FS1/FOX Sports App
11 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Busch Pole Qualifying at Daytona (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
5 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona practice
7 p.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona

Saturday, Feb. 15
1 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
4 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1988 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Daytona final practice (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
5 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona practice (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
6 a.m., NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
8 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
11 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Daytona qualifying, FS1/FOX Sports App
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona final practice, FS1/FOX Sports App
1:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Xfinity Series, FS1/FOX Sports App
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona, FS1/FOX Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona final practice
2 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona

Sunday, Feb. 16
1 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
3 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
5:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1979 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
6 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1988 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/Fox Sports App
6:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1997 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
7 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1998 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
7:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona final practice (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
11 a.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FS1/FOX Sports App
1 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FOX/FOX Sports App
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona 500, FOX/FOX Sports App
11 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona 500 at Daytona

Posted on February 9, 2020February 9, 2020 by Reid Spencer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With a blistering lap at 194.582 mph on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. broke the Hendrick Motorsports monopoly on Daytona 500 pole positions—sort of.

In his first competitive trip in the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet, Stenhouse covered the 2.5-mile distance in 46.253 mph to lock himself into the top starting spot for next Sunday’s Great American Race (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Admittedly, Stenhouse had a Hendrick engine under the hood of his Camaro as he streaked to the third NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Award of his career and his first at Daytona. And, true, enough, Hendrick Motorsports drivers—Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson—posted the next three fastest laps, with Bowman securing second starting spot for next Sunday’s season opener with a lap at 194.363 mph (46.305 seconds).

In winning the third pole for his new organization, and its first on an oval, Stenhouse broke a streak of five straight poles for Hendrick drivers. What didn’t end was the string of eight straight Daytona 500 poles for Chevrolet, dating to Danica Patrick’s only career top starting spot in 2013.

With superspeedway specialist Brian Pattie working his magic as Stenhouse’s crew chief, the No. 47 JTG Daugherty machine was sleek enough and strong enough to eclipse William Byron’s 2019 pole-winning speed of 194.305 mph, the same speed Elliott matched with the third-fastest lap on Sunday.

“It’s cool,” Stenhouse said. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity to be here and bring guys with me like Brian and Mike (Kelley, whose wind-tunnel work was crucial to the effort). They’ve been working hard, they’ve are in my corner and they’ve been behind me throughout my career.

“The Hendrick horsepower was amazing. Obviously, we’ve got quite a few Hendrick cars lined up behind us. Our Camaro was really strong. The wind started picking up down the back straightaway – a little headwind.”

PHOTOS: See every Daytona 500 pole winner

After leaving Roush Fenway Racing at the end of last season, Stenhouse and his team accomplished the No. 1 priority set during the offseason.

“That was our goal coming down here,” Stenhouse said. “Pattie was working really hard in the offseason toward that goal. We cut bodies off and put them back on – so this goes out to the whole shop.

“Anytime you can start the season off with a new organization and see all the work they put in – guys in the shop that I don’t even know are working late nights. All for benefit of me to come down here and jump in this car and run fast.

“This goes to a lot of people who work behind the scenes for me to come out and drive. It’s a cool way to start Speedweeks.”

The only other driver to lock up a specific starting spot for the Daytona 500, Bowman will take the green flag from the front row for the third straight time in NASCAR’s most prestigious race. Bowman’s finishes, however, haven’t matched his starts.

“My friends call me ‘Bad-Luck Bowman,'” said the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet, whose best finish in the Daytona 500 is 11th, posted last year. “Superspeedway racing—everybody wants to say it’s all about luck. It’s really not. It’s how you position yourself throughout the day.

“Sometimes luck gets involved in it, and you get caught up in somebody else’s mess, or something happens right in front of you or whatever, but it’s really about how you position yourself and what you do throughout the day and what positions you put yourself in.

“I would love to be a super lucky person. Obviously, I’m pretty lucky to get to drive race cars for a living. Sometimes I think situations could go better for me, but I think it’s more about the situations you put yourself in.”

At the other end of the qualifying spectrum, Justin Haley and Brendan Gaughan claimed to the first two staring spots available to non-chartered cars by posting the 31st and 33rd fastest laps, respectively. The remaining two positions in the 40-car field will be filled by the running of the Bluegreen Vacation Duels 150-mile qualifying races on Thursday.

