Posted on by Zack Albert

Suarez has two wins to start the K&N Pro Series East season

RESULTS: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race | NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race
MORE: Home Tracks: Race Central for Battle at the Beach
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daniel Suarez made it 2-for-2 in the young NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season, taking charge early on Tuesday night and cruising to victory in the UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona International Speedway.
 
Earlier in the night, Doug Coby clinched the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour portion of the second annual showcase for the short-track stars of NASCAR’s touring series. Both winners had to withstand late-race restarts, but avoided the mayhem that foiled the last-lap leader in each race during the 2013 running.
 
Suarez — a NASCAR Drive for Diversity standout and NASCAR Next developmental driver from Monterrey, Mexico — started sixth and methodically picked his way to the front, snagging the lead by the 32nd of 150 laps. From there, he dominated, leading 119 laps and charging to his third career victory in the series.
 
"Man, I feel like I have no words for where I am right now," the 22-year-old Suarez said. "I feel like it’s a dream."

Suarez edged Cameron Hayley, last year’s UNOH Battle at the Beach winner in the K&N Series, in a door-to-door contest at the checkered flag just two nights earlier in the season opener at New Smyrna Speedway. Tuesday night, he staved off any potential pressure to win by a relatively comfortable margin of .596 seconds.
 
Austin Hill, a 19-year-old Georgia native who prevailed in the East series’ race at Dover last year, finished second. Brandon McReynolds started 19th in 26-car field and rallied to finish third. Nick Drake, 18, and defending NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion Lee Pulliam, making just his second K&N start, completed the top five.
 
The second edition of the Battle at the Beach wasn’t without fender banging, with eight caution periods slowing each race, but changes to the course prevented a repeat of the crash fest that erupted in the inaugural event. Race officials shortened the straightaways of the temporary course on the backstretch of the 2.5-mile speedway and rounded the apexes of the turns to curb the banzai-style passes that marred the inaugural event.
 
The alterations didn’t stop the Modified race, the night’s opener, from a frantic finish with plenty of late contact on the revamped .37-mile layout. Coby slipped by race-long dominator Ryan Preece on a late-race restart with three laps left, then withstood a significant last-lap bump from Jason Myers to prevail.
 
Coby, the 2012 series champion, was running third for the final restart and neatly slipped through the closing melee in the non-points event, taking advantage of damage to Preece’s car. It marked a repeat victory in the Daytona exhibition for teamowner Mike Smeriglio III, who fielded a winning car for Steve Park last year.
 
"Two in a row here for this team," Coby said. "… This is survival. We survived and we won 20 grand."
 
Myers held on from the last-lap contact to finish second, .322 seconds behind. Luke Fleming — like Myers, a competitor on the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour — held on for third place with Preece fourth and Burt Myers, the runner-up’s brother, fifth.
 
For Preece, a NASCAR Next driver and the 2013 champion of the northern-based Modified tour, the result was heartbreaking. The 23-year-old Connecticut native led the first 147 of 150 laps but made contact trying to put Dave Sapienza’s No. 36 a lap down.
 
Sapienza spun to bring out the eighth and final caution period. Preece continued, but with a bent left-rear wheel that left him vulnerable for the decisive restart.
 
"I don’t know. It kind of baffles me," Preece said. "You don’t want to cry, but it’s Daytona and it would’ve meant a lot to me and would’ve meant a lot to my family."
 
Pit note: Unlike last season, the Battle at the Beach counted toward the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings. The fast start means Suarez holds an 18-point lead over Pulliam. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East announced a return to nearby New Smyrna Speedway for 2015. George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president of touring and weekly series, and track owner Robert Hart signed the contract Tuesday evening, just two days after the series’ thrilling debut at the half-mile asphalt oval.

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Posted on by Zack Albert

Edwards, Biffle and Stenhouse Jr. all place in top 10 of Daytona 500 qualifying speeds

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Given Roush Fenway Racing’s place on the speed charts in practice, it translated as at least a mild upset to see all three RFR Fords in the top 10 after Sunday’s Daytona 500 qualifying.

Count Carl Edwards among the bowled over.

"To be honest, I wasn’t expecting the lap to be that good, so it’s a pleasant surprise," said Edwards, who logged the fourth-best time in the No. 99 Roush Fenway Ford. "It’s hard to explain how much work goes into these cars. When we left here testing we were 30th place or something, and they massaged on every little part of that car, and I’m really proud of my guys. It’s pretty cool to have this fast of a race car."

When Jack Roush’s cars left Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 10, the longtime Ford team owner couldn’t have been pleased to see Chevrolets in 12 of the top 14 spots on the leaderboard. Greg Biffle‘s No. 16 Ford was the best of the Roush Fenway bunch at 26th-fastest, nearly a full second off the pace set by rookie Austin Dillon. Behind him were teammates Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 32nd and Edwards in 36th out of the 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers to participate in the preseason shakedown.

In Saturday’s Daytona 500 practice, Roush Fenway’s prospects grew a little brighter. Biffle jumped most dramatically, placing seventh on the speed chart in each session. His teammates’ gains were more modest, with Edwards 12th and 26th and Stenhouse 27th and 29th.

No one in the Roush Fenway camp was willing to disclose where their teams improved Sunday, but the consensus was that extra effort from their crews was enough to shave time off their qualifying laps.

"Everybody’s just worked so hard," said Biffle, who briefly held the provisional Coors Light Pole Award in the late stages of qualifying. "We went home (after January testing) and the guys put their heads to the grinding stone and have worked really, really hard. There wasn’t a whole lot I could do to help them, just run a flawless lap out there and I did that. They brought the car and the engine that’s fast enough for where we are now."

