Each year we begin our season during Black History Month. We would like to pause and recognize the contributions of African Americans in our sport.
Their efforts have made them trailblazers behind the wheel, over the wall and in our offices.
RELATED: Gilliland gets angry after Duel crash involving Stenhouse | Daytona 500 starting lineup
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The driver who won half of last year’s superspeedway events wasn’t content to sit tight in Thursday night’s opening Can-Am Duel qualifying race. So Ricky Stenhouse Jr. opted to mix things up a bit.
Two of his maneuvers, both quick veers out of the pack, triggered accidents. But the way Stenhouse sewed up a fourth-place finish in a relatively stable Roush Fenway Racing No. 17 Ford also suggested that his recent steady run at restrictor-plate tracks could carry over in Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM).
“I was just really kind of tired of riding around on the outside, and just wanted to give the fans something to watch instead of racing around, instead of driving up around the fence,” Stenhouse said post-race on pit road at Daytona International Speedway. “I tried all night to get a line going on the bottom so we could race side-by-side. Just really couldn’t get anybody to go with us. We worked hard, got back up to fourth and I feel like we’ve got a really good car come Sunday.
Stenhouse, the most recent Monster Energy Cup Series winner at Daytona, started fifth but quickly found himself shuffled further back in the running order. A dive to the inside of William Byron in the 39th of 63 laps sent the rookie’s No. 24 Chevrolet spinning, the aerodynamic swipe causing a dramatic shift in handling. The same effect happened in Lap 48, with David Gilliland’s No. 92 suffering a similar fate.
WATCH: Byron goes spinning in Can-Am Duel
Stenhouse suggested that Thursday night’s performance was in part due to his RFR team’s choice to focus on race trim over qualifying trim during Saturday’s practice sessions. Even with that decision, Stenhouse’s No. 17 was still ninth-fastest among the 40 cars in Sunday’s qualifying session.
The deferred benefit came Thursday, when Stenhouse was able to carve out his own path back into the top five in race conditions, while some of his rivals struggled to achieve balance in a twitchy aero package for superspeedways this year.
“No, their cars weren’t driving good and we worked on our car in drafting practice and got it driving good,” Stenhouse said. “We opted to get it driving good rather than qualify on the front row. I think that paid off so I could do whatever I wanted and maneuver as quick as I wanted left and right. That is what I was doing out there, just trying to work my way to the front and pull them back so I could get a hole to fill in. I just kept timing it a little wrong to be able to slide up in front of them.”
RELATED: Projected Daytona 500 lineup | Blaney, Elliott win Duel races
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Despite watching his driver, Alex Bowman, and the No. 88 Chevrolet sink like a stone on Lap 1, Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Greg Ives said Thursday’s Can-Am Duel played out according to plan.
Bowman and the Daytona 500 pole-winning car emerged from Thursday’s first qualifying race without a scratch. After fading to the back of the pack shortly after the initial drop of the green flag, Bowman sidestepped the carnage that snared the primary cars of Hendrick teammates William Byron and Jimmie Johnson.
The clean finish, 14th in the 20-car field for the opening 157.5-mile race, meant that Bowman’s No. 1 starting spot for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM) remained intact.
“We came down here to sit on the pole and we wanted to be the Camaro ZL1’s first pole and we achieved that,” Bowman said, referring to his fast qualifying lap last Sunday in the new Chevy model. “But, we weren’t going to tear it up tonight for sure.”
Ives agreed, saying the four crashes in the brief, 63-lap sprint added merit to the game plan.
“I don’t know. I saw those guys wreck and that’s something we weren’t going to have to do,” he said. “I’m already locked in to the pole position so there’s no sense being out there and having people get around you and get in a situation to get wrecked.
While the No. 88 remained without a crease, the only potential downside was a lack of learning experience in the aerodynamic draft for NASCAR’s new superspeedway package. The lack of a ride-height requirement in the rule book at Daytona International Speedway and sister track Talladega has prompted teams to lower the rear decks of the cars this week, gaining speed at the expense of dodgy handling.
Neither Bowman or Ives expressed much concern, saying that the No. 88 team will alter its set-up for Sunday’s Great American Race, adjusting for the sunnier, warmer conditions of a Sunday mid-afternoon start.
“You always want to get experience in the draft, but you’ve got a risk-reward a little bit,” Ives said. “I didn’t think it was a benefit. We came down here with a plan and we’re going to stick to that plan. Right now it’s working out to what we want, but the 500, it’s going to be a way different race than it is tonight.
