Gaughan, Kligerman use late-race maneuvers to earn final Daytona 500 spots

Posted on February 14, 2019February 14, 2019 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Parker Kligerman didn’t earn a chance to hoist a trophy in Daytona International Speedway Victory Lane in Thursday night’s Gander RV Duel at Daytona, but he celebrated a 12th-place finish as if it was a win nonetheless.

For all intents and purposes, it was.

Kligerman’s No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota Camry was best among those having to race their way to a transfer spot in the opening Duel qualifying race and earned a starting position into Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Brendan Gaughan finished 15th in the second Duel to earn the other starting spot still up for grabs on the Daytona 500 grid. Ryan Truex, who finished 14th in the first Duel and Joey Gase, who finished 20th in the second, did not qualify for this year’s 40-car 500 field.

Immediately after his race, Kligerman stopped by Truex’s car on pit road and spoke with his friend before heading to the media center.

“First of all, I have to thank Kyle Busch, for us linking that TRD Toyota power together,” Kligerman said of the draft help he got from Busch to make his way forward in the field.

“Without him, there’s no way I get by [Tyler] Reddick. Truex was doing the right things in terms of lagging back. He knows if the 31 (Reddick) is in front of me, he’s in the 500. That was impressive.

“Here is the crazy thing. A year ago, I watched this race. I felt like I’d probably never get a chance to be in this race again. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, I’m doing pit reporting during the Daytona 24 Hour. Now I’m sitting up here talking to you guys as a guy that that just made the Daytona 500.

“It means the world to me. This is a pretty good deal.”

It will be the second Daytona 500 start for Kligerman and first since 2014 when he started 41st and finished 29th, his day ending in an accident.

This will be the fourth Daytona 500 start for Gaughan, who finished a career-best 11th in 2017.

“I always come off as a class clown, but I haven’t been that nervous in a long time getting behind the wheel of a race car,” said Gaughan, who drives the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. “The Beard family put so much into this and we come here to run very well, not run like that.

“You’ve got to have discretion of valor, you’ve got to make do with what you have to make do with. I had to change strategies on the fly. Darren Shaw, my crew chief and Ron Lewis, my spotter did a great job.

“Thank you, Corey LaJoie. He just kind of stuck right in there with us on that pit stop and that’s what got us in this position, so thank you guys. We’ll see you at the Daytona 500.”

Posted on February 14, 2019February 14, 2019 by Staff Report

Heading into Thursday’s Gander RV Duel races at Daytona, we already knew the front row for Sunday’s Daytona 500 main event — Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron is on the Busch Pole, and teammate Alex Bowman will start second when the green flag drops Feb. 17 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

We also knew that the dual 60-lap races would set the remainder of the running order.

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 six Open, non-charter teams compete for the final four spots.

Following the Gander RV Duel races, here is the official Daytona 500 starting lineup.

* indicates one of the four open teams that made the field.

Starting Position	Driver	Team
1.	William Byron	Hendrick Motorsports
2.	Alex Bowman	Hendrick Motorsports
3.	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing
4.	Joey Logano	Team Penske
5.	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Roush Fenway Racing
6.	Clint Bowyer	Stewart-Haas Racing
7.	Paul Menard	Wood Brothers Racing
8.	Aric Almirola	Stewart-Haas Racing
9.	Matt DiBenedetto	Leavine Family Racing
10.	Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing
11.	Martin Truex Jr.	Joe Gibbs Racing
12.	Kurt Busch	Chip Ganassi Racing
13	Bubba Wallace	Richard Petty Motorsports
14.	Ryan Blaney	Team Penske
15.	Chris Buescher	JTG Daugherty Racing
16.	Jamie McMurray	Spire Motorsports
17.	Jimmie Johnson	Hendrick Motorsports
18.	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports
19.	Ryan Newman	Roush Fenway Racing
20.	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress Racing
21.	Ryan Preece	JTG Daugherty Racing
22.	Ty Dillon	Germain Racing
23.	Daniel Suarez	Stewart-Haas Racing
24.	David Ragan	Front Row Motorsports
25.	Parker Kligerman*	Gaunt Brothers Racing
26.	Kyle Larson	Chip Ganassi Racing
27.	Landon Cassill	Starcom Racing
28.	Erik Jones	Joe Gibbs Racing
29.	Daniel Hemric	Richard Childress Racing
30.	Brendan Gaughan*	Beard Motorsports
31.	Kyle Busch	Joe Gibbs Racing
32.	Corey LaJoie	GO FAS Racing
33.	Matt Tifft	Front Row Motorsports
34.	Michael McDowell	Front Row Motorsports
35.	Brad Keselowski	Team Penske
36.	Ross Chastain	Premium Motorsports
37.	Cody Ware	Rick Ware Racing
38.	BJ McLeod	Petty Ware Racing
39.	Tyler Reddick*	Richard Childress Racing
40.	Casey Mears*	Germain Racing

