NASCAR predictions: Four new drivers in 2019 postseason field

Posted on February 11, 2019February 11, 2019 by Brad Norman

The numbers are clear. Every year in the elimination-style postseason, which began in 2014, an average of four drivers make the postseason field after not making it the previous year.

Using the first year (2014) as the standard, here’s the breakdown by season:

2015: 4 drivers who didn’t make playoffs in 2014 (Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray);
2016: 5 drivers who didn’t make playoffs in 2015 (Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon, Tony Stewart, Chris Buescher);
2017: 4 drivers who didn’t make playoffs in 2016 (Ryan Blaney, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne);
2018: 4 drivers who didn’t make playoffs in 2017 (Clint Bowyer, Aric Almirola, Erik Jones, Alex Bowman).

Let’s play the law of averages and assume this trend continues and four drivers who did not make the playoffs in 2018 qualify in 2019.

Here’s a best guess at this year’s group:

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet

The 2018 Sunoco Rookie of the Year was the youngest full-time driver in the Monster Energy Series last year. When one extrapolates that out for his whole career, the data shows that almost always has been the case — Byron has one full-time season of experience in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. He climbed into his first race car, of any size, make or model, later in life than practically any other Cup driver. That he already is in his second Cup season at age 21 is a testament to his natural ability and wizardry behind the wheel.

There was bound to be a significant learning curve for Byron as a rookie, especially with a brand-new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Expect the 21-year-old to make a natural improvement in his sophomore season, and having Chad Knaus atop the pit box further accelerates his learning curve.

The No. 24 team should be back in the playoffs this year.

Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images

Daniel Suarez, Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Ford

Suarez never found Victory Lane at the Monster Energy Series level in two years with Joe Gibbs Racing, but the change of scenery will do him some good. The last half of 2018 in particular likely was difficult for Suarez, with rumors of Martin Truex Jr. joining Joe Gibbs Racing in 2019 and taking over the No. 19.

Stewart-Haas Racing was the most powerful team in NASCAR last year, so Suarez is leaving one strong team for another. His everyday-guy type of personality is a great fit at the Tony Stewart-owned team, and Suarez now gets to learn from the likes of Kevin Harvick after years of getting input from Kyle Busch.

He’ll be all the better for it and makes the playoffs for the first time in his Monster Energy Series career.

Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Roush Fenway Racing No. 17 Ford

Stenhouse Jr. slipped out of the postseason last year, and I think he’s due for a bounce back. The 2019 rules package will give the Roush Fenway Racing driver an opportunity to make up ground on the 1.5-mile tracks, and few in the sport are as daring and daunting on the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega.

It’s there we think Stenhouse will get to Victory Lane and clinch a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs. An interesting stat: Stenhouse in 2018 actually led more than double the laps he did in his two-win 2017 season. That bodes well for tracks outside of Daytona and Talladega — keep an eye on Bristol.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Matt DiBenedetto, Leavine Family Racing No. 95 Toyota

Sure, this is probably the long shot of the four picks here. But it feels like Leavine Family Racing has the right pieces in the right place.

DiBenedetto is lauded throughout the garage for his talent wheeling a stock car, and now he’s in the best ride of his career. The team’s newfound relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing should be fruitful quickly, and veteran crew chief Mike Wheeler left the No. 11 JGR team — and close friend Denny Hamlin — to attempt to build something new.

The thought here is that this No. 95 group performs ahead of schedule this year in making the postseason.

Posted on February 11, 2019February 12, 2019 by Staff Report

The Gander RV Duel is a pair of qualifying races that will determine the bulk of the field and starting lineup for the 2019 Daytona 500 (Feb. 17, 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). NASCAR.com offers a look at how the twin qualifying races (Feb. 14, starting at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) work and how they impact the Daytona 500.

Programming info for Gander RV Duel:
When: Feb. 14, starting at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Daytona International Speedway
TV: FS1
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

RELATED: Complete Speedweeks schedule

What is the format?
There are two 60-lap, 150-mile races. The drivers in each Duel are determined based on qualifying speeds from single-lap qualifying runs Sunday.

