Posted on by Reid Spencer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Joey Logano grabbed the lead on the final lap of the first Bluegreen Vacations Duel 150-mile qualifying race Thursday at Daytona International Speedway and held on for the win, but a wreck at the halfway point dashed Daniel Suarez’s prospects of competing in his first Daytona 500 with his new team Gaunt Brothers Racing.

In the second Duel, William Byron made a late charge to edge Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson for the victory by .117 seconds and will start fourth in Monday’s Daytona 500 (4 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The victory in the qualifier was Byron’s first win of any kind in the NASCAR Cup Series and his first after teaming with seven-time champion crew chief Chad Knaus last year. Logano won his Duel for the second straight year.

MORE: Joey Logano brings it home for Duel 1 victory

Logano led four times for 22 laps in the first Duel, but the real drama occurred on Lap 30, when Suarez’s No. 96 Toyota tangled with Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford as a contingent of Fords was trying to exit the banking onto pit road. Suarez tried to shoot a gap between Blaney in the outside lane and Brad Keselowski on the bottom, only to have Blaney turn down the track.

Contact between the two cars turned Suarez’s Camry sideways and launched him nose-first into the outside wall, destroying the car. With Suarez out of the race, 18th-place finisher Reed Sorenson transferred into the Monday’s Daytona 500 based on the speed he posted in last Sunday’s time trials.

RELATED: Projected Daytona 500 lineup | Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 results

“There was not communication,” said a disconsolate Suarez. “The 2 car (Keselowski) all of a sudden started to slow down, and obviously it was either wreck him or go to the right, and I thought the 12 (Blaney) was going to give me a little more room, but obviously he didn’t.

“The 2 car, he started getting his hand out of the window super, super late (to signal a pit stop), and I didn’t see him. When I started going out, the 12 was there.”

MORE: Crash dashes Daniel Suarez’s Daytona 500 hopes

After repairs on pit road, Blaney was able to continue and finished 14th.

“I guess, if you wound it, try not to kill it,” Blaney said. “We got lucky. We should have never been in that spot in the first place. It was just an error on my part and kind of a little lack of communication that didn’t end well.”

Daytona 500 pole winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. led the field to green and was out front four times for 27 laps. After leading laps 58 and 59 of 60, Stenhouse was shuffled back on the inside lane on the final circuit as second-place finisher Aric Almirola pushed Logano to the front.

RELATED: Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 results

“It feels so good,” said Logano, who will line up third behind in the Daytona 500 after winning the race that determines the starting order on the inside row. “Obviously, it’s the Duels, not the Daytona 500, but momentum is momentum. (Spotter) T.J. (Majors) does such a great job up on the roof understanding the draft.”

Logano got his first win with new crew chief Paul Wolfe after an offseason personnel shakeup at Team Penske.

“I’ve been working with this new group here,” Logano said. “They’ve been working together, but I’m new with them, and it’s been a good partnership so far. It’s been pretty seamless working out some of the kinks last week (in the Busch Clash) and being able to come to Victory Lane at Daytona.

“Winning anything at Daytona is such a big deal.”

Ryan Newman finished third in the first Duel, followed by Keselowski, as Fords swept the top four positions. Bubba Wallace completed the top five in a Chevrolet.

The first caution in the second Duel signaled the demise of another Daytona 500 hopeful. Contact from Corey LaJoie’s Ford turned JJ Yeley’s Mustang into the backstretch wall and ended his hopes of racing on Sunday.

MORE: JJ Yeley wrecks after contact with Corey LaJoie

Yeley’s hard wreck gave the transfer spot into the Great American Race to Timmy Hill, who will make his first start in NASCAR’s most prestigious race on Sunday.

A strong push from Kurt Busch propelled Byron to the lead with three laps left in the second Duel, and Byron stayed out front the rest of the way, with Johnson surging into second on the final circuit.

Kyle Larson took the third spot, as Chevrolets swept the podium positions. Kevin Harvick, who led three times for a race-high 34 laps, ran fourth, followed by his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, Sunoco rookie Cole Custer.

In the closing laps, the Chevrolets ganged up on Harvick and Matt DiBenedetto, who pushed Harvick’s No. 4 Ford for much of the race. On Lap 57, Byron and Kurt Busch got a strong run to the outside that Harvick couldn’t block.

