Posted on by RJ Kraft

2001 Pepsi 400 was also first race that NBC televised

Note: NBC Sports Network is reairing this race on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET as part of its NASCAR Classics series.

The 2001 season was far from an easy year for the NASCAR world.

 The sport was shaken to its core by a crash on the closing lap at Daytona International Speedway during the Daytona 500 that led to the passing of NASCAR Hall of Famer and seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt.

The races in the weeks after were filled with emotion as Dale Earnhardt, Inc. driver Steve Park won the week after the Daytona 500 at Rockingham. Two weeks later, Kevin Harvick, in just his third career Cup start, scored his first career win in the re-numbered No. 29 car for Richard Childress Racing. Harvick had been tapped after the Daytona crash to take over the car, which had been Earnhardt’s No. 3.

Many wondered what would happen when the sport returned to Daytona that summer for the Pepsi 400 as an emotional scene was sure to unfold.



The 2001 Pepsi 400 also marked NBC’s initial foray into NASCAR race coverage as it was the first race the network televised as part of a six-year pact with the sport. An interesting coincidence is that this year’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona will be NBC’s first premier series race under its new TV contract that kicks in this season.



The booth for that first race featured play-by-play man Allen Bestwick with analysts Wally Dallenbach and Benny Parsons. Britney Spears gave the command to start the race.

 Here is the intro NBC used for races in 2001 featuring the song "Fuel" by Metallica.

At the time, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 26 years old and in his second full-time season in the sport’s top series. He came to Daytona that summer on a 39-race winless streak. After experiencing the loss of his father, his 2001 season was very much up-and-down as you might imagine. He came into Daytona the sentimental and emotional favorite.



The race had plenty of emotion in the air as Sterling Marlin led the field to the green flag. Starting 13th, it took Earnhardt 26 laps to get his No. 8 Chevrolet to the front and from there it was his show for most of the night. Dale Jr. led 116 circuits in the 160-lap race en route to his third career premier series win and his first at Daytona.



The win was anything but certain though, as Junior had to hold off DEI teammate Michael Waltrip (who held off Junior to win the 2001 Daytona 500), Elliott Sadler and Ward Burton to win by 0.123 seconds.

When the checkered flag dropped, the crowd at Daytona roared with approval as Dale Jr. took the victory under the lights. There were tears and jubilation among the crew members and one heck of a burnout, not to mention a big embrace with Chocolate Myers, the fuel man with RCR on his dad’s team. The celebration spilled over to the infield with Dale Jr. and Waltrip, who never got to truly celebrate the Daytona 500 win that year, embracing.



In Victory Lane, an emotionally drained Dale Jr. told NBC’s Bill Weber, "Man, I just don’t know what to say. I am worn out. I got to thank my buddy Tony (Eury Jr.), my crew chief for hanging in there with me. All my friends, all the guys on the crew.



"I had a great car. It was all car, 100 percent. I was just holding on."



On his father he said, "he was with me tonight. I don’t know how I did it. He was there and Michael helped me. I guess we’re even now."



He also predicted that he would be "crying sooner or later." 



"I dedicate this win to him. There ain’t nobody else I could dedicate this win to that it would mean more to me."

Waltrip said of his role reversal with Dale Jr. from the last Daytona race, "I just wanted Dale Jr. to win so bad and I wanted to be a part of it. …I was committed to Dale Jr. just like he was to me in February."

The victory would be the first of three Junior recorded that season as he later added victories at Dover and Talladega in the fall.



NBC returns to NASCAR premier series coverage after a nearly nine-year absence, with Sunday night’s Coke Zero 400 (7:45 p.m. ET). Rick Allen will handle the play-by-play duties alongside analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte.

Posted on by Staff Report

France: ‘Tracks are working on the right kind of solution to work with our fans’

RELATED: NASCAR statement

NASCAR announced Thursday morning an unprecedented collaboration among the tracks that host its national series events in an effort to ask fans to "refrain from displaying the Confederate Flag at our facilities and NASCAR events."
 
The sanctioning body revealed Thursday that every track signed on, vowing to help remove fans’ displays of the flag.

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"We’re all trying to be, as we should, the most inclusive sport that we can, and you can’t say that on one hand and then fly a very offensive flag to an entire race of people on the other," NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said Wednesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. "It just doesn’t comport. That’s where we are, and there’s no daylight between that. And I was clear on that over (last) weekend, and our tracks are working on the right kind of solution to work with our fans."

