Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric win Duel races; Allgaier, LaJoie race into Daytona 500

Posted on February 13, 2025February 14, 2025 by Reid Spencer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — With a push from teammate Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace surged ahead of 2024 Daytona 500 winner William Byron to win Thursday night’s first Duel at Daytona 150-mile qualifying race and earn the third starting position for Sunday’s 67th running of the “Great American Race” (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Driving the No. 23XI Racing Toyota, Wallace edged Byron by 0.082 seconds, as intense drama unfolded behind the two frontrunners.

With a determined charge over the final two laps, Justin Allgaier finished highest among the unchartered cars in the first Duel, ensuring that a JR Motorsports Chevrolet would compete in a NASCAR Cup Series race for the first time in company history.

With a massive wreck littering the asphalt behind them, polesitter Austin Cindric edged Erik Jones for the victory in the second Duel. Though Jones was first to the finish line, Cindric held a lead by inches when the caution lights illuminated as the cars approached the stripe.

In an unchartered No. 01 Rick Ware Racing Ford, Corey LaJoie raced his way into the Daytona 500 with a sixth-place finish in Duel 2.

“Thanks to Tyler (Reddick),” Wallace said after the first Duel. “That was awesome to see two team cars work together that well and learn a lot for Sunday. Did a great job pushing me. Our McDonald’s Toyota Camry was really fast. Two different balances from being in the pack to being out front. Have some work to do there.

“I’ve wanted one of these Duel wins for so long. All my buddies got one. Tyler got one last year. I was pissed off. I got one now. I’m good.”

With the unchartered car of JJ Yeley boxed in on the bottom, Allgaier made a three-wide move to the top on the next-to-last lap and surged forward to earn the transfer spot into the Daytona 500.

With a ninth-place finish to Yeley’s 17th, Allgaier earned the 17th starting position in Sunday’s race.

“He got up to the top on that last lap, and I didn’t think that was possible, but he got to the top and made it work,” said team co-owner and two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., who couldn’t hide his elation at making the race for the first time as a car owner.

“This was rough emotionally, but damn it, it worked out.”

WATCH: Justin Allgaier, Dale Jr. emotional after advancing to Daytona 500

“This means a lot to our team, this little team of JR Motorsports,” Allgaier added. “Dale Jr. is an amazing race car driver. He’s an amazing dad, car owner. You can tell how much he wanted this and our whole shop wanted this.”

A wild multicar wreck on Lap 14 eliminated the unchartered cars of Chandler Smith and Helio Castroneves in the first Duel. Smith was running third but moved down the track into the Chevrolet of Justin Haley, triggering a crash that damaged eight cars.

Smith’s Ford shot up into the outside wall, as did Castroneves’ Chevrolet. Out of control, Castroneves’ car bounced on the apron before climbing the track into the wall a second time.

“I got hit and ended up hitting the wall in Turn 2 pretty hard and broke a toe link,” said Castroneves, who nevertheless will start Sunday’s race on an open exemption provisional.

“It’s disappointing because the No. 91 Wendy’s Chevrolet was really good. The boys on the Project 91 team did an amazing job. They have a little bit of work to do, unfortunately. It wasn’t the night that we wanted, but we’ll take the provisional. So many people have been talking about it, but we will take it, and we will learn more for the race.”

At the end of the second Duel, Cindric had to wait until NASCAR reviewed the finish and confirmed him as the winner. With Cindric taking the checkered flag, Jones will start fourth on Sunday.

“I honestly thought I got him, but I wasn’t going to sit there and argue about anything,” said Cindric, who locked himself into the second starting position for the Daytona 500 during Wednesday night’s time trials. “But, yeah, it’s awesome. Glad to put on a great show for the fans here.”

Without a full-time ride in 2025, LaJoie underscored the significance of the “Great American Race.”

“You forget how special this race is, right, (until) you have to race for it, when you have to earn it, because when you’re racing full-time, it’s just the first one of 36. But when it’s the one that you think about for months, it means that much more.”

Ty Dillon finished third in Duel 1, followed by Ross Chastain, Reddick, AJ Allmendinger, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Allgaier and Kyle Busch.

In Duel 2, Chris Buescher ran third, followed by Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, LaJoie, Todd Gilliland, Ryan Blaney, John Hunter Nemechek and Christopher Bell.

The open cars of Anthony Alfredo and BJ McLeod failed to make the Daytona 500 field.

NOTE: Post-race inspection was completed without issue in the Cup Series garage, confirming Bubba Wallace and Austin Cindric as the Duel winners, as well as Justin Allgaier and Corey LaJoie locking into the Daytona 500.

Posted on February 13, 2025February 14, 2025 by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Chase Briscoe is still in a getting-to-know-you phase. His last five seasons at the now-shuttered Stewart-Haas Racing operation were the peak of familiarity, with drivers and team members attending birthday parties for each others’ kids, baby showers and other family functions.

That all changed for Briscoe this offseason with his arrival at Joe Gibbs Racing, where he signed on as Martin Truex Jr.’s successor in the No. 19 Toyota. By most accounts, he’s already made progress in terms of fitting in, but the label of being the “new guy” still applies.

“I never moved as a kid growing up, but I imagine this is what it would feel like,” Briscoe says. “You know, you’re still going to school, but it’s all new faces and new people, and the teachers teach things a little bit different. It’s definitely the same, but it’s very, very different.”

Briscoe and his No. 19 team made noteworthy strides in the name recognition department soon after their arrival this week at Daytona International Speedway, securing the pole position for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). It’s a pleasant opening weekend honorific for the 30-year-old driver and the new group surrounding him before their first season together launches.

