Complete results from Daytona 500 practice

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Staff Report

Practice 1 results

Pos	Car	Driver	Speed
1	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	194.116
2	22	Joey Logano	193.853
3	20	Matt Kenseth	193.782
4	24	Chase Elliott	193.586
5	5	Kasey Kahne	193.582
6	2	Brad Keselowski	193.436
7	16	Greg Biffle	193.407
8	41	Kurt Busch	193.220
9	19	Carl Edwards	193.199
10	78	Martin Truex Jr.	193.100
11	18	Kyle Busch	193.087
12	6	Trevor Bayne	192.963
13	*21	Ryan Blaney	192.914
14	3	Austin Dillon	192.810
15	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	192.786
16	11	Denny Hamlin	192.686
17	14	Brian Vickers	192.666
18	31	Ryan Newman	192.629
19	48	Jimmie Johnson	192.583
20	95	Ty Dillon(i)	192.546
21	1	Jamie McMurray	192.439
22	13	Casey Mears	192.341
23	4	Kevin Harvick	192.160
24	7	Regan Smith	192.111
25	44	Brian Scott	191.971
26	27	Paul Menard	191.894
27	42	Kyle Larson	191.873
28	43	Aric Almirola	191.714
29	*93	Matt DiBenedetto	191.392
30	83	Michael Waltrip	191.347
31	10	Danica Patrick	191.091
32	*59	Michael McDowell	190.977
33	47	AJ Allmendinger	190.730
34	34	Chris Buescher	190.694
35	38	Landon Cassill	190.484
36	46	Michael Annett	190.440
37	15	Clint Bowyer	189.314
38	23	David Ragan	189.024
39	32	Bobby Labonte	188.945
40	*98	Cole Whitt	188.636
41	*35	David Gilliland	188.017
42	*26	Robert Richardson Jr.	187.786
43	*30	Josh Wise	186.474
44	*40	Reed Sorenson	186.185

Practice 2 results

Pos	Car	Driver	Speed
1	22	Joey Logano	195.933
2	2	Brad Keselowski	195.848
3	*21	Ryan Blaney #	195.797
4	41	Kurt Busch	194.877
5	18	Kyle Busch	194.696
6	20	Matt Kenseth	194.338
7	4	Kevin Harvick	194.045
8	24	Chase Elliott	193.995
9	19	Carl Edwards	193.986
10	16	Greg Biffle	193.907
11	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	193.823
12	13	Casey Mears	193.753
13	48	Jimmie Johnson	193.519
14	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	193.473
15	3	Austin Dillon	193.166
16	31	Ryan Newman	193.083
17	44	Brian Scott #	192.976
18	95	Ty Dillon(i)	192.918
19	14	Brian Vickers	192.802
20	27	Paul Menard	192.790
21	6	Trevor Bayne	192.777
22	10	Danica Patrick	192.468
23	42	Kyle Larson	192.394
24	5	Kasey Kahne	192.312
25	43	Aric Almirola	192.246
26	1	Jamie McMurray	192.094
27	*93	Matt DiBenedetto	192.086
28	83	Michael Waltrip	191.697
29	7	Regan Smith	191.587
30	46	Michael Annett	191.510
31	*59	Michael McDowell	191.371
32	47	AJ Allmendinger	191.217
33	34	Chris Buescher	190.965
34	15	Clint Bowyer	190.609
35	38	Landon Cassill	190.215
36	32	Bobby Labonte	189.609
37	*98	Cole Whitt	189.056
38	*35	David Gilliland	188.659
39	*26	Robert Richardson Jr.	188.656
40	23	David Ragan	188.608
41	*40	Reed Sorenson	187.021
42	*30	Josh Wise	186.227

*–indicates driver is required to qualify on time

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Staff Report

On-track action for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has begun. With drivers itching to get back inside their race cars, the lineup for the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway has arrived.

Crew chiefs drew their drivers’ starting positions for the race on Friday — the Sprint Unlimited (75 laps, 187.5 miles) is set for the green flag Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Crew chief Chad Knaus landed the prime position for Jimmie Johnson, who will start from the pole position. Johnson has visited Victory Lane at the 2.5-mile track three times in his career.

Joining Johnson’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on the front row will be Brad Keselowski in his No. 2 Team Penske Ford.

The No. 47 Chevrolet of AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top three.

Kyle Larson will hit the grid in the fourth position in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. The 2008 Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman will line up in the fifth spot.

And the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kyle Busch is starting ninth.

