Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Results | Standings | Fast facts: Enhancements

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The early reviews from NASCAR’s first race weekend with a stage-based format laden with performance incentives are in. For the sport’s top competition official, those reviews were boffo.

Steve O’Donnell — NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer — held an informal media scrum after Sunday’s Daytona 500, fielding questions about the race’s three-stage process, the five-minute pit repair clock, and the multiple multi-car crashes that affected all three national-series events.

“I’d say overall really pleased,” O’Donnell said in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage at Daytona International Speedway. “Saw a lot of great, hard racing. Everybody knows that every driver wants to win the Daytona 500. We saw drivers up on the wheel all day long, racing hard, and that’s exactly what we expected from the format.”

O’Donnell said he was content with the frenzied competition that produced race winners in Kurt Busch for the Daytona 500, Ryan Reed (XFINITY Series) and Kaz Grala (Camping World Truck Series) in the other national circuits. All three races were marked with attrition in several sizable accidents, but O’Donnell chalked that up to the high stakes of racing for victories at the historic 2.5-mile speedway.

“I think people wanted to win,” O’Donnell said. “People want to win at Daytona and we wanted drivers racing hard up front and racing hard for wins. So that’s we expected. In terms of good, hard racing, I think that’s what you saw all three days.”

O’Donnell noted that despite the wrecks that snared Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick among others, those two drivers had a semblance of consolation prizes with an accumulation of points by virtue of their stage victories.

O’Donnell also pointed out that the five-minute time limit for repairs made on pit road worked as anticipated. He said he did not expect officials to expand the time span, noting that no teams had raised an issue with it over the course of the weekend.

“I doubt it because this came from the teams,” O’Donnell said, “and when we looked at what was the proper amount of time, their suggestion was five minutes because they thought their day was really done if they couldn’t fix something within the five-minute clock. Obviously if a lot of folks come to us from a team standpoint and say we need more, but the whole point of that was to make sure the cars were safe and in race-able condition.”

O’Donnell also said he was content with the number of laps that were completed under caution between stages — seven after Stage 1 and five after Stage 2 — but said that the number would be a “work in progress” during the season.

2018 DAYTONA 500 VIP Ticket Packages are now available from PrimeSport! As the Official Ticket Exchange of Daytona International Speedway, PrimeSport has your access to all the action at the World Center of Racing! Receive $50 off per reservation when you book your 2018 DAYTONA package by Saturday March 4th. Use code DAYTONA18 at checkout. Coupon code DAYTONA18 is active now through Saturday March, 4th. | GO HERE

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Race results | Grala earns first career win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Matt Crafton‘s position as a 17th-year veteran and two-time champion in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has afforded him the clout to hand out scrutiny about how his peers race.


The late-race intensity that sent his No. 88 Toyota arcing skyward like paper in a gale, though, was met with a shrug and a grin.


“That was just last-lap Daytona,” Crafton said.


Rookie Kaz Grala prevailed in Friday’s Camping World Truck Series opener at Daytona International Speedway, somehow threading his way through chaos at the front of the pack to win the NextEra Energy Resources 250. The event was bookended by wild crashes, one on Lap 2 and the last on the 100th and final trip around the 2.5-mile track.


Crafton’s wheels-up pirouette became the focal point of the last-lap fracas. The 40-year-old driver’s ThorSport Racing entry emerged at the front of the pack shortly after the white flag dropped, helped by an aerodynamic assist from teammate Ben Rhodes. The pack wound up in a three-wide jumble as it headed to the backstretch for the final time, with Johnny Sauter, winner of the race’s opening two stages, in the middle and Rhodes shuffled up top.


Patience was long gone by then. Rhodes lost control as new teammate Grant Enfinger’s bumper shoves amplified. Crafton was nearly clear of the fray, but Rhodes’ truck clipped his right-rear fender to trigger the chain reaction.


“I’m like, ‘oh, this is not good,’ ” said Crafton, who wound up 14th in the 32-truck field. “Then you feel that light sensation and you know what’s going to happen from there. …


“I’m very happy that it only went over one time and landed back on its wheels, without a doubt. The race was just … it was crazy, just chaos all night and there was just stupidity all night to say the least. Some of this plate racing is crazy. I mean, they beat the rear bumper off some of these trucks. I don’t know how they didn’t wreck more, to be honest. A lot of people did a lot of great, great saves out there.”