Biffle eventually ceded the top spot to pole winner Dillon, who locked into the front row for Sunday’s season-opener (1 p.m. ET, FOX) with second-fastest Martin Truex Jr., whose Furniture Row Racing team shares a technical alliance with Dillon’s Richard Childress Racing operation. But right on the heels of the two Chevys on the qualifying sheet was Biffle’s Ford in third and Edwards’ in fourth.

Stenhouse held his own, setting the ninth-fastest time of the 48 drivers to complete qualifying laps Sunday. Be it gamesmanship or just a more measured, methodical approach during practice, Stenhouse knew his team had some speed in reserve once time trials began.

"We’re never really fast down here in the test," said Stenhouse, who will make his third Daytona 500 start next weekend. "I think some other guys kind of go all-out at the test and we just try to keep everything the same and make sure what we do back-to-back and the changes we are making are positive changes. That’s all we really focus on. We don’t focus on trying to go out there and be the fastest the whole time.

"I think it’s cool to see all of us on the pylon. That’s a positive."

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Emergency surgery kept FOX Sports broadcaster out of action for start of Speedweeks

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Fresh from surgery, Darrell Waltrip returns to the TV booth this week at Daytona International Speedway.
 
Waltrip underwent emergency surgery to remove his gallbladder last week before he departed his hometown of Franklin, Tenn. The procedure kept the three-time Cup champion on the sidelines as FOX Sports 1 kicked off its NASCAR coverage for 2014.
 
"I’m doing fine, I feel great," Waltrip said Tuesday during a FOX Sports teleconference. "I had no idea I had anything wrong; I just got sick all of a sudden. I was getting ready to leave to come down (to Daytona Beach) and the next thing you know I was rushed into the emergency room and they took out my gallbladder.
 
"They did a nice job and I’m healing up good. I should be good for Thursday and certainly for Sunday."

FOX Sports 1 programming resumes Wednesday here at the 2.5-mile track with coverage of Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series practices. Thursday brings the Budweiser Duel qualifying races on FS1 and Sunday’s Daytona 500, the season-opening race for the Cup Series, can be seen on FOX.
 
Former crew chief Larry McReynolds will join Waltrip in the booth, as will race announcer Mike Joy.
 
Waltrip, a former Daytona 500 winner, ended his driving career in 2000 and began working as an analyst for the network the following season. Missing last Saturday night’s Sprint Unlimited, a non-points event, was like "watching somebody else run your race car," he said.
 
"It wasn’t any fun. But, with that said, you do observe things differently when you are at home and when you are standing up there in the booth.
 
"The amazing thing to me is we’re up there in the booth and we have our cameras and we have our monitors and we have all of our tools, but I can see the whole race track. So I can anticipate what’s going to happen. I see things that are starting to unfold. I can see (Brad) Keselowski getting ready to make a move, (Dale Earnhardt) Junior getting ready to make a move … I can see that developing. Whereas when you’re watching it at home, you don’t see it until it happens."
 
Witnessing the race as a TV viewer, he said, helped underscore the importance of his job in the booth – explaining not only what just happened, but also why it happened.
 
"We can always go to replays – which are always the second time around you see things differently," he said. "But I did learn a lot by just watching the race. …
 
"We had some good overhead shots that I’m a big fan of; I think you need overhead shots on restrictor-plate race tracks because the cars run so close together. You need to be able to look down on them and see how much they move around and see the directions they’re going in.
 
"I actually enjoyed watching the race; I learned a lot and I think it’ll help me (this week)."

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Posted on by Nascar

Richard Childress Racing driver hopes to show he’s a ‘full-time guy’

RELATED: Full Daytona 500 qualifying results | Lineups for Daytona Duel races
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The speed was expected. The butterflies were a surprise.

Brian Scott, competing for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2014, hopes to be in the field Sunday when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season gets underway with the Daytona 500 here at Daytona International Speedway.

Scott, 26, took a big step in that direction when he turned in the 12th fastest lap during Daytona 500 qualifying (194.776 mph) on Sunday.

Circle Sport Racing (owner Joe Falk) fields the No. 33 Chevrolet with Nick Harrison serving as crew chief. It has an Earnhardt Childress Racing engine under the hood.

RCR teammate Austin Dillon earned the pole for the 500 with his lap of 196.019 mph. Other entries powered by ECR engines proved strong as well — Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing) will start on the outside of the front row after posting the second fastest lap; Ryan Newman (RCR) was fifth and Paul Menard (RCR) was 10th.

Should his qualifying lap, or finish in Thursday’s Budweiser Duel, guarantee Scott a starting spot in the 500, it will be just the second start for the Boise, Idaho, native in NASCAR’s top series. He finished 27th in his Cup debut last fall at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“I’ve been really good up to this point," Scott said of activities leading up to Sunday’s qualifying session. "I’ve just been hanging out; really it’s all about making it into the 500, and in qualifying you just hold it wide open here.

"Reality hit me when I walked out on the grid and we were 15 away (from making our attempt), then 14 away and then my heart really started pounding. I was thinking, ‘Man, that’s funny. I didn’t think I’d get these butterflies.’

"But it’s the Daytona 500; it’s such a big deal. It’s so cool to be able to have a chance to even make it in the race and be one of the top 43 of the most elite drivers out there, it’s really special. I’m making sure I appreciate this opportunity and take it all in, enjoy this weekend and the next."

Scott finished seventh in the Nationwide Series points standings last season. He’s one of 10 drivers attempting to make their first start in the series’ premier event.

His goals, he said, are simple.

"Just a solid finish," Scott said. "Not necessarily to come in, in the position I’m in, and win; you’ve got to somewhat hope that there’s the potential. But to come in and earn respect and show that you belong. Try to have decent runs for the equipment that you’re given and the situations that present themselves during the race.

"Maybe going from a part-time guy," he said, "you can turn some heads and you can become a full-time guy." 

