It’s all business for rising NASCAR K&N Pro Series star Hailie Deegan behind the wheel, but away from the track, she never misses an opportunity to create a few laughs.
In a recent trip to a grocery store, Deegan stumbled upon a cardboard version of Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 car.
In her best effort to hide underneath the car, she ran into one problem.
@keselowski I need a bigger car😂😂 pic.twitter.com/EqrZ3W1sm1
— Hailie Deegan (@HailieDeegan) July 4, 2019
Plenty of fireworks are expected in the annual Independence Day-week trip to Daytona International Speedway as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series gears up for Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (1 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Here’s everything you need to know for the Daytona night race.
RELATED: Full Daytona schedule | Who’s the favorite?
TRACK DETAILS
Daytona International Speedway is a 2.5-mile tri-oval with 31 degrees of banking in the turns and 18 degrees of banking at the start-finish line.
RULES PACKAGE
Teams will use the 2019 rules package with new tweaks specifically tailored for superspeedway racing at Daytona — the first time used at the track following restrictor plate usage at the Daytona 500. The package includes a 0.922-inch tapered spacer (replacing the restrictor plate), 9-inch rear spoiler, 1-inch bolt-on track bar mount, a tapered radiator pan, two-inch splitter overhang and aero ducts. Just as at Talladega in April, teams will use a 1-inch wicker extension placed on top of the 9-inch spoiler.
Cup Series teams also will participate with a new left-side tire compound for the Goodyear Eagle superspeedway radial, a construction update that makes its debut this weekend. The update was recommended after a two-day test at Daytona in February. Teams will be provided with two sets of tires for practice, one set for qualifying and seven sets for Sunday’s race — six race sets plus one set transferred from qualifying or practice.
“The goal was to incorporate the basic elements of the 2019 rules package into the aerodynamic configuration for the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega, so they are no longer unique in that perspective,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “With that alignment established early in the test, we took the same approach to the tires. The result was a tire combination with the same constructions we run at the intermediate tracks, married with the tread compounds run at Daytona in February.”
STATS
• Only five drivers have won the Daytona 500 and Coke Zero Sugar 400 in the same season. The last to do so was Jimmie Johnson in 2013. As a reminder, Denny Hamlin won this season’s Daytona 500.
• Three of the last four races at Daytona were won by drivers under the age of 30 — including Erik Jones last season (22 years, 1 month, 7 days) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2017 (29 years, 8 months, 29 days).
• Michael McDowell has had seven top-10 finishes in the Monster Energy Series — and six of them have come at Daytona.
• Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest superspeedway team, with 27 wins all-time at Daytona and Talladega. Richard Childress Racing is a distant second, with 18 wins.
Stats courtesy of Racing Insights
LIVE COVERAGE
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 will air on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 7. Fans can also follow along on the live leaderboard on NASCAR.com, get in-car audio on RaceView and watch in-car cameras on NASCAR Drive. Be sure to set your Fantasy Live lineup and sub in your garage pick (if needed) before the end of Stage 2 when rosters lock for good.
2018 RACE WINNER
Erik Jones led one lap of the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 — the final one. Jones passed Martin Truex Jr. on the final lap and won by .125 seconds — battling back from damage sustained in a multi-car wreck earlier in the race. In all, only 20 of the 40 cars that started the race were running at the finish, thanks to some substantial wrecks.
ACTIVE DAYTONA WINNERS
| DRIVER | WINS |
| Jimmie Johnson | 3 |
| Kevin Harvick | 2 |
| Denny Hamlin | 2 |
| David Ragan | 1 |
| Joey Logano | 1 |
| Brad Keselowski | 1 |
| Aric Almirola | 1 |
| Erik Jones | 1 |
| Ryan Newman | 1 |
| Austin Dillon | 1 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 1 |
| Kurt Busch | 1 |
| Kyle Busch | 1 |
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 42 Credit One Bank Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will race in Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway (1 p.m. ET; NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) in a unique paint scheme that pays homage to a United States military veteran.