Those two races (7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will also determine the starting order for next Sunday’s race.

Johnson was fourth in Sunday’s time trials as he begins his final season of full-time Cup racing. Defending Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin posted the fifth-fastest lap, tops among Toyota drivers, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch. Aric Almirola had the seventh-best lap in the fastest Ford.

William Byron, Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Christopher Bell and Erik Jones completed the top 10 fastest in Sunday’s session.

Posted on February 9, 2020February 13, 2020 by Staff Report

Sunday’s Daytona 500 single-car qualifying set only the front row for the “Great American Race” — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will lead the field when the green flag drops Feb. 16 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with Alex Bowman on the outside.

The qualifying speeds, though, set the lineups for Thursday’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel races at Daytona (7 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the twin 60-lap races that determine the full starting lineup and running order for the 62nd running of the Daytona 500.

MORE: Every way to follow the race

Duel 1 is typically comprised from the odd-numbered drivers on the Daytona 500 qualifying speed chart — first, third, fifth, etc. Duel 2 is then the even-finishing drivers. NASCAR officials, though, ensure there are an even number of Open, non-Charter teams in each duel race.

The results of those two Duel races on Thursday will determine both the final two cars that qualify for the Daytona 500, and where there 40 cars in the field line up on the grid. The winner of Duel 1 will start the Daytona 500 in third place, second place starts fifth, and so on through the inside row. The winner of Duel 2 will start the Daytona 500 in fourth place, second place starts sixth and so on through the outside row.

There are 36 Charter teams whose spots in the Daytona 500 are guaranteed, leaving four remaining positions for Open, non-Charter teams. Justin Haley and Brendan Gaughan claimed two of those spots Sunday, locking themselves into the Daytona 500 field by virtue of being the fastest two Open cars during qualifying.

RELATED: Daytona qualifying 101

Below is the official starting lineup for each Duel race.

* denotes Open, non-Charter team

OFFICIAL DUEL 1 LINEUP

STARTING POSITION	DRIVER	TEAM
1.	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	JTG Daugherty Racing
2.	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports
3.	Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing
4.	Aric Almirola	Stewart-Haas Racing
5.	Christopher Bell	Leavine Family Racing
6.	Joey Logano	Team Penske
7.	Clint Bowyer	Stewart-Haas Racing
8.	Ryan Newman	Roush Fenway Racing
9.	Ryan Preece	JTG Daugherty Racing
10.	Chris Buescher	Roush Fenway Racing
11.	Martin Truex Jr.	Joe Gibbs Racing
12.	Brad Keselowski	Team Penske
13.	John Hunter Nemechek	Front Row Motorsports
14.	Ryan Blaney	Team Penske
15.	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress Racing
16.	Justin Haley*	Kaulig Racing*
17.	Bubba Wallace	Richard Petty Motorsports
18.	Reed Sorenson*	Premium Motorsports*
19.	Daniel Suarez*	Gaunt Brothers Racing*
20.	Quin Houff	StarCom Racing
21.	Chad Finchum*	MBM Motorsports*
22.	Joey Gase	Petty Ware Racing

OFFICIAL DUEL 2 LINEUP

STARTING POSITION	DRIVER	TEAM
1.	Alex Bowman	Hendrick Motorsports
2.	Jimmie Johnson	Hendrick Motorsports
3.	Kyle Busch	Joe Gibbs Racing
4.	William Byron	Hendrick Motorsports
5.	Erik Jones	Joe Gibbs Racing
6.	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing
7.	Cole Custer	Stewart-Haas Racing
8.	Matt DiBenedetto	Wood Brothers Racing
9.	Tyler Reddick	Richard Childress Racing
10.	Kyle Larson	Chip Ganassi Racing
11.	Kurt Busch	Chip Ganassi Racing
12.	Michael McDowell	Front Row Motorsports
13.	David Ragan	Rick Ware Racing
14.	Ross Chastain	Spire Motorsports
15.	Ty Dillon	Germain Racing
16.	Brendan Gaughan*	Beard Motorsports*
17.	Timmy Hill*	MBM Motorsports*
18.	Corey LaJoie	GO FAS Racing
19.	J.J. Yeley*	Rick Ware Racing*
20.	Brennan Poole	Premium Motorsports
21.	BJ McLeod	Rick Ware Racing

Posted on February 9, 2020February 9, 2020 by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit from in Sunday afternoon’s Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).