RELATED: Brian France statement on Confederate flag
 
Before last weekend’s Sprint Cup Series event at Sonoma Raceway, drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon threw their support behind NASCAR’s recent statement about the ongoing national debate.
 
The flag has become a national talking point in the wake of the shooting in a Charleston, South Carolina, church July 17 that left nine African-American worshipers dead. Authorities arrested 21-year-old Dylann Roof in connection with the tragedy, finding as part of their investigation a supremacist manifesto and photos posed with the Confederate flag attributed to Roof through social media.
 
Days after the killings, South Carolina governor Nikki Haley called for the removal of the Civil War battle flag of the Confederacy from the state’s capitol grounds. Last Friday, Earnhardt issued a no-nonsense statement of his own, reiterating his thoughts on the flag’s symbolism.
 
"I’ve made my comments about the Confederate flag several times, and I stand behind NASCAR’s stance to remove it," Earnhardt, NASCAR’s most popular driver, said before Friday’s opening practice at Sonoma. "I think if it’s offensive to an entire race, it really does nothing for anybody to be there flying. It belongs in the history books, that’s about it.’’
 
France said Wednesday that the sanctioning body’s stance is clear.
 
"We’ve taken the position that we need to disassociate ourselves with that symbol, that flag in every way that we can because it just represents a very offensive message, and I think Dale Jr. said it best," France said. "That flag belongs in a museum and part of our history but not flying at a NASCAR race and part of our future. He said it about as well as you could say it."
 
Gordon — a four-time NASCAR champion in his final full season of competition and like Earnhardt, a driver for Hendrick Motorsports — echoed his teammate’s remarks last weekend at Sonoma.
 
"As far as the Confederate flag I think that… I know how we approach it at Hendrick Motorsports and that is everything that we can control," Gordon said. "We have eliminated the ability to use it in any way or it show up in any of the things that we are involved with. I think that is the stance I see that NASCAR has taken and have had that stance for several years. To me I’m in support of what they are doing. It’s a delicate balance. We race all over, but the South is an area where we have a lot of fans. Everyone has different opinions and expression of that. I support NASCAR and the stance that they are taking."

RELATED: NASCAR statement | ISC statement
 
Both NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation (ISC) issued statements last week backing Governor Haley’s recommendation and to reiterate their views on the flag. Daytona International Speedway, an ISC track, announced Tuesday that it would implement a voluntary program where fans can exchange their Confederate flags for American ones during this weekend’s Coke Zero 400.

Zack Albert contributed to this article.

Posted on by Nascar

After Sonoma, Busch boys join list of brothers who finish 1-2

It’s not unusual for brothers to compete against one another in NASCAR’s premier series, and as it turns out, it’s not unusual for them to occasionally finish 1-2 in a race.

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Such was the case this past weekend at Sonoma Raceway when Kyle Busch won the event while older brother Kurt finished second.

It was, however, a first for the Las Vegas natives, who have been competing together fulltime at NASCAR’s top level since 2005. Combined, they have won 57 Sprint Cup Series races (Kyle 30, Kurt 27) but it wasn’t until Sunday that the two crossed the finish line 1-2 for the first time.

According to NASCAR records, brothers have finished first and second 26 times. Before Sunday, the last 1-2 finish between siblings came in 1999 when Jeff and Ward Burton finished 1-2 in the 50th annual running of the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

It marked the third, and final, time the Burtons swept the top two spots in a Sprint Cup Series race. Jeff, the younger of the two, finished first on all three occasions, beating Ward at Rockingham, N.C., and Las Vegas in ’99 as well.

The very first time brothers took the top two spots? That took place in just the second year of NASCAR when two of the three racing Flock brothers, Tim and Bob, finished 1-2 respectively on April 2, 1950 at Charlotte Speedway. The Flocks, which included brother Fonty as well, posted 1-2 finishes 13 times during their racing careers. Never managed the sweep, it seems, with the three winding up first, second and third.

The Labonte brothers, Terry and Bobby, account for three of the 26 1-2 finishes by brothers. Both are former NASCAR Sprint Cup champions; Terry will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame next January.

Two of their three 1-2 finishes came in ’95. When Bobby scored his first career Sprint Cup win in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, Terry placed second.