And come Sunday, that approach won’t involve a precipitous drop to the rear of the field at the start.
“Strategy for us is to go out there and try to lead as many laps as we can and be in position to win,” Ives said. “I think that’s what most people do to win these races. Sitting back there, you’re not putting yourself in position to know what you can trust your car to do at the end of the race. That’s what we’re going to try to do. We’re going to go out there and be aggressive. We’re starting up front and that’s where we want to end it.”
RELATED: Blaney, Elliott take thrilling Can-Am Duels
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Wearing a huge grin, Richard Petty strode over to Darrell Wallace Jr. on pit road following Wallace’s third-place finish in Thursday night’s Can-Am Duel qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway. He congratulated Wallace, then draped his arm around the young driver — and walked with him the entire way to the media center for post-race interviews.
Multiple crew members gave Wallace fist bumps after the race, but nothing quite compares to “a big bear hug” from the King.
“I had a bodyguard walk me from the car to here; his name was Richard Petty,” Wallace said. “I have never seen him that excited before. That was the coolest thing. … Sunglasses were off. Got to see how much he was truly excited about that. That is probably the highlight of the night, better than finishing third. …
“Felt like we just won the race, as proud as he was.”
Wallace propelled the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet up to second after the final drop of the green flag in overtime. He gave leader and eventual winner Ryan Blaney a nudge and then raced door-to-door with Team Penske’s Joey Logano for position. But Logano edged him at the start/finish line for the runner-up spot.
“That last restart, I was pretty proud of Ryan for taking the bottom there, stop doing all that team stuff,” Wallace said. “Logano didn’t like it. I gave Ryan a good shot there. I think I gave him too big of a shot. But it was a good race back to the line. I just moved up a little bit too late. Joey and I said we both would have wrecked if I went up any higher at the end.”
In the end, it was a group of young drivers racing for the win – including best friends Blaney and Wallace, who congratulated his buddy Blaney in his No. 12 Ford as he drove to Victory Lane.
“The two best friends there ever was were sitting next to each other,” Logano joked with a smile. “I apparently don’t have any friends.”
WATCH: Joey Logano pokes fun at “team work”
At restrictor-plate tracks, it does pay to have friends; it did for Blaney tonight, as Wallace gave him the shove that led him to victory.
“I thought he did a good job all night,” Blaney said of Wallace. “I was watching him the whole time; he did a good job of picking which lane to go with when not having much experience in these cars at this race track, at the speedways. …
“That’s why I picked the bottom on the last restart because he was down there. … I think he proved himself tonight that he should be here and is supposed to be here, and I hope he can continue to do that.”
Wallace’s third-place finish gives him a seventh-place starting position for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), which will mark his first appearance in the “Great American Race.”
In his younger days, he’d be “bouncing off the walls” in excitement, he said. But tonight Wallace was different; he called himself an “open notebook,” trying to learn all he could for the sport’s biggest race.
“We still got a race to get through now,” Wallace said. “ … It’s a big reset button on Sunday. Still a lot of work left to be done before we climb in. Just so proud of my guys, what they brought to the race track, what they’re bringing as far as attitude‑wise to the race track.
“Sure as hell is fun to be around.”
RELATED: Full Speedweeks schedule | Paint scheme preview: Daytona | Blaney, Elliott win Duel races
Heading into Thursday’s Can-Am Duel races at Daytona, we already knew the front row for Sunday’s main event — Alex Bowman is on the pole and Denny Hamlin will start second when the green flag drops Feb. 18 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
We also knew that the dual 60-lap races would set the remainder of the running order.
As a refresher, Duel 1 results set the inside row of the Daytona 500 starting lineup. Duel 2 set the outside row.
