Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Find NBCSN in your area

All times ET

Monday, July 4
3:30 p.m., NASCAR 120 (re-air), NBCSN
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
5:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Tuesday, July 5
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR The List (re-air), NBCSN
5:30 p.m., NASCAR The List (re-air), NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Wednesday, July 6
5 p.m., NASCAR RaceHub, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN

Thursday, July 7
1 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice, NBCSN
2 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBCSN
4 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series practice, NBCSN
5 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FS2
6:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, NBCSN
8 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series SetUp, FS1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Buckle Up In Your Truck 225, FS1

Friday, July 8
1:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 (re-air), FS2
3 a.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice (re-air), NBCSN
5:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 (re-air), FS1
11 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBCSports.com/NBC Live Extra; Live on NBCSN at 11:40 a.m.
11:45 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (re-air), NBCSN
12:30 p.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series: Columbus Motor Speedway (taped), NBCSN
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, NBCSN
4:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSN
6:45 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, NBCSports.com/NBC Live Extra
8 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Countdown, NBCSN
8:30 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Alsco 300, NBCSN
11 p.m., NASCAR XFINITY Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN

Saturday, July 9
2 a.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series Race: Columbus Motor Speedway (re-air), NBCSN
2 p.m., 1979 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 (re-air), FS2
2:30 p.m., Building 43 (re-air), NBCSN
4:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FS2
4:30 p.m. NASCAR Scan All Special (re-air), NBCSN
5 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice (re-air), NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR America Saturday, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts, NBCSN
11 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN
11:30 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN
Midnight, NASCAR Victory Lane, FS1

Sunday, July 10
4 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 (re-air), FS2
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane (re-air), FS1
11 a.m., WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Canadian Tire, FS1
5 p.m., Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge: Watkins Glen (taped), FS1

 

Posted on by Staff Report



RELATED: Full Daytona results | Standings | Chase Grid
SHOP: Stewart gear


Tony Stewart returned from a back injury in April, and the three-time Sprint Cup Series champion is in pursuit of one of the 16 spots in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in his final season. Here’s a look at where the driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet stands in his hunt after Saturday’s 26th-place-finish in the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway, the season’s 17th of 26 regular-season races.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED
The Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner/wheelman had an above-average night at Daytona run afoul after wrecking out with 12 laps remaining.


Running in the top five as the race wound down, Stewart got loose before getting into the wall and taking major damage. A promising points run ended in a disappointing way for the three-time Sprint Cup Series champion, but he will leave Daytona higher in the standings than when he arrived.

“I just got loose … definitely my fault,” Stewart told NBC. “I don’t know why I got loose.”


He now sits three points inside of the top 30 — which is where he needs to be in order to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and compete for his fourth championship. As it stands now, he’s in.

RELATED: Stewart wrecks out of final Daytona race

WHAT HE NEEDS
Stewart received a waiver from NASCAR for Chase eligibility. The surest way into the Chase is by winning before the end of regular season (at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 10) — which Stewart did at Sonoma — and remain in the top 30 in the points standings. En route to his 2015 championship, Kyle Busch faced a similar path after missing the first 11 races with a leg injury. With the win now in the bank, Stewart can focus on reaching the top 30. He sits 30th in the standings with 212 points, three points ahead of Brian Scott‘s 209 points. 

WHAT’S NEXT
“Smoke” heads to Kentucky Speedway (July 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), where he’s never won. In his five starts there, Stewart has led just one lap and has never finished in the top 10. 


RELATED: See all of Stewart’s wins | “Smoke” granted Chase waiver


Posted on by Staff Report



Matt Tifft tweeted a video on Saturday morning, a day after the NASCAR XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series driver had surgery to remove a brain tumor.


“Good morning, everybody. Everything with the surgery last night went great, other than the fact it feels like someone drilled a hole in my head,” Tifft said with a chuckle, adding “Kinda painful.”