That same year, Bobby won the GM Goodwrench 400 at Michigan International Speedway to complete a sweep at the 2-mile track located in the Irish Hills. Terry wound up a distant second, trailing his younger brother by nearly seven seconds.

Terry finally drew some measure of revenge a few years later, winning at Talladega while Bobby finished second.

The string of 1-2 finishes by the Labontes came more than 20 years after the Allisons, Bobby and Donnie, took first and second in the Coca-Cola 600 at CMS.

The Allisons, charter members of the legendary Alabama Gang, managed the feat on four occasions. The only other siblings to score a 1-2 finish were the Thomas brothers, Herb and Donald, who did so on one occasion in 1954 at Orange Speedway in Hillsboro, N.C.

There have several other pairings that have competed in the same events through the years. But there was never a 1-2 finish for the Waltrips (Darrell and Michael), the Bodines (Geoff, Brett and Todd), the Wallaces (Rusty, Steve and Kenny), or the Parsons (Benny and Phil). The Pettys, Richard and Maurice, competed in the same race on numerous occasions as well, but also never posted a 1-2 finish.

For Kyle Busch, Sunday’s victory was especially memorable. It was his first win since returning from injuries suffered at Daytona in February of this season, and it included a runnerup finish by his brother.

"We grew up racing on ovals, but to do that here on a road course, I think that’s just a true testament to our father and everything he’s done for us over the years to get us to the point," Kyle said afterward.

"To have both Busch brothers be as good as we are and to be winning drivers on the Sprint Cup tour each year is certainly a true testament to our family."

Posted on by NASCAR Wire Service

NASCAR CMO Phelps: ‘Technology is incredibly important for us’

RELATED: NASCAR news release

Technology, in the form of Fortune 500 investment, is reinforcing the notion that NASCAR makes good business sense.
 
For the third consecutive year, the number of Fortune 500 companies utilizing NASCAR as part of their marketing mix has increased. In fact, nearly half of America’s Fortune 100 companies invest with NASCAR to help drive their business and more than one in four Fortune 500 companies are on board.
 
The new analysis, conducted and released by NASCAR on Wednesday, indicated a 7 percent increase in Fortune 500 corporate involvement since the 2014 study.
 
The 130 Fortune 500 companies now involved in the sport reflect a 20 percent increase since 2008.
 
Now, investment is back in a big way, led by high tech involvement in the sport.

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"Technology is incredibly important for us," says Steve Phelps, NASCAR chief marketing officer. "It’s not only about helping us grow, financially, but how technology helps change people’s perception of NASCAR. Technology helps us on the race track with things like safety initiatives and brings fans closer to the sport they love in many ways."
 
Phelps said the sport began to notice tech’s impact with Hewlett-Packard’s involvement three years ago. Now, NASCAR’s partnership with Microsoft has other tech companies taking note. Tech corporation involvement is up 66 percent since 2013.
 
"No question, this is great news for us," Phelps says. "We want our fan base to become younger and more diverse. Technology brings those fans. It’s important for us to be there, working with these companies."
 
Phelps sees Microsoft’s collaboration with NASCAR as a true win-win that other tech firms might seek to emulate.
 
"Microsoft, which signed deals with NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports, has used NASCAR as a validator of their technology," Phelps said. "One existing piece is an app they developed that helps us with the inspection process prior to the race. We’re doing things in half the time we used to, using a mobile inspection app as opposed to collecting information manually. This helps with data collection and storage."
 
Phelps is quick to point out that investment in NASCAR’s sanctioning body, its tracks and its teams extends far beyond the Fortune 500 list.
 
"NASCAR continues to be a great place for all companies to get their marketing message across," Phelps said. "When you look at NASCAR’s recovery over the past three years, I think it speaks volumes about how NASCAR continues to do very well in attracting businesses of all sizes.
 
"It’s a way for business to reach the most loyal fans in all of sport who vote with their wallets. This continues to be the case in every research report we’ve done: NASCAR fans support brands that support their favorite sport. We think this is a major point of differentiation for us."
 
Brand exposure in NASCAR is especially valuable given the loyalty of its fans. Repucom’s SponsorLink tracker shows seven out of 10 NASCAR fans are loyal to a brand when it sponsors their sport, higher than all other major sports properties.       
 
NASCAR CEO Brent Dewar echoed Phelps’ assessment in analyzing the most recent study.
 
