Posted on by Staff Report

The 2018 season kicks off Sunday with the Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with plenty of intrigue palpable. NASCAR.com staff members go out on a limb to make their picks for the both Sunday’s race and the 2018 season in general.

ZACK ALBERT
Truck Series champion: Johnny Sauter. Just one position shy of the 2017 title, Sauter returns to cash in for his second crown in three years.

Xfinity Series champion: Christopher Bell. Last year’s Truck champ moves up, poised to seal his second NASCAR national series title.

Daytona 500 winner: Brad Keselowski. With a strong restrictor-plate acumen, all the variables set to finally align for the No. 2 crew at the Great American Race.

Surprise playoff qualifier: Kasey Kahne. Sure, Kahne qualified for the postseason last year to fill a two-year void, but this year’s mission is tougher: Bringing Leavine Family Racing its first playoff berth.

Bold prediction: Five first-time winners. Chase Elliott is expected to finally break through, but add Alex Bowman, William Byron, Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez to that list.

Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr. Two drivers from last year’s final quartet should return, but the Championship 4 mix gets younger with Elliott and Larson.

2018 champion: Kyle Busch. For all his racing accomplishments, it’s surprising that Rowdy doesn’t have championships in multiples. This year, he’s in line for title No. 2.

JONATHAN MERRYMAN
Camping World Truck Series champion: Johnny Sauter. One of the most consistent drivers in the Truck Series garage. Get ready for title No. 2.

Xfinity Series champion: Elliott Sadler. Homestead has lit a fire under the veteran, who is tired of being a bridesmaid.

Daytona 500 winner: Brad Keselowski. Starting from the rear of the field is no problem for Keselowski. I think he gets out front, and when he does, he will be very hard to pass.

Surprise playoff qualifier: William Byron. Is it really a surprise? Maybe not, but I needed to at least mention his name as a playoff driver.

Bold prediction: Alex Bowman wins one of the first 10 races of the year.

Championship 4: Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson.

2018 champion: Chase Elliott. He came out of the 2017 fall Phoenix race a different driver — one I don’t want to underestimate.

BRAD NORMAN
Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter. Sauter is simply too good at this point in his career. The playoff format suits him beautifully.

Xfinity Series champion: Christopher Bell. Elliott Sadler and Cole Custer both give a serious push, but Bell wins the title in his first year in the series.

Daytona 500 winner: Kyle Larson. Yeah, the Fords are fast this weekend, but it’s Daytona. The Joe Gibbs guys lurk late, but ultimately it’s Larson outrunning the field to the checkered.

Surprise playoff qualifier: Darrell Wallace Jr. The energy around the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team is incredible. Wallace Jr. won’t point his way in, either — he’ll win.

Bold prediction: Chase Elliott will win at least five races in 2018.

Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney.

2018 champion: Kyle Busch.

JESSICA RUFFIN
Camping World Truck Series champion: Johnny Sauter. The 2016 champ is motivated after missing the title last year. With ’17 champ Christopher Bell racing in the Xfinity Series this year, the title is Sauter’s to take.

Xfinity Series champion: Elliott Sadler. Look for last year’s regular-season champion to win the 2018 championship this year, as Sadler looks to seize a title narrowly missed last season.

Daytona 500 winner: Joey Logano. The Fords have proven to be the cars to beat in the long run at Daytona, and Team Penske’s Logano has the plate prowess to be patient when he needs to be (and aggressive when coming to the checkered).

Surprise playoff qualifier: William Byron. Byron’s rise through the ranks has been quick, but successful. He won multiple races in his Xfinity and Truck rookie seasons, so look for strong, consistent runs — if not a win — for the young driver this year.

Bold prediction: Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez will both win races — and make the Playoffs — for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Championship 4: Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick.

2018 champion: Kyle Busch.

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Daytona 500 starting lineup

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Road trips are a way of life when you live in the largest American state. For Ken and Kelly Knecht, the miles often come in bunches — but especially when they made the trek from their Alaska hometown to Daytona International Speedway.

“Up there, you’ve got to drive a long ways to get from town to town — if there’s a road even,” says Ken Knecht, 60. “Down here, it seems pretty easy to drive. We don’t mind driving at all.”

An appetite for the open road is a necessity. Fans come from all over to make their pilgrimage to the World Center of Racing, but the Knechts are among a select few hailing from The Last Frontier.

The Knechts, accompanied by Kelly’s sister Dennise Casey, are making their third trip to the 2.5-mile track, but this year is their first visit camping in an RV in the sprawling Daytona infield. Their two previous trips came in July for the Coke Zero 400; Sunday will mark their first Daytona 500.