Big things are expected this year after Briscoe was tapped for the best available free-agent ride in the Cup Series garage, this after a lively Silly Season shuffle up and down the grid. Briscoe maximized the end of his tenure with the No. 14 team last season at Stewart-Haas Racing, turning in a sterling, victorious run in the Southern 500 to snap up a spot in the Cup Series Playoffs. In the wake of SHR’s death knell, a perfunctory performance from Briscoe could have been expected — even excused — but he continually found ways to overachieve. His postseason run ended in the Round of 12.

Briscoe says he always told himself he could be a Cup Series champion but that, realistically, the odds of that happening at Stewart-Haas were relatively small. It was a bittersweet realization because the No. 14 that Briscoe inherited from former boss and role model Tony Stewart carried sentimental weight. This season, with the resources of Joe Gibbs Racing at his fingertips, that championship ambition feels within reach.

“The Xfinity (Series) stuff at SHR, I felt like was top of the field, and I felt like I was able to perform there,” Briscoe said. “But on the Cup side, I’ve never really been in that top-tier program and really felt like I can do what I’m capable of. So that’s the thing I’m most excited for is, at SHR, I would get four or five races a year when my car was capable of running up front and winning, where now I’m going to have 20-something opportunities to do that. So that’s the thing I’m probably the most excited for.”

The experience for Briscoe has been revelatory so far, and that starts at the top. The hands-on, precise involvement of Coach Joe Gibbs permeates many facets of the four-car operation, and Briscoe has found out first-hand about Gibbs’ “people person” reputation. He’s also immersed himself in the organization’s hive of technology.

“Honestly, the biggest difference is just Coach,” Briscoe says. “Nothing against Gene (Haas) or Tony, but just they ran other businesses where like Coach, this is his business. This is what he eats, sleeps and breathes every single day, and he’s there every single day, so that’s been the biggest difference. And I was even telling my wife that the other day, I was like, yeah, if we run bad one week, like it’s going to be weird having the boss on Monday be like, ‘Well, why do we run so bad?’ because I just … I’ve not had that.

“So that part’s been the biggest difference is just how, from the top down, how into it he is. But then the data side, I would say, has been very, very eye-opening. I literally told my wife just last week, too, I said it’s kind of crazy that they picked me because of all the data and analytics they had on me. It’s just nuts how much in-depth they are with the whole field, where each guy stacks up from passing rate, restart rate, all this stuff that I didn’t think anybody even paid attention to, and they they definitely have the data for it. So it’s been very eye-opening from that standpoint, for sure.”

MORE: At-track photos: Daytona | Paint Scheme Preview

Chemistry-building has also thrived in the new partnership. Briscoe says he’s felt out the team-meeting dynamic in JGR’s early season huddles, following the lead of fellow drivers Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin — all of whom have multiyear careers with the organization. No. 19 crew chief James Small noted how he’s found Briscoe exploring areas of the shop where drivers rarely go, making a positive first impression in the offseason.

“It’s been very plug and play,” Small told NASCAR.com, “and I think overall, from a whole global company perspective, we do things very different than Stewart-Haas when it comes to drivers and what we do to hold them accountable in certain ways and things like that. So very, very different, but he’s taken to it like a duck to water, to be fair. As I said before, it’s been pretty seamless, in my opinion. I think there’s been a lot of information for him. It’s probably been quite overwhelming, I’m sure, and eye-opening at the same time for him on how we do certain things, but I know he’s told me numerous times, it’s like, ‘Man, I don’t know how you guys even lose races, with all the things you think about and do and all that.’ So that’s been pretty cool to see.

“But yeah, everybody, the atmosphere around the whole team, even the whole company, with him coming on board our team, everybody’s super-pumped up.”

There was more reason to be stoked after Wednesday night’s qualifying effort, one that gives him a clear windshield view for Sunday’s “Great American Race.” Briscoe said his phone had swelled to 300-plus text messages after the feat, and that the full magnitude was still sinking in.

“To be on the pole of the Daytona 500 is a really, really big deal,” Briscoe said. “Yeah, just special, special thing for me to do to even start off with a new team, new company, Bass Pro, all the things that go along with it. It’s pretty special, for sure.”

Posted on February 13, 2025February 14, 2025 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The NASCAR Xfinity Series kicks off the 2025 season Saturday with the United Rentals 300 (5 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) — a potentially historical quest to see if Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Hill can win his fourth consecutive Daytona season-opener.

Of note, four of the last six series races at Daytona have ended under caution, and four of the last five featured an overtime finish. Sixteen drivers have won the last 19 races at the track — the only two drivers with multiple wins in that time are Hill and Justin Haley.

Should Hill win Saturday evening, it would break a tie with NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won the race three straight years from 2002-04. His father, the late fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt, however, holds the all-time race record of five consecutive wins (1990-94).

Not only has the RCR powerhouse won those races, but the team has won the pole position in six of the series’ last seven races at the big drafting tracks (Daytona, Talladega, Atlanta).

Despite the impressive statistics, Hill can expect big-time competition Saturday from the reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier, who won the Daytona summer race in 2023 and has finished in the top 10 in six of the last seven races there.

The popular 38-year-old driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet finished last season with five consecutive top-10 finishes, including a runner-up in the Phoenix championship race to claim his first title in 14 full-time Xfinity Series seasons. Allgaier hopes to be pulling double duty this weekend, driving the No. 40 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Daytona 500 (Sun., 1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

MORE: A champion’s journey: 2024 Xfinity titleholder Allgaier embracing 2025 campaign

The series will also feature another likely championship contender in Harrison Burton. The 24-year-old returns to full-time Xfinity Series competition driving the No. 25 AM Racing Ford after three spending the last three seasons in the Cup Series with the famed Wood Brothers. Burton has four career Xfinity Series wins in two previous full-time seasons (2020-21).

Rookie phenom Connor Zilisch will be driving his first full season in the Xfinity Series, steering the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. The 18-year-old won from pole position in his series debut last year at Watkins Glen International and earned top-five finishes in three of his four starts. In six Craftsman Truck Series starts in 2024 — also his debut season in that series — he additionally won two pole positions (Circuit of The Americas, Bristol) and scored a top five (Circuit of The Americas).