"We are gratified that NASCAR continues to be a place where best-in-class corporations choose our sport to drive brand awareness, preference and purchase behavior," Dewar said. "Our fans are fiercely loyal to our sport and the Fortune 500 brands that are an integral part of the NASCAR eco-system. We collaborate with partners across the industry each and every day to grow the sport and help advance sponsors’ objectives."
 
It hasn’t hurt that NASCAR has taken a proactive approach in attracting and discussing its business environment with its investors. An example is NASCAR’s Fuel for Business Council, which meets quarterly, and gets business leaders talking about opportunities in NASCAR, including branding and business-to-business opportunities. This month’s meeting in San Francisco featured presentations by Microsoft and by Fanatics, which is in the process of revolutionizing the sport’s at-track merchandising operations.
 
"It’s an opportunity for companies to talk to each other, and that’s really important," Phelps said. "Microsoft’s presentation answered the question: ‘Why are we in NASCAR?’ In the end, we do business-to-business better than any sport on the planet – an important point of differentiation for investors."
 
Phelps points out that investment extends far beyond the scope of Fortune 500 corporations and does not include dozens of companies advertising with NASCAR’s media partners or the hundreds of small- and mid-sized businesses with direct ties to the sport.
 
To be eligible for the Fortune 500, a company must be based in the U.S. and be publicly traded. Though many more Fortune 500 companies advertise on NASCAR-related television programming, only those that are partners or licensees with the sanctioning body, teams and / or tracks were counted in the analysis.
 
Although being a Fortune 500 company is the "gold standard" of success for publicly-traded companies in the U.S., several global corporations currently involved in NASCAR were not included in the analysis because they do not meet Fortune 500 criteria.  Those include Ingersoll Rand, MillerCoors, Mars, McLaren and Toyota.

Posted on by Holly Cain

Project completion set for 2016; Chevrolet official partner of Daytona 500

2016 Daytona 500: Buy tickets now

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Two American racing icons have further cemented a long relationship with one another as Daytona International Speedway formally welcomed Chevrolet as a long-term partner in the Daytona Rising redevelopment project.

The announcement was made Wednesday at the speedway, which is undergoing a $400 million makeover. The partnership includes naming rights for Chevrolet on one of the speedway’s five fan "injectors" — a massive 20,000 square foot entry area spanning four concourse levels where Chevrolet will be able to place fan engagement activities, and new vehicle displays.

Additionally Chevrolet will have branding rights on one of the track’s new football field-sized "neighborhoods" adjacent to the injector. The neighborhoods — located throughout the new front stretch — will feature multiple large video screens, WiFi access and retail and dining areas.

"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 ‘The World Center of Racing’ by partnering with International Speedway Corporation, Daytona International Speedway and the Daytona Rising project," said the President of General Motors North America Alan Batey.

International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa France Kennedy spoke at the announcement, also stressing the strong history-rich bond between the companies.

"Chevrolet has been an integral part of the ISC family for many years, and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship,” Kennedy said.

In addition to the naming rights on the speedway, Chevrolet will receive official pace car rights in select years and serve as an official partner of the Daytona 500.

This week’s news comes as the facility prepares to host the July 5 Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race. The Daytona Rising project is on scheduled to be completed in time for the 2016 Daytona Speedweeks.

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NASCAR.com’s Kathy Sheldon and Jessica Ruffin debate the idea

RELATED: Chase 101: What you need to know

Coming out of Sonoma, Sprint Cup Series points leader Kevin Harvick shows no signs of letting up, but Jimmie Johnson sits atop the Chase Grid standings with four wins, nine top fives and 11 top 10s. 

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At NASCAR.com we started kicking around the question of which of these two formidable chasers will have what it takes to win the Sprint Cup Championship this year: The defending champ or the six-time title winner?

Check out what Jessica Ruffin and Kathy Sheldon have to say on the issue then tell us who you’re picking in the comments section.

Sheldon: This reminds me of two-stepping, Jessica. Kevin Harvick has finished either first or second in 10 of this season’s 16 races. And he and Jimmie Johnson are either 1 or 2 on almost everyone’s list of championship picks. (Aside from Kyle Busch fans, who have a lot to cheer for after his victory at Sonoma on Sunday.) But Harvick’s going to be the one still dancing at the end of the party this season. He’s simply more consistent. With 14 top 10s, he can battle hard in the Chase Grid format. He could make the Contender Round and Eliminator round by doing exactly what he’s been doing. And we know he and crew chief Rodney Childers can put a hot rod on the track and get the most out of it. Chad Knaus finally has a worthy opponent, too.