“No, there wasn’t any Chevy orders or anything like that,” Byron said. “We just did a good job of working together. Kurt was a great pusher and great helper. I really had a lot of trust in him. I was really trying to go with one (lap) to go, but I had enough momentum out of the tri-oval.

“Watching the old races, that’s where the momentum kind of lines up. I didn’t know if I would get that kind of same momentum once everybody started pushing with one to go. Made it there, got to second. I guess Kevin played really nice and didn’t pull a big block… Excited for the 500.”

To Harvick, discretion was the better part of valor.

“When they’re coming that fast, it’s putting a lot of risk out there to block,” Harvick said. “We have seen how that works out. We had a great car tonight. The guys did a great job. We were able to get onto pit road and had a great pit stop and put ourselves in position to have a chance there. Matt D was a heck of a pusher.

“It was kind of two against the rest of those Chevrolets, and we held our own tonight. We have some fast Ford Mustangs.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Looking frustrated and disappointed, Daniel Suarez emerged from the Daytona International Speedway’s infield care center Thursday after his early exit from the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 qualifying race — a fateful outcome that cost him a position in Monday’s Daytona 500 (4 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

While trying to avoid a pitting Brad Keselowski, Suarez’s No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota collided with Keselowski’s Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney only 30 laps into the Daytona 500 qualifying race. Suarez’s car slid down into the track’s infield grass and sustained enough damage to end his bid to earn a position in the sport’s big race.

After a mandatory medical exam by doctors, Suarez paused briefly to speak to reporters. And he did not mince words.

RELATED: Full Daytona weekend schedule

“I don’t know if the 2 (Keselowski) was going to pit or everyone else was going to pit or what the deal was,” Suarez said. “The 2 put his hand out the window, and when I saw that he started slowing down, I moved to the right to avoid him but the 12 didn’t give me enough room.

“All those secret calls they don’t work.

“There’s a lot of frustration and a broken heart because I’ve been working my butt off to try to make this happen and it doesn’t work.”

Suarez moved to the No. 96 only a month ago after learning he would not be retained by Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of 2019. His new Gaunt Brothers team didn’t have an automatic berth in the Daytona 500, and Suarez entered Thursday night’s race needing to finish ahead of three others — Justin Haley, Reed Sorenson and Chad Finchum — to earn a starting position in the 500. For much of the early race he was on pace to do so — running 10th before the first round of pit stops — the top Toyota and well in front of the three drivers he needed to beat.

A series of green-flag pit stops just before his accident put Suarez behind the threesome he needed to better — but they still had to pit, meaning Suarez would likely have cycled back around. Unfortunately for the team, he never got the chance.

Suarez’s spotter Steve Barkdoll apologized to his team via radio communication insisting in the moments after the crash that the Penske team’s own spotters didn’t know their cars were going to pit at that point. He noted, and later so did Suarez, that the team was calling their pit stops on “secretive” radio channels and that the communication failed.

Ultimately, Team Penske’s Joey Logano won the race. Keselowski finished fourth and Blaney was 14th. Haley was best (17th) among the four drivers needing to still make the Daytona 500 field and Reed Sorenson, who finished 18th, got onto the starting grid via qualifying speed.

“My spotter was high-pitched to say the least,” Sorenson said when his spotter told him his competitor Suarez had been eliminated.

“Now I can enjoy the moment and the weekend,” he conceded.

PHOTOS: Best of the Daytona weekend

Posted on by Staff Report

Inclement weather in the Daytona Beach area has delayed the start of Thursday night’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona International Speedway (live coverage on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Duel at Daytona starting lineups

Light rain hit the 2.5-mile superspeedway around 6:30 p.m. ET with increasing intensity toward the official green-flag time of 7:20 p.m. ET, forcing teams to bring the cars back onto pit road.

A fleet of 18 Air Titans, 12 jet dryers, two vacuums and one sweeper are on deck for track-drying efforts.

Daytona 500 Busch Pole Award winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Chase Elliott are set to start on the front row for Duel No. 1, while Daytona 500 second-place starter Alex Bowman and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson are on the front row for Duel No. 2.

NASCAR.com will continue to monitor the weather situation and provide further updates once they become available.

Posted on by Track Release

Reserved tickets for the 62nd annual DAYTONA 500, the tradition-rich, prestigious season-opening event for the NASCAR Cup Series, are sold out, Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile announced today. This is the fifth consecutive year that the DAYTONA 500 has sold out.

