Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the Daytona 500 live!

The 2016 Daytona 500 winner is ready to defend his "Great American Race" title, but before he can do that, Denny Hamlin will race in the Advance Auto Parts Clash on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET (FS1) at Daytona International Speedway.


And he will look stylish in the season-opening non-points race. Hamlin revealed Thursday via Twitter that his shoes, a custom pair from Michael Jordan’s line, for the 75-lap event have a special meaning — a tribute to significant moments in his career. 



The shoe includes an outline of Richmond International Raceway, honoring Hamlin’s first win in 2002, according to his tweet. He now has three career wins at the .75-mile track, which is also his home track, in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.


Also, "I can I wi11" is written on the tongue of his Jordans to represent the 36-year-old’s motto while recovering from a back injury in 2013. The 11 is his car number with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the Daytona 500 live!

Greg Biffle took to Twitter on Friday to reveal that he has no plans to race full-time in NASCAR in 2017.

Instead, Biffle will be working as a reccurring analyst on NBC Sports Network’s "NASCAR America," and he will serve as a guest analyst for Motor Racing Network’s radio broadcast of the NASCAR XFINITY Series opener on Feb. 25 at Daytona International Speedway.

A 19-time winner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Biffle parted ways with Roush Fenway Racing right after the 2016 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway following a 19-year run together in NASCAR. With Roush, Biffle won the 2002 NASCAR XFINITY Series title and the 2000 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.

Posted on by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 17, 2017) – NASCAR today announced updates to its concussion protocol for competitors, adding a consistent screening tool for all venues and increasing available neurological support for race event weekends through its new partnership with AMR.

 

“NASCAR has worked very closely with the industry to ensure our concussion protocol reflects emerging best practices in this rapidly developing area of sports medicine,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “We will continue to utilize relationships we’ve had for years with leaders in the neurological research field who helped to shape these updates.”

 

NASCAR’s protocol now includes:

• As part of the new rule regarding damaged vehicles, a driver whose car sustains damage from an accident or contact of any kind and goes behind the pit wall or to the garage is required to visit the Infield Care Center to be evaluated.

 

• The medical portion of NASCAR’s Event Standards now require that Infield Care Center physicians incorporate the SCAT-3 diagnostic tool in screening for head injuries.

 

• AMR will provide on-site neurological consultative support at select NASCAR events during the 2017 season and will work directly with NASCAR in the continued development of concussion protocol.

 

The new protocol goes into effect immediately for all NASCAR national series.

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the Daytona 500 live!

Joe Gibbs Racing and Tide have entered into a sponsorship agreement for the team’s No. 20 Toyota and driver Matt Kenseth for the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.


The partnership, announced Friday, gives Tide’s PODS product the primary sponsorship for three races — March 19 at Phoenix, July 23 at Indianapolis and Oct. 7 at Charlotte. The deal includes associate sponsorship in the series’ remaining events.


Tide’s return to the No. 20 Camry comes on the heels of last year’s one-race deal for the annual NASCAR Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway. Kenseth’s car took cues from Tide’s rich history in the sport, with its classic bright paint scheme campaigned over the years by Darrell Waltrip, Ricky Rudd and Ricky Craven.


"I’m glad they expanded their role, I think it’s exciting for NASCAR and fans as well because they were such a common name in the sport for so many years," Kenseth said. "You always noticed that car on the track. I think getting it back on the track is pretty cool for the sport."

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: How The Clash works

The starting lineup is set for the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona following a random drawing Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

 

The 17-driver race takes place at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, with TV coverage on FS1 and radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

 

Below is the lineup for the 75-lap, non-points event. Check here for a complete breakdown on how the event works, and then see the lineup below.

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the Daytona 500 live!

With a stacked Sunoco Rookie of the Year race and a few other young drivers continuing to impress, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series has a bright future to look forward to in 2017 and well beyond.


It wouldn’t be a stretch to see each of these drivers win a Monster Energy Series race this season, but which will do it first? Vote now!


Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the Daytona 500 live!

Practice 2 | Results


Joe Gibbs Racing‘s newest Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver, Daniel Suarez, got his first drafting practice in the No. 19 Arris Toyota with teammates Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin in Friday’s final practice session for Saturday’s Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).