Complete lineup for Sprint Unlimited:

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Brad Keselowski
3. AJ Allmendinger
4. Kyle Larson
5. Ryan Newman
6. Casey Mears
7. Martin Truex Jr.
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Kyle Busch
10. Austin Dillon
11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
12. Danica Patrick
13. Matt Kenseth
14. Paul Menard
15. Denny Hamlin
16. Greg Biffle
17. Aric Almirola
18. Brian Vickers
19. Carl Edwards
20. Kasey Kahne
21. Kurt Busch
22. Kevin Harvick
23. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
24. Jamie McMurray
25. Joey Logano

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Staff Report

The Daytona 500 just got a little bigger.

WWE superstar and actor John Cena will serve as the honorary pace car driver for the 58th annual Daytona 500 (Feb. 21, 1 p.m. ET, FOX) at Daytona International Speedway.

The 15-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion will pace the 40-car field to the green flag in a Toyota Camry.

“John Cena is one of the most iconic WWE superstars in history, a great actor and philanthropist,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said in a track release. “We welcome him back to the ‘World Center of Racing’ and our new motorsports stadium, this time to pace the field for the ‘Great American Race.’ “

Cena has been at the forefront of WWE’s programming for more than a decade, and most recently starred on the big screen in the Golden Globe-nominated “Trainwreck” as well as “Sisters” with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. He next will host FOX’s upcoming reality competition series “American Grit,” in which contestants work together to complete a variety of military-grade and survival-themed challenges.

In addition to his celebrity accolades, Cena is a wish ambassador for Make-A-Wish, having granted more than 500 wishes — more than any other celebrity or athlete in the history of the organization. Make-A-Wish has recognized Cena’s unwavering dedication to children with life-threatening medical conditions with their highest honor, the Chris Greicius Award.

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Tony Stewart is up and walking, breaking his social media silence for the first time since suffering severe back injuries in an all-terrain vehicle accident Jan. 31.

The three-time NASCAR champion answered questions about his injuries, his future and his outlook through two live-streaming Periscope sessions Friday morning from his North Carolina home. Stewart was seen walking on a treadmill and briefly showed the scars from his back surgery, which repaired the burst fracture of his L1 vertebra.

“We’re starting to get the pain under control,” said Stewart, who aims to return for the remainder of his final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. “I didn’t want everybody to think that while everyone was at Daytona today, I was sitting on my ass in Charlotte.”

Stewart, 44, said that his accident in the desert came at low speed, explaining that the sand buggy he was driving “nose-planted” into a dune after a drop of an estimated 20-25 feet. He noted that he was unable to call for help since there was no cell-phone signal and the group he was with did not have two-way radios.

He joked about having difficulty in embellishing his story, “when you’re only going 5 mph. Hard to make that sound cool at all.”

Brian Vickers was named as Stewart’s interim replacement in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Chevrolet for Daytona’s Speedweeks on Friday morning. Stewart said doctors advised him not to travel to Daytona, keeping him in North Carolina to focus on his recovery.

RELATED: Vickers named No. 14 driver for Daytona

Stewart indicated that he had two rods and three screws inserted surgically. He said his rehabilitation is being led by the same doctor who oversaw Kyle Busch‘s recovery from multiple leg fractures last season. Stewart said that some of his biggest issues were with spasms, trying to get his muscles to relax, but added that his conditioning — even before the accident — had improved. He said he had lost 22 pounds since Dec. 1.

Stewart said doctors also told him to either lie flat or to be up and walking, instead of sitting or standing in one place. Stewart said he’s trying not to overdo his rehabilitation, but that the injury’s limitations have made him like a “caged animal. … It’s hard to go back to just laying around. When I’ve had enough, my back tells me.”

Stewart, who won championships in 2002, 2005 and 2011, did not offer a timetable for his return to competition, but he did rule out altering his NASCAR retirement plan to make up for this season’s lost time: “No, I’m not doing another season since this happened. I made my decision and that’s it.”

The offseason injury means Stewart will miss portions of three of the last four Sprint Cup seasons. He missed the final 15 races of the 2013 season after suffering severe leg fractures in a sprint car event in Oskaloosa, Iowa. In 2014, he sat out three races after an on-track incident at a New York dirt track took the life of 20-year-old competitor Kevin Ward Jr.

Stewart said he’d mentioned needing an exorcism, claiming, “there’s definitely a demon inside me that keeps getting me hurt.” Despite the recent hardships, he shrugged off any notion of sympathy.

“I wouldn’t say ‘poor baby.’ We’ve been through a lot worse than this,” Stewart said. “This is just another bump in the road.”

RELATED: Watch Stewart’s Q&A session

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Brian Vickers was officially introduced as Tony Stewart‘s interim replacement Friday morning at Daytona International Speedway, taking the reins of the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Chevrolet for the next 10 days of NASCAR’s season-opening Speedweeks.