The new design was first revealed last month in historic downtown Mooresville, North Carolina, in front of a large audience of local veterans near the Welcome Home Veterans Living Military Museum at Richard’s Coffee Shop. The coffee shop was founded in 1995 by Richard Warren, a retired U.S. Army combat pilot who toured in Vietnam. The shop, now a living military museum, is dedicated to supporting former and current service members — including the late Richard Warren who dedicated his time and resources to directly serve veterans and their families for the final 14 years of his life.
RELATED: Full Daytona schedule
Larson’s scheme for the July 7 race – the final event in the NASCAR Salutes initiative – celebrates Independence Day and pays special tribute to Warren with unique logos and decals. Warren’s name will be displayed above the right window, with the Richard’s Coffee Shop 10th Anniversary logo laid out on the decklid. A burst of red, white and gray stars and streaks line the sides.
“I’m truly honored to be a part of a team that is committed to commemorating our nation’s military veterans like Richard, who dedicated the last years of his life preserving the stories and livelihood of all veterans,” Larson said. “We hope to honor his legacy with this special paint scheme and proudly race with Richard’s name and logo.”
Credit One Bank, a dedicated sponsor of NASCAR and its initiatives, worked closely with Larson and the Chip Ganassi Racing team to organize the paint scheme reveal and highlight Warren’s legacy.
“Richard made a home for veterans at the coffee shop,” said John Coombe, senior vice president of communications, Credit One Bank. “He created a community and support system for veterans to share stories, camaraderie, and a good cup of coffee. We’re happy that Credit One Bank was able to find a fitting way to celebrate his accomplishments and the coffee shop’s anniversary today in partnership with our sponsored driver Kyle Larson.”
While in Mooresville, Larson met with veterans and local members of the community after the reveal to pose for pictures and sign autographs outside of the iconic museum. Our State, the official magazine of North Carolina, named Richard’s Coffee Shop “The Most Patriotic Coffee Shop in America.” The shop is the lone combination of a living military museum and a non-profit coffee shop in the entire U.S.
Everyone knows how thrilling a NASCAR race can be, but which race is the best?
USA Today’s 10Best.com wants to know. The website is asking fans to vote for their favorite race among all motorsports — which includes F1, IndyCar, endurance and NASCAR races. They’ve narrowed it down to 20 races, six of which are NASCAR races.
Among the NASCAR nominees:
Voting ends Monday, July 15 and the winner will be announced on 10Best.com on July 26.
Check out the current leaderboard — and start voting!
NASCAR penalized one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team and one NASCAR Xfinity Series team on Tuesday for each having one lug nut not safe and secure following the weekend’s races at Chicagoland Speedway.
The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for Monster Energy Series driver Denny Hamlin and the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford for Xfinity Series driver Cole Custer both were found with lug nut violations during post-race inspection at the track.
MORE: Biggest takeaways from Chicagoland
As a result, both crew chiefs were fined — a $10,000 fine to Chris Gabehart, crew chief of the No. 11, and a $5,000 fine to Mike Shiplett, crew chief of the No. 00.
Both series return to the track this weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
NASCAR has switched things up for this weekend’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway.
Stage lengths are going to be longer Sunday for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (1 p.m. ET; NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Stages 1 and 2 are both set to increase by 10 laps, with Stage 1 now ending on Lap 50 and Stage 2 now ending on Lap 100. As a result, the final stage will technically become shorter, coming in at just 60 laps rather than 80 since the checkered flag will still wave on Lap 160 — if all goes according to plan.
RELATED: Full Daytona schedule
The difference should prevent fuel mileage from dictating stage results.
This change comes on top of the fact drivers will also race the 2.5-mile trioval without restrictor plates for the first time since 1987. The Daytona 500 season opener, which Denny Hamlin won, saw the last of that back in February. Stages then were 60, 60 and 80 laps, with an additional seven overtime laps.