 

Hamlin led the second session at Daytona International Speedway with a top speed of 196.528 mph in the No. 11 Toyota as the team also rolled out the 2018 Camrys. Suarez was right behind him on the leaderboard at 198.279 mph with Busch third (196.249 mph) and Kenseth fourth (196.224 mph).

Joey Logano rounded out the top five in the evening session in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford at 195.584 mph. Jamie McMurray was the lone driver to sit out final practice.

 

Practice 1 | Results

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars fired up and hit the track for the first time in 2017 in practice Friday for Saturday’s Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).

 

Joey Logano came out on track first in the 55-minute practice session and laid down a quick lap of 190.795 mph in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. But his Team Penske teammate Keselowski finished the session atop the leaderboard at 191.604 mph in his No. 2 Ford. Logano finished third with a top speed of 191.351 mph.

 

Stewart-Haas Racing came out strong in the opening session, piloting its Fords. Kevin Harvick laid down a lap at 190.743 mph for fourth place in the No. 4, with teammate Danica Patrick in fifth at 190.367 mph in the No. 10 Ford.

 

Chip Ganassi Racing‘s Kyle Larson was second-fastest in the first practice at 191.436 mph in the No. 42 Chevrolet. None of the five Toyotas — Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Nos. 11, 18, 19 and 20 (Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Daniel Suarez and Matt Kenseth, respectively), as well as Furniture Row Racing‘s No. 78 of Martin Truex Jr. — participated in the first practice session. Kurt Busch and the No. 41 team of Stewart-Haas Racing also sat out opening practice.

 

Saturday’s action at Daytona International Speedway begins at 11:30 a.m. ET (FS1) with the opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice for the Daytona 500 (2 p.m. ET Feb. 26, FOX, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.)

 

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the Daytona 500 live!
RELATED: How ‘The Clash’ works

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Alex Bowman made his case for a spot in the season-opening exhibition for 2016 pole winners, claiming his first Coors Light Pole at his home track at Phoenix as part of his substitute stint in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s place.

 

But even though he’d earned eligibility, so had Earnhardt as a former winner. With only 10 starts as an interim driver in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet, Bowman didn’t exactly feel like he could pipe up and volunteer.

 

"I just kind of let it go quiet," Bowman said Friday at Daytona International Speedway. "I didn’t want step on any toes, or ask anybody and have it seem like I was begging for something. I wasn’t really asking."

 

It didn’t stop him from joking about a possible one-off effort with his crew chief under the banner of Greg Ives Racing so that both he and Earnhardt could be in the field. But the word came from Hendrick Motorsports general manager Doug Duchardt on the chilly December day at Darlington Raceway while Earnhardt completed the compulsory on-track preparations to gain medical clearance in his return from concussion.

 

Earnhardt will defer his comeback one week, joining the FOX Sports team to call the action in Saturday night’s Advance Auto Parts Clash (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) from the TV booth. But his influence will still resonate in his vote of confidence for Bowman’s ability.


RELATED: Dale Jr. to be in the broadcast booth for ‘The Clash’

"I am very thankful for the opportunity," Bowman said. "Dale’s been so great to me. I wouldn’t be here without him. He is the one that pointed me out when he wasn’t feeling good. I feel like I owe a lot to him, and I am very thankful for him to put me in the car for this race."

 

Bowman will start eighth in Saturday night’s invitational, the only race currently on his 2017 schedule. The 23-year-old driver, who drove part-time in the XFINITY Series last year, participates in simulation tests for Hendrick Motorsports and some testing duty for Chevrolet.

 

His 10-race stint during Earnhardt’s recuperation was impressive enough to attract the eyes of a handful of prospective car owners with full-time positions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. But none were enough to make Bowman jump.

 

"There was just really wasn’t anything that was going to make me leave Hendrick Motorsports," Bowman said. "I feel like I want to be part of a winning organization whether I am driving, just working for the team, doing testing or doing the simulation stuff. Whatever I’m doing, I want to be part of a winning team. Nothing was going to drag me away from here."

 

With this event shaping up as a "one night only" performance, Bowman says he isn’t treating the race as another audition. And the fickle nature of restrictor-plate racing has him prepared for all possible outcomes.

