Dale Earnhardt Jr. revs up for 2016 with trip to ESPN

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Pat DeCola

BRISTOL, Conn. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. just wanted some sushi.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Earnhardt. It’s President’s Day and we don’t have a full kitchen staff working today, which means we don’t have any sushi.”

The bearer of bad news almost prepared for the backlash surely to come with telling NASCAR’s most famous face — to his face — that he traveled all the way to single-digit Connecticut from balmy Daytona Beach, only to have his pre-arranged meal of choice be off the plate, literally.

“Oh, no worries at all,” said Earnhardt. “Maybe something healthy? Like a salad or something? With chicken?”

It’s easy to look at his last name and point to that as the sole reason why Earnhardt is the NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver 13 years running — and that doesn’t hurt his chances — but it’s that down-to-earth, regular-dude accessibility that fans find so appealing about the 41-year-old. That guy in the Wrangler commercials wearing a T-shirt and jeans, tossing a football around at a cookout? Yeah, that’s actually him.

So it came as no surprise to see Junior acting like a kid in a candy store on Monday at ESPN HQ promoting the Daytona 500 (1 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) on the Road to Daytona campaign, making the television and radio rounds (colloquially known as the “car wash”) and stopping to take pictures or chat with every ESPN personality or former athlete he brushed shoulders with in the frantic hallways of the sprawling campus.

Original sign @espn ….�� very cool pic.twitter.com/0ZlvA3GKHa

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) February 15, 2016

He even FaceTimed fiancée Amy Reimann to show her how “cool” the No. 88 Nationwide Chevy blue-themed SportsCenter set was and to tell her how much fun he was having — minutes before a sit-down conversation with anchor Lindsay Czarniak — like we all would.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. FaceTiming with Amy Reimann on the set of “SportsCenter.”

“It’s always fun to come to ESPN to do the car wash. I didn’t like it when I first heard about it, because it sounds like a lot of work, but I came up here for the first time (years ago) and it’s like … when they call it a ‘campus,’ I don’t even know if that word does it justice,” said Earnhardt, who will kick off his 17th full-time Sprint Cup Series season on Sunday. “You get to walk around and actually be on all these shows that you see every day and you see the random people walking around the hallways; the ESPN stars just walking the halls and you want to take a picture with them and it’s a lot of fun.

“It actually ended up being a really good time that first car wash, so every time they talk about me doing the car wash, man it’s something I reach out and grab.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. with former NBA player Jalen Rose.

“It’s cold, weather’s not great but we’re inside and it’s comfortable and it’s been fun. They’re always doing new things here and everybody’s super nice so it’s always a great experience.”

Of course it was a great experience. After last month’s Charlotte Media Tour and Tuesday’s Daytona Media Day, it’s fair to say Earnhardt is a little talked out — at least when it comes to racing — and just wants to hit the track.

But he’s always game to chat about one of his other loves: the Washington Redskins.

And chat he did.

Between his 10:30 a.m. ET appearance on SportsCenter and his 3:40 p.m. ET taping for the 6 p.m. edition, Earnhardt squeezed in another seven appearances on ESPN programming — along with filming a few SportsCenter originals, one in which he pretends to be a bus-driving security guard — ranging from the debate formats of “First Take” and and “His & Hers” to the “Fantasy Football Focus Show” podcast with Matthew Berry and Field Yates.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. debated Washington Redskins with Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith on “First Take.” (Photo courtesy of ESPN)

He was asked about his favorite NFL franchise on nearly all of them, answering questions like “Wait, why aren’t you a Carolina Panthers fan?,” “What the heck happened with Robert Griffin III?,” and “What should they do with quarterback Kirk Cousins — slap the franchise tag him, sign him to a long-term deal or let him walk?”

And he knocked them all out of the park, clearly impressing all of the hosts with his knowledge and insight of another sport, while maintaining his focus and preparation to be among the top competitors in another of America’s favorite pastimes.

(He thinks the ‘Skins and Cousins both need to make concessions and meet in the middle for a long-term contract, by the way).

One of the coolest moments of the day came a few minutes before Junior went live with Michael Smith and Jemele Hill on the set of “His & Hers.” Smith, a longtime ESPN mainstay (you’ve likely seen him on “Around the Horn'”) told Earnhardt how he met him sometime around 2002 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, when Smith was a fresh-faced 22-year-old reporting for the Boston Globe, and how nice the then-Dale Earnhardt Incorporated driver was to him.

