Posted on by Staff Report

The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off Sunday with the 61st annual Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The NASCAR Digital staff gathered a few bold predictions prior to the start of the year.

Zack Albert: All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers will win a race this season. Chase Elliott continues his winning ways after a successful second half of 2018, and Jimmie Johnson returns to form. And if Hendrick Motorsports adapts as quickly to the new rules package as it should, don’t be surprised if Alex Bowman and William Byron join the ranks of first-time winners this year.

Pat DeCola: William Byron will have at least as many Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins as Kyle Larson in 2019. And possibly more.

Torey Fox: Denny Hamlin will make the Championship 4. With all the talk surrounding Martin Truex Jr.’s move to JGR as well as Kyle Busch’s hunt for a second title, some have forgotten that Denny Hamlin won a race every year from 2006-17 and nearly won a championship in 2010. The point? Hamlin can drive. Chris Gabehart re-energizes the No. 11 team and Hamlin establishes himself as a title favorite by winning at Martinsville in October to clinch his second berth into the Championship 4.

Marissa Fuller: Jimmie Johnson will win his eighth championship this year.

RJ Kraft: Alex Bowman will be the first of the Hendrick drivers to win a points-paying event in 2019.

Jonathan Merryman: After a miserable 2018 season, Hendrick Motorsports gets all of its drivers to Victory Lane before any other team.

Brad Norman: Another Team Penske driver makes the Championship 4 following a hot run in the NASCAR Playoffs. It’s not Joey Logano … and it’s not 2012 champion Brad Keselowski. No, it’s Ryan Blaney, who wins at both Talladega and Martinsville to set up a title push in Miami.

Tyler Strong: Erik Jones will win at least three races this year and make the Round of 8. He had an impressive streak of finishes last summer (including his first win) and was carrying serious momentum into the NASCAR Playoffs before being derailed by two sub-30 finishes.

Chase Wilhelm: Chase Elliott wins the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship. Last year he earned two victories in the NASCAR Playoffs Round of 12, which shows he can win under the postseason pressure. Another season of experience launches him into the Championship 4, hoisting the big trophy at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

George Winkler: Daniel Hemric will show consistency similar to what he enjoyed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and that will be enough to edge out Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman for the final playoff spot in 2019.

Posted on by Staff Report

The race-winning No. 48 Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson passed post-race inspection Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, an event that hearkened in a new era in NASCAR’s deterrence policy.

As part of a policy change, the cars of the first-place and second-place finishers, plus at least one randomly selected car, will undergo post-race inspection at the track. Competition officials said they are targeting a time frame of approximately 90 minutes to two hours to complete the inspection and confirm the race winner.

The No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet of runner-up Kurt Busch also passed inspection, and the cars of third-place Joey Logano, fourth-place Ryan Blaney and fifth-place Alex Bowman all got looks as well.

RELATED: Johnson wins ‘The Clash’ |  ‘Big One’ hits with weather looming

NASCAR competition officials announced in January a new model for post-race inspection for all three national series, introducing a system where race-winning teams found in violation of the rule book would be disqualified and post-race inspections would be conducted at the track soon after the checkered flag instead of midweek at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.

Jay Fabian Scott Miller Main
Zack Albert | NASCAR Digital Media

The rules change signals a shift in a long-standing tradition of penalizing an offending race winner with fines, suspensions and/or points deductions, but allowing victories to stand. The new system also accelerates the timetable for thorough post-race technical inspections.

RELATED: More competition tweaks for ’19

Should one of those cars fail the post-race inspection, the driver and team would receive last-place points and the rest of the finishing order would move up. Disqualified teams also would be stripped of the benefits of playoff points, stage points and automatic postseason berths and playoff advancement.

Posted on by Staff Report

NEW SMYRNA, Fla. — Persistent rain forced track officials to cancel the second night of the 53rd annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway on Saturday.

The original schedule included 35-lap feature events for both the Super Late Models and Pro Late Models, along with racing for the Sportsman and Florida Modifieds. All of the NASCAR Whelen All American Series teams will now turn their attention to competition on Monday night.