Much is expected for this talented and versatile Zilisch, who already has sports car victories in two of the biggest races on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series schedule — the 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring.

Zilisch joins Nick Sanchez and Taylor Gray, among others, who made names for themselves in the Truck Series and are odds-on favorites to contend for wins, if not the Xfinity Series title this season.

Qualifying for the United Rentals 300 is Saturday at 10 a.m. ET and available to watch on The CW App. Sam Mayer — who moved from JR Motorsports to the Haas Factory Team — is the defending polesitter. The pole winner has won only two of the last 30 Xfinity races at Daytona.

Posted on February 13, 2025February 14, 2025 by Alex Cadavid

And we’re back.

Finally, haulers are unloading, garages are open and excitement is building for Sunday’s 2025 Daytona 500 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio). After an off-season filled with bonanza movement across the Cup garage, this year’s talent pool set for the traditional 500 miler — and the next nine months — is about as stacked as possible. The stakes are even higher across each of the next 36 point-paying races with new competition rules and schedule changes in place.

RELATED: Daytona 500 weekend schedule

But before all of that, drivers will have to tackle the task of 200 laps over the high banks at the “World Center of Racing.” Legends have been made in this race, and winning a crown-jewel event of this magnitude forever cements a driver and team in the history books.

As for the numbers, here’s a little look at what they point to when determining a winner:

For starters, in six of the last seven Daytona 500s, the eventual winner started 10th or worse. Eight of the previous 10 500s were won by drivers getting their first triumph in the “Great American Race,” with the exception of Denny Hamlin both times. Finally, the eventual winner didn’t lead until Lap 157 or later in seven of the last eight races, and four of the previous nine ended with a last-lap pass.

So what do those stats tell us? Well, to come out on top in the chase for the Harley J. Earl Trophy, drivers will have to be patient. During the action-packed weekend of qualifying, duel races and extended practice sessions, pressure is building for every competitor, as it becomes a mission to not only survive Speedweeks but also to perform well enough to have a decent starting spot on Sunday’s grid. More importantly, drivers will have to be methodical in how they navigate a jam-packed field on race day. Time and time again, we’ve seen moments of brilliance and greatness develop in the latter half of this race, so it’s hard to count anyone out of contention.

FOX SPORTS: Play Super 6 Fantasy game for prizes

DRIVERS TO WATCH

KYLE BUSCH: Rowdy’s 20-year frustration mirrors another RCR driver waiting for his first Daytona 500 win. Among active full-time drivers, Busch has the most starts in the 500 without a win. Daytona glory aside, let’s also not forget Busch is still on a winless streak that has ballooned up to 57 races. If he’s due a win, it could come in the grandest way possible. Racing Insights’ early metric is also giving Busch a slight edge over Christopher Bell for the win, so maybe the No. 8 crew puts in a lucky penny or two just for good measure.

WILLIAM BYRON: You rarely see drivers win back-to-back Daytona 500s, only four drivers have done it and Hamlin was the most recent in 2019-20. However, when you look at how superior Byron has been on drafting tracks in the Next Gen era and the fact Racing Insights has him projected third, a back-to-back triumph is definitely in the cards for Byron.

BUBBA WALLACE: Speaking of superspeedway prowess, Wallace has two top fives in this race over the last three years. He does have a new crew chief sitting atop the pit box, so time will tell how he meshes with Charles Denike. But being second fastest in the first practice session of the week and then winning a Duel race later on is a promising sign that the No. 23 Toyota will be a contender.

JUSTIN HALEY: NASCAR.com has been embedded with Spire Motorsports leading up to Daytona, and Haley is an intriguing prospect behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevy. He has a Daytona win that came in summer 2019 in a rain-shortened event, and his talent on superspeedways has steadily progressed each year. The “not-so-secret-weapon” Haley has in his corner? That would be the new crew chief at Spire Rodney Childers, who has begun planting the seeds for a winning culture to grow at Spire.

HÉLIO CASTRONEVES: Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 entry is back with a bang. Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Castroneves knows a thing or two about executing in the clutch, which makes him an intriguing driver to follow this weekend. The 49-year-old wheelman from Brazil will be in Sunday’s main event regardless of how he performs in duels, and given his resume in motorsports he — without a doubt — has the chops to join AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti as the only drivers to win both the Indy 500 and Daytona 500.

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE 67TH DAYTONA 500

Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.

Finish	Car Number	Driver
1	8	Kyle Busch
2	20	Christopher Bell
3	24	William Byron
4	17	Chris Buescher
5	48	Alex Bowman
6	23	Bubba Wallace
7	9	Chase Elliott
8	12	Ryan Blaney
9	22	Joey Logano
10	2	Austin Cindric
11	5	Kyle Larson
12	1	Ross Chastain
13	6	Brad Keselowski
14	11	Denny Hamlin
15	56	Martin Truex Jr.
16	99	Daniel Suárez
17	16	AJ Allmendinger
18	19	Chase Briscoe
19	01	Corey LaJoie
20	47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
21	45	Tyler Reddick
22	51	Cody Ware
23	38	Zane Smith
24	43	Erik Jones
25	4	Noah Gragson
26	54	Ty Gibbs
27	71	Michael McDowell
28	34	Todd Gilliland
29	42	John H. Nemechek
30	7	Justin Haley
31	77	Carson Hocevar
32	21	Josh Berry
33	60	Ryan Preece
34	3	Austin Dillon
35	10	Ty Dillon
36	62	Anthony Alfredo
37	88	Shane van Gisbergen
38	78	BJ McLeod
39	66	Chandler Smith
40	44	J.J. Yeley
41	41	Cole Custer
42	84	Jimmie Johnson
43	35	Riley Herbst
44	40	Justin Allgaier
45	91	Hélio Castroneves

Posted on February 13, 2025February 14, 2025 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — One of the most recognizable and storied partnerships in all of sports has been refreshed for the start of the 2025 NASCAR season. NASCAR and Anheuser-Busch today announced a multiyear agreement that ensures Busch Light will continue as a Premier Partner of the NASCAR Cup Series, designation as the “Official Beer Sponsor of NASCAR,” as well as the title sponsor of the Busch Light Pole Award.