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Young rookie hopes to emulate Jimmie Johnson’s respectful demeanor 

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — He wears skinny jeans and a flat-billed baseball cap, which sometimes leads people to tease that he should be part of a boy band. He has a car sponsor called Rockstar, and for flashy driver with a shock of blond hair, the name and the image both fit. Raised in Las Vegas as the son of a casino executive, Dylan Kwasniewski would seem to challenge everything about the traditional narrative of a NASCAR up-and-comer, to the point where he stands out like a blinking neon light.

No one is more aware of this than the driver himself. So when the 18-year-old Kwasniewski begins his much-anticipated rookie campaign in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, his most immediate goal won’t be winning — it will be convincing everyone that perception and reality aren’t always the same.

"Gaining respect. That’s definitely a topic that’s been coming up that I’ve been saying," said Kwasniewski, a champion of both the K&N Pro Series East and West circuits who will race for Turner Scott Motorsports in 2014. "Obviously, me being an 18-year old driver, having sponsors like Rockstar, being form the West Coast, I’m a little bit different. And I don’t want drivers to think I’m this guy who’s kind of a punk kid, I guess. I want to be known as a respectful driver who can race everyone clean and hard, and hopefully show people that I have talent and that I can race in this series."

Although he has yet to start his first national series event, Kwasniewski is far from an unknown — he won 11 races and two titles in three Pro Series seasons, was a member of the "NASCAR Next" program targeting rising stars in the sport, and even was the subject of a documentary web series on AOL. He was fastest on the second and final day of Nationwide testing at Daytona in January, and earned final approval for Saturday’s season-opener by virtue of his 14th-place finish in the ARCA race at the 2.5-mile layout this past weekend. Monday, he gave former NFL star and current Spike TV personality Dhani Jones a spin around the track.

So no, Kwasniewski is no ordinary rookie. Even so, this is a driver who a season ago was competing not on the big track, but on the Daytona backstretch as part of the Battle of the Beach. This is a driver who will be competing on most Nationwide Series tracks for the first time, who will be adapting to different cars and different rules and a different class of competition. And for someone who finished in the top five in nearly 65 percent of his Pro Series starts, this is a driver who is going to have to learn how to lose. 

"People keep warning me — you’ve got to not get frustrated, you can’t get all caught up in your finishes, because I’m going to have bad races. That’s just what’s going to come," Kwasniewski said. "I’m racing against the best drivers in NASCAR right now, so I’m going to get beat, just plain and simple, and I have to get used to it."

There’s a self-awareness about Kwasniewski that belies his years, almost certainly a product of growing up with the tag of can’t-miss prospect attached to him. He’s exceptionally poised and polished in interviews, and clearly comfortable in his own skin — not to mention those skinny jeans. And yet, his early on-track successes are only one part of all that; this is also a driver who was forced to grow up rather quickly after the sudden death of his father, former Hard Rock Hotel and Casino president Randy Kwasniewski, three years ago.

Dylan Kwasniewski calls his father his role model, a hard worker who rose from the south side of Chicago — "the absolute ghetto," Dylan called it — to run one of the best-known casino hotels in Las Vegas. For the younger Kwasniewski, who had just hooked up with sponsor Rockstar energy and was beginning to branch out from local to national circuits at the time, his father’s death made him question whether he wanted to continue racing. But he kept going, knowing how hard his dad had worked to get him to that point. The support of people in NASCAR and a close circle of friends in Vegas got him through it.

"If I didn’t have them, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. And really, the sport of NASCAR helped me out," Kwasniewski said. "This is such a tight-knit group of people, it’s such a family sport, and everybody’s willing to help out. So just having the support group of everybody in the racing industry and of NASCAR and my friends, that got me through. To be honest, that was definitely the hardest thing I’ve gone though in my life, but it made me the person who I am. It’s made me definitely mature a lot quicker than I expected. And even though it was definitely a tragedy, I definitely took some good things out of it."

His career has progressed on a steady, upward trajectory ever since. The Nationwide Series in 2014 emerged as a possibility early last season, when it became clear that Kwasniewski’s sponsors were interested in moving up to the national level. That entailed moving from Las Vegas to the greater Charlotte, N.C., area, where neon signs are typically reserved for pizza joints and movie theatres. "Just a whole different world to me," Kwasniewski called it.

As will be the Nationwide Series, where Kwasniewski will be short on experience at almost every race track he visits. The success of Kyle Larson, who made a successful jump from the Pro Series to the Nationwide tour — and is now a rookie in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series — gives him hope.

"With Kyle Larson going up and competing well and doing that, it showed me that I can hopefully do the same," Kwasniewski said. "I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a challenge, but I think we’ve just got to take it slowly, take it one step at a time, and hopefully learn from a lot of these drivers and see what they have. But my biggest thing this year is definitely to gain respect, to show them I’m not just some young kid trying to be a standout or anything like that. I want to show that I can be a part of the NASCAR family and respect it fully."

Once again, there’s the perception issue. Kwasniewski knows some people will look at how he dresses, glance at his background, and assume certain things. He hopes they’ll eventually take a larger cue from the way he races, pushing Vegas and flat-billed caps into the background. Toward that end, he’s taking his cue from the best in the business.

"Hopefully, I won’t make too many haters on the way up there. But there’s always going to be some," he said. "Hopefully I can be known as a guy who’s personable, who can talk to the fans. Hopefully I’m not going to be considered a jerk. I don’t like that. Somebody called me a jerk the other day, and I was like — ‘Man, why do you think that? Let me show you I’m a good guy. I promise.’ So hopefully I’ll be known as a well-rounded guy, and hopefully I can model myself after Jimmie Johnson, because he does really well at that."

Trying to emulate the six-time Sprint Cup champion? Dylan Kwasniewski hasn’t even taken to the race track yet at NASCAR’s national level, but he’s already off to a pretty good start.