How do the Duels set the Daytona 500 lineup?
While the Feb. 10 single-car qualifying speeds determined the top two starting spots in the Daytona 500, the Duels determine who will line up in the majority of spots on the starting grid for the “Great American Race.”

Drivers in the first Duel race will line up on the inside row for the Daytona 500 (odd-numbered starting position), based on the order in which they finish the first Duel race. Drivers in the second Duel race will line up on the outside row for the Daytona 500 (even-numbered starting positions), based on the order in which they finish the second Duel race. Remember, all Charter teams are guaranteed spots in the Daytona 500.

How can Open Teams make the Daytona 500?
Two Open Teams will make the field as a result of being the best finishing Open Team in each Duel. Open Teams that have not yet become eligible for a Daytona 500 starting grid position will become eligible for remaining starting grid positions, if any, based on final qualifying results, per the rule book.

How important is the Duel for drivers locked into the front row?
While a Duel win doesn’t put you in the playoffs, the top 10 drivers in each Duel will earn points heading into the Daytona 500.

Drivers locked into the front row of the Daytona 500 need to avoid any sort of calamity in the Duels to keep their starting spot. With qualifying day so early in Speedweeks and a multitude of practices leading up to the Daytona 500, wrecks resulting in backup cars, engine changes and more are all likely to pop up at some point to affect the green-flag order once on the grid.

How are points awarded?
It’s similar to stages in the 36 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points races. The winner of each Duel will get 10 points, down to the 10th-place driver, who will get one point. Two drivers — each Duel winner — will head into the Daytona 500 with a share of the points lead.

Place in Duels	Points awarded
First	10 points
Second	Nine points
Third	Eight points
Fourth	Seven points
Fifth	Six points
Sixth	Five points
Seventh	Four points
Eighth	Three points
Ninth	Two points
10th	One point

What if the Duel is rained out?
If both Duels are canceled due to weather, officials will use qualifying results to determine the four Open teams that would advance.

Should only the second Gander RV Duel be canceled due to weather, the highest finishing Open team from the first Duel would earn a starting berth, with the remaining three positions determined 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.

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Team Release

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Xtreme Concepts Inc., a worldwide leader in turnkey security solutions, has expanded its partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) to sponsor Jeffrey Earnhardt, Kyle Busch and Brandon Jones across 24 NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2019. iK9, a comprehensive canine solutions provider for detection and service dogs administered by Xtreme Concepts, will be the lead brand for each driver.

Last November, Xtreme Concepts announced a nine-race sponsorship of Earnhardt in JGR’s No. 18 Toyota Supra. His first Xfinity Series race will be the season-opener Feb. 16 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

MORE: Earnhardt gets ride at JGR

“We are firm believers in the power of motorsports as a marketing platform, and it’s why we’ve expanded our partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing to promote the iK9 brand for the majority of the Xfinity Series schedule,” said Landon Ash, founder of Birmingham, Alabama-based Xtreme Concepts. “We’re investing in young talent in Jeffrey Earnhardt and Brandon Jones, and also proven talent in Kyle Busch. These three personalities can deliver for iK9 on the racetrack and interact with our customers off the track. They’re specialized athletes who align very well with iK9, as we provide the skills and support necessary for our clients to care for their highly specialized dogs.”

Earnhardt has made a total of 151 starts across the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series, but none have been with an organization with the depth and resources of JGR, the powerhouse NASCAR team with more than 150 Xfinity Series wins. Earnhardt is taking a path most recently traveled by Ryan Preece, a driver who joined JGR in 2017 and promptly won two Xfinity Series races after finally getting into equipment befitting his talent.

Busch is one of the top drivers in all of NASCAR. The Las Vegas native has 194 career victories across the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series. He is the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series champion and the 2009 Xfinity Series champion.

Jones is part of NASCAR’s youth movement. He will turn 22 on Feb. 18. The 2019 season marks his 10th year of racing and his fourth in the Xfinity Series.