Tifft was supposed to drive the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at Daytona International Speedway in Friday night’s Subway Firecracker 250 Powered by Coca-Cola, but JGR announced early in the week that Tifft would not make the start as the 20-year-old would instead undergo surgery for removal of a low-grade glioma in the brain. David Ragan drove the No. 18 to the pole and the team kept Tifft’s name above the door. Ragan finished 21st.


“Sounds like the sooner I get up and walking, the sooner I get home,” Tifft said. He expects to get pathology results in a week or two.


According to a release from JGR on Tuesday, the tumor is slow-growing and was discovered while Tifft was being evaluated for a disc condition in his back.


Before and after surgery, Tifft said he was eager to get back on the track with a diagnosis of “perfectly health” as soon as possible.


In the early morning Sunday, the young driver tweeted that he had been released from the hospital, saying that, so far, his recovery is going “really well.”


Posted on by Official NASCAR Release



DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 2, 2016) – NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame today announced longtime High Point (N.C.) Enterprise reporter and sports editor Benny Phillips as the sixth recipient of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.

 

Phillips spent 48 years with the Enterprise, serving as its sports editor for 32 of them. He will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on Jan. 20, 2017 and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

In addition to his time at the Enterprise, Phillips wrote for Stock Car Racing magazine for 27 years and spent 12 years with TBS. The prestigious Squier-Hall Award is the latest in a long list of accolades bestowed upon Phillips during, and after, his exemplary career. Phillips was named the NMPA Writer of the Year seven times, won the NMPA Joe Littlejohn Award in 1977, the IMHOF Henry T. McLemore Award in 1978, the Buddy Shuman Award in 1986 and the NMPA George Cunningham Award in 1988.

 

Phillips, who battled polio throughout his life, died in 2012 at the age of 74.

 

“Benny Phillips told the engaging stories that transformed our drivers into heroes, and with it developed a deserved reputation as a trusted confidant whose determination and affable personality made him a beloved fixture in the NASCAR garage,” said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO. “Benny delivered the stories of our sport to millions of NASCAR fans on a daily basis through newspapers, books, magazines and television. This award has been given only to the giants of his industry, and unquestionably, Benny was exactly that.”

 

Phillips penned four books, including Dale Earnhardt’s autobiography “Determined,” which he co-authored with fellow NASCAR reporter Ben Blake.

 

Phillips was among eight nominees voted upon by a panel comprised of NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame executives, journalists, public relations representatives and former competitors. The Squier-Hall Award was created in 2012 to honor the contributions of media to the success of the sport. Legendary broadcasters Ken Squier and Barney Hall, for whom the award is named, were its initial recipients. Chris Economaki, Tom Higgins and Steve Byrnes have since won the award.

 

The other seven nominees were:

 

Norma “Dusty” Brandel: The first woman to report from inside the NASCAR garage.

 

Russ Catlin: One of the best-known early racing writers and historians, served as editor of “Speed Age” magazine.

 

Shav Glick: Covered motorsports for the Los Angeles Times for 37 years, bringing NASCAR coverage to the West Coast.

 

Bob Jenkins: Served as the lead NASCAR lap-by-lap anchor at ESPN from 1982-2000.

 

Bob Moore: Spent more than 20 years as a NASCAR beat writer including stints with the Daytona Beach News-Journal and The Charlotte Observer.

 

T. Taylor Warren: Best known for his three-wide photo of the 1959 Daytona 500 finish, he covered every Daytona 500 until his death in 2008.

 

Steve Waid: Covered NASCAR for more than 40 years for the Roanoke Times & World News, NASCAR Scene and NASCAR Illustrated.


Posted on by Reid Spencer



RELATED: Full race results | Standings
SHOP: Winner gear

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Brad Keselowski had an excellent solution for the massive wrecks that scrambled the finishing order of Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

He stayed ahead of all of them.