The Monster Energy Series took on Talladega Superspeedway without restrictor plates earlier this season, instead using a heightened spoiler and tapered spacers. April’s GEICO 500 broke its stages down into 55, 55 and 78 laps. Chase Elliott ended up victorious.
NASCAR first introduced its stage-racing format with the 2017 season.
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The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to Daytona International Speedway on Sunday for its traditional Fourth of July weekend shootout.
With Daytona comes excitement, yet unpredictability. This provides an incredible viewing experience, but a much more difficult environment for projecting how the race will play out.
To make my NASCAR Props Challenge picks this week, I’ll be leaning heavily on performance from recent races run at Daytona — specifically the July races held at Daytona as opposed to the season-opening Daytona 500.
This is completely a gut-feel pick, but with the playoffs fast approaching and drivers getting desperate for wins, I expect calamity late in Sunday’s race … especially on the last lap.
Pick: Yes
It’s important to remember that the July race at Daytona is 400 miles, compared to February’s Daytona 500. This has a major effect on what we can expect in terms of number of lead changes.
Looking at previous races, just one of the past seven July Daytona races has exceeded 27.5 lead changes.
Pick: Under
While stage racing has been around for only two years, neither of those two winners at Daytona in July (Erik Jones in 2018 and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2017) won stages.
Pick: No
Although each race track has provided its share of variables throughout the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, Hendrick Motorsports’ day at Chicagoland Speedway was a sign of things to come.
For the second time this season, all four drivers finished in the top 11 positions — the first coming in the Coca-Cola 600, where all drivers finished in the top 10 at 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Following Alex Bowman’s first career victory on Sunday night, No. 88 crew chief Greg Ives feels the organization’s recent growth in performance is a credit to improved synergy within the walls of the Concord, North Carolina, shop.
RELATED: Full race results
“I think we were all behind trying to think that we were smarter than all of us put together,” Ives said. “I appreciate the 48 team, the 9 team, the 24 from my camp to help bounce ideas off of and build confidence off of some of the best in the garage.”
Scoring six top 10s in the past eight races, Bowman is on a hot streak, but NASCAR’s newest winner noted that Hendrick’s uptick in speed was tough because the working balance among teammates wasn’t initially present.
“I think the hardest part was the beginning of the year we were typically finishing the best or one of the best in our team, and then the rest of our team found a lot of speed, and we struggled to find that same speed they did,” Bowman said. “That was the hardest part for me was just mentally staying patient, Greg and I staying on the same page through some of that and the struggles that come with the three other cars in the organization finding speed and us continuing to struggle.
“But Greg and I kind of sat down, got back on the same page,” Bowman said. “As soon as we did that, it was like a light switch for us over that off week to just regroup and be really good ever since then.”
RELATED: All-time winners for Hendrick Motorsports
Jimmie Johnson’s season-high fourth-place finish at Chicagoland also serves as indication that Hendrick Motorsports has come to play for good — the result backing up finishes of sixth and eighth at Kansas and Charlotte, respectively. As he and crew chief Kevin Meendering continue to find a rhythm in their first season as a pair, information sharing with the 88 team has worked in everyone’s favor.
“The 88 and 48 have been really close in setups the last few weeks,” Johnson said. “So to have us running up front, the 88 was going to be there before long. I’m happy for our company. …
“Very happy for Alex. His story of climbing up through the ranks … and taking his shot is like a working man’s story. He’s done an amazing job of whether some tough years, even at Hendrick they haven’t been easy years. I’m happy for him today, but hopefully next week is my week.”
For William Byron, the last seven races have included four top-10 finishes with two Busch Pole Awards, a sign that he and crew chief Chad Knaus are really starting to find their groove.
“We’re kind of the newest team put together here, besides Jimmie and his team,” Byron said. “I think we’re kind of neck-and-neck. It’s all part of us gaining and learning together and I think that’s really what’s coming together. This (Chicagoland) is the best mile-and-a-half performance we’ve had for this kind of race track, so I’m really excited.”