The fourth-generation Earnhardt will return to the No. 18 iK9 Toyota Supra at the following races:

Feb. 23 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
April 27 at TalladegaSuperspeedway
May 25 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
June 1 at Pocono Raceway
Aug. 10 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Aug. 24 at Road America
Nov. 9 at ISM Raceway
Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Busch, the winningest driver in Xfinity Series history with 92 victories, takes over the No. 18 iK9 Toyota Supra in five races:

March 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 9 at ISM Raceway
March 16 at Auto Club Speedway
March 30 at Texas Motor Speedway
Aug. 3 at Watkins Glen International

Jones, who is coming off a career year in the 2018 Xfinity Series with 17 top-10 finishes and a playoff berth, will carry the colors of iK9 on the No. 19 Toyota Supra in 10 races:

April 27 at Talladega Superspeedway
May 4 at Dover International Speedway
June 8 at Michigan International Speedway
June 16 at Iowa Speedway
July 20 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Aug. 3 at Watkins Glen International
Aug. 24 at Road America
Aug. 31 at Darlington Raceway
Sept. 7 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Nov. 2 at Texas Motor Speedway

Posted on February 11, 2019February 11, 2019 by Steve Luvender

It’s true: people on the Internet like to make up baseless drama, twisting quotes and stirring false tension in search of clicks. As such, we’ve fabricated some potential rivalries of our own ahead of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season — based entirely on drivers’ Twitter interactions with each other.

First, we mapped out a list of every possible driver-to-driver Twitter mention combination and arranged them all into a massive 31-by-31 table — the lone exclusion Twitter-less Paul Menard, since he’s probably brooding in a dark forest thinking about the end of Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts Clash instead of tweeting selfies.

MORE: Menard irked by Jimmie Johnson’s driving | Full ‘Clash’ results

Using Twitter’s advanced search, we manually scoured each of the 961 combinations, marking whether each driver made even a single tweet at any point mentioning each of their fellow drivers.

A time-consuming process? You bet. But, it helped us — the pot-stirrers on the Internet — do what we do best: artificially concoct conflict. For that reason, it was all totally worth it and absolutely necessary.

Will any of this result in the next Brad Keselowski vs. Kyle Busch relationship? Nobody knows. Let’s first take a look at who’s popping up on everybody’s radars.

Most popular drivers (by their peers’ Twitter mentions):

Typically, the most popular driver is one determined by fan votes. However, thank to our data-gathering exercise, we’ve determined which drivers are favored among their peers, at least when measured by Twitter mentions.

Kyle Busch (mentioned by 30 of 30 drivers)
Kyle Larson (30 of 30)
Austin Dillon (30 of 30)
Ryan Blaney (29 of 30) — except Chris Buescher
Kevin Harvick (28 of 30) — except Daniel Suarez and Chris Buescher
Brad Keselowski (28 of 30) — except Ryan Newman and Chris Buescher
Denny Hamlin (28 of 30) — except Ryan Newman and Ty Dillon
Clint Bowyer (28 of 30) — except Alex Bowman and Ryan Newman
Jimmie Johnson (28 of 30) — except Ryan Newman and Ty Dillon
Joey Logano (27 of 30) — except William Byron, Chris Buescher, and Ty Dillon
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (27 of 30) — except Chase Elliott, Ryan Newman, and Matt Tifft
Bubba Wallace (27 of 30) — except Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, and Ryan Newman

Least popular drivers (by their peers’ Twitter mentions):

And, yeah, that goes both ways. The results of analyzing this particular set of data seems pretty accurate, considering the infamously difficult-to-pass Ryan Newman was mentioned by less than half of his fellow drivers on Twitter.

Matt Tifft (mentioned by 8 of 30 drivers)
Ryan Newman (13 of 30)
Ryan Preece (13 of 30)
Alex Bowman (15 of 30)
Chris Buescher (16 of 30)
Landon Cassill (16 of 30)
Michael McDowell (17 of 30)
Daniel Hemric (18 of 30)
William Byron (19 of 30)
Corey LaJoie (19 of 30)

It appears like the 2019 rookies — Matt Tifft, Ryan Preece, and Daniel Hemric — have their work cut out for themselves this season to attract the attention of their fellow drivers.

Most likely to mention peers:

Sometimes, it’s nice to try to be friends with as many competitors as possible. Based solely on Twitter mention data, these are the drivers most likely to cast a wide net reaching out to competitors on Twitter. Nothing wrong with that.