Posted on February 14, 2019February 14, 2019 by Staff Report

A power move on the final lap earned Joey Logano victory in the second race of Thursday night’s Gander RV Duel at Daytona International Speedway.

Logano pulled out of line heading into Turn 1 on the white-flag lap and with help from Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney, was able to pull past Clint Bowyer coming out of Turn 2. Logano will start fourth in Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“You have the whole race to think about making a move, and we were all out there just waiting,” Logano said. “Everyone behind me really wanted to go, and I just knew that I had to wait. The later you can do it, the less the risk if it doesn’t work. I got a good run from the 12 (Blaney) behind me and went to the bottom and got a good run.

“Was able to side-draft the 10 (Almirola) and pull him back and just barely get enough to break that plane in front of the 14 and clear him up. From there I was just blocking to the finish. My spotter, TJ (Majors), did a great job feeding me all the information I needed to make a decision.”

Bowyer was able to salvage a second-place finish after dominating much of the race, leading 41 of the 60 total circuits. Aric Almirola finished third, followed by Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch to round out the top-five finishers.

Brendan Gaughan raced his way into the Daytona 500, edging out Joey Gase with a 16th-place finish. Gase finished 19th and will not compete on Sunday.

Alex Bowman, flanking Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron on the front row for Sunday’s race, led the first 11 laps of the second race after starting on pole. Bowman, like Byron in the first race, elected to protect the No. 88 Chevrolet from potential disaster to ensure his starting spot — barring any mishap in this weekend’s practice sessions — finishing 13th.

The next on-track action for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is Friday’s third practice at 1 p.m. ET on FS1.

Below are full results from the second Duel race:

Finish	Driver	Team
1.	Joey Logano	Team Penske
2.	Clint Bowyer	Stewart-Haas Racing
3.	Aric Almirola	Stewart-Haas Racing
4.	Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing
5.	Kurt Busch	Chip Ganassi Racing
6.	Ryan Blaney	Team Penske
7.	Jamie McMurray	Spire Motorsports
8.	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports
9.	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress Racing
10.	Ty Dillon	Germain Racing
11.	David Ragan	Front Row Motorsports
12.	Kyle Larson	Chip Ganassi Racing
13	Alex Bowman	Hendrick Motorsports
14.	Erik Jones	Joe Gibbs Racing
15.	Brendan Gaughan	Beard Motorsports
16.	Corey LaJoie	GO FAS Racing
17.	Casey Mears	Germain Racing
18.	Michael McDowell	Front Row Motorsports
19.	Ross Chastain	Premium Motorsports
20.	Joey Gase	Motorsports Business Management
21.	BJ McLeod	Petty Ware Racing

Gander RV Duel No. 1

Kevin Harvick led the final 44 laps to take victory in the first race of Thursday night’s Gander RV Duel at Daytona International Speedway.

Harvick will unofficially start third in Sunday’s 61st annual Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), holding off fellow Ford Performance drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Paul Menard in the final circuits for the win.

“I’m just glad we finally came out on the right side of this, and everything’s not tore up,” said Harvick, who had finished fourth, third and second in his previous three Daytona qualifying races.

Stenhouse Jr. finished second with Menard right behind in third. New Leavine Family Racing driver Matt DiBenedetto finished fourth, followed by Martin Truex Jr. in fifth.

The biggest action of the night occurred on Lap 35 when Kyle Busch spun as a result of contact from Jimmie Johnson. The left-rear quarter panel of Busch’s No. 18 Toyota was clipped by the right-front bumper of the Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet coming out of Turn 2, sending Busch for a spin down the backstretch. Luckily, Busch was able to avoid damage and pitted for four fresh Goodyear tires.