As the series heads to Daytona International Speedway for Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the playoff picture for Hendrick Motorsports drivers is looking up. While Chase Elliott and Bowman are locked into the postseason with wins, Johnson’s Chicagoland result moved him from one point below the cutoff to 14th in the standings, five points in front of Clint Bowyer on the bubble. Byron owns a little more cushion, sitting 12th in the rankings, 23 points ahead of 16th.
MORE: Full Playoffs picture
Byron feels the Hendrick momentum can continue in Daytona Beach, Florida, if the team can execute a similar game plan that saw Elliott and Bowman finish 1-2 at Talladega earlier this year.
“I’ve been able to run pretty good there (Daytona),” Byron said. “Hopefully our car is good there. I know it’s going to be fast. If we can just keep it up front and work together like we did at Talladega with all the Chevrolets, I think that’s going to be a great plan.”
Name: Aaron
Current City: Dubuque, Iowa
Member Since: 2018
Getting to know Aaron:
Q. How did you first become interested in NASCAR?
“Growing up, NASCAR is a sport my dad would have on the TV Sunday afternoons when I would rather be watching cartoons. I can remember the first race I really sat down and watched with him. The 1996 Winston. After watching just that one race I was hooked. The format and all the excitement surrounding the event piqued my interest, so I stuck around to see how it played out. The combination of watching Michael Waltrip win his first race and big names like Earnhardt, Labonte, and Jarrett mixing it up left me feeling like I needed more. A feeling that hasn’t stopped to this day.”
Q. What is your favorite NASCAR memory?
“Kevin Harvick’s run for the championship in 2014 was one of the coolest things I’ve seen as a fan. When he crashed at Martinsville I thought it was over. Harvick and his team were able to overcome when they needed to win at Phoenix and Homestead to take home the championship. Not to mention it was only his first year at Stewart-Haas Racing.
I was lucky enough to attend my first race at Martinsville that fall which made the whole championship run special for me. Watching a driver going from down and out to champion three weeks later was amazing. I’ll never forget the crowd that day at Martinsville. It was electric after Dale Earnhardt Jr. went to Victory Lane for the first time at Martinsville. The best post-race celebration I’ve ever seen hands down. I’m proud to say I was able to witness the whole event in person.”
Q: Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?
Sponsor: “Jimmy John’s. They make some delicious sandwiches all while supporting my favorite driver and sport. The #14 with hot peppers, cucumbers, and onions is second to none.”
At-Track Snack: “The Martinsville hot dog is on the top of my list, but Darlington opened my eyes to the Pimento Cheese Sandwich last year.”
Q. What are some of your hobbies?
“A good part of my free time is spent following NASCAR and other forms of racing including IndyCar and F1. I also enjoy following the NHL (go Flyers!) and taking care of my house and cars. Most importantly I enjoy spending time with my family and friends which can occasionally interrupt NASCAR Sunday afternoons.”
FROM ALL OF US AT NASCAR, WE THANK AARON FOR HIS CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HIM IN 2019!
Look for Aaron on the Official NASCAR Fan Council page on NASCAR.COM.
Alex Bowman’s celebration of his first Monster Energy Series victory ended early — early, as in when most folks are waking up for their Monday morning commute.
Bowman foreshadowed a wild party after claiming his first premier series win Sunday evening at Chicagoland Speedway. After arriving back in North Carolina following the rain-delayed Camping World 400, Bowman posted a picture with his hearty revelers with the Monday sun rising.
To everybody who doubted… pic.twitter.com/m3jwiNyM6s
— Alex Bowman (@AlexBowman88) July 1, 2019
After holding off Kyle Larson in a fierce battle in the final laps, Bowman hinted he had a plan for the celebration, but couldn’t quite reveal all. “For me it’s really about enjoying this with my group of friends back home …,” Bowman said. “Hopefully the whole team will want to come over.”
UPDATE:
I have a lot of unread text messages and my head hurts 😆🤦🏻♂️
— Alex Bowman (@Alex_Bowman) July 1, 2019