Landon Cassill (mentioned 29 of 30 drivers) — except Ryan Newman
Brad Keselowski (28 of 30) — except Alex Bowman and Matt Tifft
Erik Jones (28 of 30) — except Chris Buescher and Michael McDowell
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (27 of 30) — except Ryan Newman, Matt DiBenedetto, and Matt Tifft
Michael McDowell (27 of 30) — except Erik Jones, Alex Bowman, and Daniel Hemric

Least likely to mention peers:

Some drivers keep to themselves. Twitter mention data showed us a handful of drivers who prefer to lie low — still, maybe not as much as Paul Menard, though. Maybe he’ll join Twitter someday and become a total chatterbox.

Ryan Newman (mentioned 8 of 30 drivers)
Chris Buescher (13 of 30)
Ty Dillon (16 of 30)
Martin Truex Jr. (17 of 30)
Aric Almirola (18 of 30)
Kevin Harvick (18 of 30)
William Byron (20 of 30)
Alex Bowman (20 of 30)
Ryan Blaney (21 of 30)
Kurt Busch (21 of 30)

Mutual rivalries:

Call us Taylor Swift, because baby, now we’ve got bad blood. Here’s where there’s high potential for a rivalry to break out in 2019. These drivers have never mentioned each other on Twitter — not even once.

Kevin Harvick vs. Daniel Suarez

Interesting, considering they’re teammates in 2019. Look out for fireworks.

Kurt Busch vs. Ryan Newman

Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman not talking or smiling. Coincidence? Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

Former teammates, Daytona 500 winners, and veterans of the sport haven’t yet interacted on Twitter? The rivalry’s going to erupt this year.

Jimmie Johnson vs. Ty Dillon

Maybe they just haven’t encountered each other on the track yet. When they do, tempers will flare.

Joey Logano vs. William Byron

An unspoken rivalry of the much-hyped rookie phenoms in two different decades. Soon, they’ll clash, and heads will roll.

Erik Jones vs. Michael McDowell

Somebody’s cramping the other’s bright-yellow-car style. What will spark this inevitable fight in 2019?

Erik Jones vs. Chris Buescher

Sure, these 2015 champions look happy here, but they’re probably quietly seething. Chris Trotman | Getty Images

These former lower-level national series champions with one Cup win on large tracks have more in common than they might think. But, still, they’ve never acknowledged each other on Twitter, meaning this lack of relationship is ripe for rivalry.

Landon Cassill vs. Ryan Newman

It’s hard to think of two drivers with less in common.

Martin Truex Jr. vs. Ty Dillon

Maybe they’re secretly best friends off the track and don’t address it on Twitter. Or, there’s unavoidable strife.

Martin Truex Jr. vs. Ryan Preece

Somebody’s in for a long rookie season.

Paul Menard vs. Jimmie Johnson

Interestingly, Paul Menard and Jimmie Johnson have never mentioned each other on Twitter. Not even once. Sure, a reasonable person could justify such hostility by saying Paul Menard isn’t on Twitter, but it’s more entertaining to fabricate something from nothing. Following the path of bearded vitriol, it’s worth nothing neither Menard nor Johnson has tweeted each other since Sunday’s last-lap contact in the Advance Auto Parts Clash that sent Menard’s Ford to the junkyard and Johnson’s Chevrolet to Victory Lane. A rivalry is born?

See if you can find a pair of rivals we missed based on our complete data table.

Posted on February 11, 2019February 11, 2019 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 February 10, 2019 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.

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.

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.

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 February 10, 2019April 1, 2021 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.

The second night of the #NSSWorldSeries has been canceled due to ud83cudf27ud83dudc4e

We will be back tomorrow for the #KNEast opener.#NWAAS | @newsmyrnaspdwy pic.twitter.com/ZPe90szHf1

— NASCAR Home Tracks (@NASCARHomeTrack) February 10, 2019

Posted on February 10, 2019February 10, 2019 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.”

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 February 10, 2019February 11, 2019 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.

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 February 10, 2019February 10, 2019 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.”

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.

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.”