Leading 115 of 161 laps in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford, Keselowski sped away from his pursuers after a restart in overtime and posted his third victory of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season in thoroughly convincing fashion.

The victory was Keselowski’s first at Daytona and the 20th of his career, and it reinforced his mastery of restrictor-plate racing — Keselowski already had four wins at sister track Talladega.

When the race restarted in overtime, after a caution for a four-car wreck on Lap 155, eventual runner-up Kyle Busch simply couldn’t keep up with Keselowski, once he lost his push from third-place finisher Trevor Bayne. Keselowski’s teammate, fourth-place finisher Joey Logano, shoved the No. 2 car to the front on the Lap 160 restart, and then it was over.

“Joey Logano was a huge part of this today,” Keselowski said. “We had two great cars here with Team Penske and worked together really well. Joey has won here and he’s really a pro, especially on that restart. 

“He gave me that push I needed to get to the front, and here we are at Daytona in Victory Lane. I don’t care if it’s not the 500. It’s Daytona. This is huge. I love this place, and here we are in Victory Lane with the Detroit Ford.”

That there were 27 lead changes between 13 drivers belied Keselowski’s dominance. While in the lead, the 2012 series champion was able to block both the inside and outside lanes, moving back and forth at will to impede the progress of whichever line developed momentum.

With a daring move to the inside of race runner-up Kyle Busch on Lap 145, Keselowski took the lead for good and held it through two subsequent cautions for multi-car wrecks. The first wiped out Sonoma winner Tony Stewart, who was running in the top 10 at the time. The second was the coup de grace for Carl Edwards, who had qualified second but finished 25th.

Busch, who tried in vain to regain the top spot, could only admire the handling of Keselowski’s Ford.

“He definitely just had way more maneuverability it seemed like than anybody, but especially than I did,” Busch said. “I don’t know how he got the kind of run that he got (to make the decisive pass), but when he got that run down the front stretch getting into Turn 1 and was able to turn to the bottom, my car would be kind of loose doing that.

“It would just over rotate on me a little bit, and I just never really had that opportunity from behind me besides Trevor, and I never was in the right position when I had that big of a run in order to get the lead back.

“Really, it took a lot of guys ganging up and getting together in order to make a move on him. He was pretty smart about where he positioned his car on the race track, and I could see that, and I tried to do some of those same things, but, man, it just never really worked for me as good as he could handle it.”

The race ran without major incident for the first 89 laps, with a competition caution on Lap 21 and a black flag to Danica Patrick for driving through too many pit boxes on a Lap 67 green-flag pit stop first providing the bulk of the excitement.

But that was the calm before a violent storm.

As the field roared into Turn 1 on Lap 90, Jamie McMurray‘s Chevrolet got loose, made side-to-side contact with Ganassi Racing teammate Kyle Larson, got out of shape and veered sharply into the outside wall after contact from Jimmie Johnson‘s Chevrolet.

That was the spark that ignited a wreck that collected 22 of the 40 cars in the field and eliminated McMurray, Johnson, Paul Menard and series leader Kevin Harvick, while heavily damaging the cars of Sunoco Rookie of the Year leader Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth and Patrick, among others.

Harvick said he was expecting the powder keg that is restrictor-plate racing to explode at any minute — and on Lap 90 it did.

“You really think it’s going to happen from Lap 1,” said Harvick, who now leads the Cup series by 14 points over Keselowski. “It’s hard to make ground, so you have to be pretty aggressive when you start making ground.

“Just kind of riding there, just maintaining until that next pit stop so we could get my car off the ground and then really start being aggressive. I really couldn’t be aggressive, and unfortunately, I was in the back of that front pack and ended up getting in the wreck.”

But Keselowski was ahead of the wreck, as he was throughout the night, and in staying at the front he earned owner Roger Penske his 100th victory in the series.


Posted on by Nascar



RELATED: Results | Chase Grid | Standings


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The fast and furious finish in Friday night’s Subway Firecracker 250 Powered by Coca-Cola didn’t go Justin Allgaier‘s way, but the JR Motorsports driver still managed a smile afterward.