Parker Kligerman raced his way into the Daytona 500 after a close final-lap battle with Tyler Reddick and Ryan Truex. Kligerman finished in 12th place, while Reddick and Truex finished 13th and 14th, respectively. Truex came up short of making the 40-car field.

VIDEO: Kligerman: Making Daytona 500 ‘means the world to me’

Daytona 500 pole winner William Byron started the race on pole position alongside Hendrick Motorsports teammate Johnson, electing to lead the first 15 laps prior to the first round of pit stops. As the racing for position ramped up with 25 laps remaining, the 2018 Sunoco Rookie of the Year dropped to the back of the field to avoid any potential incidents and protect the No. 24 Chevrolet for Sunday.

Finish	Driver	Team
1.	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing
2.	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Roush Fenway Racing
3.	Paul Menard	Wood Brothers Racing
4.	Matt DiBenedetto	Leavine Family Racing
5.	Martin Truex Jr.	Joe Gibbs Racing
6.	Bubba Wallace	Richard Petty Motorsports
7.	Chris Buescher	JTG Daugherty Racing
8.	Jimmie Johnson	Hendrick Motorsports
9.	Ryan Newman	Roush Fenway Racing
10.	Ryan Preece	JTG Daugherty Racing
11.	Daniel Suarez	Stewart-Haas Racing
12.	Parker Kligerman	Gaunt Brothers Racing
13.	Tyler Reddick	Richard Childress Racing
14.	Ryan Truex	Tommy Baldwin Racing
15.	Landon Cassill	Starcom Racing
16.	William Byron	Hendrick Motorsports
17.	Daniel Hemric	Richard Childress Racing
18.	Kyle Busch	Joe Gibbs Racing
19.	Matt Tifft	Front Row Motorsports
20.	Brad Keselowski	Team Penske
21.	Cody Ware	Rick Ware Racing

Contributing: NASCAR Wire Service

Posted on February 14, 2019February 14, 2019 by

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Several additional cycles around Daytona International Speedway couldn’t thaw Kyle Busch’s frosty reaction to his Lap 35 collision with Jimmie Johnson in Thursday’s first Gander RV Duel.

“He ran into me, dude. Flat out. Watch the television. What else do you want?” Busch said on pit road after finishing 18th of 21 cars. “… I don’t know why. You gotta open your eyeballs and see where the (expletive) you’re going, that’s about all I can say.”

“The (expletive)’s destroyed. Vibrated the whole rest of the race and it was a turd. I couldn’t even keep up with the slow cars.”

Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet tapped the left rear tire of Busch’s No. 18 just past the halfway point of the 60-lap event, sending the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota spinning. Busch stopped just short of the grass and didn’t make additional contact with other cars.

Johnson issued an apology on his radio immediately to Busch, who offered his own response.

“I don’t want to (expletive) hear it,” Busch radioed to his team. “Use his damn eyeballs. It’s twice he’s done the same thing in two (expletive) races.”

Busch’s comments were directed at Johnson’s wreck with then-leader Paul Menard in Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona, which triggered a multi-car melee. Johnson won the event, while Menard was scored 13th of 20 cars and sustained heavy, race-ending damage

The No. 21 driver’s post-wreck comments indicated that he wasn’t happy with Johnson.

“Jimmie pulled down, I moved down a little bit, and the next thing I knew I’m getting turned in the left rear,” Menard said after the wreck. “Jimmie does that a lot at these tracks. It’s unfortunate.”

Menard and Johnson said at Daytona 500 Media Day that they talked and had moved on from Sunday’s incident. While Johnson and Busch didn’t converse on pit road right away Thursday, Johnson — who finished eighth in Duel 1 — said that he’ll talk to Busch “as soon as (he) can.”

The Hendrick Motorsports driver expressed additional remorse for the incident with Busch after the race. He also maintained that while the Clash collision was a “racing incident,” Thursday’s incident with Busch was a mistake on his part.

“I just got it wrong. Clearly,” he said. “We got three-wide and I just kind of misjudged that situation in being three-wide and trying to tuck in behind Kyle. Unfortunately, just turned him around. Apologies to he and his team and I know that is not what they wanted with their 500 car, but I just got it wrong there …”

“I hate when that stuff happens. There’s not much else I can do unfortunately, but I’m just really happy they didn’t get in the fence and it doesn’t appear that they have to go to a backup car.”