MORE:

READ: Austin Dillon wins
Daytona 500 pole

READ: How to qualify
for the Daytona 500

WATCH: Massive wreck
in Sprint Unlimited

READ: Daytona Duel 150-mile
qualifying race lineups
Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR joins Department of Energy’s initiative with electric vehicle charging stations

RELATED: NASCAR Green

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If NASCAR President Mike Helton reports to work at the company’s Charlotte offices instead of the Daytona Beach, Fla., headquarters, he’ll now have a place to recharge his 108-mile-per-gallon Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in electric vehicle.
 
As part of the ever-evolving NASCAR Green initiative for making the corporation more environmentally friendly, NASCAR earlier this month joined the U.S. Department of Energy’s Workplace Charging Challenge with the debut of five electric vehicle charging stations in the NASCAR Plaza building in Uptown Charlotte. With the recent advancements in electric vehicle performance, the charging stations dovetail nicely with two major NASCAR objectives — sustainable energy and the need for speed.
 
The quintet of silver charging units, made by NASCAR Green official partner Eaton, brings the total of company-wide stations to 20. Charging stations were added to NASCAR’s Daytona offices last July — joining those in its Concord, N.C., offices and at partner track Michigan International Speedway — leading NASCAR employees and guests to start plugging in. 

UPS

"We expect those to be fully utilized here in short order between now and the middle of this year," said Dr. Mike Lynch, NASCAR vice president of green innovation. "We’ve got a mix of our manufacturers’ cars that are plug-in down there now as well as personal vehicles coming online, so those charging stations are getting pretty close to fully subscribed already."
 
NASCAR signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) last September. Officials with the DOE were on hand for Thursday’s announcement, welcoming the latest company to the list of more than 55 employers who have already committed to the workplace challenge.
 
"They’re doing a bunch of great work across the board, from fan engagement on various clean energy technology opportunities to this workplace charging challenge to integrating biofuels into their work," said David Danielson, assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy. "It’s clear that NASCAR’s very serious about their green initiative and works at it to support it."
 
While NASCAR’s green efforts have taken on a national scope at its race tracks and events across the country, the impact is being felt in its backyard as well. Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon was there Thursday to applaud NASCAR’s growth as an eco-conscious corporate neighbor.
 
"NASCAR clearly has shown that it’s about more than just racing cars," Cannon said. "It’s shown that it’s really about community in that it’s working to do things that allow it to be a leader in the country in terms of its commitment to issues like this around energy."
 
Danielson estimated that 200,000 electric vehicles will travel American roads by this spring. With carmakers’ growing emphasis on performance to match the reduced environmental footprint, NASCAR fans and employees can have the best of both worlds while going electric.
 
"That’s the thing about these cars. They’re so counterintuitive," Lynch said. "You look at them on TV, and that’s a two-dimensional kind of experience and it looks kind of interesting, then you get in them and you feel that pull. I mean, you’re basically driving an electric golf cart with a heck of a lot more power to it and handling, and it just pins your ears back. To see them in three dimensions live is a totally different experience than online or on television."
 
Lynch drives a Chevrolet Volt. Helton also has a Tesla in his garage. Dan Hesse, CEO of NASCAR sponsor Sprint, also recently took delivery of a Tesla, backing his company’s participation in the workplace challenge with the addition of a charging station to each of the 14 parking garages at its Overland Park, Kan., headquarters.
 
The IMSA Tudor United SportsCar Championship, a NASCAR-owned road-racing series, has already delved into using alternative fuel in competition with diesel and hybrid-powered race vehicles. Could a NASCAR-related series where making a pit stop to plug in instead of gas-and-go be that far away?
 
"When you talk about the racing product, the internal combustion engine is here to stay in the U.S. It’s not going anywhere," Lynch said. "Our (Sprint) Cup, Nationwide and (Camping World) Truck series racing is an incredible product. Sunoco Green E15 (fuel) is here to stay, not going anywhere any time soon, but is there the possibility that we’ll be thinking through some viable, actionable new racing project that could reflect some of this plug-in car technology? Absolutely. It’s something that’s very much on our radar screen, and we’re working analytically on it and thinking through from a product standpoint in a real way."

Posted on by Zack Albert

Changes include altering the track to reduce the amount of wrecks and increase visibility

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There are a handful of changes in store for Tuesday night’s 2nd annual UNOH Battle at the Beach for NASCAR’s touring series regulars, most notably some alterations to the layout on the backstretch of Daytona International Speedway. 

But the formula remains the same — close-quarters racing and a big-time showcase for stock-car racing’s short-track stars.

"The track’s going to be a little bit different, but a lot of beatin’ and bangin’ is going to go into play," said 16-year-old Gray Gaulding, a NASCAR Next developmental driver who finished second in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series portion of the inaugural Battle last year. "It’s all about putting yourself in the right position." 

The wrong position in last year’s event was being the leader in the late stages. In all three non-points races last season for the K&N Series, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, and the combined NASCAR Whelen Modified and Southern Modified tours, the leading car was spun out of contention in the final lap. 

The All-American Series won’t be competing at Daytona this year, and the Modified race will remain an exhibition, but the 150-lap K&N Series event will count toward the championship standings — a new wrinkle that could lead to a more cautious approach. 

"I know it’s the beginning of the season, but I feel like at the end of the season, you always have to have top-10s so I feel like everybody might be a little more laid-back in that race," said K&N regular and NASCAR Next member Kenzie Ruston. "Try to get a top-10 instead of just wrecking each other." 

Both series will return Tuesday night to find an altered track, designed to minimize the frequent dive-bombstyle of passing that bruised fenders and feelings alike in 2013. The straightaways of the makeshift track on the speedway’s backstretch will be shorter and the turns will have rounder apexes, slightly shortening the course from 0.4 miles to 0.37. The tires outlining the course will also be stacked shorter and painted white to improve visibility. 

"I think that’s going to help a lot with the racing," said Cameron Hayley, last year’s Battle at the Beach K&N Series winner and runner-up in the season championship race in 2013. "It’s still short-track racing on a flat track and it’s going to be tough, but I think it’s going to be a lot better this year." 