Sauter was attempting to become the season opener’s first back-to-back winner since Todd Bodine repeated in 2008-09. But his GMS Racing truck was snared in the late pileup, with Crafton’s No. 88 appearing to land on the bed of Sauter’s.


“I elected to go three-wide and tried to make something happen, because who the hell wants to finish second, you know?” said Sauter, who was scored 15th. “In hindsight, there’s a million different scenarios that go through your mind and I’ll have a lot better grasp of it when I can sit home and watch it, study it and try not to make the same mistake next time.”


The final crash was especially costly to ThorSport, which had all four of its Toyotas added to the 12-truck crash tally.


“I don’t know what else to say because these guys have worked so hard,” said Rhodes, credited with 12th place. “I’ve got such good teammates. It’s unfortunate we were all caught up in it.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Junior busy in final Daytona practice


Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t the same person we saw in a race car July 9 at Kentucky, his last of 2016 before stepping aside with concussion-related symptoms.


He’s much better, he told NASCAR.com. He’s a husband now after marrying girlfiend Amy Reimann on New Year’s Eve. And he’s on the front row for Sunday’s Daytona  500. But how we got from July to February has had fans transfixed and reporters writing a whole lot about the journey. Here are some of the best stories and tidbits from Junior’s recovery and return.


Junior sees himself as altered in significant ways, telling the New York Times, "I do feel like this is a new chapter, for whatever reason. I don’t have a vision for what’s going to happen. I don’t know how to explain it, but it feels like a new me." And that new man is less stressed out and more at ease in every aspect of his life. | Read more
 

Tommy Tomlinson captures the soul of the driver and the images from Junior’s test session this winter at Darlington. And goes deep into what makes our sport’s perennial NMPA Most Popular Driver tick.


One key piece of the new-and-improved Dale Jr. is Amy. Now his wife, she told Tomlinson she often provides Earnhardt with confidence and stays close, especially in stressful situations: "I’m his binky."


But she’s much more than that, and he gives her credit for improving every relationship in his life. | Read more


A tale about brisket and pickled eggs from Dan Wetzel at Yahoo! shows us yet again how forthright and just, well, normal Dale Earnhardt Jr. is — even when his life felt like it was spinning far out of that normal range. | Read more


The days of dizziness and blurry vision were nightmares for Junior, who told USA Today’s Brant James exactly how hard it was fighting back from wrecks at Michigan and Daytona.


"My eyes were jumping around in my head real bad just riding down the street or in the car," Earnhardt said. "Like a road sign jumping around. It was so annoying. I was scared to death I was going to be stuck with that all my life." | Read more


Friends and colleagues MartinTruex Jr. and Elliott Sadler tell Bob Pockrass of ESPN all about how grueling the exercises were to bring Junior back. And Pockrass writes what everyone in NASCAR is feeling: "When Earnhardt rolls off Sunday for the Daytona  500, the industry will celebrate it as an accomplishment of a race car driver and also with a huge selfish deep breath that the sport is whole again." | Read more


Junior’s return to racing is a victory for him, for the sport and for fans.


SB Nation sums it up: "It’s always more compelling when its favorite son is in the news for what he’s doing on the track." 

 

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Key changes in NASCAR | Fast facts on race enhancements

 

NASCAR.com’s Kenny Bruce, Holly Cain, Zack Albert and Jonathan Merryman make their predictions for the 2017 NASCAR season:


KENNY BRUCE


NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion: Timothy Peters. Rebounds from winless ’16 to ride the Red Horse to the title.


NASCAR XFINITY Series champion: Elliott Sadler. So close a year ago; his JRM team is rock solid.


Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year: Daniel Suarez. Stepping into a title-contending car; just needs seat time to become a challenger.


Surprise playoffs qualifier: Daniel Suarez. There will be hurdles for last year’s XFINITY Series champ, but he’s proven to be a quick study.


Daytona  500 pick: Kyle Busch. It’s one of the few accomplishments left for one of NASCAR’s best.


Championship 4:

Kevin Harvick: Switch to Ford proves to be a non-issue for 2014 champion.