The No. 18 camp will aim to not go to a backup car for Sunday’s Daytona 500, as the team will look to repair the damages, Busch said.

“It doesn’t need to be a backup,” he said. “We’ve just got to figure out if putting the hood on it is going to pick the pace back up or not.”

Posted on February 14, 2019April 1, 2021 by Staff Report

NEW SMYRNA, Fla. — The World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing is well-known for two marquee Tour Type Modified events — the John Blewett 76 Memorial and the Richie Evans 100.

Wednesday, during the 53rd running of the prestigious week of racing at New Smyrna Speedway, Matt Hirschman picked up his second straight Blewett Memorial win.

Hirschman passed Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year contender Ryan Preece on a restart with 15 laps to go, and even though Preece had one more shot at him on a separate restart, it was Hirschman who pulled away to pick up the checkered flag in the memorial event.

“Just like old times with Ryan Preece,” Hirschman said. “Tonight, though, I was no fan of Ryan Preece. I wanted to beat him. We’ve done this many times before. It’s two years in a row we have won this race.”

It hasn’t really been the best of weeks for Hirschman. Monday, he opened the five nights of racing by finishing second to Doug Coby. But, Tuesday, Hirschman was caught up in a wreck and found himself at the track after hours — and early this morning — piecing the car back together.

“We really worked hard after blowing the right-front off, we had grinders, welders, tape measures and all out,” Hirschman said. “We are going to go out on adrenaline and celebrate this one tonight, but, we are going to hit the pillow hard. We are all tired. But it was well worth it.”

Preece, who was the fastest qualifier for the second straight night, lined up to the outside of the front row for the green following the invert of two. However, he jumped by Hirschman early, and was passed by five-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby for the lead on lap two. Preece took the top spot back on lap 27, and led until 61, when Hirschman ultimately took the advantage.

It was the final Modified race of the week for Preece as he now turns his attention to the 61st annual Daytona 500 just up the road at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday. He slid back late in the race and ultimately finished ninth.

“The right-front (tire) is gone, so it couldn’t turn, usually we wear the right-rear, but I destroyed the right-front,” Preece told Short Track Scene. “I felt like I was holding a good pace. I was conserving the entire race. Once we lost the lead, it was just difficult because you end up abusing it that much more.”

The Ryan Preece pit area was pretty excitable, frustrated.

Here’s where Preece felt like the John Blewett III Memorial 76 got away from him. pic.twitter.com/mAqCJdVZX8

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverAW) February 14, 2019

Chuck Hossfeld finished second and Dave Sapienza worked through the field to finish third. Coby, who entered the night up by just two points in the championship standings, led early but dropped through the field and pitted multiple times. However, in a late fight back, Coby finished fourth.

In the 35-lap Super Late Model feature, Brad May finally knocked a victory off his list of goals for the week. May finished second in the first three races of the week, but after qualifying second on Wednesday, he was awarded the pole after the invert of two. May led all 35 laps of the main event.

“It’s awesome, that’s what we come out here to do,” May said. “After three second-place finishes, you just hope everything goes right. The car was awesome.”

Jeremy Miller had scored his third Pro Late Model feature win, but didn’t pass through technical inspection, awarding the win to Sammy Smith. Wayne Parker picked up the Florida Modified win.

Racing continues with night nine of the World Series on Thursday night, where the Tour Type Modifieds, Pro Late Models, Super Late Models and Florida Modifieds will compete in 35-lap feature events.

Results: World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Night 6:

Tour Type Modifieds: 1. Matt Hirschman; 2. Chuck Hossfeld; 3. Dave Sapienza; 4. Doug Coby; 5. Jimmy Zacharias; 6. Amy Catalano; 7. Patrick Emerling; 8. Dillon Steuer; 9. Ryan Preece; 10. Jeremy Gerstner; 11. Jimmy Blewett; 12. Nikki Carroll; 13. Tyler Rypkema; 14. Calvin Carroll; 15. Andy Jankowiak; 16. Tommy Catalano; 17. Anthony Nocella; 18. Jeff Goodale; 19. Mike Willis Jr.; 20. Chris Risdale; 21. Bobby Measmer Jr.; 22. Timmy Solomito; 23. Al Amarino; 24. Tom Tonn

Super Late Models: 1. Brad May; 2. Carson Kvapil; 3. Jett Noland; 4. Derek Griffith; 5. Ryan Moore; 6. Travis Braden; 7. Bubba Pollard; 8. Gabe Sommers; 9. Anthony Sergi; 10. Sam Mayer; 11. Colin Garrett; 12. Alex Labbe; 13. Derek Kraus; 14. Nolan Pope; 15. Brandon Herbert; 16. Spencer Davis; 17. Logan Seavey; 18. Clay Greenfield; 19. Christian Rose; 20. Patrick Thomas

Posted on February 14, 2019February 14, 2019 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Bubba Wallace made his first trip — ever — to Disney World this week visiting the amusement park — located an hour and a half south of Daytona Beach — with his good buddy and fellow Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney.