Hayley is already off to a strong start in defense of his Battle of the Beach crown. The Calgary, Alberta native won the pole position and finished second to NASCAR Drive for Diversity standout Daniel Suarez on Sunday night in the K&N Pro Series season opener at nearby New Smyrna Speedway. 

As Hayley participated in last Thursday’s NASCAR Media Day at Daytona, the memories of his victory last February came rushing back. 

"It was an incredible experience just to be at Daytona, let alone to win at Daytona," he said. "Just even today, driving into the Daytona atmosphere is crazy, and I remember what it was like last year and it was just mind-blowing."

The Modified race won’t count for championship points, but the 150-lapper will present one of a handful of opportunities this season for the northern-based tour to compete head tohead against its southern brethren. Regional bragging rights aside, reigning Whelen Modified Tour champion Ryan Preece says the 26-car field won’t lack for motivation.

"We’re here at Daytona, it’s $20,000 to win, which for us weekend warriors, money like that it’s just like dangling a piece of cheese when you’re starving in front of your face," said Preece, a 23-year-old Connecticut native. "It’s just going to be interesting and I’m looking forward to it. If I could win that race and come home with that trophy, it’d be one for the record books."

Pit notes: Both races will be broadcast live starting at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 2, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90. … Modified owner/driver Rob Fuller has named Joshua Bell, a 22-year-old race fan and cancer survivor, as an honorary crew member for Tuesday night’s race and events this week at New Smyrna Speedway. Fuller and Bell have teamed up with 15-40 Connection, a non-profit organization that raises awareness and encourages early detection of cancer in teens and young adults.

MORE:

READ: Austin Dillon wins
Daytona 500 pole

READ: How to qualify
for the Daytona 500

WATCH: Massive wreck
in Sprint Unlimited

READ: Daytona Duel 150-mile
qualifying race lineups
Posted on by Nascar

Check out the statistics for drivers in Sunday’s race at 1 p.m. ET on FOX

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Below is a statistical look at some of the top performers at Daytona International Speedway, including both the Daytona 500 and the annual July race:

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota)
·        Three top fives, seven top 10s
·        Average finish of 14.8
·        Average Running Position of 16.3, seventh-best
·        Driver Rating of 86.2, eighth-best
·        76 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
·        3,359 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 189.078 mph, fifth-fastest
·        1,841 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 12th-most

Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
·        10 top fives, 13 top 10s
·        Average finish of 17.9
·        Average Running Position of 16.4, eighth-best
·        Driver Rating of 88.8, fifth-best
·        64 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
·        3,296 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
·        1,947 Laps in the Top 15 (60.1%), fifth-most
·        2,385 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
·        One win, five top fives, six top 10s; one pole
·        Average finish of 18.6
·        Series-best Average Running Position of 12.3
·        Series-best Driver Rating of 96.9
·        78 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
·        3,485 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 189.115 mph, second-fastest
·        Series-high 2,307 Laps in the Top 15 (71.3%)
·        Series-high 2,569 Quality Passes

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet)
·        Two wins, 10 top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole
·        Average finish of 13.8
·        Average Running Position of 14.5, fourth-best
·        Driver Rating of 89.7, fourth-best
·        83 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
·        3,751 Green Flag Passes, second-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 189.089 mph, third-fastest
·        2,069 Laps in the Top 15 (63.9%), third-most
·        2,495 Quality Passes, second-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)
·        Six wins, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s; three poles
·        Average finish of 16.6
·        Average Running Position of 14.6, fifth-best
·        Driver Rating of 87.2, seventh-best
·        3,255 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
·        1,873 Laps in the Top 15 (57.9%), seventh-most
·        2,039 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota)
·        Two top fives, two top 10s
·        Average finish of 21.5
·        Average Running Position of 16.5, ninth-best
·        Driver Rating of 83.7, ninth-best
·        77 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 189.038 mph, seventh-fastest
 
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet)
·        Two wins, six top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
·        Average finish of 16.0
·        Driver Rating of 82.3, 12th-best
·        Series-high 85 Fastest Laps Run
·        3,199 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 189.080 mph, fourth-fastest
 
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
·        Three wins, eight top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles
·        Average finish of 17.5
·        Average Running Position of 13.9, third-best
·        Driver Rating of 88.4, sixth-best
·        2,062 Laps in the Top 15 (63.7%), fourth-most
·        2,185 Quality Passes, seventh-most
 
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet)
·        Two top fives, seven top 10s
·        Average finish of 19.0
·        Average Running Position of 16.8, 12th-best
·        Driver Rating of 82.4, 11th-best
·        69 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
·        3,726 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 188.999 mph, 11th-fastest
·        1,667 Laps in the Top 15 (51.5%), 10th-most
·        2,167 Quality Passes, eighth-most
 
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
·        Two wins, six top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
·        Average finish of 17.5
·        Average Running Position of 13.9, second-best
·        Driver Rating of 92.6, third-best
·        76 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
·        2,082 Laps in the Top 15 (64.3%), second-most
·        2,215 Quality Passes, sixth-most
 
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
·        Four wins, nine top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
·        Average finish of 16.5
·        Average Running Position of 15.6, sixth-best
·        Driver Rating of 93.0, second-best
·        73 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
·        1,892 Laps in the Top 15 (58.4%), sixth-most
 
Daytona International Speedway Data
Race #: 1 of 36 (2-23-14)
Track Size: 2.5 miles
Race Length: 500 miles (200 laps)
Banking/Corners: 31 degrees
Banking/Straights: 3 degrees
Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees
 

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Daytona
Kyle Busch                  96.9     
Tony Stewart                93.0
Matt Kenseth                92.6
Dale Earnhardt Jr.         89.7
Kurt Busch                   88.8
Jimmie Johnson            88.4
Jeff Gordon                   87.2
Clint Bowyer                 86.2
Denny Hamlin               83.7
Kasey Kahne                82.4
Note: Driver Ratings are compiled from 2005-2013 races (17 total) at Daytona. 