Following the Can-Am Duel races, here is the official Daytona 500 starting lineup.
| Starting Position | Driver | Team |
| 1. | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2. | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 3. | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske |
| 4. | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 5. | Joey Logano | Team Penske |
| 6. | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 7. | Darrell Wallace Jr. | Richard Petty Motorsports |
| 8. | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 9. | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 10. | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 11. | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 12. | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 13 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing |
| 14. | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing |
| 15. | David Ragan | Front Row Motorsports |
| 16. | Paul Menard | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 17. | Daniel Suarez | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 18. | Trevor Bayne | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 19. | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 20. | AJ Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 21. | Chris Buescher | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 22. | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports |
| 23. | Ty Dillon | Germain Racing |
| 24. | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing |
| 25. | Brendan Gaughan | Beard Motorsports |
| 26. | Kasey Kahne | Leavine Family Racing |
| 27. | Jeffrey Earnhardt | StarCom Racing |
| 28. | Danica Patrick | Premium Motorsports |
| 29. | Justin Marks | Rick Ware Racing |
| 30. | DJ Kennington | Gaunt Brothers Racing |
| 31. | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske |
| 32. | Corey LaJoie | TriStar Motorsports |
| 33. | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 34. | Gray Gaulding | BK Racing |
| 35. | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 36. | Matt DiBenedetto | Go Fas Racing |
| 37. | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 38. | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 39. | David Gilliland | RBR Enterprises |
| 40. | Mark Thompson | Phoenix Air Racing |
RESULTS: Can-Am Duel 1 | Can-Am Duel 2
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Ryan Blaney held off Team Penske teammate Joey Logano to win Thursday night’s first 150-mile qualifying race in the Can-Am Duel at Daytona International Speedway, but the story of the race was the list of prominent cars that did not survive until the checkered flag.
In the second Duel, Chase Elliott grabbed the lead on Lap 27 of 60 and held it the rest of the way, beating Kevin Harvick to the finish line by .081 seconds. Erik Jones survived an early spin to run third, followed by Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch.
Blaney finished the first Duel .207 seconds ahead of fast-closing Logano in the race that set the order of the inside row for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX), the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season opener. Blaney will start third behind pole winner Alex Bowman, who rode conservatively in the back in the first Duel and finished 14th.
Logano, who charged past Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. at the stripe for the runner-up spot, will start fifth in the 500, a race he won in 2015.
“It’s nice to get the year started off well,” said Blaney, who got a strong push from Wallace during the decisive two-lap shootout after a Lap 59 wreck sent the race to overtime. “It’s not the (Daytona) 500. You never know what can happen on Sunday. We came close in (last Sunday’s) Clash, and I didn’t make a good move and I kind of lost that race.
“I learned a little bit, and I thought about that forever. I thought we learned a little bit from our mistakes. It’s so nice to bring the 12 car back to victory lane. Hopefully, we can make it another one here on Sunday. That would be the one that counts.”
RELATED: Blaney takes big step in superspeedway racing
Jimmie Johnson, however, one of the first casualties of a 60-lap event that produced four cautions. On Lap 9, Johnson cut his right rear tire and spun entering Turn 1, rocketing up the track and slamming into the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of Aric Almirola.
Both cars were destroyed in the wreck, in which the No. 19 Toyota of Daniel Suarez also suffered damage—but not enough to eliminate him from the race. Johnson and Almirola will start from the rear of the field in backup cars in the Great American Race.
RELATED: Johnson wrecks in Duel 1
“The car started to shake a little bit entering the tri-oval,” Johnson said of the accident. “That’s why I pulled down. I was kind of shocked that I had the shake, and knew it was that soft tire shake coming from the right side.
“As I entered the tri-oval, it finally went flat and hooked me around and into to Aric, unfortunately. Terrible way to start …”
Almirola was a hapless victim of Johnson’s misfortune.
“There was nothing I could do,” said Almirola, who was competing for the first time in his new ride with SHR. “I saw him pull out of line. I thought he was just checking up, but he came back across the track. It’s disappointing.
“Not the way I wanted to start Speedweeks with our Smithfield Ford Fusion, but we will get another car out and get ready for the rest of the weekend. The beauty of it is that it is just the 150s, and it wasn’t the Daytona 500.”
Advance Auto Parts Clash winner Brad Keselowski also will head to the rear in a backup, after his No. 2 Team Penske Ford pinched the No. 1 Chevrolet of Jamie McMurray into the outside backstretch wall on Lap 58, when McMurray tried to fill a narrow gap to the outside.
WATCH: Keselowski crashes out in Duel 1
Rookie William Byron was another casualty of the first Duel. On Lap 39, a side-draft from Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s Ford sucked Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet around. Byron’s car nosed into the outside wall and subsequently dropped out of the race.
WATCH: Byron spins out at Daytona
Denny Hamlin, who started on the pole for the second Duel, faded to ninth as the field shuffled over the final three laps, but Hamlin will start beside Bowman on the front row for the Daytona 500, having secured that spot in last Sunday’s time trials.