Junior remembered.

It was just a “sliver of a memory,” but when you consider this was during the height of Junior Mania (let’s be honest — it’s still the height of Junior Mania) and the thousands upon thousands of people he’s met and shared moments with since, a sliver is still impressive.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the set of “His & Hers” with hosts Michael Smith and Jemele Hill.

“‘His & Hers’ was good. I hate to play favorites. I was excited about ‘His & Hers’ because I had seen that show and I like the debate like ‘First Take,’ and I had done ‘First Take’ before, and it’s good to see Stephen A. (Smith) and those guys, but man, they are so serious,” Earnhardt said. “When the cameras are off, it’s like ‘OK, see ya. Good job.’ But ‘His & Hers’ is a nice, clean debate. It’s friendly and their personalities are really good. I like that. There’s something about their debate where you can tell it’s coming from the heart, instead of ‘How can I sound one way or the other?’ ”

So, Earnhardt spent the whole day promoting the Daytona 500, getting people pumped for the “Great American Race.”

But does it get his own juices flowing?

“It’s kind of fun, because there’s this … you get fired up, I guess. More so about the season as a whole. The race is the race. We’ll be there. It’s coming Sunday whether I like it or not,” Earnhardt said. “But when we come up to ESPN and we’re doing this kind of stuff, this is the kind of stuff that typically lets you know that the season’s getting started. It’s finally here.

“The season’s like Christmas. In a sense that when Christmas gets here, we all say, ‘I can’t believe Christmas is here! God, I can’t believe it’s here. It’s already here.’ And that’s the way the season sneaks right up on you. The Daytona 500 is one thing, but that whole 36-race schedule is another monster. You’re like, ‘Well, we’re doing this. It’s here. It’s starting. It’s real. Playtime’s over. All that fun we had in January is coming to an end.'”

Drivers, start your engines. It’s almost Christmas.

Posted on February 18, 2016 by

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Have you ever wondered what it is like to drive on the track at the famed Daytona International Speedway? If you buy a new Chevrolet, your dealer will be able to offer you that opportunity.

Chevrolet and DIS today announced an exclusive delivery experience at the Speedway. This extra cost option will be available later this year through U.S. Chevrolet dealers on select new vehicle orders. While details are still being finalized, customers who order the option can expect:

• A tour of Daytona International Speedway

• An on-track driving experience

• A keepsake to commemorate the experience

• Authentication that the vehicle was delivered and driven at the Speedway

“Chevrolet is committed to offering our customers the best overall vehicle ownership experience possible – starting with the most technologically advanced and most dynamic vehicles in the brands history,” said Alan Batey, president of General Motors North America and leader of Global Chevrolet. “Beyond the vehicle, we are determined to deliver exceptional service through our dealers and unique experiences that only Chevrolet can offer, like driving your first miles in your new vehicle at the famed Daytona International Speedway.”

The Chevrolet Delivery Center at DIS will be located in the infield adjacent to Gatorade Victory Lane and will have the familiar appearance of a neighborhood Chevrolet dealership. Customers will choose the option to have their vehicle delivered at DIS during the ordering process. Pricing will be available at a later date.

“The Chevrolet Delivery Center is the type of elevated experience that guests visiting Daytona International Speedway come to expect,” Daytona International Speedway president Joie Chitwood III said. “This new offering complements the enhancements already made to the ‘World Center of Racing’ through the $400 million DAYTONA Rising redevelopment project. We’re looking forward to witnessing that first delivery later this year.”

Chevrolet already offers Corvette customers the option to have their vehicle delivered at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky. The Museum Delivery option includes a private tour of the GM Bowling Green Assembly Plant, home of the Corvette, and the National Corvette Museum. The owner then takes delivery of their new Corvette from the museum showroom, where their own car is on display. The delivery process includes a personalized demonstration of their Corvette’s features, broadcast around the world via live webcam 24 hours a day. The Corvette Museum Delivery option is $990.

DAYTONA Rising

Chevrolet is a Founding Partner at DIS as part of its DAYTONA Rising redevelopment project.