Qualifying/Race Data
2013 pole winner: Danica Patrick, (196.434 mph, 45.817 seconds)
 
2013 race winner: Jimmie Johnson (159.250 mph, 2-24-13)
 
Qualifying record: Bill Elliott, (210.364 mph, 42.783 secs. 2-9-87)
 
Race record: Buddy Baker, (177.602 mph, 2-17-80)
 

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final 2013 Top 12 at Daytona International Speedway

  Driver Races Poles Wins Top Fives Top 10s DNFs Average Finish Driver Rating
1 Jimmie Johnson 24 2 3 8 11 5 17.5 88.4
2 Matt Kenseth 28 1 2 6 13 5 17.5 92.6
3 Kevin Harvick 25 1 2 6 11 3 16.0 82.3
4 Kyle Busch 18 1 1 5 6 4 18.6 96.9
5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 28 1 2 10 16 3 13.8 89.7
6 Jeff Gordon 42 3 6 12 19 6 16.6 87.2
7 Clint Bowyer 16 0 0 3 7 2 14.8 86.2
8 Joey Logano 10 0 0 2 3 2 20.9 79.0
9 Greg Biffle 22 1 1 3 6 2 19.7 79.1
10 Kurt Busch 26 0 0 10 13 1 17.9 88.8
11 Ryan Newman 24 0 1 4 6 5 20.0 81.8
12 Kasey Kahne 20 0 0 2 7 4 19.0 82.4

Note: Driver Rating from races at Daytona International Speedway from 2005-2013.

Daytona 500 Tidbits
  • The 2014 edition will be the 56th running of the Daytona 500.
  • Although the first Daytona 500 was held in 1959, it has been the season-opener only since 1982.
  • 523 drivers have competed in at least one Daytona 500; 311 in more than one.
  • 35 drivers have won a Daytona 500.
  • Youngest Daytona 500 winner: Trevor Bayne (2/20/2011 – 20 years, 0 months, 1 days)
  • Oldest Daytona 500 winner: Bobby Allison (2/14/1988 – 50 years, 2 months, 11 days)
  • 10 drivers have won more than one Daytona 500, led by Richard Petty with seven victories.
  • The 10 drivers who have won the Daytona 500 more than once: Richard Petty (seven), Cale Yarborough (four), Bobby Allison (three), Dale Jarrett (three), Jeff Gordon (three), Bill Elliott (two), Matt Kenseth (two), Jimmie Johnson (two), Sterling Marlin (two) and Michael Waltrip (two).
  • A driver has won back-to-back Daytona 500s three times. Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84) and Sterling Marlin (1994-95).
  • Active Daytona 500 winners and the number of NSCS starts in their careers when they won: Jeff Gordon won his third Daytona 500 on his 402nd career start (2005). Gordon also posted his second Daytona 500 win on his 190th career start (1999). Jimmie Johnson posted his second Daytona 500 win on his 400th career start (2013) and Matt Kenseth won his second Daytona 500 on his 437th career start (2012). Michael Waltrip posted his second Daytona 500 win on his 535th career start (2003).
  • Seven drivers posted their career-first victory with a win in the Daytona 500: Tiny Lund (1963), Mario Andretti (1967), Pete Hamilton (1970), Derrike Cope (1990), Sterling Marlin (1994), Michael Waltrip (2001) and Trevor Bayne (2011).
  • Three other drivers posted their career-first victory in (points-paying) qualifying races: Johnny Rutherford (1963), Bobby Isaac (1964) and Earl Balmer (1966).
  • Lee Petty, who won the inaugural Daytona 500, and Trevor Bayne, 2011 Daytona 500 champion, are the only two drivers to win the Daytona 500 in their first appearance.
  • Dale Earnhardt leads the series in runner-up finishes in the Daytona 500 with five; Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all active drivers with four.
  • Dale Earnhardt had 12 top fives in his 23 Daytona 500 starts, more than any other driver. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin and Terry Labonte lead all active drivers in Daytona 500 top-five finishes with six.
  • Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty each posted a series leading 16 top 10s in the Daytona 500. Terry Labonte and Mark Martin lead all active drivers in Daytona 500 top-10 finishes with 12; followed by Michael Waltrip with nine.
  • Only 12 drivers have an average finish of 10th or better in the Daytona 500, five of those competed in the Daytona 500 only once.
  • Clint Bowyer has an 11.9 average finish in nine appearances, the best of the active drivers who have competed in more than one Daytona 500.
  • 28 of the 35 drivers, who have won, participated in at least two Daytona 500s before visiting Victory Lane.
  • Dale Earnhardt competed 19 times before winning his only Daytona 500 (1998), the longest span of any of the 35 race winners.
  • Six drivers made 10 or more attempts before their first Daytona 500 victory: Dale Earnhardt (19), Buddy Baker (18), Darrell Waltrip (16), Bobby Allison (14), Michael Waltrip (14) and Sterling Marlin (12).
  • The driver with the all-time most Daytona 500 starts without a victory is Dave Marcis with 33 races; the active drivers with the most starts without a Daytona 500 win is Terry Labonte (31 races), Mark Martin (29 races), Joe Nemechek (18) and Tony Stewart (15).
  • Kevin Harvick’s 0.020-second margin of victory over Mark Martin in the 2007 Daytona 500 is the 12th-closest overall since the advent of electronic timing in 1993, and the closest in a Daytona 500.
  • Nine of the 55 Daytona 500s (16.3%) have been won from the Coors Light pole. The last to do so was Dale Jarrett in 2000. Jeff Gordon is the only active driver to accomplish the feat (1999).
  • Cale Yarborough (1968, 1984) and Bill Elliott (1985, 1987) are the only two drivers to win the Daytona 500 from the Coors Light pole more than once.
  • 16 of the 55 Daytona 500s (29.0%) have been won from the front row.
  • 27 of the 55 Daytona 500s (49.0%) have been won from a top-five starting position.
  • 40 of the 55 Daytona 500s (72.7%) have been won from a top 10 starting position
  • Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 from the 39th starting position in 2009, the deepest a race winner has started.
  • Five reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions have gone on to win the Daytona 500 the following season: Lee Petty (1959), Richard Petty (1973), Cale Yarborough (1977), Jeff Gordon (1999) and Dale Jarrett (2000).
  • Five drivers have won the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same season, Richard Petty has done it four times: Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2013), Jeff Gordon (1997), Richard Petty (1964, 1971, 1974, 1979), Cale Yarborough (1977) and Lee Petty (1959).
  • Danica Patrick on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2013 became the first female in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history to win a Coors Light pole for the Daytona 500 posting a speed of 196.434 mph.
  • Janet Guthrie previously held the record for top starting position by a female NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, starting ninth twice in 1977 – at Talladega Superspeedway on Aug. 7, 1977 and at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 28, 1977.
  • In 2012, Danica Patrick became the third female driver to compete in a Daytona 500 joining Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson. Below are the previous female driver performances in the Daytona 500.
    Race Season Driver Start Finish
    Daytona 500 1977 Janet Guthrie 39 12
    Daytona 500 1980 Janet Guthrie 18 11
    Daytona 500 2002 Shawna Robinson 36 24
    Daytona 500 2012 Danica Patrick 29 38
    Daytona 500 2013 Danica Patrick 1 8