This year’s DAYTONA 500 will be attended by fans representing 48 different countries and every state in the United States.

RELATED: Full Daytona 500 weekend schedule

“The DAYTONA 500 is one of the greatest events in sports and will unfold in front of a packed house,” Wile said. “We have the most loyal and passionate fans in sports and we are forever grateful for their support. We look forward to another thrilling edition of “The Great American Race” as we kick off the new NASCAR season.”

Premium hospitality, infield admissions and UNOH Fanzone/Pre-Race access still remain for the DAYTONA 500 and are available at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans looking to purchase reserved seats are encouraged to visit SeatGeek.com, the preferred online resale marketplace of the DAYTONA 500.

Tickets for the 63rd annual DAYTONA 500 scheduled for Feb. 14, 2021 are already available for purchase. It’s the earliest that DAYTONA 500 tickets have been available to the public in event history. Tickets for the 2021 DAYTONA 500 will start at $99 and payment plans are available.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat, and by downloading Daytona International Speedway’s mobile app, for the latest news throughout the year.

Posted on by Press Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 14, 2020) – To honor the legacy of the sport’s founding family, NASCAR today announced that the Bill France Cup will be awarded to the champion of the NASCAR Cup Series, beginning in 2020.

The renamed trophy pays tribute to Bill France Sr., who founded NASCAR in 1947, as well as his son, Bill France Jr., who elevated the sport to a national phenomenon as the sanctioning body’s chief executive from 1972 to 2003.

“As the sport ushers in a new era, it’s fitting that my father’s name is associated with the highest mark of excellence in our sport,” said Jim France, NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “My father and brother’s vision for NASCAR has been realized, many times over, as millions of fans follow and engage each week with the best racing in the world.”

The Bill France Cup, created by Jostens, will maintain the size and shape of last year’s championship trophy and will feature outlines of the 24 NASCAR Cup Series race tracks that comprise the 2020 season schedule. The trophy design will be updated as the race schedule evolves, and new tracks are introduced to NASCAR Cup Series competition.

Bill France Sr. spearheaded NASCAR from its beginning and directed it to its current role as the world’s largest stock car racing organization. Born in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 26, 1909, he came to Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1934. In 1947, France became the driving force behind the establishment of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The new organization was called NASCAR, resulting from a famous meeting at the Streamline Hotel on A1A in Daytona Beach – a structure that stands to this day as a racing landmark.

Things moved quickly in the 1950s and 1960s for NASCAR. As the sanctioning body’s first president, France built two superspeedways that came to personify the sport – 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway and 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Bill Sr. passed away in 1992 at the age of 82.

Bill France Jr. is remembered as the man who followed his visionary father at NASCAR’s helm, in the process becoming a visionary himself as he guided NASCAR to unprecedented levels of popularity. France, who passed away in June 2007 at the age of 74, grew up in the formative years of stock car racing, living and learning every detail of the sport from his own experiences, and those of his father.

Bill Jr. became NASCAR’s president in January 1972, replacing his father and becoming only the second president of the world’s largest auto racing sanctioning body. His emergence coincided with the sport’s emergence, and its eventual ascent to become America’s No. 1 form of motorsports.

For more information on the NASCAR Cup Series and images of the inaugural Bill France Cup, please visit NASCAR.com.

Posted on by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Blocking on superspeedways isn’t new. Spin your television dial back to the 1979 Daytona 500, when Donnie Allison famously crowded Cale Yarborough, and broadcaster Ken Squier can be heard lamenting, “They threw the block. It didn’t work” on the cooldown lap.

Forty-plus years and many aero packages later, it’s still not exactly working. Last year’s NASCAR Cup Series opener was a battle of attrition, with just 19 of the 40 starters running at the finish. Sunday’s Busch Clash went to another level, with all 18 cars listed on the accident tally sheet and the half-dozen finishers all affected by some level of crash damage.

RELATED: Jones wins hectic Busch Clash

Decades beyond the Yarborough-Allison tussle, Squier’s words still resound as true. As this the Daytona 500 (set to resume Monday at 4 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM) ticks closer, predictions of further chaos caused by bad blocks gone wrong have elevated the pre-race tension.

“I think it will be more of the same. You are going to have to survive,” said Kevin Harvick, the 2007 race winner. “I think survival will be more talked about this year than any year in the past. We have all been programmed to block and do things with the old package for so many years and this is not the old package.”