They rode the famous rides, saw Cinderella’s Castle, watched Star Wars light saber duels — all the things that make the Disney World experience such an iconic part of our culture.

In some ways, it was a perfectly fitting day-off venture. Wallace, 25, returns to what may be his own Magic Kingdom, Daytona International Speedway, for Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). A year ago on these storied 2.5-mile high banks, Wallace simultaneously made sporting history and made good on a lifetime of personal pursuit — that he was ready and able to make it at NASCAR’s highest level.

Shortly after climbing out of his car, after finishing runner-up in his very first version of NASCAR’s Super Bowl, Wallace attended a press conference where his emotions were raw and overwhelming. His work was the highest ever finish for an African-American in the Daytona 500.

But equally as important to Wallace, his work resulted in a noted and grand arrival — his. He proved that he absolutely belonged in the sport and could compete on the biggest stage door-to-door with the best there is. And succeed.

“I just try so hard to be successful at everything I do, and my family pushes me each and every day, and they might not even know it, but I just want to make them proud,” Wallace said, pausing to wipe away tears of raw emotion as he sat at the interview podium last February. “Second is horrible, but it’s still a good day.”

In the days leading up to last year’s Daytona 500, baseball legend Hank Aaron called and Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton tweeted to Wallace — they wished good luck and offered a proverbial pat on the back for the journey he was embarking on. Both Aaron and Hamilton prevailing against the odds, too.

After the race and the incredible result, Wallace’s team owner, NASCAR Hall of Famer and the sport’s biggest icon, Richard Petty was all smiles — as proud as he has looked in many years.

Wallace’s mother Desiree Wallace remembers that day well, too. Her son paused in the middle of his post-race press conference to embrace and thank her — one of the most moving Daytona 500 moments in recent memory.

“I look at it like triumph, it’s like we finally made it,” Desiree Wallace said last week reflecting on the moment. “He was like, ‘Mom, you act like I won.’ And I said, ‘You did win baby, you did win.’ ”

“It’s like I felt like at that moment he won the heart of so many people that night, not just the black community but every one of every color. It was very moving.

“I thought back to where he had come from, all the teams, why was it so hard for my son to get sponsorship and then for him just to be in the Daytona 500 then to finish second and be sitting up here on this podium. He did win.”

For most of us in many ways, it could legitimately be considered victory. But for Bubba, it was more positive motivation — not an end result.

Even while answering reporters’ questions in the days leading up to this year’s Daytona 500, Wallace frequently — very frequently – reminded that technically a runner-up isn’t a “win.” The second-place finish in last year’s Daytona 500 was encouraging, historic and emotional.

But it wasn’t fully satisfying because it wasn’t a win. Yet.

He and his Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team are optimistic the results will begin to match the effort put forth. They acknowledge, however, that finishing runner-up in his first Daytona 500 set the bar — perhaps unfairly — high for Wallace.

Wallace’s seventh-place qualifying effort and runner-up finish at Daytona were the high mark of his rookie season. He added another top 10 at Texas Motor Speedway six weeks after the Daytona 500 and closed out the year with a top 10 in Phoenix just before the season finale. And he led laps in five races.

At Daytona International Speedway, Wallace has never finished worse than 15th in three Cup starts — an encouraging statistic considering the close-quarter restrictor plate racing at the track.

It all bodes well for Wallace this week. He has a new crew chief in Derek Stamets — who moves into the role after serving as an engineer on the team.

While it’s impossible to “call his shot” and promise another thrilling finish in Sunday’s Daytona 500, Wallace does insist that he couldn’t be more prepared for the spotlight’s glare, the trophy hoist, the feeling that’s he’s come a long way and made it. And for sure, he is trying to enjoy the journey.