    ·        Driver Ratings for Winners – Pre-Race Daytona 500 Driver Ratings heading into 2013 for the past Daytona 500 winners (past 6 years)
    Driver – Year – Driver Rating
    o   Jimmie Johnson – 2013 – 82.8
    o   Matt Kenseth – 2012 – 89.0
    o   Trevor Bayne – 2011 – 68.9
    o   Jamie McMurray – 2010 – 80.2
    o   Matt Kenseth – 2009 – 89.0
    o   Ryan Newman – 2008 – 82.9
    o   Kevin Harvick – 2007 – 86.3
    o   Jimmie Johnson – 2006 – 87.5
     
    ·        Drivers who have won the Daytona 500 in more than one car manufacturer:
    Driver – Manufacturer (Number of wins in that manufacturer)
    o   Richard Petty – Plymouth (3), Dodge (2), Oldsmobile (1) and Buick (1)
    o   Cale Yarborough – Chevrolet (2), Mercury (1) and Pontiac (1)
    o   Bobby Allison – Buick (2) and Ford (1)
    o   Dale Jarrett – Ford (2) and Chevrolet (1)
     
    ·        Drivers who have won The Sprint Unlimited and the Daytona 500 in the same season:
    Driver – (Year)
    o   Bobby Allison (1982)
    o   Bill Elliott (1987)
    o   Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)
    o   Jeff Gordon (1997)
     
    ·        Car Numbers that have produced three or more Daytona 500 victories:
    Car Number – Drivers – (Years)
    o   No. 43 – Richard Petty (1964, ’66, ’71, ’73, ’74, ’79, ‘81)
    o   No. 21 – Tiny Lund (1963), Cale Yarborough (1968), A.J. Foyt (1972), David Pearson (1976) and Trevor Bayne (2011)
    o   No. 28 – Fred Lorenzen (1965), Buddy Baker (1980), Cale Yarborough (1983 and 1984) and Davey Allison (1992).
    o   No. 4 – Ernie Irvan (1991), Sterling Marlin (1994 and 1995)
    o   No. 15 – Bobby Allison (1978), Michael Waltrip (2001 and 2003)
    o   No. 17 – Darrell Waltrip (1989), Matt Kenseth (2009 and 2012)

             No. 24 – Jeff Gordon (1997, 1999 and 2005)

    At Daytona International Speedway
    History
    ·        Groundbreaking for Daytona International Speedway was Nov. 25, 1957. The soil underneath the banked corners was dug from the infield of the track and the hole filled with water. It is now known as Lake Lloyd.
    ·        The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona was a 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, 1959.
    ·        Richard Petty won his 200th career race on July 4, 1984 at Daytona.
    ·        Lights were installed in the spring of 1998. However, the July race was delayed until October that year due to thick smoke from wildfires. The second Daytona race has been held under the lights ever since.
    ·        The track underwent a repave in 2010.
     
    Notebook
    ·        There have been 133 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since the track hosted its first race in 1959: 55 have been 500 miles, 51 were 400 miles and four 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifier races that were point races.
    ·        Fireball Roberts won the inaugural pole at Daytona.
    ·        Bob Welborn won the first race at Daytona, the 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500.
    ·        Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959; he led 38 laps and won by 2 feet.
    ·        Fireball Roberts won the first 400-mile race at Daytona, the 1963 Firecracker 400.
    ·        57 drivers have posted poles at Daytona.
    ·        Cale Yarborough leads all drivers with 12 poles at Daytona.
    ·        Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin lead all active drivers with three poles at Daytona.
    ·        56 drivers have won at Daytona.
    ·        Richard Petty leads all drivers in victories at Daytona with 10.
    ·        Jeff Gordon has six victories at Daytona, more than any other active driver.
    ·        The Wood Brothers have won 15 races at Daytona, more than any other car owner.
    ·        17 full-length races at Daytona have been won from the pole; the last to do it was Jimmie Johnson in the 2013 Daytona 500.
    ·        A driver has swept both the Daytona 500 and the July race only five times at Daytona International Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (2013), Bobby Allison (1982), LeeRoy Yarborough (1969), Cale Yarborough (1968) and Fireball Roberts (1962).