All eight nights of NASCAR Whelen All American Series action are airing via a live stream on FansChoice.TV.

WATCH FRIDAY’S ACTION: Pro Late Models | Florida Modifieds

On Friday night, Anthony Sergi opened the week winning the 35-lap Super Late Model feature after Derek Griffith and Carson Kvapil tangled racing for the lead. After one night, Sergi leads the week standings by two points over Brad May and four over rising NASCAR K&N Pro Series star Derek Kraus.

Jeremy Miller won the 35-lap Pro Late Model feature, while Wayne Parker picked up the checkered flag in the Florida Modifieds.

Racing for Sunday includes the season-opener for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. The New Smyrna 175 will air via a live stream on FansChoice.TV.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jimmie Johnson, who had crashed in the past six Advance Auto Parts Clash races at Daytona International Speedway, found a way to win the 2019 version of the season-opening exhibition race—by helping to trigger a wreck that eliminated nearly everyone else.

Moments before a rainstorm halted the action and ultimately made the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race official after 59 of 75 scheduled laps, Johnson—running second on Lap 56—pulled to the inside of leader Paul Menard, who moved down the track slightly as Johnson was attempting a close side-draft.

Contact between the cars in Turn 3 sent Menard spinning and caused a massive pileup behind him, damaging 17 of the 20 cars to varying degrees. Johnson took the lead in his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and was declared the winner after NASCAR red-flagged the race because of rain for the third time.

The victory was Johnson’s second in the non-points Clash.

MORE: Race results

“Knowing the rain was coming—we could see it coming—and I knew that was probably my lap to make the move,” said Johnson, who suffered through a winless 2018. “I had a great run down the back. I got below him (Menard) before he blocked it, and then he came down a little bit, I think to defend and block.

“I got that move inside him, and I was hopeful the 1 (Kurt Busch) would follow me through, but I hate to see all these cars tore up. I think it was a racing thing more than anything. I feel sorry for Paul. I feel sorry for all the teams that lost race cars, but I’m here to win races, and this Ally car was fast.”

Johnson’s victory came in his first competitive outing with new crew chief Kevin Meendering. Earlier on Sunday, Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron claimed the Busch Pole Award for the Daytona 500 in his first qualifying attempt with Johnson’s former crew chief, Chad Knaus.

“I did mention to Chad that he was able to win me my first pole here for the 500, and he did the same for William,” Johnson said.

“I’m really happy for those guys. With this group of Ally team members I have behind me, these guys have been working so hard and we’re off to a great start this year.”

RELATED: Full Daytona Speedweeks schedule

Kurt Busch, who was following Johnson on the backstretch, dodged the melee and finished second. Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney were third and fourth, with Alex Bowman completing the top five.

Menard had led 51 laps to that point in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford and had controlled the 20-car field from the head of the outside lane.

“Jimmie pulled out, and I kind of moved down a little bit, and the next thing I know I get turned in the left rear,” Menard said.

“Just aggressive. Jimmie does that a lot at these tracks. I had a really fast Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang. Led a lot of laps but tore up a car for no reason.

“It was a pretty tame race up until that point. We knew that last restart (on Lap 48) was basically a new race—a little dash for cash to the end. It was definitely expected. I’m surprised we actually got single-file up top again after that last restart, but I knew something like that was going to happen. It was just a matter of time.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Contact between Jimmie Johnson and Paul Menard with inclement weather looming set off a multi-car accident in Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway.

Johnson was moving to the inside to pass Menard for the lead when the two cars made contact. That sent Menard’s No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford spinning and wrecking into the outside wall, and several other cars were collected in the mayhem — officially, it was listed as a 17-car incident in the 20-car event.

RELATED: Photos of the wreck, plus more from track

Caution was displayed at Lap 55 in a race in which Menard had led 52 of the first 55 laps.

Johnson escaped damage and was declared the winner when the race was halted for rain minutes after the wreck.

“Jimmie does that a lot at these tracks, so that’s unfortunate,” Menard told FS1. “Aggressive side-drafting caused that wreck.”