It hasn’t been, not since competition officials shifted away from restrictor plates last season as the required method to slow cars at the sport’s biggest ovals — Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Cars now produce a targeted 550 horsepower — an increase over the previous plate-track output — but those gains are offset by larger spoilers and other aerodynamic baffles.

The result is an increase in speeds, but also cars that punch a larger hole in the way they cut through the air. Momentum and the closing rate from an aerodynamic push are now far more pronounced, so much so that a strong leading car is no longer able to easily block those advances and control the top spot.

That combination of factors left the field for the Clash exhibition in a smoldering heap as the laps wound down. When Joey Logano’s aggressive block of Kyle Busch’s charge went awry, six cars — including the dominant No. 2 Ford of Logano teammate Brad Keselowski — were swept into the fray. A succession of three more multicar crack-ups followed, with some form of pushing and blocking figuring into the cause.

During Wednesday’s Media Day at the track, Keselowski had simmered from his post-crash rant, but still dourly estimated the odds of finishing Sunday’s 500 without incident at 25 percent. He then echoed Squier’s long-ago words with a current-day critique.

“I don’t know how you couldn’t know, but it doesn’t seem to change the behaviors, which is mind-boggling to me,” Keselowski said. “You can’t win races that you’re not running at the finish of and when you’re making double and triple blocks with the closing rates that the cars have right now someone is going to the care center, more likely than not it’s gonna be the car that started the block. So it seems strange to me to make a move that had almost 100 percent certainty of not working, that everyone can see.

MORE: Daytona Speedweeks schedule

“The same moves are being made over and over again and it’s the definition of insanity, but it is what it is and as it affects us, we just try to survive it and not be the one to cause our own demise.”

Changing behaviors won’t happen overnight, even though the specter of a longer, points-paying race would seem to have a calming influence. But rooting and gouging for position and trying to keep freight-train levels of momentum in check are the current rules of engagement.

“People are gonna block. I’m gonna block. We’re all gonna do it,” said Aric Almirola, whose final-lap block of Austin Dillon turned gnarly two years ago. “We’re all gonna make aggressive moves. We’re all gonna do everything we can to try to win the race. That’s what we get paid to do. Sometimes the block or the move is risky, sometimes it’s calculated, whatever you want to call it, but we’re going 200 miles an hour inches apart and mistakes happen, accidents happen. The unfortunate part is when accidents happen here and Talladega, they usually cause a big mess.”

Posted on by Staff Report

United States President Donald Trump will attend Sunday’s 62nd running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

“The Daytona 500 is one of the greatest events in sports and the prestigious season-opening event to the NASCAR Cup Series,” track president Chip Wile said in a statement. “Daytona International Speedway has been privileged to have hosted several sitting Presidents of the United States over our history. We’re honored that the President of the United States has chosen to experience the pageantry and excitement of ‘The Great American Race’ by attending Sunday’s 62nd annual Daytona 500.”

Previously, Ronald Reagan attended the 1984 July race at Daytona, which was Richard Petty’s 200th career Cup Series win.

George H.W. Bush also attended a summer Daytona race, in 1992. George W. Bush attended the 2004 Daytona 500, won by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 13, 2020) – Ahead of the iconic DAYTONA 500, NASCAR and Verizon announced today a multi-year partnership to modernize 12 NASCAR-owned race tracks and bring race fans, drivers and teams improved connectivity to enhance the at-track experience. The partnership designates Verizon as the Official Wireless Telecommunications and 5G Mobility Partner of NASCAR, as well as the Official At-Track Wi-Fi Partner of 12 NASCAR-owned race tracks. As part of this agreement, Verizon will work with NASCAR to upgrade its in-venue wireless communications service, starting with delivering improved Wi-Fi service in 12 racetracks, over the next three years.

“There’s nothing like the thrill and excitement of attending a NASCAR race and now there are more ways than ever to capture and share that experience,” said Craig Neeb, executive vice president and chief innovation officer, NASCAR. “Partnering with Verizon will offer fans the benefits of reliable in-venue connectivity as we usher in a new era for our sport.”

“The thousands of fans attending NASCAR events across the country need reliable connectivity to share and send photos and videos of races in real-time, stay up-to-date on their favorite drivers, and connect with fellow fans inside and outside the track,” said George Fischer, Senior Vice President, 5G Ecosystems and Alliances for Verizon Business Group. “As the official wireless provider for NASCAR, we are looking forward to enhancing the fan experience today and working together to revolutionize the future of the racing experience for drivers and fans.”