The historic $400 million DAYTONA Rising project, encompassing the Speedway’s nearly one-mile long frontstretch, recently debuted during the Rolex 24 At Daytona where Chevrolet’s Corvette Racing team took first and second in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) Class. DAYTONA Rising has transformed DIS into the world’s first motorsports stadium, with premium amenities and attractions.

The multi-year agreement provides Chevrolet with naming rights for one of five fan injectors. The massive, new and redesigned entry includes more than 20,000 square feet of Chevrolet new vehicle displays and a fan engagement experience that vertically spans three concourse levels.

Additionally, Chevrolet is an official partner of “The Great American Race,” the DAYTONA 500®, and will receive Official Pace Car rights in select years beginning in 2017.

“Chevrolet’s commitment to racing originated more than a century ago with Louis Chevrolet and remains strong today as we solidify our presence at the ‘World Center of Racing’ by partnering with International Speedway Corporation, Daytona International Speedway and the DAYTONA Rising project,” Batey said.

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Holly Cain

MORE: Full starting lineup for 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Chase Elliott‘s first taste of Daytona 500 qualifying racing Thursday night ended well with the 20-year-old rookie securing a sixth-place finish in the first of two Can-Am Duel events.

The Daytona 500 pole-winner led the first two laps of the race before eventual race winner — and Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate — Dale Earnhardt Jr. took control leading all but 27 of the 60 laps.

Elliott expected it would be a learning experience — a high speed lesson in speedway drafting with the big kids. And it certainly proved to be.

“Just a lot of things learned for me, got into a few positions, had a few things happen that I should have stopped before they did happen,” Elliott said. “The top was pretty dominant, I feel like whatever lane Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) was in, was moving forward fast. He does a good job working the air and that was something I struggled with.”

Elliott spoke at length with his crew on pit road after climbing out of his No. 24 NAPA Chevrolet after the race. This year’s version of Speedweeks is simultaneously a learning experience and a high-profile opportunity for the promising young talent.

Elliott, son of NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott, has taken over the driver’s seat of just-retired Jeff Gordon‘s famed No. 24 Chevrolet. He was well aware many eyes were on him for that reason. After becoming the youngest Daytona pole-sitter in history this past weekend, the expectations are high for the rookie.

None higher, however, than Elliott’s own. Standing on pit road after the race he was still scrutinizing his performance, and speaking about learning opportunities.

“We’ve got to be aggressive with the side-draft and keeping guys pinned down at times,” Elliott explained of the lessons he learned Thursday night. “It’s just being mindful of which lane is forming up ahead of time and the good guys make that happen and recognize that.

“We have some areas I know we need to work on and some things I need to recognize before they happen and the good guys do that so I’ve got to learn.

“But,” he said turning around and looking at his unscathed Chevrolet, “the car’s in one piece. Just got to take it and try to correct things.”

In addition to working with his teammates on the track, Elliott’s six-time champion HMS teammate Jimmie Johnson was on the radio and stood on the pit road stand, offering assistance to his first-year Cup teammate.

“Jimmie’s up here; he says just make sure you block the middle,” Elliott was told at one point.

His veteran spotter, Eddie D’Hondt, was mindful of guiding the rookie too.

“The tough part here is you just don’t want to ever lose this draft. Just keep that in mind,” D’Hondt told Elliott early in the event, adding a couple laps later, “So right here you’re always in looking your mirror looking to block the middle. See what Kasey did ahead of you was try to side-draft Dillon. What we want to watch here is that not all of your help here bails and goes to the top and you get conga again. But they’re not.”

Another Elliott teammate, the race winner Earnhardt, made a point to speak with the rookie before the race began and told him, “I’m not going to be helping you tonight and don’t help me, don’t worry about where I’m at.

“Do everything you can to keep the lead, don’t give the lead up. …You’ve just got to be selfish.”

RELATED: Junior wins Can-Am Duel No. 1

Elliott said he looked forward to getting together with the group for a post-race review, but was encouraged overall and eager to put the lessons learned to use in Sunday’s Daytona 500.

“The car’s in one piece and we were able to bring it back all in one piece and that was a goal in itself,” Elliott said. “That experience gained tonight was the most important thing and I feel good about that and I know there are some things I need to do differently an just correct for Sunday.”

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Sitting in a director’s chair looking noticeably fit and unmistakably eager, Greg Biffle smiled often while answering questions from reporters about his expectations of his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford team in 2016.