“Coming into the season last year we were like there is no way in hell that we would finish second in my first Daytona 500 attempt,” Wallace recalled. “I thought I would go out there and cause “the big one.”

“You try your hardest not to, but it’s there. So, to be able to do that and to be able to come out almost on top pushing the No. 3 (Austin Dillon) to Victory Lane was pretty cool, pretty special.

“A lot of people hyped this story up as coming back as, ‘Oh you are going to do it again.’ It’s like, let’s pump the brakes, let’s get through the rest of the week and let’s make it to lap 199, let’s stop and have a break and do an interview on that last lap and see if we have a shot.

“If I make it to 199, hell yeah, I’m going to go for it.”

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Track Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2019) – New England Patriots wide receiver and Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman has been named the Honorary Starter for the 61st annual DAYTONA 500 on Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway. Edelman will wave the green flag for “The Great American Race,” the season-opening event for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (TV – FOX, FOX Deportes; Radio – MRN, Sirius XM).

Edelman, a three-time Super Bowl champion, is fresh off of a MVP performance with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII, where he had a total of 10 catches for 141 yards.

Edelman set the record for most Super Bowl first-half receptions with seven and Super Bowl punt returns with eight. Edelman finished the recent NFL postseason with a total of 26 receptions for 388 yards, placing him second behind only Jerry Rice in all-time playoff receptions and receiving yards.

“Julian Edelman is an incredible addition to the list of pre-race dignitaries for the DAYTONA 500,” Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile said. “We’re honored to have such a superb athlete, who recently won on NFL’s biggest stage and was the Super Bowl MVP, wave the green flag for NASCAR’s premier event.”

Recent DAYTONA 500 Honorary Starters include Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee LaDainian Tomlinson, actor Gary Sinise, actress Charlize Theron and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ken Griffey Jr.

Tickets for the 61st annual DAYTONA 500 and other DAYTONA Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth events can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. 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 Speedway news throughout the season.

Posted on February 14, 2019February 14, 2019 by Staff Report

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano removes his FOX Sports headset after calling Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona, he’ll hand it off to seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson.

Johnson calls his first race for FOX Sports as a guest driver analyst on Saturday, Feb. 23 (2 PM ET on FS1) at Atlanta. Johnson, however, has a drafting partner in his maiden trip to the FOX NASCAR broadcast booth, as 2014 champion Kevin Harvick assumes the lead analyst role alongside play-by-play announcer Adam Alexander.

Harvick’s broadcast dance card expands this season with the addition of lead analyst duties for seven Xfinity Series races. For the races in which Harvick is lead analyst, he pairs with a rotation of Cup Series drivers moonlighting as guest analysts, while FOX NASCAR analyst Michael Waltrip helps anchor FOX Sports’ coverage from the Virtual Studio in Charlotte.

“I’ve enjoyed calling NASCAR Xfinity Series races for FOX Sports more than I ever imagined I would, so I am looking forward to adding even more this year,” Harvick said. “I’ve made no secret of the fact I can see broadcasting in my future after racing, so this is a cool opportunity to branch out as the lead analyst and perhaps even offer some pointers to other drivers calling the races with me.”

“I’m excited to come in and see the race from a different vantage point,” Johnson said. “I’ve been a big fan of Kevin’s work in the booth and feel like we’re going to have a great time and add a lot of detail to the race, so I’m excited to have that opportunity in Atlanta.”

Seven-time champion and crew chief for William Byron, Chad Knaus, makes his FOX Sports race broadcast debut at Talladega alongside Alexander and Harvick, while Bubba Wallace makes his inaugural analyst appearance at Michigan after making his pit road debut during last year’s FOX Sports “Drivers Only” broadcast.

In addition to Logano, Johnson and Wallace, 2012 champ Brad Keselowski, 2004 champion Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, Austin Dillon, Ryan Blaney and Regan Smith return to the booth this season. See complete schedule below for specifics.

“DRIVERS ONLY” BROADCAST:

The highly popular “Drivers Only” broadcast is back for the third consecutive year — this time with a twist. Knaus crashes the “Drivers Only” party, joining all eight returning drivers from last season. Charlotte Motor Speedway plays host to this year’s edition on Saturday, May 25 (1:00 PM ET on FS1).