Joey Logano: Simple game plan: Get to the front and stay there.

Kyle Busch: Bad-fast car. Extremely talented driver and team.

Martin Truex Jr.: Team makes silly speed; gotta be there at the end, though.


2017 Monster Energy Series champion: Joey Logano. Can win a slew of races or be crazy consistent. This year he could do both.


HOLLY CAIN


NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion: John Hunter Nemechek. My repeat pick from 2016, but hoping the right (generous) sponsor sees this young talent and he gets the backing to match his potential.


NASCAR XFINITY Series champion: Elliott Sadler — The veteran has been oh-so-close and this is the year it all comes together for him. 


Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year: Erik Jones. The Furniture Row Racing‘s newest team member is super-talented, highly motivated and knows how to shine even among such fantastic first-year talent.


Surprise playoffs qualifier: Kasey Kahne. This will be a resurgent year for the talented 17-time Cup winner who is ready to remind people of his place in the sport. Out front.


Daytona  500 pick: Denny Hamlin. Daytona has been Hamlin’s playground and he’s poised to be the first back-to-back 500 winner since Sterling Marlin in 1994-95.


Championship 4: Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano will decide the Cup after hugely competitive playoffs that ends in a history-making moment.


2017 Monster Energy Series champion: Jimmie Johnson. Reigning champ makes history with his eighth title. 


ZACK ALBERT


NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion: Christopher Bell. The 22-year-old standout bookends a season that started with a Chili Bowl victory with his first national series crown.


NASCAR XFINITY Series champion: William Byron. A hotshot rookie for the title? Gobs of talent and JR Motorsports resources go a long way.


Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year: Daniel Suarez. First-year driver steps into a well-established team that contends for victories.


Surprise playoffs qualifier: AJ Allmendinger. Planets align for the No. 47 team at one of the series’ two road-course visits.


Daytona  500 pick: Brad Keselowski. Team Penske‘s strength shows, with one of the best in the restrictor-plate biz leading the charge in the “Great American Race.”


Championship 4: Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski. The cream rises, with four organizations and all three manufacturers represented in the final bracket.


2017 Monster Energy Series champion: Denny Hamlin. He’s been on the podium three times before. In 2017, Hamlin should make it to the top step.


JONATHAN MERRYMAN


NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion: Matt Crafton. Great, consistent racer. That style will fit the new format.


NASCAR XFINITY Series champion: Elliott Sadler. Coming off of a solid 2016, the No. 1 JRM team should be in position to win it all.


Monster Energy NASCAR Cup NASCAR Series Rookie of the Year: Erik Jones. Seat time in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car in 2015 should help the rookie seal the deal.


Surprise playoffs qualifier: Erik Jones. I think the rookie wins a race in 2017 clinching a playoff berth.


Daytona  500 pick: Brad Keselowski, with four wins at Talladega and one win at Daytona in the summer of 2016, Keselowski has quickly become one of the best plate-racers in NASCAR.


Championship 4: Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch. All four consistently finish races and have multiple win seasons.  


 

2017 Monster Energy Series champion: Kevin Harvick. Mr. “Where did he come from?” has turned in to Mr. Consistency over the past few seasons. Consistency combined with the new points format should complement Harvick well.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Daytona 500 quick info

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Wearing eyeglasses, a black shirt with the Stewart-Haas Racing logo and black jeans, Tony Stewart very calmly sat on the stage alongside Ford executive Raj Nair and fellow Ford owners Roger Penske and Jack Roush ready to address reporters about the upcoming NASCAR season.

It’s a new gig for the newly retired three-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion — new in his role solely as team owner at the track and also new in representing Ford’s blue oval.

Ironically, it was the legendary Penske who cut up first, reminding Stewart he was in the wrong color attire — black for his team instead of white for Ford.

“We’ll get him in gear here before long,” Penske joked. “My white one (shirt) may be too big, though.’’

Stewart grinned and insisted he had “no answer” for the tease. Roush took a good-natured shot at Stewart a few minutes later — a welcome-to-the-club rite of passage. The popular driving champion, however, smiled a lot and looked absolutely comfortable answering questions on stage as an owner only for the first time in 18 years of full-time NASCAR competition.