“At Anheuser-Busch, we strive to bring sports fans closer to the moments that matter year-round, and we’re thrilled to be continuing this relationship with NASCAR, building continued momentum with Busch Light, now the No. 2 fastest-growing brand in the beer category,” said Kyle Norrington, Chief Commercial Officer at Anheuser-Busch. “NASCAR and Busch Light fans are among the most devoted fans in the country, and in 2025, together, we’ll give our deserving fans more opportunities to connect to this sport than ever before.”

Shifting fan engagement into high gear, NASCAR and Busch Light will launch an annual Busch Light summer music series in 2025, bringing together two long-standing passions of race fans: country music and cold, smooth Busch Light. The summer series includes five pre-race performances throughout the season, underscoring Busch Light’s ongoing investment in bringing fans closer to the artists they love. The five events will be open and accessible to race fans in attendance. The series will kick off at Texas Motor Speedway, with concerts once a month at Michigan International Speedway, Chicago Street Race, Iowa Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway.

“The partnership between NASCAR and Busch Light is consistently noted as one of the most recognized in all of sports each and every year,” said Michelle Byron, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Partnership and Licensing Officer. “Anheuser-Busch’s longstanding relationships at multiple levels across our sport have been paramount in cultivating new fans and driving fan loyalty for decades, and our partners at Busch Light are leading by example to find new ways to drive deeper fan engagement.”

Since the 1990s, the Anheuser-Busch family of brands has created countless opportunities to interact and engage with 21+ NASCAR fans, including unparalleled access to iconic drivers, the development of distinct paint schemes, and brand-led initiatives like a Pit Stop Wedding by the track in Las Vegas. Busch Light will kick off the 2025 racing season with a thrilling at-track fan experience dubbed “DATE-TONA,” turning the Daytona International Speedway into a one-of-a-kind speed dating experience designed to help fans find love off-screen and at NASCAR speed.

Busch Light and Trackhouse Racing are also back together following their inaugural season as a major primary sponsor of Trackhouse Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain. Busch Light will continue to bring Chastain’s 21+ fans along for the ride with dynamic, specialty paint schemes throughout the 2025 season, starting with a refreshed Busch Light ‘Iconic’ scheme emblazoned with the brand’s call to ‘Race for the Mountains’ set to debut at the 2025 Daytona 500.

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series regular season gets underway with the “Great American Race,” the Daytona 500, on Sunday, Feb. 16, airing live on FOX at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Posted on February 13, 2025February 14, 2025 by Zach Sturniolo

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Justin Allgaier and the No. 40 JR Motorsports crew will have to race their way into the 2025 Daytona 500 by way of Thursday night’s Duel at Daytona.

Allgaier’s single-car qualifying speed (180.495 mph) was 33rd fastest overall on Wednesday, third of the nine Open entries. Former champions Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson were the two quickest Open cars who were previously not locked into the Daytona 500. Allgaier will start 17th in Thursday’s first duel (7 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

MORE: Briscoe on Daytona 500 pole | Speedweeks schedule

The reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion is hoping to wheel the No. 40 Chevrolet into Sunday’s “Great American Race” (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) to earn JR Motorsports — co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller — its inaugural start in a NASCAR Cup Series race.

If Johnson and/or Truex finish first among Open teams in their respective duels, Allgaier and Corey LaJoie could lock into the event on time. The other five Open drivers must finish first among Open teams in their duel — a 60-lap qualifying race — to advance.

“I mean, obviously you want to qualify your way in,” Allgaier said Wednesday night. “You want to be locked in. You want to have all the pleasantries of knowing that you’re in, right? But at the same time, we knew that it was going to be an uphill battle. The guys that you’re racing against — I mean, Jimmie and Martin both laid down incredible laps and did exactly what they needed to do.

“I look at the lap. I mean, I’ll go back and study it and try to figure out what we needed to do to be better, but we did the best job we thought we could do, and it just came up a little bit short.”

The Open contenders in Allgaier’s Duel include Truex (starting 12th), four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Hélio Castroneves (20th), Chandler Smith (22nd) and J.J. Yeley (23rd).

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Along with a number of team members and representatives from sponsor Traveller Whiskey, Earnhardt Miller watched with nerves from pit road as Allgaier completed his lone lap of the evening. A day that began by unloading the tan-and-orange Chevy at 6 a.m. with excitement ended with a tinge of anxiety with no guarantees yet of a spot on the starting grid.

“It’s weird because we said weren’t gonna be disappointed — like we were OK if we don’t make it or whatever. But I’m not really OK about it,” Earnhardt Miller told NASCAR.com with a laugh. “Like, you get out here and you do it and you just see you’re just off that much. But we have another shot tomorrow. We’re fast, we’re good. Now tomorrow will just be up to a lot of variables around other people and everything.

“I hate that we have to go through that part, but it is what it is, and we knew that coming down here. But it’s been really exciting all day.”

Indeed, as the team pushed through technical inspection before a 10:05 a.m. practice, there was a buzzing anticipation that surrounded the JRM party. At that time, the buzz stemmed from enthusiasm and optimism. The optimism still exists, but it’s now accompanied by a nervous tension instead.