For the third time, Harvick has the call alongside analysts Bowyer and Logano. Blaney, Jones and Wallace cover pit road, while Keselowski returns to host from FOX Sports’ virtual studio in Charlotte alongside Stenhouse Jr. and Knaus.

FOX NASCAR driver analyst schedule for 2019 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES:

Date	Location	Lead Analyst	Driver Analyst*	Race State (ET)/Network
2/16	Daytona International Speedway	Waltrip	Logano	2:30 PM/FS1
2/23	Atlanta Motor Speedway	Harvick	Johnson	2:00 PM/FS1
3/2	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	Harvick	Keselowski	4:00 PM/FS1
3/9	ISM Raceway	Harvick	Jones	4:00 PM/FS1
3/16	Auto Club Speedway	Waltrip	Keselowski	5:00 PM/FS1
3/30	Texas Motor Speedway	Harvick	Dillon	1:00 PM/FS1
4/6	Bristol Motor Speedway	Harvick	Bowyer	1:00 PM/FS1
4/12	Richmond Raceway	Waltrip	Logano	7:00 PM/FS1
4/27	Talladega Superspeedway	Harvick	Knaus	1:00 PM/FS1
5/4	Dover International Speedway	Waltrip	Blaney	1:30 PM/FS1
5/25	Charlotte Motor Speedway (Drivers Only)	Harvick, Logano, Bowyer, Blaney, Jones, Keselowski Stenhouse Jr., Wallace, Knaus		1:00 PM/FS1
6/1	Pocono Raceway	Waltrip	Kurt Busch	1:00 PM/FS1
6/8	Michigan Int’l Speedway	Harvick	Wallace	1:30 PM/FS1
6/16	Iowa Speedway	Waltrip	Smith	5:30 PM/FS1

*Subject to change

In appreciation of the drivers’ participation, FOX Sports will make a donation to each driver’s individual foundation or charity of choice.

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Steve Luvender

With 36 races in a year and 40 available finishing positions on the track, it’s practically inevitable a driver ends up finishing in every possible place at some point — you win some, you lose some, as they say. Quoth Ricky Bobby, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”

In fact, just last fall at Talladega, Kyle Busch famously (OK, maybe not famously) finished in 26th position for the first time in his career after 493 starts — completing what we’re now dubbing the “All 40 Challenge” — a driver scoring at least one finish in every position from first to 40th.

As you watch the 2019 season unfold, keep in mind some drivers might be chasing more than a championship trophy — a few are in position to complete the massive 40-row bingo board that is the list of possible finishing positions in NASCAR.

Which drivers have completed the All 40 Challenge?

A total of 11 full-time drivers completed in every position 1-40 at some point in their careers, completing the All 40 Challenge:

Clint Bowyer

Kurt Busch

Kyle Busch

Denny Hamlin

Kevin Harvick

Jimmie Johnson

Joey Logano

Paul Menard

Ryan Newman

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Martin Truex Jr.

One Position Remaining

Just because many veterans can proudly boast of their All 40 Challenge trophy (wait, there’s not a trophy?) doesn’t mean every racer has pulled it off.

Three drivers are one finish away.

Aric Almirola: 2nd

Somehow, despite finishing fifth in the 2018 standings, Aric Almirola has yet to score a second-place finish in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series after 280 career races (and, curiously, the same is true for his 102-race Xfinity Series career). With momentum building at Stewart-Haas Racing, it seems likely Almirola will complete the sweep soon.

Ryan Blaney: 21st

With 126 races under his belt, Ryan Blaney has finished in every position but 21st — coincidentally, his former car number at Wood Brothers Racing, where he scored his first career victory. Notching a P21 in 2019 will complete the All 40 Challenge for YRB.

David Ragan: 9th

David Ragan has driven for plenty of teams in his 12 full-time seasons at NASCAR’s top level, but he’s somehow never finished in 9th place. We’ve noted in the past how underdogs seem to finish in precisely 9th place at Daytona — so, combined with Ragan’s superspeedway prowess, it doesn’t seem unlikely Ragan finishes his sweep sometime soon.

Two Positions Remaining

Austin Dillon: 2nd and 40th

Driver No. 3 has never finished in Position No. 2 in 193 Cup starts. Luckily for Austin Dillon, he’s never finished in last place out in a 40-car field, either.

Brad Keselowski: 28th and 40th

After 341 races, 27 wins, and a championship, perhaps the most astounding statistic of all is that Brad Keselowski can claim he’s never finished in 28th (or 40th).