He was as upbeat as he’s sounded in years. And there is plenty of good reason.

Every driver does his best to be optimistic leading into the start of the season, but Biffle seemed and sounded — and frankly sold everyone — on a redemption year coming.

He’s got a new crew chief, Brian Pattie, who previously worked at Michael Waltrip Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing. NASCAR has a new rules package that Biffle likes, and his Roush Fenway Racing team has invested in a wide assortment of new engineers. It feels like a fresh start.

RELATED: More about Roush Fenway

So sitting up straight in his chair and making direct eye contact with those asking the questions, Biffle explained why he was more confident in the 2016 season than he has felt in years.

“I felt (winning the championship in) 2005 was a missed opportunity and two or three years proceeding that definitely was,” Biffle said. “You want to be in position to win and I do feel like we’re getting back to that now.

“You need some extraordinary circumstance in order to create that opportunity. A rule change, a change in body of the car, change in your organization — a re-organization and we sort of have all three of those going into 2016.

“We’ve got a new nose on the car, new crew chief, new car chief, new engineering, we’ve added people to the air department and a new rules package which proved better for all our cars not just me. We needed something like that to reignite our opportunity.”

Biffle will have plenty of opportunity this week to begin a year of vindication. He was a top-10 driver in the three practice sessions he participated in, including third fastest in the third practice on Wednesday.

He qualified 20th during front-row time trials last Sunday in the No. 16 KFC Nashville Hot Ford, and would have started 11th in Thursday night’s first Can-Am Duel. But instead, he will actually have to start his Ford last in the field serving a penalty for changing a rear gear during Wednesday practice.

In past years, that would probably have meant a headshake and a “not again,” comment, but Biffle — at 46 the oldest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regulars — remains confident and optimistic. Asked about retirement and Biffle only smiled and shook his head. It’s not in the plans yet he insisted. There’s a title to win still.

All it takes is one victory to earn a position in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and Biffle has no doubts about expecting that.

He has 19 Cup victories and three top-five finishes in the final points standings, including that runner-up finish in 2005. But Biffle hasn’t won a race in two years — the longest span between victories in his 13-year Cup career.

Should — “when,” he would insist — Biffle earn a Cup title he would be the first driver in history to win all three of NASCAR’s major championships. He won the 2000 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the 2002 NASCAR XFINITY Series titles.

“We were optimistic over the offseason and then the first part of 2015 it was painfully obvious we were a long way off,” Biffle reflected. “It’s painfully difficult because I love success and that opportunity and when you know six weeks from now when I go to that race track, I don’t have a chance of winning. That is difficult.

“It takes a long time to climb that ladder back up. But when you have changes like we do between 2015 and 2016 that can shorten up that ladder a lot.

“Maybe we’ve caught up to the other teams. So we catch up, they have to adjust to a new package and we have new people and we’re hungry. That could level the playing field very quickly.”

For his part, Biffle looks extremely fit and acknowledged physical training is now an important aspect of his life and his racing preparation – it’s something he has devoted more attention to.

“I’m in better shape now than I was five years ago I can certainly tell you that and that’s something that won’t hurt in the car,” Biffle said. “I got my butt into the gym and started paying attention to what I eat. You get comfortable. … our sport is a lot different that other sports. But you have to be in some level of conditioning to do what we do.”

What Biffle most wants is to hoist the one NASCAR trophy that has eluded him. As he discussed his high expectations and fielded questions about the new-look team, Biffle truly looked as prepared and enthusiastic as he ever has.

Someone in the group of reporters asked him about being the “oldest full-time driver,” and Biffle smiled, looking unaware of that news.

For him, it’s really not a question of age or experience, but desire.

“It’s really just the enthusiasm,” Biffle said, pausing to really think about the subject. “Change is good in our sport, it re-energizes people. They want to work harder.”

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A move by Jamie McMurray and a sudden lack of real estate for Jimmie Johnson will send Matt Kenseth from the front row to the back of the field when Sunday’s 58th running of the Daytona 500 gets underway Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.

Kenseth (Joe Gibbs Racing) locked in the No. 2 qualifying spot in Coors Light Pole qualifying last Sunday. But a crash at the end of the second Can-Am Duel qualifying race on Thursday sent him, along with Johnson, Martin Truex Jr. and AJ Allmendinger, to the infield care center.