“It definitely changes the race for tomorrow for us,” Allgaier said. “If you get in on time, you can be a little more fluid in the duels and work on different things that I think we’re probably going to work on tomorrow, now. Now, we have to be aggressive. We have to race our way in, right? So we’ve got to be aggressive, but on the other side of it, we don’t have a backup car. And if you wreck, it doesn’t really matter if you’ve got a backup or not because if you wreck, you’re probably not gonna make the race. Those are the things that I have to be mindful of. …

“The reason why fans and drivers and teams all love and hate this place is because the fear of the unknown, right?”

With that comes a delicate balance Earnhardt Miller and Co. will try to navigate: trusting Allgaier and the team around him to excel while understanding others on the race track could dictate his fate.

“That’s Daytona, right?” said Earnhardt Miller, who has helped head JRM since it debuted as an Xfinity team in 2005. “I say it every year about the Xfinity cars: You try to come here with no expectations, and then that way, you’re not disappointed when you go home on a wrecker, or you’re just super thrilled that you made it through and or you won. And I think we have to look at this the same way. We can’t control everything else, so it will be what it is.

“And somebody already knows. It’s already determined somewhere, is the way I feel about it. So let’s see what happens.”

Posted on February 13, 2025February 13, 2025 by Brandon White

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — For as ubiquitous as the Baldwin name is to Modified competition in the Northeast, the family has also developed a reputation for success at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida.

That tradition started in the 1980s with the family patriarch, Tom Baldwin, who tallied four Modified championships during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing during his storied career. Baldwin’s grandsons Luke and Jack have since carried on the family’s winning ways at New Smyrna with titles in the 602 Modified class in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Jack, the eldest of the two Baldwin brothers, is taking the next step in his development by jumping into the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing’s Modified division one year after his 602 Modified championship. Given his family’s past New Smyrna success, running a Modified at the track brings both apprehension and excitement for Jack.

“I love seeing my family succeed and learning about the legacy my grandpa left,” Jack said. “There’s also a lot of added pressure because my grandpa was so good and Luke is succeeding so much. I don’t race as much as they do. We know they cars are good, so I’ve got to perform.”

Since beginning his own career, Jack has sought to emulate the resilience and efficiency displayed by Tom and his father Tommy Baldwin Jr., bringing the family’s iconic No. 7NY with him nearly every step of the way.

Those qualities are prevalent each time Jack straps into his car. Jack has quickly started adding to the No. 7NY’s storied legacy with several accolades in Crate Modifieds, including a consistent campaign that yielded him the 602 Modified title in last year’s World Series of Asphalt.

Jack adheres to all the fundamentals instilled into him by his father, particularly when it comes to patience and taking care of the car. This methodical approach has translated into consistency for Jack even though a good portion of his time is devoted to furthering his college education.

Because of school, Jack initially viewed racing as a devoted hobby, all while Luke established himself as a touted NASCAR prospect. Despite being four years younger than Jack, Luke already has a handful of Pro Late Model starts on his resume and will run a part-time schedule on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour with his father’s team.

Now fully committed to motorsports, Jack wants to keep tallying victories so he can embark on a similar developmental trajectory to his younger brother.

“Luke’s been getting a lot of opportunities,” Jack said. “He’s young, very marketable and a very fast driver. He’s been working trying to move up through the ranks at home while I’m still going to Appalachian State University. He’s capitalized on the opportunities, but here [at New Smyrna] last year was when I decided I wanted to be all in on this.”

Jack’s schedule for 2025 includes a full-time commitment to Modifieds in the Southeast with Tommy Baldwin Racing. One car that will obstruct his path towards claiming a championship is another 7NY, piloted by Luke under the Sadler-Stanley Racing banner.

The two brothers got a preview of their year-long battle during the World Series of Asphalt on Tuesday by taking part in the evening’s Modified feature. Luke utilized his knowledge from Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race to claim a solid fourth-place run, while Jack settled for 13^th.

With Tommy Jr. shifting his focus over to his general manager duties for Rick Ware Racing ahead of the Daytona 500, Luke is now serving as Jack’s crew chief to close out the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.

Luke Baldwin has stepped into the role of a crew chief to guide his older brother Jack through the World Series of Asphalt. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

Luke is familiar with the intricacies of being a crew chief, having worked with Tommy Jr. in the shop and listened to his experiences during his time in the NASCAR Cup Series. Despite this, Luke has worked closely with Tommy Jr. leading up to the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing so he knows how to make the right adjustments and exchange feedback with Jack in race conditions.

Being on top of Jack’s pit box is a refreshing change of pace for Luke. He enjoys rubbing fenders with Jack every time they share the track, but he also wants to put his brother in the best possible position to excel over the rest of the week.

“It’s always fun when we’re having a family ordeal,” Luke said. “Racing with [Jack] is a blast. We’ve gotten into it a couple of times, but that’s part of it. There’s a lot of talking off the track and there’s a lot of competitiveness between us. We’re probably the two most competitive brothers you’ll see in racing.

“To get away from that, work together and chase a championship at New Smyrna is special.”

Although Luke previously served as Jack’s crew chief in Crate Modifieds for two races, he has never experienced this much free reign in the role. Tommy Jr. is still a resource for Luke to rely on just a few miles away, but he intends to stick with a basic set of adjustments he knows will optimize the performance of Jack’s car.

Luke also anticipates a brief learning curve for his Jack as he ascertains the difference between a regular Modified and the 602 Modifieds. Once his older brother finds his comfort zone in the Modified, whether that is at New Smyrna or afterwards, Luke is confident Jack will start contending for victories on the regular.

Outside of the cars, another difference Jack is adjusting to is the elite caliber of drivers in the Modified division, which consists of names like Matt Hirschman, Patrick Emerling and Austin Beers. Jack knew it would be challenging to hold his own with the established veterans, but felt confident a strong car could help him make gradual progress.

“The difference in competition is massive,” Jack said. “There’s better drivers and there’s more depth in the field. At this point in racing, if you got your car dialed in, you can compete with any of them. The [regular] Modified is not that much different [from the 602 Modified]. When you get used to them, you drive them the same way except with more grip and more motor.”

