Spin from contact with Johnson leaves Kyle Busch in fiery mood

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.

Posted on February 13, 2019February 13, 2019 by Reid Spencer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 40th anniversary of the race that put NASCAR on the map is all but lost on William Byron.

When Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison wrecked in the closing laps of the 1979 Daytona 500—and tried to settle their differences with fisticuffs afterward—Byron wasn’t around.

In fact, when Jimmie Johnson won his first career pole at Daytona in 2002, Byron was more than nine months away from his fifth birthday. As he grew older, he paid attention to Johnson’s success with crew chief Chad Knaus.

“I mean, I’m so young, I wasn’t around for a lot of that,” Byron said of the 1979 race. “I guess, like, growing up watching, honestly, Jimmie and Chad win races at the 500, then watching Kevin Harvick win in 2007—those are the races that stick in my mind.

“I’m trying to make memories for myself. It’s cool to see some of that stuff come around full circle.”

Team owner Rick Hendrick closed the circle with a personnel shuffle that broke up the Johnson/Knaus pairing after 17 years and brought the seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief to Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet.

That’s something Byron couldn’t have imagined when, as a driver for the Hendrick Motorsports-affiliated JR Motorsports NASCAR Xfinity Series team, he met Knaus for the first time.

“No, definitely not, definitely not,” Byron said on Wednesday during Daytona 500 media day at Daytona International Speedway. “That’s a crazy thought to think a couple of years ago, that I could have him as a crew chief.

“But a huge honor, and something that I’m looking forward to.”

Byron already has something he can look back on, too. On Sunday, with Knaus on his pit box, the 21-year-old driver won his first career Busch Pole, securing the top starting spot for Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Hendrick Motorsports drivers had the four fastest laps in the final round, with Alex Bowman, Johnson and Chase Elliott trailing Byron.

Johnson and Knaus won the Daytona 500 pole in their first race together. Byron and Knaus did the same, a testament to how quickly the young driver and veteran crew chief have adapted to each other.

“He’s exciting to work with,” Byron said. “He’s super into anything racing-related, whether it’s car-related or driver-related. He’s helped me a lot with a lot of things I didn’t really expect him to really care about that much.

“He cares about me as a person. That builds a level of trust and respect between us. Still a lot… still very fresh and very new of a relationship. We’ve worked a lot in the offseason to make sure it’s the way it should be.”

Byron can look back on his first pole, but he’d prefer not to look much further, opting to put a rocky 2018 rookie season in the Cup series behind him. With an average finish of 22.1 and four top 10s in 36 points races, Byron finished the year 23rd in the standings.

With a new crew chief and a new competition package this season, he can discard much of last year without regret.

“Honestly, I don’t think about it that much right now,” Byron said. “I kind of blocked out most of that last year, other than the things I learned about myself mentally. But honestly, there’s not really a lot that’s similar to last year with us, besides the (car) number and the way the car looks.

“Don’t really think about it.”

MORE: Byron wins Sunoco Rookie of the Year | All Byron’s national series wins

With three days between his qualifying laps and his Gander RV Duel At Daytona 150-mile qualifying race on Thursday, Byron is eager to start racing.

“I’m ready to get in a car,” Byron said. “I’m tired of talking about it. I just want to go race. Can’t wait to get into the car.”

The nature of superspeedway racing tends to minimize the advantage a pole winner might have. It’s not particularly surprising that no Daytona pole sitter has won the 500 since Dale Jarrett took the checkered flag 19 years ago. Byron hopes to break that trend.

“That would be awesome,” Byron allowed. “Hopefully, if it’s in the plan, I guess meant to be, it will be. We’ll see what happens.”

Posted on February 13, 2019April 1, 2021 by Staff Report

Can he avoid the sophomore slump?

Time will tell, but Tommy Catalano is certainly hoping he can.

The Ontario, New York, native won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour last year on the strength of two top-10 finishes, and he is hoping to take his family-owned operation to the next level in 2019.

“That was pretty huge for us, especially going into it, we were the underdogs. We were just the small local guys,” Catalano said. “To have our moments that we ran with the big guys, it was really huge. At the end of the year, I was thinking to myself that my goal was to go to the races and finish inside the top-15 and make all the laps — and we did that 95% of the time.”

RACING-REFERENCE: Tommy Catalano’s Rookie of the Year Stats

He’s no stranger to success in racing. He won countless NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track championships before taking his talents to the Whelen Modified Tour, and in just his first Tour season, he won the Rookie of the Year in convincing fashion.

Now the goals are going to be even more difficult for him to complete going forward. He will be back on the Whelen Modified Tour for the entire 17-race slate in 2019, but now, he’s going after wins, and he has a veteran helping him chase the goal.

“Hopefully we can build on it,” he said of last year. “We will see exactly what we have and what we don’t have. We have Tommy (Baldwin) helping us, so hopefully between all that, we should be able to start the year off on a good note.”