The couple’s hometown of Eagle River is a small community just outside of Anchorage, flanked by the mountains of Chugach State Park. It’s also just a half-hour cruise to Alaska Raceway Park, a NASCAR-affiliated short track in nearby Palmer, where the Knechts attended races during their high school years.

But the Knechts’ initial connection to motorsports also extended to the days of the CART Series and their trips to that circuit’s race in Long Beach, California. When CART and IndyCar divided into rival series in the mid-1990s, the Knechts’ interest in open-wheel racing waned.

“When it kind of split, I was looking for a new racing series and found NASCAR,” says Kelly Knecht, 55. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is cool.’ ”

Since discovering stock-car racing, they’ve visited several faraway tracks — Atlanta, Darlington, Sonoma, Texas, Phoenix and Charlotte among them. But among speedways on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule, only Homestead is farther away from home for the Knechts.

Driving from Alaska to the opposite corner of the contiguous United States is tough enough, an estimated 77 hours of driving time and 4,700 miles. But the Knechts raised the degree of difficulty, with stops in the Seattle area, Phoenix and other business-related sidetrips before powering through to Daytona in their 2018 Tiffin RV.

“Gosh, a total of 20 days maybe getting here?” Ken Knecht says.

Continuing to cross new venues off their bucket list is what’s kept the Knechts coming back — that and the thunderous anticipation of the green flag, Ken says.

And maybe the weather. Friday’s forecast for the Anchorage area called for temperatures in the low-20s and freezing fog. In contrast, Daytona Beach enjoyed a sunny Friday that topped out at 80 degrees.

“It’s hot. I’m melting,” Kelly Knecht says with a laugh. “I have to say, I like the mornings when it’s a little cooler. … I like the beach here and the warmer weather, but I miss the mountains and the snow of Alaska. That’s home.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Daytona 500 schedule| Final practice results

Darrell Wallace Jr. made a splash in the Can-Am Duels, finishing third, and topped the speed chart in Saturday’s final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, proving he’s carrying plenty of momentum into Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.)

The rookie piloted the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet around the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway at 196.954 mph. Second-year driver Daniel Suarez was second-fastest at 196.528 mph in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Three Chevrolets completed the top five: Ryan Newman at 196.464 mph in the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing entry, followed by Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron (196.382 mph) and Jimmie Johnson (196.305 mph). Byron and Johnson are both in backup cars after wrecking in Thursday night’s Can-Am Duels.

Four cars served a 15-minute hold at the end of final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice for failing Daytona 500 qualifying inspection twice: Kyle Busch’s No. 18, Johnson’s No. 48, AJ Allmendinger’s No. 47 and Matt DiBenedetto’s No. 23.

RELATED: Darrell Wallace Jr. embraces new opportunity in No. 43

Posted on by Zack Albert

Editor’s note: This is the last of 14 team previews on NASCAR.com for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

Furniture Row Racing

Manufacturer: Toyota

Engine: Toyota Racing Development

Drivers Martin Truex Jr., No. 78

Crew chief: Cole Pearn 

2017 standings: 1st

What’s new: As conventional wisdom would hold, no major changes for the No. 78 group that claimed its first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship last season. The biggest shift inside the Denver, Colorado shop is the restructuring to a single-car effort after the No. 77 team ceased operations after the season. Furniture Row’s close technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing continues, so the No. 78 won’t completely go it alone this year. 

What to watch: Martin Truex Jr. insists there’s no pressure returning as the defending premier-series champ, but it will be compelling to see if Truex, Pearn and Co. can replicate the sensational eight-win campaign of 2017. Topping his own results will be one facet; seeing if the rest of the field can catch up will be the other.

Key question(s): The No. 78 team’s sharp focus on making the most of stage racing’s benefits was a key component of Truex’s title run. With one season of the format under everyone’s belt, will Furniture Row’s competitors learn from the lessons of 2017 and make a dent in their playoff-point surplus?

DRIVERS

Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Bass Pro Shops/Five-Hour Energy Toyota: Truex and Furniture Row have fought through adversity in recent years away from the track, but in terms of pure on-track performance, the upward trend has been palpable.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

And now with a major career goal crossed off, it’s a far looser Truex who enters 2018 as the standard-bearer. “For me, I feel really good about where we’re at,” Truex says. “I feel really confident. But I’m really relaxed, as well. It’s like, you know, the ultimate goal in racing is to win that first championship in the Cup Series. That’s as high as you can get in stock car racing. To know we’ve done that, it’s just like, ‘Aah.’ No pressure now, let’s just go win more races, see where it all shakes out.”