Elliott, who collected a Duel victory for the second straight year, will start fourth in the Great American Race, with Harvick behind him in sixth.
“To be honest, I was trying a lot of stuff,” said Elliott, who handed team owner Rick Hendrick his 15th Duel win. “I didn’t really know what to do. This new (rules) package is a little different, and the way these cars draft is a little strange compared to what we’ve seen in the past.
“I don’t really know if anybody has it figured out. We’re all trying to learn and see what the best position is to be in—and when you want to be there.”
The most notable victim of the second Duel was Kyle Larson, whose No. 42 Ganassi Racing Chevrolet was eliminated on Lap 12 in a four-car wreck that also involved Matt DiBenedetto, Jones and Elliott, who tapped and turned Jones’ Toyota to start the incident.
RELATED: Larson, DiBenedetto wreck in Duel 2
“I just hate that we tore up another car, and my guys are going to have to get another Credit One Bank Chevy prepared before (Friday) morning practice,” Larson said. “We just didn’t really want to crash today. That stinks.
“I haven’t seen a replay or anything, but it kind of looked like the No. 9 (Elliott) got into the No. 20 (Jones) in the middle of the corner. Seemed like we were all good, then they started spinning on exit and I had nowhere to go.”
RELATED: The untold story of Earnhardt’s Daytona 500 win
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It was 20 years ago when 6-year-old Wessa Miller handed her favorite driver Dale Earnhardt a lucky penny, which the “Intimidator” famously glued inside his car before winning the “Great American Race” in dramatic fashion.
NASCAR.com profiled their story extensively on the anniversary of Earnhardt’s win.
Two decades later, the No. 3 Chevrolet again will have a penny in its car for Sunday’s 60th running of the Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Austin Dillon and his Richard Childress Racing team hope it’s another lucky charm.
The No. 3 team carefully positioned the penny just so on Thursday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway, with interior mechanic Adam Brown doing the honors.
The penny comes from Austin Dillon’s newest fan. The 27-year-old noticed during an autograph session that a child approached him for an autograph without a hat on.
Dillon whipped the hat off his head, signed it and gave it to him under the condition he become an Austin Dillon fan. Those were agreeable terms.
The young man returned to see Austin the next day, bringing with him a penny for luck.
“I handed him the hat and didn’t think nothing of it,” Dillon said. “It was like I got a new fan, obviously, he’s going to follow me forever because he’s probably 8, 9 or 10 years old. And the next day I saw him and I was walking through the garage and he yelled at me … And he handed me a lucky penny.
“So I told him I’d take that penny and put it in the (Daytona) 500 car. We’ll have a penny in the car on 500 day.”
And, with a little luck, a visit to Victory Lane will follow.
Ever wonder what goes on a driver meeting? We’re here to help.
This year, we’ll publish the actual rules video your favorite Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver will watch prior to climbing into their stock cars. Above is the video for the Can-Am Duel races at Daytona.
Enjoy!
RELATED: FOX drivers-only broadcast draws praise
“As long as no one sets fire to the FOX Sports booth or pulls the plug that knocks us off the air, the drivers have free rein.”
Those were the words of John Entz, FOX Sports President & Executive Producer of Production, last May when FOX Sports announced it would undertake an unprecedented challenge — broadcasting a NASCAR Xfinity Series race called entirely by active drivers. Fortunately, there was no fire or loss of transmission signal, so FOX Sports has issued a “callback” to the cast of characters that debuted last June on FOX in the NASCAR XFINITY SERIES race broadcast from Pocono Raceway.
Back for the sequel, live on FOX on Saturday, April 28 from Talladega Superspeedway (3 p.m. ET), are Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and newcomers Brad Keselowski and Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.
“The fan response last year to us blending this unlikely cast of characters and their unique personalities, coupled with the drivers’ feedback, made reuniting this group a no-brainer,” said Pam Miller, FOX Sports’ NASCAR Xfinity Series producer. “We started talking about the next ‘Drivers Only’ broadcast as soon as the checkered flag waved in Pocono, and we’re thrilled the majority of our motley crew is back.”
Harvick again has the call alongside analysts Bowyer and Logano. Blaney and Jones welcome rookie Wallace to pit road, while Keselowski hosts FOX Sports’ coverage from the Hollywood Hotel for the first time alongside Stenhouse Jr., who worked pit road last year.