Jack Baldwin (7NY) continues to search for consistency in the second half of the World Series of Asphalt’s Modified division. (Photo: Ted Malinowski/NASCAR)

Despite Jack’s optimism, he and Luke have struggled to find an ideal balance since first unloading. The car the Baldwins brought only previously competed at flat tracks like Riverhead Raceway and Wall Stadium, which has required them to devise a setup that can navigate New Smyrna’s fast, high-banked layout.

Qualifying remains a prevailing issue for Jack, but he is seeing significant progress with the race setup. After finishing where he started on Monday evening in the 20^th position, Jack is more comfortable with passing other cars, though his best showing remains the 13^th from Tuesday.

Now that their father is at Daytona, responsibility falls primarily on Luke to ensure Jack’s car keeps trending in the right direction. Only a couple of days remain for the Modifieds at New Smyrna, but Luke is keeping his strategy with the setups simple

“Don’t over adjust,” Luke said. “Obviously, [Tommy Jr.] is going to bring a really good car to the race track, and I’m not exactly a mastermind. I haven’t been at this for very long, so there’s no big adjustment I plan on throwing in there. Sticking to the script will give me some options, and I’ll choose between them.”

The slow start for Jack prevented him from extending the Baldwin championship streak in the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing to three years, but he is not letting the circumstances deter him. Jack is adopting a big picture mindset to close out the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, but he is still determined to leave New Smyrna with at least one additional trophy.

“I’d like to keep the car clean and in one piece,” Jack said. “This is the car I’m racing the whole year, so I don’t want to tear it up. The goal is to get this thing dialed in and where we want it to be heading into the season. If we run good because of it, then we run good.

“A ton of people have roped me because of how successful Luke has been, so I’m really looking to surprise people this week.”

The Baldwin family’s refusal to back down from adversity is one reason why their name is synonymous with short track racing in the U.S. today. That trait is prevalent with Jack, who is primed to continue his family’s winning heritage alongside Luke well beyond New Smyrna.

Posted on February 12, 2025February 14, 2025 by Reid Spencer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Chase Briscoe spoiled Ford’s pole position party during Wednesday night’s qualifying session for the 67th running of the Daytona 500.

Fastest in both rounds of time trials, Briscoe turned a lap in 49.249 seconds (182.745 mph) to secure the top starting spot for Sunday’s race (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The pole position was the first for a Toyota driver in the “Great American Race.” Briscoe edged 2022 Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric (182.463 mph) by 0.076 seconds for the top spot on the grid.

RELATED: Qualifying results | Speedweeks schedule

Given the race’s unique qualifying format, Briscoe, in his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, and Cindric are the only two drivers locked into their starting positions for Sunday’s race.

“A great way to start our season,” said an ecstatic Briscoe, who earned his third career pole. “Unbelievable way to start off the year. Unbelievable way to start off with Toyota. To be able to be the guy to deliver them the first anything when they’ve already accomplished so much is pretty cool.

“Can’t thank (owner) Coach Gibbs enough, the entire Joe Gibbs Racing organization. The whole offseason, everybody kept telling me the focus was trying to qualify better at superspeedways. That’s something I really struggled at last year. For our 19 group to come here and sit on the pole at the biggest race of the year is pretty special.”

The rest of the field will be set in Thursday night’s Duel at Daytona 150-mile qualifying races, though both Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson know they’ll be in the field for NASCAR’s most prestigious race after posting the two fastest qualifying times among nine drivers of unchartered cars.

SHOP: Daytona 500 gear

Truex qualified 22nd overall and Johnson 29th.

“Definitely a big relief,” said Truex, who is driving the first Tricon Garage entry in the Cup Series. “You never know what can happen in the Duels; they can get crazy, and something on pit road can get you in trouble. Great job to all of the guys. They worked their butts off on this car.

“They were sweating all afternoon, and luckily, we were able to put a good lap in … All of the guys at Tricon and also at JGR, Toyota and TRD. I’m sure it’s a big deal for them — both cars that just locked in are Toyotas. Big night for them, and hopefully, we can have some fun the rest of the weekend.”

Johnson drove the No. 84 Toyota fielded by Legacy Motor Club, the team he co-owns.

“What I went through last year (in the Duels) was so frightening, and I’m glad I don’t have to go through it again,” Johnson said. “I certainly respect this process and don’t envy the guys that have to race their way in.”

In the final round, Ford drivers were second through fifth fastest, with Cindric, Ryan Preece, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano and Josh Berry occupying those respective positions on the speed chart.

Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon (in the fastest Chevrolet), Christopher Bell, Ty Dillon and Kyle Larson were sixth through 10th fastest in the money round.

Briscoe will start from the pole in Thursday’s first Duel, with Cindric leading the field to green in the second qualifying race. Preece will start second in Duel 1, with Logano on the outside of the front row in Duel 2.

MORE: See full Duel lineups

Qualifiers in odd-numbered positions fill the field behind the pole winner in Duel 1, with even-numbered qualifiers filling the field of Duel 2. The highest-finishing unchartered driver in each of the Duels will advance to the Daytona 500.

Posted on February 12, 2025February 14, 2025 by Staff Report

Each year, the NASCAR Cup Series kicks off the season with its pinnacle event — the Daytona 500. The 67th annual running is set for Sunday, Feb. 16 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). And, like any big event, some unique quirks are part of the build-up.

The most notable difference in the “Great American Race” compared to any other on the Cup schedule is how the starting lineup is set. In short: Wednesday night’s single-car qualifying set only the front row of the Daytona 500. The other drivers besides those top-two finishers lock in their Daytona 500 starting spots — or in some cases, lock into the field in general — based off their finish in Thursday’s Duel qualifying races (two races, 60 laps each).