“When you come home second two restrictor-plates races in a row with fairly non-torn up race cars, it does make it nice,” the No. 7 Chevrolet wheelman said. “But still this one’s going to hurt for a little while.”

Aric Almirola and Allgaier were running first and second, side-by-side during an overtime finish when the caution flag appeared for the final time at Daytona International Speedway.

Officials didn’t immediately throw the caution when an eight-car crash on the backstretch unfolded on Lap 103 of the originally-scheduled 100-lap race, and it appeared the battle for the win might go all the way down to finish line in the NASCAR XFINITY Series event.

But eventually the yellow caution lights flashed, and Allgaier was left to wonder if he or Almirola was out front at the crucial moment.

WATCH: Final XFINITY Series restart at Daytona


“The last restart was crazy,” Allgaier said. “Coming down to the end of the race there we knew it was going to be all out and everyone was going to do everything they could to get to the end. T.J. Majors, my spotter, he called the crash off of Turn 2. I pulled to the outside of Aric just trying to get any run that I could and actually had some momentum and then kind of stalled out in the middle of (Turns) 3 and 4.

“Had some momentum coming back and unfortunately the (caution) light switch flipped maybe a 16th of a foot too early for me to get the win.”

Teammates Chase Elliott and Elliott Sadler finished ninth and 18th, respectively. Had Allgaier been flagged the winner Saturday night, it would have been a sweep of the plate tracks for JRM. Elliott won the season-opener here in February while Sadler scored the victory at Talladega Superspeedway.

“I told them before the race this is the best race car I’ve ever had at a superspeedway,” Allgaier said.

“We came really close to sweeping all the restrictor plate races this year at JR Motorsports and that’s a testament to the guys back at the shop, the Hendrick engine department, everybody that’s involved in these cars. It’s a lot of fun when you know that your race car is capable of winning every week.”

Ryan Sieg, Joey Logano and Brendan Gaughan completed the top five. The race was slowed by eight cautions and was red-flagged for nearly eight minutes for a 14-car crash — the “Big One” — on Lap 16.

Friday’s race rekindled memories of the Talladega finish, which also required video evidence to determine a winner after the caution appeared as Sadler and Brennan Poole battled for the lead.

Allgaier said he did not question the timing of Saturday’s final caution call but he wasn’t in a hurry to lift and possibly throw away a win either.

“I think Aric and I ran the whole rest of the lap, even after we got through the debris, trying to just be a little bit faster than other one, stay out in front, maybe that would be the determining factor,” he said.

“It’s so hard. At the point we were at, I don’t know if it would have been better to (race) back to the line. It’s the same scenario as Talladega. … If they call it a little bit before, we’re ahead, if they call it a little bit later, we’re ahead. But right where they called it we were behind. It is what it is.

“When they come down to the end like that you know it’s going to be crazy. … Unfortunately, we were just a little bit behind.”

The runner-up finish kept Allgaier fourth in points. Daniel Suarez remains the points leader in spite of a 32nd-place finish caused by a crash that sidelined the Joe Gibbs Racing driver after just 48 laps. He now leads Sadler by six points (499-493).


Posted on by Nascar



Name: John
Current City: Warwick, Rhode Island
Member since: 2009


Getting to know John

Q. Why did you join the Official NASCAR Fan Council?

“I jumped at the opportunity to join the Fan Council because I am an avid NASCAR fan. Thank you NASCAR for listening to the fans and allowing us to provide feedback on important issues pertaining to the sport. I am proud to be a member of the NASCAR Fan Council.”


Q. How did you first become interested in NASCAR?

“I first became interested after seeing highlights of a race that included hard racing and an outspoken Tony Stewart. I decided to watch a race and was hooked.”


Q. What makes NASCAR special for you?

“The fan-friendly atmosphere. There is not another sport out there that is more accessible and fan oriented than NASCAR.”