“When FOX approached me last year about the Drivers Only broadcast for Pocono, I figured it either was going to be really awesome or really bad, but there was no way I was going to miss being part of it,” said Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford. “I think we were all pleasantly surprised with how well it went, but that’s thanks to everyone at FOX doing a lot of work to make it as seamless as possible.”
“I had a ton of fun last year,” said Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards Ford. “It was good to step out of my comfort zone and see how the broadcast team does it on the road each week. I think doing it at Talladega will be make it even more exciting.”
FOX Sports cherry-picked Pocono for the “pilot” episode by design, but the network now is ready to throw the driver/broadcasters into the deep end at the circuit’s fastest speedway.
“One of the reasons we chose Pocono for our first Drivers Only broadcast is that it tends to lend itself to a little more reaction time for the broadcasters than a track like Talladega does,” Miller said. “But to be honest, they all handled the entire afternoon so professionally and calmly, providing their own unique insights, that we knew then they are ready for a place like Talladega.”
“I think we’ve all got confidence going into this year’s broadcast but we all know the type of racing that restrictor plates create,” Logano added. “We’ll all be on the edge of our seats with everyone at home, trying to keep up with the three and four-wide racing. It’s one of the most exciting races of the year for me as a driver, and I can’t wait to call the action from the booth with Kevin and Clint. Plus, it’s awesome to have Brad joining the group in the Hollywood Hotel.”
In addition, FOX Sports once again is opening its NASCAR Xfinity Series analyst chair to active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers in 2018, a practice begun in 2015. Keselowski joins FOX broadcasters Adam Alexander and Michael Waltrip to call Saturday’s Xfinity season opener (live on FS1 at 2:30 p.m. ET) at Daytona International Speedway, while Blaney and Jones add their names to the roster for the first time this year. Furthermore, Harvick serves as a FOX Sports analyst for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Kentucky, Eldora and Talladega, while he and several of his fellow drivers serve as analysts on FS1’s NASCAR RACE HUB.
FOX NASCAR driver analyst schedule for the 2018 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES:
|
Date |
Location |
Driver Analyst* |
Network |
Race Start** |
|
2/17 |
Daytona International Speedway |
Keselowski |
FS1 |
2:30 PM |
|
2/24 |
Atlanta Motor Speedway |
Elliott |
FS1 |
2 PM |
|
3/3 |
Las Vegas Motor Speedway |
Keselowski |
FS1 |
4 PM |
|
3/10 |
Phoenix International Raceway |
Blaney |
FOX |
4 PM |
|
3/17 |
Auto Club Speedway |
Keselowski |
FS1 |
5 PM |
|
4/7 |
Texas Motor Speedway |
Bowyer |
FOX |
3 PM |
|
4/14 |
Bristol Motor Speedway |
Logano |
FS1 |
1 PM |
|
4/20 |
Richmond International Raceway |
Harvick |
FS1 |
7 PM |
|
4/28 |
Talladega Superspeedway- Drivers Only |
Harvick, Bowyer, Logano, Blaney, Jones, Keselowski Stenhouse Jr. and Wallace |
FOX |
3 PM |
|
5/5 |
Dover International Speedway |
Dillon |
FS1 |
1:30 PM |
|
5/26 |
Charlotte Motor Speedway |
Jones |
FS1 |
1 PM |
|
6/2 |
Pocono Raceway |
McMurray |
FS1 |
1 PM |
|
6/9 |
Michigan International Speedway |
Logano |
FOX |
1:30 PM |
|
6/17 |
Iowa Speedway |
Regan Smith |
FS1 |
5 PM |
*Subject to change
**All times EST
In appreciation of the drivers’ participation in the Drivers Only broadcast at Talladega, FOX Sports will make a donation to each driver’s individual foundation or charity of choice.
Editor’s note: This is the 12th in a series of 14 team previews on NASCAR.com. Next up: Joe Gibbs Racing on Feb. 15. A list of team previews already published is at the bottom of this story.
Stewart-Haas Racing
Manufacturer: Ford
Engines: Roush-Yates
Drivers: Kevin Harvick, No. 4; Aric Almirola, No. 10; Clint Bowyer, No. 14; Kurt Busch, No. 41
Crew chiefs: Rodney Childers (Harvick), John Klausmeier (Almirola), Mike Bugarewicz (Bowyer), Billy Scott (Busch)
2017 standings: Harvick, third in final standings (reached Championship 4); Busch, 14th in final standings (eliminated in Round of 16); Bowyer, 18th in final standings; Almirola, 29th in final standings (for Richard Petty Motorsports); Danica Patrick piloted the No. 10 Ford to a 28th-place finish in the standings.