    NASCAR in Florida

    There have been 174 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Florida.

    Track Name City NSCS
    Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach 133
    Homestead-Miami Speedway Homestead 15
    Daytona Beach & Road Course Daytona Beach 10
    Palm Beach Speedway W. Palm Beach 7
    Speedway Park Jacksonville 6
    Five Flags Speedway Pensacola 1
    Golden Gate Speedway Tampa 1
    Titusville-Cocoa Speedway Titusville 1
 
·        171 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state recorded as Florida.
·        There have been 10 race winners with their home state recorded as Florida in NASCAR’s three national series:
Driver NSCS NNS NCWTS
Fireball Roberts 33 0 0
LeeRoy Yarbrough 14 0 0
Marshall Teague 7 0 0
Joe Nemechek 4 16 0
Bobby Johns 2 0 0
David Reutimann 2 1 1
Shorty Rollins 1 0 0
Rick Wilson 0 2 0
Aric Almirola 0 1 2
Joey Coulter 0 0 1

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Posted on by Staff Report

Predicting the final four drivers, Sprint Cup champion and more

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Ah, a new season. Last year’s successes (or failures) are wiped clean, and everyone begins the Daytona 500 with exactly the same amount of points — zero.

Last year saw a historic championship push from Jimmie Johnson, an unprecedented Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field and multiple drivers (hello, Matt Kenseth) succeeding with a new team.

What’s in store for 2014?

Well, we know the Chase field will be bigger, and that postseason eliminations are on tap. We know Johnson is gunning for his seventh Cup title, which would tie the all-time record, and that this year’s rookie class is the most heralded in years.

With that in mind, we asked Zack Albert, Kenny Bruce, Holly Cain, David Caraviello and Alan Cavanna to give us their picks for 2014.

See their answers below (and bookmark to say who has earned bragging rights come November), and chime in with your own predictions in the comments section.

Zack Albert
Daytona 500 winner: Tony Stewart
Most likely to succeed with new team: Martin Truex Jr.
Top Chase seed: Jimmie Johnson
Biggest Chase surprise: Marcos Ambrose
Final four (post-Eliminator round): Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch
Crew chief of the year: Darian Grubb
Rookie of the Year:  Austin Dillon
Sprint Cup Series champion: Jimmie Johnson

Kenny Bruce
Daytona 500 winner: Martin Truex Jr.
Most likely to succeed with new team: Kurt Busch
Top Chase seed: Matt Kenseth
Biggest Chase surprise: Ryan Newman
Final four (post-Eliminator round): Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski
Crew chief of the year: Gil Martin
Rookie of the Year:  Austin Dillon
Sprint Cup Series champion: Matt Kenseth

Holly Cain
Daytona 500 winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Most likely to succeed with new team: Martin Truex Jr.
Top Chase seed: Jimmie Johnson
Biggest Chase surprise: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Final four (post-Eliminator round): Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart
Crew chief of the year: Chad Knaus
Rookie of the Year: Kyle Larson
Sprint Cup Series champion: Jimmie Johnson

David Caraviello
Daytona 500 winner: Matt Kenseth
Most likely to succeed with new team: Kevin Harvick
Top Chase seed: Jimmie Johnson
Biggest Chase surprise: Marcos Ambrose
Final four (post-Eliminator round): Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick
Crew chief of the year: Rodney Childers
Rookie of the Year: Austin Dillon
Sprint Cup Series champion: Jimmie Johnson

Alan Cavanna
Daytona 500 winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Most likely to succeed with new team: Kevin Harvick
Top Chase seed: Kyle Busch
Biggest Chase surprise: Austin Dillon
Final four (post-Eliminator round): Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Crew chief of the year: Chad Knaus
Rookie of the Year: Kyle Larson
Sprint Cup Series champion: Kyle Busch


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Posted on by

Mexico’s Daniel Suarez earns second career win, Rev Racing’s 13th victory

RELATED: NASCAR Home Tracks

NEW SMYRNA, Fla. — Offseason did nothing to slow Daniel Suarez’s momentum.
 
The Monterrey, Mexico, driver held off Cameron Hayley in a door-to-door battle of NASCAR’s rising stars to win the New Smyrna 150 presented by JEGS Saturday night at New Smyrna Speedway. The race was the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener and the inaugural visit to the banked half-mile.
 
Driving for Rev Racing and NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity, the 22-year-old Suarez picked up his second career victory and gave Rev Racing its 13th win since 2010.

It marked Suarez’s sixth top-three finishes in eight NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races dating back to last year. And it was his second straight NASCAR touring series win; Suarez won the NASCAR Toyota Mexico Series finale at Mexico City in November.
 
Hayley, 17, won the 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Brewing Company earlier in the day. But it was Suarez and Brandon Jones, 16, who led the way for most of the night. Jones led 34 laps before giving way to Suarez on Lap 48 and eventually finishing third.
 
Ben Rhodes and Lee Pulliam rounded out the top five. It was the series’ debut for Pulliam, the two-time defending NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion.
 
A late race caution set the stage for tense closing laps. Pulliam restarted alongside Suarez, slipped up and dropped out of the top five.
 
That allowed Suarez to get away and Hayley to move back into second.
 
With four to go, Hayley muscled his way alongside Suarez. They rubbed and stayed side-by-side, with Suarez leading by inches to the white flag and beating Hayley to the finish by .083 seconds.
 
Kenzie Ruston finished sixth, followed by Gray Gaulding, Mackena Bell, Brandon Gdovic and rookie Kaz Grala.
 
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will get right back at it. The series will be part of the UNOH Battle At The Beach Tuesday on the backstretch at Daytona International Speedway, along with the non-points special event for the NASCAR Whelen Modified and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tours.
 
The New Smyrna 150 presented by JEGS will air on FOX Sports 1 on Saturday at 9 a.m. ET.

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