None were injured. All were disappointed.

Kenseth’s team will be one of those rolling out a backup entry for Sunday’s race, a move that means he’ll have to drop to the rear for the car swap.

“I don’t know if starting in the back is as big of a deal as losing your car; that’s the second one we’ve lost this week,” said Kenseth, who also lost a car in Saturday night’s Sprint Unlimited non-points race at DIS. “I think we’re probably down to our third-string car. This car was obviously really, really fast.

“I don’t know what they have in the trailer for the next car. That’s the worst part. Starting in the back … if you can’t get to the front in three and a half or four hours, you have an issue.”

With Kyle Busch leading and the leaders headed into Turn 1 for the final time, McMurray moved low, then shot high in an attempt to take the lead. But by then, Johnson was already moving up on the outside.

MORE: Busch: ‘It went kind of crazy behind me’

“He never touched my quarter,” McMurray said of the incident with Johnson. “I don’t know if it was a disturbance in the air. … I really don’t know. It’s hard to tell looking at the replay what happened.

“I didn’t want anyone on the outside because if you got stuck on inside it was bad all around. I was trying to fake out the 18 to get to his outside. My car stalled out and I didn’t have anything. It was hard to break the plane of the car in front you especially running single file like we did tonight.”

Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports) said McMurray “tried to put a move on the 18 and left the bottom in a hurry to come up and block my run. I was just out there.

“I could see with his aggression how fast he was coming up that our line was going to take me into the wall. I tried to check up and get out of there and it just didn’t work out and it took me up into the outside wall a little bit, turned me down across the field. Just a block that didn’t turn out, I was out there and unfortunately it just turned us around.”

Johnson, twice a winner of the Daytona 500, will be breaking in a backup entry as well when practice gets underway Friday. It shouldn’t be an issue, the six-time series champion said.

“The guys were real confident about our backup selection so I feel good about it,” he said. “I was asking what our strategy was here, if we needed to protect. Chad (Knaus, crew chief) of course wanted me to but he said, ‘Go race, we’ve got a great one sitting in the truck’ so we’ll take advantage of the next couple of practice sessions to dial this one in.”

Busch took the checkered flag as the race ended under caution, with McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates) and Kurt Busch (Stewart-Haas Racing) second and third respectively.

Johnson, credited with a 13th-place finish, placed no blame on McMurray for the incident.

“Man, we’re racing,” he said. “It’s hard to put a lot of blame on somebody when you’re making split-second decisions.”

Kurt Busch and Danica Patrick were also involved in the late crash, but neither will be going to a backup car for Sunday’s season-opening race.

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Staff Report

MORE: Full Practice 2 results

Spencer Gallagher led Thursday’s final practice ahead of Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Gallagher, running just six laps in the late afternoon session, paced the field with a best speed of 188.135 mph. He was followed closely by Timothy Peters at 188.029 mph. Peters topped the opening session at 189.028 mph for the best speed of the day.

Defending race winner Tyler Reddick was third on the charts at 187.946 mph, followed by ThorSport Racing teammates Rico Abreu (185.778 mph) and Matt Crafton (185.647 mph).

Tune in Friday night for the NextEra Energy Resources 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1).

MORE: Full Practice 1 results

Veteran driver Timothy Peters topped the opening NASCAR Camping World Truck Series action of the 2016 season, pacing the first of two practices Thursday at Daytona International Speedway.

Peters logged a best speed of 189.028 mph in his 23 laps around the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Ben Rhodes and teammate Ben Kennedy were right on his tail, with speeds of 188.687 mph and 188.644 mph, respectively. Grant Enfinger (making his first NCWTS appearance since 2012) was next on the charts at 188.399 mph, followed by Johnny Sauter at 188.383 mph to round out the top five.

A handful of minutes into the session, Scott Lagasse ran over a piece of debris on his first lap, sending his No. 14 Chevrolet into the outside wall, taking heavy damage and halting the field.

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Staff Report

RELATED: Full practice results

Making a single-car run around Daytona International Speedway, Jimmie Johnson topped the leaderboard in Thursday’s final practice ahead of tonight’s Can-Am Duel races (7 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET, FS1). Johnson whirled his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at a rapid 193.054 mph around the 2.5-mile speedway.