Q: Do you have any favorite NASCAR memories or traditions?

“My favorite memories include Tony Stewart climbing the fence to get the checkered flag after a win. Also the 2011 Homestead race when Tony held off Carl Edwards to win his 3rd championship. As far as traditions, I enjoy attending the summer and fall Chase races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.”


Q: Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?

Driver: “Tony Stewart.”

Track: “Bristol Motor Speedway.”

Memorabilia: “All of my Tony Stewart memorabilia and Smoke gear.”


Q: If you could go to any NASCAR race/track, where would you go?

“Bristol Motor Speedway for the night race.”

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

“Watch races of course. I also enjoy going to concerts and stand-up comedy shows. Also plan to do some traveling in the next couple of years as well.”


Q: Tell us about your family. Do you have children and/or pets?

“Getting married this October to my long term girlfriend Olivia (Kyle Busch fan). We have two dogs Smoke (yes, after the driver) and Sadie.”

Q: What’s your dream car? 

“70s Stingray Corvette.”


FROM ALL OF US AT NASCAR, WE THANK JOHN FOR HIS CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HIM IN 2016.


Posted on by Nascar



DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kyle Busch was involved in a hard crash during Friday’s lone practice at Daytona International Speedway when his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota appeared to suffer a right-rear tire failure.

Busch, 31, had completed 15 laps during the session but was making a run after coming to the garage for changes to his car. The tires on the car at the time of the incident reportedly had only four laps on them.

He was running just behind JGR teammate, and Daytona 500 winner, Denny Hamlin and ahead of teammates Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards when he crashed.

“It wasn’t any fun, that’s for sure,” Busch said after being evaluated and released from the infield care center. “Your first instinct is to correct and the car automatically corrects and then finally when it catches or when it hit the apron and caught, it just turned back the other way and head on into the fence.

“That was certainly a big hit, so you have to thank NASCAR for their safety advancements in the cars and the drivers’ equipment and things like that. Of course the SAFER barrier as well. That could have certainly been a lot worse than it was.”

The right-front of his car took the brunt of the impact when it crashed hard into the outside wall, and the team will need to go to a backup. No other cars were involved.

Goodyear officials said a gash was found in the right-rear tire during its post-crash evaluation of the incident.

Only a handful of teams had made it out on the track on Thursday before rain cut short that day’s session. Friday morning’s practice was the only on-track time for teams before qualifying for Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 (7:45 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR).

“That was a hard hit from where I could see,” Hamlin said on NBCSN. “Just looked like a cut tire. Went in there, got loose and went the other way. (We were) just trying to log some laps, get some data (and) figure out what we could run as a group.”

Hamlin said his team had not seen any tire issues, but “I think the 19 (of Edwards) had one go down, a left rear I think, earlier in practice but nothing like that.”

Edwards said he noticed a vibration in his car during the team’s first morning run, “so I pulled in.”

“I thought it was the driveline (or) engine,” Edwards said. “We had a puncture in the tread of the left-rear tire. It was leaking, it was five or 10 pounds low when I came in.

“So we got everything back together and went out as a group and going into Turn 1 about four laps into the run, it was Matt in front of me and then Kyle in front of him and then I saw something come out from under Matt’s car and I thought ‘I wonder what that is?’ Then I saw Kyle sideways and … he drilled the fence. Honestly he hit hard enough (that) I was really worried about him.”


Posted on by Nascar



RELATED: Townley, Gallagher fight at Gateway

NASCAR driver John Wes Townley has issued an apology for his involvement in an on-track altercation a week ago during a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois.

 

Townley was fined $15,000 and placed on probation through Dec. 31, 2016 for his involvement in the altercation with fellow driver Spencer Gallagher during the Drivin for Lineman 200.

 

Gallagher was fined $12,500 and placed on probation through the end of the year.