It’s a chance to return that he wasn’t sure he’d ever get. Now that he has it, the 32-year-old driver is determined to make it special.

“If you’d asked me six months ago what my racing career looked like, I had no idea,” said Vickers, who last raced in NASCAR’s top division last March. “What I wasn’t going to do was get in something that I didn’t feel like when I walked in the gate that I could win in. What I did tell myself I was going to do was I was going to race again one day. It may not have been here, it may not have been Daytona, may not have been in the Sprint Cup Series, but something. I love racing.”

Vickers has been sidelined from the sport because of a recurrence of the blood clots that have forced him to abbreviate three seasons since 2010. He said he worked with his physicians on a plan to return to the cockpit, getting the necessary clearance to compete again. Thursday, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell told SiriusXM that Vickers had been granted medical clearance from the sanctioning body.

Before sealing the deal, Vickers spent time with Stewart, who is out indefinitely with a broken back suffered in an all-terrain vehicle accident Jan. 31. Stewart, who broke his social media silence with an impromptu Periscope session Friday morning, gave his fill-in a vote of confidence while walking on a treadmill as part of his rehabilitation in his North Carolina home.

RELATED: Stewart breaks his silence

“I’m real confident with Brian in it,” Stewart said. “It’s pretty cool to see how excited he is about being in a car. He definitely deserves it. … It’s nice to take something negative on my side and make something positive about it.”

The agreement, which for now extends only through the Feb. 21 Daytona 500, is designed to bolster a team in flux with a new crew chief in Mike Bugarewicz and with Stewart still hoping to return for the balance of his final Sprint Cup season.

“Obviously when you’re in this situation, you look at who’s the best candidate, who has experience,” said Greg Zipadelli, Stewart-Haas Racing‘s competition director. “You look at his record at restrictor-plate races and we looked at everybody who was available and we talked to Tony and he felt like Brian would fit our group the best.”

Vickers has three victories in NASCAR’s premier series, including his breakthrough win at Talladega Superspeedway in 2006, his third full season. But since 2010, when his medical ailment was first diagnosed, Vickers has fewer full 36-race seasons than partial ones.

Vickers completed his most recent full campaign in 2014, but made just two starts last season.

“The last five, six years of my life have been a roller coaster to say the least,” Vickers said. “As race car drivers, we’re obviously willing to take a certain level of risk, but what I’m not willing to do is take undue risk, and I’m not now. That’s the reason my doctors approved me to come back racing with the plan that we’ve developed. I can’t wait to get back in the race car.

“For me, it’s one day at a time. I’ve learned so many times that you can only plan so far ahead. You just live life to the fullest, you enjoy it, you make reasonable decisions. Everyone’s tolerance is different, but I love what I do. I love this, I’m going to love what’s next, whatever that may be. Right now, I’m just focused on enjoying the Daytona 500.”

Vickers said he had been looking for the right opportunity to return to NASCAR in a competitive car, though he loathed the circumstances with Stewart’s injury. But throughout Vickers’ reintroduction Friday, the common theme to his comeback was gratitude — to his family, to Stewart-Haas Racing and to Stewart himself for another opportunity.

It’s something that will likely help Vickers savor the moment as he straps in again for the Great American Race.

“I think a lot of guys get in these cars and they’re so caught up in the moment, the future and everything else, they don’t stop to think that it may be their last time, just to kind of really enjoy it. I can assure you when the green drops next Sunday, I’m going to enjoy it as much as anyone on that race track. If I’ve got another five or 10 Daytona 500s in me, then great, and if it’s the last one, that’s fine, too.

“I’m very fortunate. I have gone through a lot, but I’ve learned so much through all those experiences as a person and grown. I couldn’t be happier in my life.”

BRUCE: Cruel twist to Stewart’s swan song

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 12, 2016) – One of the largest and fastest growing credit card issuers in the United States, Credit One Bank has entered into a multi-year partnership with NASCAR to include official agreements with both the sanctioning body and one of the most successful teams in auto-racing, Chip Ganassi Racing. The collaborations designate Credit One Bank as the “Official Credit Card of NASCAR,” in addition to being a partner of Chip Ganassi Racing.

As part of the agreement with NASCAR, Credit One Bank will offer fans officially licensed NASCAR-themed credit cards. Credit One Bank will also be the primary sponsor of the No. 1 Chevrolet, piloted by “2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” contender Jamie McMurray for three races, as well as an associate partner throughout the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) campaign. The No. 1 Credit One Bank Chevy SS will debut on the track at Richmond International Raceway (RIR) on April 24.