That rain was imminent had drivers darting through the field with aggressive moves, which included Johnson’s strong to catch the leader — one which ultimately ended Menard’s day and powered the seven-time series champion to victory.

“I knew the rain was coming, so I was trying to set-up my move and make my run on the No. 21 car,” Johnson said. “I had it kind of set up down the backstretch a few laps prior to that, and then my opportunity came along. I made that move to the inside and then we kind of got together. I’m not sure if just the air breaking his bumper plane pulled his car over or if he was late to block, but it was just really a racing thing honestly.

“So, I made my move and unfortunately he got sideways and it collected a bunch of cars.”

MORE: Jimmie: “I don’t crash people to win”

Posted on by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — For all of the tried-and-true feel to Sunday’s Daytona 500 time trials, plenty of new seeped through in the latest chapter of Hendrick Motorsports’ reign over qualifying day.

The familiar tune was the customary grunt from Rick Hendrick’s four-car fleet, which swept the first four spots on the speed chart for the organization’s fifth consecutive Daytona 500 pole. It’s the fourth time in the last five years that a Chevrolet with No. 24 will lead the field to the green in next Sunday’s Great American Race (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The new: 21-year-old William Byron, who became the latest first-time Busch Pole winner and who kicked off his first race with an energized Chad Knaus — his new crew chief — with a flourish. Hendrick’s familiar grin was front and center on pit road after qualifying, but this time it was directed toward a new driver-crew chief combination.

“Man, I used to come down here and just want to make the race,” Hendrick said. “To come down here and win five of these things in a row, it’s unbelievable.”

RELATED: William Byron wins Daytona 500 pole

The news that Knaus would move on from longtime driver Jimmie Johnson to work with Byron in 2019 reverberated through the NASCAR garage late last season. Sunday, it rattled the upper reaches of the scoring pylon to lead the team’s four-car qualifying monopoly — an early reward for the major shift in personnel.

“Chad’s built a team around William, and that’s what Chad is so good at, putting a group together,” Hendrick told NASCAR.com. “And William wanted structure, and boy, he’s going to get it with Chad. Chad’s assembled a good group and boy, they’ve been out practicing in the parking lot, setting up the rigs, doing everything you do at the track. I’m just happy for Chad. When you split up him and Jimmie after all the success, you know Jimmie’s going to run well and Chad’s going to build this young man into a champion, so real excited about that.”

Becoming a champion might be ambitious for a driver starting just his second Monster Energy Series season, but if the No. 24 team’s current edition follows the “Refuse to Lose” blueprint of its mid-90s beginnings, Hendrick might be onto something.

Jeff Gordon, the No. 24 group’s first driver, climbed that ladder of goals with Knaus contributing to the effort as a crewmember. Now a veteran crew chief with multiple titles of his own, Knaus has another young driver to help mold, a rejuvenating project — which “has put some wind in the sails,” he says — as he enters his 19th season as a full-time big-league crew chief.

RELATED: Every Daytona 500 pole winner | Youngest Daytona 500 pole winners

Knaus noted that the last time he arrived for Daytona’s Speedweeks with a new driver, he also secured the 500’s coveted pole position. That highlight came with a fresh-faced rookie in Johnson, who powered the No. 48 to the first starting spot for the 2002 season opener.

Nearly two decades later, it’s a familiar feeling that’s new all over again.

“To be able to come down here, my first race with the 24 car and William and Axalta on the car, man, it’s awesome,” Knaus said. “I always wanted to be crew chief on that 24 car and I didn’t want to blow it, so to be able to come down and do what we did, it’s a dream come true.”

Posted on by Staff Report

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

Note: All times are ET.