RELATED: Stewart’s career highlights

“To be honest, it’s kind of nice,” Stewart said, smiling at his more-narrowly defined role. “If I’m late to practice, nobody yells at me. If I leave practice early, nobody yells at me. And if I don’t show up for practice at all, nobody yells at me. That side has been kind of nice. Really, the only drama I’ve had so far is Roger picking on me about the color of shirt I wear.”

In fact, after Stewart answered questions on stage alongside his fellow Ford owners, he lingered in the media room for nearly an hour doing one-on-one interviews and just generally catching up with reporters. It all had a first day of school feel to it.

Stewart was optimistic about his four-car team’s chances in Sunday’s Daytona  500, particularly noting the promise and enthusiasm he sees in Clint Bowyer taking over the No. 14 Mobil 1 Ford for Stewart.

RELATED: Go Behind the Wall with Bowyer as he preps for Daytona

A Ford driven by Penske driver Joey Logano won The Clash exhibition race last weekend. Kevin Harvick and Bowyer will start alongside one another in the 500 on the third row and Penske’s Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch will start on row four. Roush’s Trevor Bayne will line up next to Danica Patrick on row six.

“We’ll need to check about halfway through the race and see how happy they are, but up to this point, they’re really really excited,” Stewart said. “Kevin, Kurt, Clint and Danica, they’ve all been really happy and pleased with what we’ve got this year.

“Working with Jack’s team and Roger’s team, it’s good to have some good allies out there on race day and I think we’ve already seen with Roger’s bunch how good that relationship is working out so far on the race track.

“So we’re looking forward to a great weekend.”

RELATED: All of Stewart’s career Monster Energy Series wins


Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Daytona schedule | Starting lineup


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There’s no such thing as a clear-cut favorite for Sunday’s Daytona  500. After six days of on-track activity for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, several camps can lay claim to having an edge, but singling out one driver is akin to a roulette wheel’s spin.

"We come down here a lot of years. You kind of pick a guy," said Jamie McMurray, the 2010 champion of the 500 who will start third in this year’s running. "If he finishes, he’s going to be there in the end. I think there’s 10 guys that have a legitimate shot to win this year."

What is clear is that Sunday’s winner of the Great American Race (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will have the benefit of a fast horse, potential assistance from teammates and the combination of an adept spotter and a frequently-used mirror. And if conventional wisdom holds serve, Team Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports should be the prime players in that game.

Preliminary races — Thursday’s Duel qualifiers and last weekend’s "The Clash" exhibition from a busy Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway — have shown that a strong leading car has the ability to change lanes and stem the aerodynamic momentum from an onrushing line of cars. The Duels showed the powerful but precarious nature of leading: In the first 150-miler, polesitter Chase Elliott staved off the pack with a series of blocks to lead the final 24 laps. In the nightcap, Dale Earnhardt Jr. — who led for 53 circuits — zigged too late when Denny Hamlin zagged with two laps left, and Hamlin led an organized aero charge to the checkers.


MORE: Logano wins ‘The Clash’ | Duel 1 results | Duel 2 results


"Because the way the lanes form, it’s just power in numbers," said Elliott, the 500’s Coors Light Pole Award winner for the second straight year. "It’s a power in what cars are lined up in what row, how they’re stacked against you, whether they’re two-wide or three-wide behind you. There certainly are guys that do a good job. Once they get out front they’re tough to get by. We see that all the time at these places."


RELATED: Elliott joins elite in back-to-back ‘Great American Race’ pole wins


Momentum can be an intangible in other sports, the vibe of a winning streak or the underlying oomph of the tide turning in a certain game. In NASCAR — and especially in the restrictor-plate genre of stock-car racing — it’s a palpable phenomenon.

While aerodynamics can be a great equalizer for underdogs, the power of Penske’s pair of Fords driven by Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski stands out. But so does the muscle flexed by defending 500 champion Hamlin and his flotilla of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates. And it’s unwise to count out Hendrick & Co.; which monopolized the front row in qualifying with Elliott and Earnhardt.


MORE: Penske proves plate tracks take more than just luck


One thing is all but certain, especially when it gets to crunch time with the Harley J. Earl Trophy on the line: The cat-and-mouse between the race leader and the pack will be more exacting, with far more take than give.