“Our partnerships with both NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing will introduce the benefits of Credit One Bank card membership to a new audience of consumers,” said Laura Faulkner, vice president of marketing communications, Credit One Bank. “With the Official Credit Card of NASCAR, fans can further their love of racing with a rewards program that complements that same passion. We also look forward to supporting Jamie McMurray in the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.”

Credit One Bank offers full spectrum credit card products, and is among the top 10 largest Visa credit card issuers in the United States. Credit One Bank will offer cash back rewards, exclusive experiences, discounts, and special offers to their NASCAR Visa^®card members. The inaugural card design will feature NASCAR official marks and exciting race imagery, with additional designs to be released throughout the season. Fans can apply for the official NASCAR credit card by visiting www.CreditOneBank.com/NASCAR.

“We could not be happier with Credit One Bank’s fully integrated campaign to introduce its brand to our industry, stakeholders, and most importantly, our fans,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “As our entire industry gears up for Daytona 500 weekend, this new agreement signals that NASCAR is still one of the most effective marketing spends in all of sports.”

Credit One Bank will utilize 2010 Daytona 500 champion McMurray as a spokesperson to promote its brand and the Official Credit Card of NASCAR. The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season will be McMurray’s 14th full-time year in NASCAR’s premier division. McMurray has seven career NSCS wins and 11 pole awards. McMurray is one of only three drivers to have won the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in a single season (2010).

“This announcement is really exciting news for our team, but it is also a testament to our sport when a company like Credit One Bank recognizes the power of brands like NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing. It is always nice to see new brands come to the sport and make a commitment like Credit One Bank has with this news,” said Steve Lauletta, president, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams. “We are excited to have Credit One Bank onboard the No. 1 Chevrolet with Jamie McMurray and look forward to working with them to introduce their products and services to NASCAR fans everywhere.”

The Credit One Bank NASCAR marketing campaign will also include national television advertising, network and satellite radio advertising, sweepstakes and promotions, at-track marketing, unique retail partnerships and card member experiences for NASCAR fans.

Posted on February 11, 2016 by

RELATED: 2016 preseason power rankings

Kevin Harvick led 22 percent of all laps run in 2015, a total of 2,294 laps out 10,425 for the entire Sprint Cup Series season. The 2014 Sprint Cup Series champ was the only driver to top 2,000 laps led, yet he still finished the season second to a driver who missed 11 races due to an injury.

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver knows that consistency — even consistent excellence — wasn’t going to score him a second title.

It’s all about Homestead.

“(2015) was probably the best year I had personally in my career,” Harvick said during the Charlotte Media Tour. “I think last year was probably better statistically than 2014 was in a lot of ways. … I think with this new format, for us, we just missed it a little bit at Homestead. The 18 car hit it, and we beat the other two cars. So that seems to be the new norm, you’re going to have to go down there with a car capable of winning the race.

With two years of the new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series format under his belt — one ending as champion — Harvick has come to understand that perfection at Homestead is what truly matters once you’ve jumped through the hoops and accomplished what it takes to be a member of the Championship 4.

“I think this is a very, very intense format,” Harvick said. “… You better be on your game and have a car that’s capable of winning that race because the last two years, you’ve had to win that race. But to get in the Chase, you’ve had to have had a pretty good 26 weeks. If you lucked up and won a race, usually it shows up in the first round.”

WATCH: Harvick talks about expectations for 2016

Rodney Childers, Harvick’s crew chief, has built a strategy for the No. 4 team that has proven strong for them. With three wins, 23 top-five and 28 top-10 finishes in 2015, Harvick and his team know what success looks like in NASCAR’s elite series.

“The strategy is still the same, ” Harvick said. “Rodney (Childers) instills that into our brain when we first started, and that’s to go out, try to win practice, try to sit on the pole and lead laps and win the race.”

It seems simple. But even with the accomplishments the No. 4 team has experienced, Childers still looks back on that one weekend in Homestead in 2015 when things might have been different.

“We just have to go and do the best job we can,” Childers said. “That particular weekend in Homestead we didn’t do a good job. We didn’t have a good car in the race. We didn’t make the right adjustments before the race. It’s disappointing for sure to finish second, but on the other hand, we’re pretty lucky to do what we do and run as well as we do with the group of people that we have.”

MORE: SHR zeroes in on digital dash

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Nascar

Changes to the points structure and the qualifying process for the Daytona 500, plus the addition of an “overtime line” will greet NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams when the 2016 season kicks off this weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

The changes were announced by the sanctioning body Thursday and two — the points structure revision and qualifying format — were adopted as a result of NASCAR’s Charter system that was announced earlier this week.