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

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

On MRN:
3 p.m., MRN Outloud
7 p.m., 50 years of the 500 on MRN

Tuesday, Feb. 12
1 a.m., Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports GO
5 p.m., NASCAR America Presents The Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports GO

On MRN:
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, Feb. 13
Noon, Daytona 500 Media Day, FS1/FOX Sports GO
5 p.m., NASCAR America Presents Motormouths, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports GO
6 p.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at New Smyrna Speedway, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN:
3 p.m., MRN Crew Call
7 p.m., NASCAR Live Special Edition

Thursday, Feb. 14
12:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series practice, FS2/FOX Sports GO
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series final practice, FS2/FOX Sports GO
5:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay from Daytona, FS1/FOX Sports GO
6 p.m., NASCAR America Presents The Motorsports Hour, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7 p.m., Gander RV Duel at Daytona, FS1/FOX Sports GO (Canada: TSN1)
Approx 10 p.m., Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon, FS1/FOX Sports GO (following the Duel races)

On MRN:
6 p.m., Gander RV Duel at Daytona

Friday, Feb. 15
2 a.m., Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO
3 a.m., Gander RV Duel at Daytona (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO
8 a.m., Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports GO
9 a.m., Gander RV Duel at Daytona (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports GO
Noon, NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, FS1/FOX Sports GO (Canada: TSN App)
1 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 practice, FS1/FOX Sports GO (Canada: TSN2)
2 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, FS1/FOX Sports GO (Canada: TSN App)
3 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 practice, FS1/FOX Sports GO (Canada: TSN2)
4 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FS1/FOX Sports GO
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series qualifying, FS1/FOX Sports GO
7 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NGOTS, FS1/FOX Sports GO
7:30 p.m., NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona, FS1/FOX Sports GO
10 p.m., NASCAR Presents: The Adventures of Janet Guthrie, FS1/FOX Sports GO
10:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1993 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO

On MRN:
1 p.m., Daytona 500 practice
3 p.m., Daytona 500 practice
7 p.m., NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250

Saturday, Feb. 16
1 a.m., Gander RV Duel at Daytona (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO
6 a.m., Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO
7 a.m., NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO
9:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, FS1/FOX Sports GO (Canada: TSN App)
11 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FS1/FOX Sports GO
Noon, Daytona 500 final practice, FS1/FOX Sports GO (Canada: TSN3)
1 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition, FS1/FOX Sports GO
2 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FS1/FOX Sports GO
2:30 p.m., Xfinity Series NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona, FS1/FOX Sports GO (Canada: TSN3)
5 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series post-race show, FS1/FOX Sports GO
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Presents: The Adventures of Janet Guthrie (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO
7 p.m., Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports GO
10 p.m., Xfinity Series NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports GO

On MRN:
Noon, Daytona 500 final practice
2 p.m., Xfinity Series NASCAR Racing Experience 300

Sunday, Feb. 17
6 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1993 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO
6:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1988 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO
7 a.m., NASCAR Presents: The Adventures of Janet Guthrie (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO
7:30 a.m., Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO
8:30 a.m., Xfinity Series NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports GO
11 a.m.: NASCAR RaceDay, FS1/FOX Sports GO
1 p.m.: NASCAR RaceDay: Daytona 500 Pre-Race Show, FOX/FOX Sports GO
2:30 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500, FOX/FOX Sports GO (Canada: TSN 1, 3, 4)

On MRN:
1:30 p.m., Daytona 500

Posted on by Staff Report

Sunday’s Daytona 500 single-car qualifying set only the front row for the “Great American Race” — Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron (Busch Pole Award) and Alex Bowman will lead the field when the green flag drops Feb. 17 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The qualifying speeds, though, set the lineups for Thursday’s Gander RV Duel races at Daytona (7 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the twin 60-lap races that determine the full starting lineup for the 61st running of the Daytona 500.

PHOTOS: The best of the weekend

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 an even number of Open, non-Charter teams in each duel race.

The results of those two races will determine the cars that qualify for the Daytona 500, and where they 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.

MORE: William Byron wins Busch Pole for Daytona 500

Additionally, Tyler Reddick and Casey Mears locked themselves into the Daytona 500 field by virtue of being the fastest two Open cars during qualifying.

Below is the starting lineup for each Duel race.