Catalano purchased a brand new Troyer TA3 chassis over the offseason and is looking forward to letting it hit the track in Whelen Modified Tour competition. However, that car won’t hit the pavement for the opener at Myrtle Beach Speedway on March 16.

Instead, he will bring a car back to South Carolina that has already been to Victory Lane at the .538-mile oval last year — in November — as part of a Modified race at the Myrtle Beach 400.

“That’s going to be huge for us to go back there,” Catalano said. “The car that we won with at Myrtle Beach is shelved, up in the air, and sitting pretty, because we are going to take it back there just where we left with it.”

But, before the Whelen Modified Tour season gets underway, Catalano is competing in some Tour Type Modified action at New Smyrna Speedway as part of the 53rd annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.

He finished towards the back of the field on night one after a mechanical issue, but rebound to a fifth-place finish on Tuesday after starting from the outside pole and leading laps.

“We’ve been struggling a bit with mainly some gremlins, but I don’t think it’s the car, it’s just those gremlins you get. That’s why we come down here,” he said. “It’s a little family vacation and we can test and get all of the gremlins out of the cars. We don’t have to go to Myrtle Beach and be at that first race and waste it chasing gremlins. It’s about getting everything set and ready to go.”

Ask him what he feels like are realistic goals are for this year and the answer won’t surprise you. He is hoping to contend for wins and leave each race with more and more confidence.

“I think we are ready to go. We are going to hammer down hard. We have a lot of good guys behind us, with Tommy helping, between all of it, I’m sure we will have our moments where we will be hanging our heads, but the second year on the Tour, everyone is going to have those days. If we can just move past those days, there are going to be better days ahead,” Catalano said.

“At the end of last year I wasn’t sure we were ready for wins, but after the showing at Myrtle Beach, I am really hoping to go there and have a strong run. Everyone keeps saying the Whelen Modified Tour guys weren’t there (at Myrtle Beach) but we out-did Matt Hirschman the second night and he is one of the ones to beat when the Tour goes there. That was the biggest confidence booster out of all of it so far.”

Posted on February 13, 2019April 1, 2021 by Staff Report

NEW SMYRNA, Fla. — Just five days before beginning his first full-time season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Ryan Preece was in Victory Lane on Tuesday night.

The Berlin, Connecticut, driver took the lead just before the halfway point in the Tour Type Modified feature at New Smyrna Speedway and drove away in the final circuits. His victory came as part of the 53rd annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.

New Smyrna Speedway is just 20 minutes up the road from Daytona International Speedway, where Preece will run the Daytona 500 on Sunday.

“I used to be labeled as a guy who burned my stuff up quickly, but I’ve really done a lot with my setups to make them better in the long run,” Preece said. “I think it showed right there. This car is just so good right now.”

Preece qualified at the top of the field and the invert of eight put him on the outside of row four for the green flag. However, it wasn’t long before Preece was slicing through traffic and finding his way to the front — where he eventually stayed.

After a crash in turn two that collected multiple top contenders, Preece drove away from Jimmy Blewett to win the second Modified race of the week. Blewett was second and Doug Coby, who won on Monday night, third.

Even though he struggled to find speed on opening night, Bubba Pollard isn’t messing around this week.

The Super Late Model veteran dominated Tuesday’s 50-lap Super Late Model feature as part of the World Series, picking up his second straight victory. Pollard qualified seventh, but by luck of the draw, an invert of eight lined him up on the outside of the front row for the drop of the green flag.

Just as he did on Monday, Pollard found himself in second spot for the first half of the race, but didn’t hiccup when an opportunity to take the lead came in front of him. He passes Derek Kraus with just 17 laps remaining.

“Can’t thank this group of guys enough,” Pollard said. “It’s a great group. When you surround yourself with great people, they make my job easy, and they make me look good.”

Brad May finished second, grabbing his third straight podium to open the week. Dan Fredrickson, who led countless laps on Monday, finished third.

All eight nights of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action are airing live on FansChoice.TV. Racing continues on Wednesday night, where the Tour Type Modifieds will compete in the John Blewett III Memorial 76-lap feature.

Results: World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Night 5:

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

Super Late Models: 1. Bubba Pollard; 2. Brad May; 3. Dan Fredrickson; 4. Derek Griffith; 5. Logan Seavey; 6. Derek Kraus; 7. Alex Labbe; 8. Travis Braden; 9. Gabe Sommers; 10. Nolan Pope; 11. Clay Greenfield; 12. Colin Garrett; 13. Spencer Davis; 14. Harold Crooms; 15. Jett Noland; 16. Carson Kvapil; 17. Anthony Sergi; 18. Sam Mayer; 19. Christian Rose; 20. Ryan Moore; 21. Jared Irvan; 22. Patrick Thomas; 23. Steve Weaver, Jr.