Because Sprint Cup race fields going forward will consist of a maximum of 40 cars (36 Charter team cars and four Open team cars), the race winner will be awarded 40 points instead of the 43 that had been previously awarded. Second place will receive 39 points, third 38, etc., with 40th place receiving one point.

The total does not include bonus points awarded to the winner, or those awarded for leading the most laps or leading a single lap.

Likewise, the race points structure in the XFINITY and Camping World Truck series have also been re-configured based on a 40-car field for the XFINITY Series and a 32-truck field for the NCWTS. Last season, drivers in all three series earned 43 points, excluding bonus points, for finishing in first place regardless of the size of the field.

For the Daytona 500 , which is scheduled for Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. ET, the 36 Charter teams will be assigned a starting position based on either their qualifying effort or their result in one of the two Can-Am Duel races.

The remaining four positions will be awarded to Open teams attempting to qualify for the event.

The highest-finishing Open team in each Can-Am race will earn a starting spot in the 500. The two remaining Open positions will be determined based on Coors light Pole qualifying, if a team is not already a top finisher in one of the Duels.

As in the past, only the top two starting spots for the Daytona 500 are determined via qualifying. The starting lineup for the Can-Am Duel races will be based on qualifying results with the number of Charter and Open teams divided equally among the two fields.

If qualifying is canceled due to weather, the top two finishing Open teams in each Can-Am Duel will be awarded starting spots in the Daytona 500.

If both Duels are canceled due to weather, officials will use qualifying results to determine the four Open teams that would advance.

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.

Also, if no qualifying or Can-Am events are held, combined practice speeds will determine the lineup and the four Open teams; if there is no on-track activity whatsoever, 2015 owner points will be used to determine the Open teams making the 40-car field.

The final procedural change, which impacts NASCAR’s green-white-checkered rule, dictates that a race may go beyond its scheduled distance only once if the race leader has advanced beyond an “overtime line.”

In that instance, it will be considered a clean restart and any caution coming after that point would effectively conclude the event. Cars would proceed to the start/finish line under caution and be scored accordingly.

The location of the line will vary by track, according to officials.

After taking the green flag, if a caution flag appears before the leader has reached the overtime line, the restart will be waved off and another attempt will be made. If necessary, multiple attempts will be made until a clean restart is achieved.

The overtime line will be in effect for all three national series.

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Nascar

Brennan Poole will compete full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for Chip Ganassi Racing this season, an opportunity that the Woodlands, Texas, native called “a dream come true.”

“It’s emotional; you really can’t put it into words,” the 24-year-old told NASCAR.com. “To run for a championship at the NASCAR level is something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember.”

CGR will field two XFINITY Series entries this year, the No. 48 Chevrolet for Poole with funding from DC Solar, and the No. 42 that will feature Sprint Cup driver Kyle Larson for 17 races. A second driver has yet to be named for the No. 42 for the remaining 16 races.

Former Roush Fenway Racing crew chief Chad Norris, paired with drivers Darrell Wallace Jr. (20 races) and Ryan Reed (13) last season, will serve as crew chief.

“I’m confident that in our renewed partnership with Chip Ganassi, 2016 is going to be a winning season, and that DC Solar will continue to successfully engage and educate the NASCAR audience on solar energy and the DC Solar brand,” Jeff Carpoff, president and CEO of DC Solar, said. “We couldn’t be more excited to return to the track with Brennan and competing for a championship.”

Poole ran a limited schedule in ’15, splitting seat time with Larson in the No. 42 entry when the organization ran under the HScott Motorsports with Chip Ganassi Racing banner. In 17 starts, he finished in the top 15 on 10 occasions with a best result of ninth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Las Vegas start was his very first in the series.

Much of the previous two seasons was spent as a spotter and working with Dartfish, a video software analysis program, “and just trying to get in a car whenever I could,” Poole said.

In spite of the limited seat time, Poole said he felt the team had “some great runs” last year. “Obviously we still want to improve on them and be better,” he said.

“I feel like we’ve shown at times we’ve been capable of really having not just a good weekend but a great weekend. As long as we continue to build on that and keep moving in the right direction, I’m really excited about what we can do.”

Poole, who has one career start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, is a six-time winner in the ARCA Series.

The full-time opportunity with Ganassi, which fields Sprint Cup entries for Larson and Jamie McMurray, is the latest step in what he hopes will be a long career behind the wheel.

“I can’t put into words what it means to be part of such a great team,” Poole said. “There are only so many owners in the garage and I’m with one of the best. To have someone like that believe in you, it’s crazy.”