Ruffin: A worthy opponent for Chad Knaus, indeed. As the reigning Sprint Cup Series champion, Kevin Harvick’s strong season has shown he hasn’t lost his title touch this year. But I’m going to have to disagree with your pick for the champion, setting my sights on Jimmie Johnson. You’re right; Harvick does boast three more top-10s than Johnson. But to me, wins trump top-10s, and with four trips to Victory Lane this year, Johnson already owns twice the amount of 2015 wins as Harvick. The playoff-style Chase format has placed an even greater emphasis on winning both in the races leading up to the Chase and during the championship run. You can talk about consistency all day long, but at the end of the day, it’s about W’s — and Johnson has proved he can do that four times this season.

Sheldon: They’re both proven winners. And I do think it comes down to Homestead. Let’s assume both can get through the Contender 12 round. I just can’t see either not making it to the Eliminator 8. That round could be interesting, though, with races at Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix. Harvick won at Phoenix March 15. Johnson won at Texas on April 11. Neither had a stellar day at Martinsville on March 29, but Harvick finished eighth and Johnson had a terrible day, fighting a loose car and finishing 35th. He finished 32nd there last fall. I think this section is the No. 48 team’s Achilles’ Heel. Johnson is extremely good at Texas, but this could be where his luck runs out.

Ruffin: The Eliminator 8 is an interesting round, with a true short track and two intermediate tracks, Phoenix having a more short-track-like feel. And while the wildcard nature of the Chase could theoretically make any track a team’s Achilles’ Heel, I think you’ll have to look elsewhere for Johnson’s downfall. With eight trips to Victory Lane, the Hendrick Motorsports driver is tied with teammate Jeff Gordon for the most wins at Martinsville among active drivers, having finished first and fifth there in 2013 — the last time he won the title. The all-time winner at Texas with five wins, the Fort Worth track has served as a playground for Johnson in recent years, as he’s won four of the last six events there — including the race in the Eliminator 8 round last season. Harvick does have Johnson beat at Phoenix with seven victories, but the No. 48 team still boasts four wins at the Arizona track. The No. 48 team just seems to have rediscovered its groove this season after struggling with adjustments to the rules package last year. And he’s getting better as the season progresses — Johnson has recorded an average finish of 8.7 in the past 10 races of 2015, while Harvick’s past 10 races bring up a score of 9.8.

Sheldon: A-plus. Just seeing if you’d done your homework. Though I do think the most recent history leans Harvick’s way. He has that No. 4 car right where he wants it. That said, it’s pretty hard to pick against either of these great competitors, really. Possibly the best part of the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup will be finding out who Harvick and Johnson will have to beat in NASCAR’s version of the Final Four.  

Ruffin: Recent history may lean Harvick’s way — after all, he is the reigning Sprint Cup Series champion. Nevertheless, I think history as a whole leans toward Johnson, the six-time champion and 74-time series winner. The Johnson-Knaus duo knows how to win races, as well as championships. That being said, I also look forward to watching Harvick and Johnson battle each other and the rest of the field on the race track this season. If last year’s Chase is any indication of this season’s championship run, it’s guaranteed to produce some awesome racing.

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More than 1-in-4 Fortune 500, nearly 1-2 Fortune 100 invested

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 1, 2015) — Since the moment stock cars first raced on the shores of Daytona Beach, sponsorship has played a role in NASCAR. Today, the world’s most successful and innovative corporations choose NASCAR to help drive their businesses. The results of an analysis released today shows that more than one-in-four FORTUNE 500 companies use NASCAR as part of their marketing mix — a number that has steadily increased for three consecutive years.

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The number of FORTUNE 500 companies invested in the sport increased 7 percent year-over-year. Nearly one-in-two FORTUNE 100 companies now invest in NASCAR, also an increase over 2014. The 130 companies involved in the sport mark a 20 percent increase since 2008, before significant changes to the economy as well as the media and marketing landscape.

On the heels of a recently announced Official Partnership with Microsoft — and several other technology brands entering the sport this year and last — the number of FORTUNE 500 tech companies invested in NASCAR has increased by 66 percent since 2013.