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off with the 62nd annual DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM. 

Posted on by Jonathan Merryman

The 2006 Daytona 500 had more ups and downs than an Orlando theme park roller-coaster for Jimmie Johnson.

Johnson’s crew chief Chad Knaus was suspended after a post-qualifying infraction and the long road to a Daytona 500 victory for the No. 48 team started from scratch with fill-in pit boss Darian Grubb.

RELATED: 2006 Daytona 500 race results | See every Daytona 500 winner

The day would end differently than the week had started for the Grubb and Johnson. On Lap 108, the future seven-time champion took the lead for the first time. After swapping it back and forth in the latter quarter of the race, Johnson survived a green-white-checkered finish to beat the odds and win his first Daytona 500.

Tbt 2006daytona500
Harris Lue | NASCAR Creative Design

After the race in Victory Lane, Johnson addressed the tough week and said “I wish Chad Knaus was here! I know he’s kicking his TV set in right now. He’s so bummed out.” Johnson would win a second Daytona 500 in 2013 and is one of two active drivers with multiple Daytona 500 wins.

Relive the payoff to Jimmie and Chad’s tough week at Daytona in 2006 with this classic full race replay.

Posted on by Staff Report

 The Bluegreen Vacations Duels are a pair of preseason qualifying races that determine a large portion of the field and starting lineup for the 2020 season-opening Daytona 500 (Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX/FOX Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Check out the programming schedule, how the Duels work and how the Daytona 500 lineup is set.

When is Daytona 500 qualifying?

Sunday’s single-car qualifying (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX) for the Daytona 500 allows all 43 cars on the entry list to take a single timed lap at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Only the top two qualifiers have their position locked in for the “Great American Race,” though. The top two fastest speeds are guaranteed to start 1-2; the rest of the lineup will be set via the results of Thursday’s Bluegreen Vacations Duels.

MORE: Every way to follow the race

What is the Duels format?

There are two separate Duel races, each being 60 laps for 150 miles in length. The race lineup for each of the Duels is determined by qualifying speeds from Sunday’s single-lap Daytona 500 qualifying session, with drivers ranking first, third, fifth, etc. on odd number positions making up the lineup of Duel 1 and the even-finishing positions making up the lineup for Duel 2.

How do the Duels set the Daytona 500 lineup?

The front row for the Daytona 500 is determined by the two fastest single-lap qualifying runs from the initial session. The Duels determine where teams will line up for the majority of the remaining spots on the starting grid.

For the start of “The Great American Race,” drivers competing in the first Duel race will line up on the inside row (odd-numbered starting positions) based on the order in which they finish the Duels, and the drivers in the second Duel are placed on the outside row (even-numbered starting positions) in the same order for the Daytona 500.

Note: All Charter teams are guaranteed spots in the Daytona 500.

RELATED: 2020 drivers | Daytona 500 Hub

Can Open Teams make the Daytona 500?

Open slots in the Daytona 500 are filled by the two best finishing Open Teams (one from each race) in their respective Duels. If there are any starting positions remaining to be filled upon completion of the Duels, the remaining positions will be filled in order based on final qualifying results.

How important are the Duels for drivers locked into the front row?

The Duels are the first chance to earn points in the NASCAR Cup Series standings heading into the first race of the season, essentially rewarding good performances with a slight leg up before the season-opener. The top 10 drivers from each Duel earn those points.

While the front row drivers are a lock after the qualifying session, those drivers will need to avoid major damage, engine failures or other major mechanical issues to keep their starting position for the Daytona 500.

How are points awarded?

Points are awarded in a similar manner as stage points, seen throughout the 36 races during the Cup Series season. The winner of each Duel will be awarded 10 points, the second-place driver will gain nine points and continue this trend down to the 10th-place driver, who will get the final point.

 What happens if the Duels are rained out?

If both Duels are canceled due to weather conditions, NASCAR officials will determine the four Open teams that would advance based on qualifying results.

If only the second Duel is canceled, the highest-finishing Open Team from the first Duel will earn a spot on the starting grid, while the remaining three Open slots will be filled based on qualifying results.

In the event of a complete rainout of the Duels where the event is not rescheduled, the full field will be set according to the NASCAR Rule Book.