“Definitely some good gains for the Lowe’s Chevrolet there,” Johnson told FS1 after his strong run.

The 55-minute practice was dominated by single-car runs, with the exception of new Richard Petty Motorsports teammates Aric Almirola and Brian Scott. Scott and Almirola came in second and third, respectively, on the leaderboard, posting identical speeds (189.897 mph) and times (47.394-second lap).

Ty Dillon ranked fourth on the speed charts in his No. 95 Chevrolet (189.837 mph), while Ryan Newman wheeled his No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at 189.697 mph to round out the top five.

Kyle Larson — who was sixth-fastest (189.362 mph) — debuted a new No. 42 Chevrolet on track today, as his original ride was heavily damaged in a wreck during yesterday’s practice.

With the Duels tonight, only seven cars went on-track for the day’s final practice.

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Staff Report

The field for the Daytona 500 was set Thursday night following the Can-Am Duel races, as was running the order.

The front row of Chase Elliott and Matt Kenseth was determined after qualifying last Sunday, and the 39th and 40th positions of Michael McDowell and Robert Richardson Jr. was due to those two being Open teams that clinched via qualifying speeds.

Spots 3-38 were settled under the lights, with the finishing order of Duel 1 claiming the inside row (1-3-5, etc.) and the finishing order of Duel 2 claiming the outside row (2-4-6, etc.).

Daytona 500 lineup

Pos.	Car	Driver	Team
1.	24	Chase Elliott	Hendrick Motorsports
2.	20	Matt Kenseth	Joe Gibbs Racing
3.	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Hendrick Motorsports
4.	18	Kyle Busch	Joe Gibbs Racing
5.	22	Joey Logano	Team Penske
6.	1	Jamie McMurray	Chip Ganassi Racing
7.	21	Ryan Blaney	Wood Brothers Racing
8.	41	Kurt Busch	Stewart-Haas Racing
9.	4	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing
10.	19	Carl Edwards	Joe Gibbs Racing
11.	11	Denny Hamlin	Joe Gibbs Racing
12.	95	Ty Dillon	Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing
13.	5	Kasey Kahne	Hendrick Motorsports
14.	42	Kyle Larson	Chip Ganassi Racing
15.	16	Greg Biffle	Roush Fenway Racing
16.	10	Danica Patrick	Stewart-Haas Racing
17.	34	Chris Buescher	Front Row Motorsports
18.	14	Brian Vickers	Stewart-Haas Racing
19.	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Roush Fenway Racing
20.	93	Matt DiBenedetto	BK Racing
21.	3	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress Racing
22.	46	Michael Annett	HScott Motorsports
23.	6	Trevor Bayne	Roush Fenway Racing
24.	38	Landon Cassill	Front Row Motorsports
25.	2	Brad Keselowski	Team Penske
26.	48	Jimmie Johnson	Hendrick Motorsports
27.	7	Regan Smith	Tommy Baldwin Racing
28.	78	Martin Truex Jr.	Furniture Row Racing
29.	23	David Ragan	BK Racing
30.	47	AJ Allmendinger	JTG Daugherty Racing
31.	15	Clint Bowyer	HScott Motorsports
32.	13	Casey Mears	Germain Racing
33.	32	Bobby Labonte	Go Green Racing
34.	43	Aric Almirola	Richard Petty Motorsports
35.	44	Brian Scott	Richard Petty Motorsports
36.	83	Michael Waltrip	BK Racing
37.	27	Paul Menard	Richard Childress Racing
38.	31	Ryan Newman	Richard Childress Racing
39.	59	Michael McDowell	Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing
40.	26	Robert Richardson Jr.	BK Racing

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Staff Report

The two-round, single-car qualifying that took place Feb. 14 at Daytona International Speedway set the front row for the Daytona 500 (Feb. 21, 1 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Chase Elliott (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) earned the pole and Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) will join him on the front row after posting the second fastest qualifying speed.

The two will start from the pole in their respective Can-Am Duel races on Thursday night (first duel is 7 p.m. ET, FS1; second duel is approximately 9 p.m. ET, FS1).

The Can-Am Duels will set the remaining starting spots and the field for the 58th running of the “Great American Race.”

WHO IS IN THE FIELD?