"We are gratified that NASCAR continues to be a place where best-in-class corporations choose to drive brand awareness, preference and purchase behavior. Our fans are fiercely loyal to our sport and the FORTUNE 500 brands that are an integral part of NASCAR," said Brent Dewar, NASCAR Chief Operating Officer. "We collaborate with partners across the industry each and every day to grow the sport and advance sponsors’ objectives."

Brand exposure in NASCAR is especially valuable given the loyalty of its fans. Repucom’s SponsorLink tracker shows seven out of 10 NASCAR fans are loyal to a brand when it sponsors their sport, higher than all other major sports properties.

To be eligible for the FORTUNE 500, a company must be based in the U.S. and be publicly traded. Though many more FORTUNE 500 companies advertise on NASCAR-related television programming, only those that are partners or licensees with the sanctioning body, teams and / or tracks were counted in the analysis.

Although being a FORTUNE 500 company is the gold standard of success for publicly-traded companies in the United States, there are several global corporations currently involved in NASCAR that were not included in the analysis because they do not meet FORTUNE’s criteria. A number of those not qualifying, but involved significantly in NASCAR, include Ingersoll Rand, MillerCoors, Mars, McLaren and Toyota.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

SHR engineer: Military dad influenced career choice

RELATED: Visit Inside Track presented by Mobil 1 for more great content

How do engineers help NASCAR drivers reach their maximum potential on the track?

Listen to Stewart-Haas Racing engineer Oliver Rivera, who explains his responsibilities to the race team and why his dad’s military background helped influence his career path.

Andy Moran, technical advisor for Mobil 1 U.S. Motorsports and a former U.S. Marine Corps member, chimes in to tell how his role helps teams identify wide-spread problems and come up with solutions.

Watch today’s video, which is part of NASCAR Inside Track presented by Mobil 1, then come back throughout the season for more in-depth looks at NASCAR from Mobil 1.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Intermediate tracks have new format, starting at Kentucky

NASCAR announced on Wednesday revisions to its NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole qualifying procedures at all intermediate tracks. Effective immediately, qualifying on tracks 1.5 miles or longer will consist of two rounds with trucks taking one timed lap in each round. The new format will first take place at Kentucky Speedway on Thursday, July 9.

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"This revision puts renewed emphasis back on the pure speed of the trucks and team strategy during qualifying," said NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Managing Director Elton Sawyer. "The trucks have unique aerodynamics at the intermediate tracks, and after discussions with drivers and teams and reviewing past qualifying sessions, we’ve found a more competitive and efficient format with the single-truck runs."

Intermediate track qualifying for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will mirror superspeedway qualifying and consists of the following:

• Two rounds of qualifying, with the top-12 fastest eligible trucks advancing to the final round;

• Trucks taking one timed lap in each round of qualifying;

• Each truck will be released in a predetermined timed interval as determined by NASCAR, with the sanctioning body reserving the right to have more than one vehicle engaging in qualifying runs at the same time;

• Qualifying order for the first round will be determined based on slowest to fastest single lap speeds posted in the first practice session; final round qualifying order is determined by slowest to fastest speeds from the first round;

• A 10-minute break will occur between the first qualifying round and the final round;

• Upon completion of the first qualifying round, the field will be set with positions 13 and beyond determined from first round qualifying speed;

• The 12 fastest vehicles from the first round will have their speeds reset for the final round with starting positions 1-12 determined by the fastest laps in the final round.

Posted on by Staff Report

Koch gearing up to race in Subway Firecracker 250 in his home state

TriStar Motorsports has announced that Celsius Energy Drink will return as primary sponsor of the team’s No. 8 Toyota and driver Blake Koch for Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

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Celsius — TriStar’s official energy drink partner, based in Boca Raton, Florida — also sponsored Koch’s efforts earlier this year at Atlanta Motor Speedway and for the 2014 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
 
"I am really excited to have the Celsius Healthy Energy paint scheme on my Toyota Camry this weekend in Daytona," said Koch, who claims West Palm Beach as his hometown in the Sunshine State. "Celsius has been a great partner of ours and I look forward to representing their company during the July 4th race weekend. My No. 8 team has put together a fast Camry and I am ready to race under the lights in my home state!"
 
Koch ranks 18th in XFINITY Series driver standings points heading into Saturday’s Subway Firecracker 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, MRN, SiriusXM).