PREVIOUS TEAM PREVIEWS

Feb. 1: Front Row Motorsports
Feb. 2: Richard Petty Motorsports
Feb. 3: Leavine Family Racing
Feb. 5: JTG Daugherty Racing
Feb. 6: Germain Racing
Feb. 7: Roush Fenway Racing
Feb. 8: Richard Childress Racing
Feb. 9: Wood Brothers Racing
Feb. 12: Chip Ganassi Racing
Feb. 13: Hendrick Motorsports
Feb. 14: Team Penske
Feb. 15: Stewart-Haas Racing
Feb. 16: Joe Gibbs Racing

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR and Axalta (NYSE: AXTA), announced today a multi-year agreement making Axalta, once again, the “Official Paint Partner of NASCAR.”

“Our affiliation with NASCAR runs deep,” said Charles Shaver, Chairman and CEO, Axalta. “We were the Official Finish for nearly 20 years before taking some time to strategically develop our program. Today, with this new agreement, we can grow our reach and leverage partnerships throughout the sport for business development opportunities with likeminded companies who need or use coatings. Motorsports represents all the things we see in ourselves; teamwork, high performance, a drive to be better, and winning!”

MORE: Best of the Axalta paint schemes

As part of the partnership, Axalta joins the NASCAR Fuel for Business Council®, bringing together an exclusive group of more than 50 Official NASCAR Partners to buy and sell products and services from one another. Axalta develops, manufactures and supplies coatings to nearly anything with wheels, along with thousands of industrial applications that exist throughout the world. Nearly anything that needs paint for protection, weatherability, durability or an enhanced appearance will have use for Axalta’s highly engineered products.

“Axalta is a category leader and we’re pleased to welcome them back to our diverse portfolio of Official Partners,” said Daryl Wolfe, Chief Sales and Partnership Officer, NASCAR and ISC. “This new agreement is largely in place due to the strong return on investment Axalta receives in the sport. This partnership will further complement that integrated approach and drive business for years to come.”

Axalta has a long tradition of excellence in NASCAR, dating back to 1992 when it sponsored a 21-year-old rookie from California, Jeff Gordon. In 2016, Axalta became the fifth Founding Partner at Daytona International Speedway’s (DIS) new motorsports stadium, receiving 32,000 square feet of branding and engagement opportunities in the Center Injector. Additionally, the brand serves as a primary sponsor with Hendrick Motorsports, a partnership that has been in place for more than a quarter century.

Axalta’s relationship with the sanctioning body dates to 1996, when it became an Official Partner, a partnership that spanned 17 years.

The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ season kicks off with the 60th annual DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (channel 90), with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

Posted on by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Crew chiefs for the No. 3 Chevrolet of Austin Dillon and No. 74 Dodge of Mike Harmon, along with the car chief for the No. 3, have been ejected for Saturday’s Xfinity Series Powershares QQQ 300 (2:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The No. 74 car failed four times at the Optical Scanning Station car inspection process pre-qualifying. The No. 3 car had a rear suspension violation. According to the updated 2018 at-track deterrence model, that is cause for an ejection before the race.

RELATED: Explaining the inspection process

That means the No. 3 team will need to fill its crew chief and car chief roles with someone already on its at-track roster with Nick Harrison (crew chief) and Michael Scearce (car chief) penalized. Same with the No. 74 team for crew chief Robert Scott.

Qualifying for the season-opening Xfinity Series race is scheduled for 9:35 a.m. (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM).

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Daytona results

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — One month ago, Jordan Anderson had $190 in his bank account. He was two weeks out from announcing the next chapter of his racing career as an owner-driver, but still scrapping to get his team to the race track.

Friday night at Daytona International Speedway, the engaging 26-year-old driver pocketed the first top-10 finish of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career. With visions of an even more lucrative top-five result within sight, Anderson’s No. 3 Toyota spun across the finish line after a final-lap jumble and came home in ninth place.

“I can’t believe it — Daytona,” said Anderson, who scratched the top-10 column for the first time in 58 career starts. “This place is so special for so many reasons. I first came here in 2015, trying to make a career in this sport and worked so hard the past several years. Just absolutely blessed.”

It was hugs all around on pit road, with Anderson thanking his sponsors and well-wishers after the season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250. His father, Clif, earned an extended embrace, an expression of gratitude for years of family support.