 

“I want to apologize to NASCAR and my fans,” Townley said in the statement. “That’s not the way I want to represent myself, (sponsor) Zaxby’s or Jive Communications. I’ll try my best to make sure it never happens again.”

 

The drivers were involved in two separate incidents during the race. The first contact brought out the caution flag on Lap 145 of the 160-lap race. Approximately 10 laps later, they were involved in a second incident, which eventually brought the race under the red flag.

 

Following the second incident, both drivers climbed from their respective trucks and approached one another, with Townley then grabbing Gallagher around the head and wrestling him to the ground.

 

Townley tried several times to punch Gallagher as the pair stood on the lower portion of the racing surface as the fracas continued.

 

Originally scheduled to compete in this weekend’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race for Athenian Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway, Townley, 26, and the team eventually withdrew the entry.

 

“Honestly, we went into this season with our sights set on running strong in the Truck Series and ARCA,” Townley said. “We’ve always said that. And we, as a team, don’t need to overlook those goals. … But considering that we have a Truck race (at Kentucky Speedway) and an ARCA race next week (at Iowa Speedway), we felt it was better to pour our time and resources into getting ready for next week.”

 

Gallagher, who is competing at Daytona this weekend, issued a statement on Monday, June 27, apologizing to Townley.

 

“Additionally, to his team and fans, I am sorry,” Gallagher said. “The incident earlier in the race was not intentional and certainly was not meant to cause bigger problems later in the event.

 

“My crew, who have worked so hard to get me to where I am this season, did not deserve to have their night ended in that way. My teammates and all of the guys back at the shop deserve more respect than was shown Saturday night.”

 

Gallagher said he was “ashamed” he was involved in an incident “that has allowed so many to view what we do in a negative light.”

 

Townley, currently 18th in points, has one career win in the Truck Series in 101 career starts. He is winless in 76 attempts in the XFINITY Series.

 

Gallagher, 26, is winless in 44 career starts in the Truck Series and four in the XFINITY Series. He is 11th in points in the Truck Series.


Posted on by Holly Cain



RELATED: Results | Standings | Updated Chase Grid

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR’s XFINITY Series points leader Daniel Suarez wrecked out of Friday night’s Subway Firecracker 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway midway through the event.


The accident left Suarez with a season-low 32nd place finish after posting an impressive season start highlighted by 12 top-10 finishes in the first 14 races. That run included his historic maiden victory at Michigan two weeks ago making Suarez the first Mexican-born driver to win a premier series race.


His fortune on the Daytona high banks, however, was a low point of his season and threatened to dethrone him from his lead in the series standings. However, Elliott Sadler ran out of gas before NASCAR Overtime got underway in Friday’s race and finished 18th, allowing Suarez to hold a six-point lead in the standings after the Daytona event. 


It was not entirely a surprising outcome according to Suarez who said the racing Friday night was extremely aggressive from the drop of the green flag.


“I’m good, I’m just really disappointed,” Suarez said after emerging from the infield care center with a clean bill of health.


“That’s the consequences I guess when racing so hard so early. They were bumping very hard, being aggressive, trying to gain positions before the competition caution.


“They were racing like it was the last 10 laps, but it was too early for that.”


The accident that ultimately sidelined Suarez was his second of the young night. His No. 19 Arris Toyota was initially damaged when Suarez was collected in a 14-car accident on Lap 16 that brought out a 7-minute, 40-second red flag period.


He was running in the back half of the field later when his car snapped toward the left and hit the SAFER Barrier lining the track’s inside retaining wall.


“The car was not right,” Suarez said. “I had a car very close to my right side, I was very tight but feel like I barely touched him and I went around unfortunately. I guess that’s how it is sometimes on superspeedways.”


“Everyone wanted track position even before the competition caution. But it was crazy — three wide — everyone was bumping. I think I called it one lap before. I told my spotter, ‘everything is getting crazy here.’


“But I’m fine. NASCAR does a very good job with safety on these cars.”