The results of those Duel races set the lineup for the Daytona 500 itself.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe, in his first season driving the No. 19 Toyota, rocketed to the Busch Light Pole Award. Austin Cindric, who won the Daytona 500 in 2022, posted the second-quickest time to lock in the outside row for the 500. Each driver started first in their respective Duel race.

Meanwhile, two Open drivers — both Cup Series champions — locked into the field through qualifying. Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56) and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson (No. 84) posted the quickest speeds among the nine Open cars to qualify.

In the Duel races, Open drivers Justin Allgaier and Corey LaJoie secured the final two spots in the Daytona 500 being the highest Open-car finishers in their respective races.

To get the full lowdown, read more here on the intricacies.

RELATED: Shop Daytona 500 gear

OFFICIAL DAYTONA 500 STARTING LINEUP

STARTING POSITION	CAR	DRIVER	HOW SPOT IS DETERMINED
1	No. 19 Toyota	Chase Briscoe	Busch Light Pole winner
2	No. 2 Ford	Austin Cindric	Second fastest in qualifying
3	No. 23 Toyota	Bubba Wallace	Duel No. 1 results
4	No. 43 Toyota	Erik Jones	Duel No. 2 results
5	No. 24 Chevrolet	William Byron	Duel No. 1 results
6	No. 17 Ford	Chris Buescher	Duel No. 2 results
7	No. 10 Chevrolet	Ty Dillon	Duel No. 1 results
8	No. 11 Toyota	Denny Hamlin	Duel No. 2 results
9	No. 1 Chevrolet	Ross Chastain	Duel No. 1 results
10	No. 22 Ford	Joey Logano	Duel No. 2 results
11	No. 45 Toyota	Tyler Reddick	Duel No. 1 results
12	No. 01 Ford	Corey LaJoie*	Duel No. 2 results
13	No. 16 Chevrolet	AJ Allmendinger	Duel No. 1 results
14	No. 34 Ford	Todd Gilliland	Duel No. 2 results
15	No. 3 Chevrolet	Austin Dillon	Duel No. 1 results
16	No. 12 Ford	Ryan Blaney	Duel No. 2 results
17	No. 9 Chevrolet	Chase Elliott	Duel No. 1 results
18	No. 42 Toyota	John Hunter Nemechek	Duel No. 2 results
19	No. 40 Chevrolet	Justin Allgaier*	Duel No. 1 results
20	No. 20 Toyota	Christopher Bell	Duel No. 2 results
21	No. 8 Chevrolet	Kyle Busch	Duel No. 1 results
22	No. 5 Chevrolet	Kyle Larson	Duel No. 2 results
23	No. 54 Toyota	Ty Gibbs	Duel No. 1 results
24	No. 35 Toyota	Riley Herbst	Duel No. 2 results
25	No. 71 Chevrolet	Michael McDowell	Duel No. 1 results
26	No. 88 Chevrolet	Shane van Gisbergen	Duel No. 2 results
27	No. 60 Ford	Ryan Preece	Duel No. 1 results
28	No. 51 Ford	Cody Ware	Duel No. 2 results
29	No. 21 Ford	Josh Berry	Duel No. 1 results
30	No. 41 Ford	Cole Custer	Duel No. 2 results
31	No. 47 Chevrolet	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Duel No. 1 results
32	No. 4 Ford	Noah Gragson	Duel No. 2 results
33	No. 77 Chevrolet	Carson Hocevar	Duel No. 1 results
34	No. 6 Ford	Brad Keselowski	Duel No. 2 results
35	No. 7 Chevrolet	Justin Haley	Duel No. 1 results
36	No. 99 Chevrolet	Daniel Suárez	Duel No. 2 results
37	No. 38 Ford	Zane Smith	Duel No. 1 results
38	No. 48 Chevrolet	Alex Bowman	Duel No. 2 results
39	No. 56 Toyota	Martin Truex Jr.*	Qualifying speed
40	No. 84 Toyota	Jimmie Johnson*	Qualifying speed
41	No. 91 Chevrolet	Hélio Castroneves*	Open Exemption Provisional

* denotes Open, non-Charter team

OFFICIAL DUEL AT DAYTONA NO. 1 RESULTS

Finish	Start	Car	Driver
1	15	No. 23 Toyota	Bubba Wallace
2	11	No. 24 Chevrolet	William Byron
3	5	No. 10 Chevrolet	Ty Dillon
4	19	No. 1 Chevrolet	Ross Chastain
5	14	No. 45 Toyota	Tyler Reddick
6	10	No. 16 Chevrolet	AJ Allmendinger
7	4	No. 3 Chevrolet	Austin Dillon
8	8	No. 9 Chevrolet	Chase Elliott
9	17	No. 40 Chevrolet	Justin Allgaier*
10	7	No. 8 Chevrolet	Kyle Busch
11	13	No. 54 Toyota	Ty Gibbs
12	9	No. 71 Chevrolet	Michael McDowell
13	2	No. 60 Ford	Ryan Preece
14	3	No. 21 Ford	Josh Berry
15	12	No. 56 Toyota	Martin Truex Jr.*
16	21	No. 47 Chevrolet	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
17	23	No. 44 Chevrolet	J.J. Yeley*
18	18	No. 77 Chevrolet	Carson Hocevar
19	1	No. 19 Toyota	Chase Briscoe
20	22	No. 66 Ford	Chandler Smith*
21	16	No. 7 Chevrolet	Justin Haley
22	20	No. 91 Chevrolet	Hélio Castroneves*
23	6	No. 38 Ford	Zane Smith