Kyle Larson: 22nd and 32nd

Kyle Larson can do anything in a race car, they say. That is, except for finish in precisely 22nd or 32nd place — a feat that’s eluded the Californian in his 183-race career.

Four Positions Remaining

Alex Bowman is still chasing his first win — as well as his first 2nd-, 15th-, and 21st-place finishes after 117 starts.

Six Positions Remaining

Chris Buescher (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 31st)

Chase Elliott (17th, 25th, 26th, 28th, 35th, 40th)

Seven Positions Remaining

Erik Jones (20th, 23rd, 24th, 28th, 32nd, 34th, 37th)

Michael McDowell (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 11th)

Nine Positions Remaining

Daniel Suarez: 1st, 5th, 13th, 25th, 27th, 31st, 33rd, 39th, 40th

Bonus Data: Never Last

Since we were already analyzing the data anyway, and because it’s Fantasy Live season, you might want to keep these names in your back pocket: seven full-time drivers have never finished in exactly 40th place (also known as last place in a 40-car field):

William Byron

Austin Dillon*

Ty Dillon

Brad Keselowski*

Daniel Suarez

Bubba Wallace

*finished worse than 40th before field size rules were changed, but never finished exactly 40th

You’re welcome, fantasy players.

Here’s the complete list of non-rookie full-time drivers and their All 40 Challenge status up until now (the 2019 Daytona 500). If a driver hasn’t finished in a particular position, it’s highlighted in gold. Drivers with grayed-out names have completed the challenge.

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 14, 2019) – NASCAR Drive for Diversity pit crew members Brehanna Daniels and Breanna O’Leary will make their DAYTONA 500^® debut together as tire-changers on Cody Ware’s No. 52 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 during Sunday’s race at Daytona International Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

In doing so, Daniels and O’Leary will become the first female graduates of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program to go over the wall in the Great American Race^®.

The tire-changers will be joined by tire-carriers Brandon Banks and Phil Thomas – also NASCAR Drive for Diversity pit crew alums – on the No. 52 Rick Ware Racing team for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ race.

“The DAYTONA 500 is such a huge stage and getting to share the experience with Brehanna will make it that much sweeter,” said O’Leary, who made her debut in NASCAR’s top series at Michigan International Speedway in 2018. “We came in together, trained together and got better together – and now February 17 will be another milestone we get to share together.”

Daniels and O’Leary will return to the same iconic race track where they first pitted together for Rick Ware Racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Coke Zero Sugar 400 last July.

“I’m really looking forward to pitting in the DAYTONA 500 and having my teammate alongside me,” said Daniels. “It’s incredible how far we’ve come in such a short time and I couldn’t be more excited to be back at Daytona International Speedway.”

In 2016, Daniels and O’Leary were recruited to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program by Phil Horton, longtime pit crew coach for Rev Racing. O’Leary had been an outfielder on the Alcorn State University softball team and Daniels played Division I basketball at Norfolk State University.

The professional tire-changers now share an apartment in Concord, N.C., and have gone over the wall in more than 60 combined race events across NASCAR’s national series and the ARCA Menards Series.

None, however, is more prestigious than Sunday’s DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

“In NASCAR racing, the stage doesn’t get any bigger than this – it’s the DAYTONA 500,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR director of racing operations and event management. “Brehanna, Breanna and their NASCAR Drive for Diversity teammates have trained diligently for this moment and have earned the opportunity to compete at this level. We’re excited to watch them perform on Sunday.”

“We are proud to have these remarkable women on our team and we look forward to having them join us more throughout the 2019 season,” said Rick Ware, owner of Rick Ware Racing. “Last July, Rick Ware Racing was the perfect fit for Brehanna and Breanna as the first female NASCAR Drive for Diversity tire-changers to pit on the same team at the Cup level. We have always stressed our family philosophy at RWR, so we welcomed them into our family and they performed very well.”

Daniels, O’Leary, Banks and Thomas are among more than 50 graduates of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program currently working in the NASCAR industry. In 2019, 28 alums will begin the season pitting on Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams.

Last February, Derrell Edwards became the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity pit crew member to be part of a DAYTONA 500-winning team when driver Austin Dillon raced to Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway.

The 61^st running of the DAYTONA 500 will be broadcast live on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.