* denotes Open, non-Charter team

DUEL 1 LINEUP

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

PROJECTED DUEL 2 LINEUP

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

 

Posted on by Reid Spencer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Paired for the first time with crew chief Chad Knaus, sophomore driver William Byron put his No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on the pole for the Feb. 17 Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), leading a Hendrick Motorsports sweep of the top four spots and extending that organization’s dominance in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Daytona International Speedway.

Byron edged last year’s pole winner, Alex Bowman, by .036 seconds for the top starting spot in the 61st running of NASCAR’s most prestigious race with a lap at 194.305 seconds (46.319 seconds) in the final round of knockout qualifying.

Bowman’s lap at 194.154 seconds knocked seven-time Cup series champion Jimmie Johnson (193.807 mph) off the front row for the 500. Johnson, in turn, beat two-time Daytona 500 pole winner Chase Elliott (193.782 mph) for the third fastest lap by .006 seconds.

MORE: Qualifying speeds from Daytona

The Busch Pole Award was the first for Byron in 37 tries. The 21-year-old is the eighth driver to contribute to the total of 13 Daytona 500 poles won by Hendrick Motorsports, which won its fifth straight. 

Only Byron and Bowman are locked into their starting sports for next Sunday’s race. The remaining 38 starting positions will be determined in Thursday night’s Gander RV Duel 150-mile qualifying races (7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Youngest Daytona 500 pole winners | Every Daytona 500 pole winner

“We felt we were prepared and ready and this was sort of the first step of our process together,” Byron said of his new partnership with Knaus, who moved to the No. 24 car this year after winning seven titles as Johnson’s crew chief.

“Hopefully, it goes well next Sunday. We can kind of hang out during the Duel races, learn a little bit. It’s awesome.”

The pole was the 700th for Chevrolet in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

As fast his car was, Byron acknowledged his lap wasn’t quite perfect.

“We lacked a little bit getting up to speed,” Byron said. “I think a little bit too much wheel spin. This thing is fast, and it’s obviously a lot of credit to the guys. I’m looking forward to next Sunday.”

In a session that both establishes the front row for next Sunday and sets the lineups for the Duels, Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Daniel Hemric qualified fifth in his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, giving Chevy the top five laps in the final round.

Reigning Cup champion Joey Logano was sixth in the fastest Ford—the first competitive outing in the Cup series for the new Mustang—and 2017 champ Martin Truex Jr. was seventh in the quickest Toyota entry.

Clint Bowyer, Brad Keselowski, 2018 Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon, Paul Menard and Denny Hamlin completed the top 12. The last driver to make a qualifying run in the first round, Truex knocked Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch (13th) out of the top 12. 

“We ran about what we thought we would, maybe a tick better,” Busch said. “Didn’t expect the rest of the field to be as fast as they are, so we’re a little farther down on the lineup than we’d like to be.”

Two of the six drivers in open cars—those without charters—locked themselves into the Daytona 500. The first was Tyler Reddick, who was a strong 16th in the first round. The second was Casey Mears, who edged the non-chartered No. 71 Chevrolet of Ryan Truex by .028 seconds for the 26th fastest lap.

Truex, Brendan Gaughan (31st), Parker Kligerman (36th) and Joey Gase (42nd) will vie in Thursday night’s Gander RV Duels for the two remaining berths in the Great American Race.

Posted on by Staff Report

Three car chiefs were ejected from Daytona Speedweeks on Sunday, following their respective cars failing pre-qualifying inspection twice in advance of the Daytona 500 next weekend.

The No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of driver Chase Elliott, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet of Austin Dillon and No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet of Ty Dillon failed pre-qualifying inspection twice, leading to their respective car chiefs being ejected.

REWATCH: Pre-race inspection

Sunday was the start of NASCAR’s 2019 deterrence model, and the results were felt early. Previously, a car chief was not ejected unless a team failed inspection three times. This year, it’s two.

Additionally, all three teams were docked 15 minutes of practice time.

Last month NASCAR introduced a system where race-winning teams found in violation of the rule book post-race would be disqualified. Additionally, post-race inspection is done at track following the event, with penalties — if any — handed out then instead of following a mid-week teardown at the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina.

RELATED: Elliott in backup for The Clash