* denotes Open, non-Charter team

OFFICIAL DUEL AT DAYTONA NO. 2 RESULTS

Finish	Start	Car	Driver
1	1	No. 2 Ford	Austin Cindric
2	18	No. 43 Toyota	Erik Jones
3	9	No. 17 Ford	Chris Buescher
4	3	No. 11 Toyota	Denny Hamlin
5	2	No. 22 Ford	Joey Logano
6	17	No. 01 Ford	Corey LaJoie*
7	7	No. 34 Ford	Todd Gilliland
8	10	No. 12 Ford	Ryan Blaney
9	19	No. 42 Toyota	John Hunter Nemechek
10	4	No. 20 Toyota	Christopher Bell
11	5	No. 5 Chevrolet	Kyle Larson
12	13	No. 35 Toyota	Riley Herbst
13	20	No. 62 Chevrolet	Anthony Alfredo*
14	15	No. 88 Chevrolet	Shane van Gisbergen
15	22	No. 51 Ford	Cody Ware
16	16	No. 41 Ford	Cole Custer
17	21	No. 78 Chevrolet	BJ McLeod*
18	11	No. 4 Ford	Noah Gragson
19	14	No. 84 Toyota	Jimmie Johnson*
20	8	No. 6 Ford	Brad Keselowski
21	12	No. 99 Chevrolet	Daniel Suárez
22	6	No. 48 Chevrolet	Alex Bowman

* denotes Open, non-Charter team

** Chandler Smith, JJ Yeley, Anthony Alfredo and BJ McLeod failed to qualify for the Daytona 500.

Posted on February 12, 2025February 14, 2025 by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Trackhouse Racing has fashioned a Daytona 500 driver roster with international fabric this year, with map pins in four parts of the globe to represent each driver’s home country. The lineup for the Justin Marks-owned team has the chance to cultivate some added worldwide attention to NASCAR’s most prestigious race, but it also has the potential to create interesting differences in dialect.

“Just amazing what Justin and Trackhouse have achieved, and to have such a diverse lineup at a race like this is epic,” said Shane van Gisbergen, hailing from New Zealand in the No. 88 Chevrolet. “Four different nationalities. We’re probably going to be talking about loose and tight and understeer and oversteer in different languages, but probably meaning the same thing.”

Making sure the communication and performance both have a smooth flow will be the focus for Trackhouse, which will put four entries on the track for the first time in Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Returning drivers Ross Chastain (United States) and Daniel Suárez (Mexico) will work alongside newly minted full-timer van Gisbergen and heralded first-timer Hélio Castroneves, a Brazilian veteran with four Indianapolis 500 wins in his column.

The foremost change for Trackhouse’s new look is the rise to a full Cup Series schedule for van Gisbergen, the 35-year-old Australian SuperCars circuit transplant. That ascension has come quickly, making “SVG” a phenomenon with recognition by initials alone — from a winning splash in 2023 at the inaugural Chicago Street Race to a three-win season last year in his first full Xfinity Series slate. That rapid stateside development has mimicked Trackhouse’s growth — from plucky single-car team in 2021 to a winning two-car organization a year later, to a three-car fleet this year.

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Van Gisbergen joins 23XI Racing newcomer Riley Herbst in the Cup Series’ Sunoco Rookie of the Year contest for 2025. Getting a quick launch to the campaign remains an SVG priority.

“It would be amazing,” van Gisbergen says. “If you can just get ahead of the points, settle in. I always love to start championships being an accumulator, sort of. That was my sort of strategy. Even in the weeks where you can’t be up front, get the best results you can, minimize mistakes. If we start well, get in a good rhythm, everyone stays positive, that really gets you off to a good start for the year.”

Building that foundation has involved shaping a new routine for his increased workload on the Cup Series side. Van Gisbergen says that’s meant working alongside Chastain and Suárez in their racing-simulator time and keeping open notes among the three. “It’s a pretty cool dynamic at the moment,” says SVG, who adds that he has enjoyed learning from the variety of perspectives.

“With the Clash and All-Star (exhibitions), he’s got 38 at-bats to show up at the race track and prepare,” Chastain said. “The way we do it at Trackhouse, we’ve evolved. The 1 (himself) and 99 (Suárez) used to do it a certain way, but now with three teams every week we’ve evolved that, and I like it a lot better. It’s more driver-focused. Shane and I are literally from opposite sides of the world, but we think about things in a similar way but we’re just different enough where he can call me out on my issues and I can call him out on his.

“The early-morning sim sessions together is the name of the game for us. I don’t know what the end results will be each week. It’s easy to look at and see it – he’s helping on road courses, and I hope to help him on ovals.”

Van Gisbergen’s stock-car magnificence in road-course events pulls a page from his title-winning pedigree on those circuits, and all four of his NASCAR national-series wins have come at that track type. SVG is barely a year and a half removed from his oval-track debut — Aug. 11, 2023 at Indianapolis Raceway Park in the Craftsman Truck Series — and that sort of speedway remains a developing skill. With just one road course among the first 15 races of the Cup Series season, the fast start that van Gisbergen craves will need some oval positives to arrive in short order.

“We have to be realistic, right?” says Suárez, who is bullish on recent personnel moves improving Trackhouse’s overall performance level. “Shane is going to have … he has a long ways to go when it comes to ovals, and we know that. He has a lot of things that he has to learn and to continue to get better at ovals, and he’s going to rely on Ross and myself a lot when it comes to that.”

Suárez had a confession about his new full-time teammate as the drivers made the rounds during Media Day rotations at Daytona International Speedway.

“A lot of people don’t know this, but I have a very hard time understanding Shane,” Suárez said. “I don’t know if you guys do the same or not, but my English clearly is way more limited than most of you guys, and every time that he’s talking to me, I really have to pay attention, and 80% of the time, I have to have him repeat something, because his accent is just way different than what I’m used to.”

When asked if van Gisbergen understood his accent, Suárez said with a laugh, “I hope. He hasn’t complained. But no, it’s been great. Obviously, Trackhouse has been known for the last several years to do things like this, so I’m not surprised having teammates from New Zealand and another one from Brazil, and myself. I guess Ross is the outlier right now. It’s been a lot of fun. Hopefully we can translate that to good results on Sunday.”