Jordan Anderson spins at the finish line in Daytona.  Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

The celebration potentially would have been muted had Anderson not been able to avoid contact as he slid underneath the checkered flag. The South Carolina native said he alternated throttling up and locking down the brakes in an effort to keep the team’s lone superspeedway truck away from the retaining wall.

“All that dirt racing I got a couple years ago came to work out,” Anderson said. “I hope Daytona’s not mad that I messed their grass up for the (Daytona) 500 on Sunday.”

Anderson’s previous best finish in the series was 11th place, recorded in June 2016 at Gateway Motorsports Park. After Friday’s new career high, Anderson said he’s hoping for momentum to carry into the series’ next race (Feb. 24 at Atlanta) and beyond.

“I’m almost speechless,” Anderson said. “I’m usually a guy that has a lot to say, but this makes it all worth it. I love this sport. I love the opportunity to be here. Hopefully this is one for the underdogs tonight.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Results | All the photos from Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – In a race that produced seven cautions for 35 laps and left 21 trucks running at the finish, Johnny Sauter held off Justin Haley by .098 seconds at Daytona International Speedway to win Friday night’s NextEra Energy Resources 250, the season-opener for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Sauter grabbed the lead from pole winner David Gilliland on Lap 92 of 100 and stayed out front the rest of the way. The victory was Sauter’s third at Daytona and 18th of his career.

The 2016 series champion dedicated the win to his crew chief Joe Shear, whose wife, Chandra Shear, passed away in December. The race performance of both driver and crew was impeccable.

RELATED: Sauter motivated by missed championship

“I felt like we executed flawlessly,” Sauter said. “I don’t even remember the pass for the lead. We had good track position and we lost it a couple times. I’m just so thankful to be driving this truck. This is best group of guys I’ve ever been around, and it’s great to start the season off like this.

“I just felt comfortable today and I don’t even know why. I didn’t have one nerve. I just felt like this was our day.”

As he watched Sauter close in on the victory, Shear was overcome with emotion.

RELATED: Sauter’s crew chief gets emotional

“This is very, very, very special,” Shear said. “I don’t know if a lot of people know, but I lost my wife in December. She’s looking down on us. She was in love with racing just as much as I was.

“She was looking over us and helped us to this win. And I’m so grateful to be in the position that I’m at and have these people around me. This means so much. I’ll never forget this one.”

Haley had the lead for a restart on Lap 87 but surrendered it to Gilliland on Lap 91. One lap later, Sauter surged past Gilliland into the top spot. A lap after that, Gilliland slapped the outside wall on the approach to Turn 1 and brought his car to pit road, finishing 21st, four laps down.

“Those final laps were crazy,” Haley said. “I finally got shuffled back a little bit there on the last lap, and there wasn’t that much energy on the high side.”

Veteran Joe Nemechek came home third, followed by Ben Rhodes and Scott Lagasse Jr., who took the white flag in second place but couldn’t mount a charge against Sauter on the final lap. Rhodes’ No. 41 Ford failed post-race inspection after measuring too low, however. That typically is an L1 penalty.

John Hunter Nemechek wasn’t as fortunate. After leading for a restart on Lap 70, he picked up a tire rub trying to block a run from Ben Rhodes on the outside, and on Lap 73, his right rear tire exploded, ripping apart the entire wheel well and triggering a seven-truck accident that knocked Brett Moffitt, Stewart Friesen and Myatt Snider out of the race.

WATCH: Nemechek crashes after tire blows

Grant Enfinger finished sixth, ahead of Spencer Davis, Dalton Sergeant, Jordan Anderson and Justin Fontaine. Two-time series champion Matt Crafton was part of a five-truck wreck on Lap 82 and ran 19th in his heavily damaged No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford.

Posted on by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — At least eight cars will start the Daytona 500 from the rear of the field following multiple wrecks in Thursday night’s Can-Am Duel qualifying races.

According to the NASCAR officials, Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Aric Almirola, William Byron, Matt DiBenedetto, Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson and David Gilliland all will go to their respective backup cars for the Daytona 500. Going to backup cars will move them to the rear of the field.

RELATED: Lineup for the Daytona 500

Most impacted is Austin Dillon, who earned the No. 14 starting spot in his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

It also is a setback for Brad Keselowski. The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford ran up front for the entirety of the first Can-Am Duel race before wrecking with Jamie McMurray on Lap 59 of 60. The Team Penske Fords have looked the strongest of Speedweeks thus far.

Additionally, Keselowski, Almirola, DiBenedetto and Johnson must go to backup engines due to the damage sustained Thursday night. At the series director’s discretion, these cars will not go to the rear of the field next weekend at Atlanta.