"I’m sure that will be amped up Sunday," Elliott said after his Duel win. "I think it was similar to what you’ll see."

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: NASCAR 101: Format fast facts | Complete starting lineup

At a Glance

Where: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile tri-oval in Daytona

Green flag: 2:30 p.m. ET
Stage lengths: Stage 1 ends on Lap 60, Stage 2 ends on Lap 120, Stage 3/race slated to end on Lap 200

TV/Radio: FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio 

Forecast: Sunny with a high temperature of 68 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. North-northeast winds of 10 to 15 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph

National anthem: Jordin Sparks, starring in "God Bless the Broken Road," DAV Ambassador

Grand Marshal: Actor Owen Wilson

Race distance: 200 laps, 500 miles

Pit road speed: 55 mph

Caution car speed: 70 mph

 

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Final practice results


In Saturday’s final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran 30 laps at Daytona International Speedway, second only to the 36 posted by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne.


The No. 88 team changed from a qualifying engine to the race engine after practice on Friday, a practice customary at the Daytona  500. But Earnhardt found his car less responsive with the new engine; in addition, the car developed a slight vibration that led to the team changing drive shafts in the car.


"We changed the motor and went to the race engine today, took the qualifying motor out last night," Earnhardt explained. "I thought our car was a little better yesterday in practice. In the pack, it would develop runs a little bit better. It just seemed like I had to get a little luckier today with what was happening behind me, where yesterday the car would do some things or develop some things kind of on its own. 


"The thing about that is every time you get out there — you might not even change anything — it just depends on what kind of pack you get in, what kind of cars are around you, and your car’s performance can change and kind of fool you a little bit. I’m just hoping that today was a little more laid back, not quite as many cars out there, not quite as active in the draft, and maybe that’s why we didn’t see our car respond like it did yesterday."


RELATED: Junior’s Daytona 500 history


The vibration was of particular concern.


"You worry about that, because any kind of thing that is out of balance is going to hurt that straight-line speed," Earnhardt said. "We tried to work on that and were able to fix it right there on that last run. It’s just simple stuff like flipping drive shafts and things like that. 


"You want to get all that out of there so you don’t have any doubts about anything holding your car back. Otherwise, it’s been really uneventful. We haven’t had any issues or problems with the car mechanically, and nothing happened on the race track, so it looks like we are going to get this thing on the grid tomorrow and ready to go."


The change in drive shafts won’t affect Earnhardt’s second-place starting position on Sunday.

2018 DAYTONA 500 Travel Packages are now available from PrimeSport! As the Official Ticket Exchange of Daytona International Speedway, PrimeSport has your access to all the action at the World Center of Racing! Receive $50 off per reservation when you book your 2018 DAYTONA package by Saturday March 4th. Use code DAYTONA18 at checkout. Coupon code DAYTONA18 is active now through Saturday March, 4th. | GO HERE

Posted on by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 25, 2017) — Reserved stadium tickets for the 59th annual DAYTONA 500, the season-opening event for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, are sold out, Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile announced today.
 
Ticket holders for "The Great American Race" on Sunday will enjoy all the amenities that come with the world’s only motorsports stadium including 101,500 permanent and wider seats, five expanded and redesigned entrances, 40 escalators and other upgrades throughout the 11 football-field sized neighborhoods in the facility.
 
Premium hospitality, infield admissions and UNOH Fanzone/Pre-Race access still remain for the DAYTONA 500 and are available at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP as well as through PrimeSport.com, the official ticket exchange and travel package provider of Daytona International Speedway.
 
This is the second straight year that the DAYTONA 500 has sold out.
 
"The ticket demand for the DAYTONA 500 continues to be a constant in our sport," Wile said. "Likewise, the race continues to be the perfect kick-off to a new NASCAR season, showcasing the unique and energized at-track experience that our sport — and our stadium — provides to our fans.
 
"This is the most prestigious event on the NASCAR schedule and a true American sports tradition. Fans have always recognized those facts. This latest sellout, once again, reflects that recognition."
 
This year’s Daytona  500 will be attended by fans representing 41 different countries and every state in the U.S.