The Charter system has locked in 36 of the 40 spots. That means the four remaining spots in the field will go to Open, non-Charter teams. There are eight Open teams attempting to qualify for the Daytona 500. | READ MORE: Which 36 teams have Charters?

Two of the four spots for Open teams were locked up in single-car qualifying based on which Open teams were the fastest: Ryan Blaney (No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford) and Matt DiBenedetto (No. 93 BK Racing Toyota). These two drivers are guaranteed spots in the Daytona 500 field.

HOW CAN AN ‘OPEN’ TEAM STILL GET IN?

That leaves two spots up for grabs among the six remaining Open teams yet to lock themselves into the field.

The top finisher among the Open teams in each Duel will earn a spot in the Daytona 500. Should that be Blaney (in Duel 1) and/or DiBenedetto (in Duel 2), then the guaranteed spot based on qualifying speeds would move to the next fastest Open team in qualifying. Michael McDowell (No. 59 Leavine Family Racing Ford) and Robert Richardson Jr. (No. 26 BK Racing Toyota) have the next fastest speeds.

The other Open teams in the mix to make the field are: Cole Whitt (No. 98 Premium Motorsports Toyota), David Gilliland (No. 35 Front Row Motorsports Ford), Josh Wise (No. 30 The Motorsports Group Chevrolet) and Reed Sorenson (No. 40 Hillman Racing Chevrolet). These four must qualify via the Can-Am Duels.

HOW IS THE 40-CAR LINEUP SET?

For the Daytona 500, Elliott and Kenseth will be on the front row. Starting spots 3 through 38 will be determined by the results of the Duels. Drivers in the first Duel race will line up on the inside row for the Daytona 500 (odd-number starting position), based on the order in which they finish the Duel race. Drivers in the second Duel race will line up on the outside row for the the Daytona 500 (even-number starting positions), based on the order in which they finish the Duel race. For example, the winner of the first Duel (if not Elliott), will line up third; the winner of the second Duel (if not Kenseth) will line up fourth and so on.

The top Open team finisher in each Duel will make the 500 field. Should the top Open finisher in a Duel have also posted one of the top two speeds in qualifying among Open teams (Blaney or DiBenedetto), the Duel result is accepted and the next fastest Open car in qualifying would make the field. The final two starting spots in the field, spots 39 and 40, will go to the two Open teams that made the field based on qualifying speed.

WHAT IF THE DUELS ARE RAINED OUT?

If both Duels are canceled due to weather, officials will use qualifying results to determine the four Open teams that would advance. In this case that would be Blaney, DiBenedetto, McDowell and Richardson.

Should only the second Can-Am Duel be canceled due to weather, the highest finishing Open team from the first Duel would earn a starting berth, with the remaining three positions determined based on qualifying results.

In the event of a rain out, the full field will be set according to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Zack Albert

PHOTOS: Dale, Junior and every 500 winner | Closest finishes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After a day of outpouring on social media remembering the legendary Dale Earnhardt on the 15th anniversary of his passing, his son provided the perfect capper.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s victory in the opening Can-Am Duel at Daytona International Speedway assured the Hendrick Motorsports driver a starting spot up front in Sunday’s 58th annual Daytona 500, a race he’s won twice. But it also conjured up plenty of fond memories of racing at the track where Earnhardt lost his life in a crash on Feb. 18, 2001.

“It’s real special. I was thinking about that,” he said. “I try not to make too big a deal. I’ve told all you guys in interviews we’ve done how much I like people to remember Dad, talk about Dad. It really warms my heart to see the stuff on social media and so forth. That’s probably my best way to gauge the reaction to a day like this. You see a lot of people mention him, even the Braves and all that stuff. It’s pretty cool.”

Earnhardt led twice for 43 of the 60 laps, snaring his fifth victory in Daytona 500 qualifying races at the historic 2.5-mile track. It was another show of muscle by the No. 88 Chevrolet nicknamed “Amelia,” the entry that came home first in last year’s main event.

While the competition goals were clear-cut for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, Earnhardt Jr. said that he had some admittedly selfish motivations in the 500 preliminary.

“I was daydreaming a little bit,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I’m guilty of daydreaming a little bit about winning this race tonight because of the day. That was special to me. Glad nothing bad happened, that we didn’t tear our car up, because that would have been embarrassing on a day like this.”