What’s new: The four-car organization has a driver change in the No. 10 car with Aric Almirola taking over the seat filled by Danica Patrick for the past five seasons. Almirola brings with him longtime sponsor Smithfield to the SHR fold. On the crew chief side of things, Tony Gibson is off the road, but still will work closely with the organization’s crew chiefs. John Klausmeier, formerly an engineer on the No. 41 team, will be Almirola’s crew chief. He already has a win to his credit as the crew chief for Busch’s 2016 Pocono win. Scott shifts over from the No. 10 pit box to work with 2004 champion Busch.
What to watch: Championship contender Kevin Harvick is the gold standard for this organization and on the prowl for title No. 2. Reigning Daytona 500 champion Kurt Busch is looking to make the playoffs for a sixth straight season. Clint Bowyer is eager to get back to Victory Lane for the first time since 2012. Aric Almirola has plenty to prove with his new team. Stewart-Haas is celebrating its 10th season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Key question(s): Will Year 2 with Ford yield more consistency and speed for drivers other than Harvick? Can Harvick carry his late-season surge into 2018 and a run at a second title? How will Busch mesh with a new crew chief after clicking well with Gibson? Will Bowyer snap his winless drought and break out in his second year at SHR? Can Almirola make sizable gains with his new organization? Could this be the year SHR gets all four cars in the playoffs for the first time?
RELATED: A day at the shop with SHR
DRIVERS
Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford: For the third time in four years, Harvick reached the Championship 4 as he came on strong late in the season – specifically at the 1.5-mile tracks in the playoffs. Wins at Sonoma and Texas left the 2014 champion with just two active tracks to win at in the Monster Energy Series – Pocono and Kentucky. And while SHR switched manufacturers to Ford, that move seemed to affect Harvick the least performance-wise of the entire SHR stable.
One change Harvick has his eye on is the five-person pit crew. “As you go through the early part of the season, I think you have to have some patience with pit road because you know how new, fresh and different it is through those first few races,” Harvick said. “But, as we get toward the end of the year, they should have it figured out, and it’ll probably just be the new norm.”
Aric Almirola, No. 10 Smithfield Ford: A back injury from a hard wreck at Kansas sidelined Almirola for seven races in the 2017 season. The Florida native finished the season and his Richard Petty Motorsports tenure strong with three top-10 finishes in his last six races. Of note as well: Almirola’s three top fives all came at restrictor-plate tracks, which is also where his one career win came in 2014 (at Daytona). The move to SHR gives Almirola a high degree of optimism.
“I want to be a part of the team and contribute to Stewart-Haas Racing and help put banners up inside the shop,” Almirola said of his high hopes for himself and his teammates in 2018. “I am a firm believer that high tide raises all ships. If I can go and do my part and do my job and contribute, then hopefully we will all run better together.”
Clint Bowyer, No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford: Bowyer’s first year at SHR saw the Kansas native post his highest number of top-five finishes (six) since 2013, his highest number of top-10 finishes (13) since 2014 and his best average finish (15.5) since 2013. Despite those gains, Bowyer missed the playoffs for the third time in four years and saw his winless streak extend to 185 races entering the start of the 2018 season.
“Every year is a make-or-break year,” Bowyer said of whether there is more pressure on him in 2018. “Doesn’t matter if it’s your first year or your third year or your 12th year, it’s always that pressure and it’s always on. … I’ve always wanted to win and once you get a taste of that, there’s no going back from that.”
Kurt Busch, No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford: Busch’s elusive first restrictor-plate win came in dramatic fashion as he led the last lap to win the 2017 Daytona 500 in Monster Energy’s first full points-paying race as the entitlement sponsor. The 2004 champion made the playoffs for the fifth year in a row; however, he was eliminated in the Round of 16. His contract option was declined over the summer, but in December, SHR and Busch announced he would be back on a one-year deal for the 2018 season. And the veteran isn’t ready to ride into the sunset just yet.
“It is that drive and desire to win races still for me,” Busch said of what pushes him. “I want to win more. Last year was great with Daytona but we want to win more for Haas, Monster and Ford and everyone on the NASCAR side.”
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