 

The only additional pressure, he says, comes from having a superspeedway expert in Earnhardt observing his efforts with a vested interest from the TV booth. But much like last year, Bowman says he’ll savor the moment.

 

"It’s another race," Bowman said. "It’s another opportunity to have a lot of fun with Hendrick Motorsports. That is something I kind of tried to do all last season was just to have fun and that is what we are going to try to do on Saturday night and hopefully bring home a trophy."

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the Daytona 500 live!
RELATED: How ‘The Clash’ works | Complete starting lineup

At a Glance
Where: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile tri-oval in Daytona Beach, Florida
Start time: 11:35 a.m. ET on Sunday, February 19
TV/Radio: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio 
Forecast: Partly cloudy, high of 71 degrees with Northeast winds of 8 mph
National anthem: Candace Walker, from Orlando, Florida
Grand Marshal: Marcus Herman, owner of Triangle Auto of Merritt Island
Race distance: 75 laps, 187.5 miles 
Pit road speed: 55 mph
Caution car speed: 70 mph

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the Daytona 500 live! 
RELATED: Lineup for ‘The Clash’ | Hamlin, Kes top practices

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have won the last three Advance Auto Parts Clash races at Daytona International Speedway and four of the last five.

 

They’ve visited Victory Lane often enough, recently enough, to be considered the favorites when this year’s 75-lap, non-points event gets underway Saturday night here at the 2.5-mile superspeedway (8 p.m., FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Two of those victories belong to Denny Hamlin, who won from 15th a year ago and first in 2014. More than a decade ago, the JGR driver won the non-points event for the first time — also from 15th.

 

"I was at the very back for the first 20-some laps last year," Hamlin said Friday before practice got underway at DIS. "We had some pit strategy, we worked a few things, we got up front and never left.

 

"We’ve won it from the front (and) back; I actually can’t remember starting up front in this race. I think I always start in the back, but we’ve been very fortunate. I actually had one … I thought we had four wins but evidently we went below the yellow line in one of them."

RELATED: Hamlin honors J.D. Gibbs on his car

 

Hamlin sounds a familiar refrain when asked about the season’s first on-track action — the Clash is a "fun race" with no concerns about points clouding the picture. It’s a chance, he said, "to knock that rust off, have fun and see if you can’t win."

 

This year Hamlin will start second in his No. 11 Toyota, alongside the No. 2 Team Penske Ford of pole-sitter Brad Keselowski.

 

Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing No. 1 Chevrolet), Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevrolet) and Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota) round out the top five in the 17-car field. Starting positions were determined via blind draw Friday.

 

Others of note include Daniel Suarez, who will start 16th, and Alex Bowman, who will line up eighth on the grid.

 

Suarez, the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion, replaces Carl Edwards in the No. 19 JGR Toyota this season. Bowman is making a one-race appearance in place of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Bowman won the pole at Phoenix last fall while filling in for Earnhardt.

 

RELATED: How ‘The Clash’ format works

 

The 75-lap race will be run in two segments – an opening 25-lap segment followed by a 50-lap finish. It’s an entirely different animal from the Daytona 500, thus the approach is different as well, according to Hamlin.

 

"I think you get a little more aggressive from Lap 1 (in the Clash)," he said. "In the 500 you’re kind of working (your way) toward the checkered flag.

 

"I think the race is so short, that’s why you see a lot of the wrecks. … A) because we’re a little rusty and B) because we’re all going for it because we know it’s win or nothing."

 

Stewart-Haas Racing‘s Kevin Harvick also has three Clash victories. Jimmie Johnson (HMS), Kurt Busch (SHR), Kyle Busch (JGR) and Matt Kenseth (JGR) will be looking for their second career Clash win.

 

"I haven’t driven anything since my last lap at Homestead, no testing for me or anything, which is kind of the same as last year and we fired off and won the Clash," Hamlin said.

 

"I’m pretty confident that it just takes a (few) reps during practice to kind of feel the car out. I’ve done all the homework that I can do at home, studying tapes, studying data to figure out the best moves to make. I always like to kind of picture myself in certain situations and look at the data and see what I need to do to succeed. For me, that’s why we’ve had the success we’ve had on these tracks."