Posted on August 25, 2023August 25, 2023 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe claimed the Busch Light pole position in Friday evening’s qualifying session for Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock, NBC Sports App) at Daytona International Speedway.

Briscoe’s No. 14 SHR Ford just edged 2014 Daytona summer race winner and SHR teammate Aric Almirola in the final qualifying run of the afternoon with a lap of 181.822 mph around the 2.5-mile Daytona high banks – a difference of less than two-tenths of a second between the two. It’s Briscoe’s first pole position of the season and second in his three-year tenure in NASCAR’s premier series.

It certainly comes at a crucial time in the season, with one position still to be settled for the 16-driver playoff field that begins its 10-race run to crown a NASCAR Cup Series champion next week at Darlington Raceway. The outside pole position equaled the Florida native Almirola’s best qualifying effort of the season – which came this spring at the other superspeedway in Talladega, Ala.

“It’s exciting,’’ Briscoe said. “To be able to win the pole at Daytona is special no matter what car you’re driving. To be able to say I’m leading the field to green in a Cup race at Daytona is a pretty cool thing to be able to say. It’s a testament, honestly, to everybody at Stewart-Haas. It’s no secret, it’s been a rough season for us, and to have all four cars in the top 10 and to lock out the front row is super important for us and a turning point, and hopefully, one of us can win tomorrow.

“You can start on the pole and be 30th by lap 20, there are so many variables,’’ Briscoe conceded. “But I will say with this new car, track position is more crucial than ever before.

“Being on the pole,’’ he added, “you have a great opportunity from the standpoint of starting position, but you just have to go execute … and that’s what we have to focus on.’’

Wood Brothers Racing’s Harrison Burton, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs rounded out the top 10 – four of the five drivers at the head of the grid needing a victory Saturday night to move into playoff contention.

Without a new season winner, Wallace could potentially point his way into the title chase. He currently holds a 32-point advantage on the Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Gibbs. Of course, a win is his ticket through, too.

Equally as compelling a story as those that qualified well were the handful of playoff hopefuls who will have to start deeper in the field.

Trackhouse Racing driver Daniel Suárez, who is 17th in the standings – just behind Gibbs – qualified 22nd. And seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver Chase Elliott will roll off 23rd in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Elliott is currently ranked 19th in the playoff standings – a healthy 101 points back after missing seven races due to a combination of injury and a one-week suspension from NASCAR.

“I still don’t think it matters a whole lot,’’ Elliott said of qualifying at Daytona. “I do think track position matters at some point during the day, and we saw that in the [Daytona] 500 here. I crashed there early on, but the part of the race I was in, I felt like everybody was stuck. We couldn’t go anywhere. I was looking around, and there were times during the race I was like, he’s trying to go forward and can’t.

“I think the more the cars are the same as time has gone on, it’s hard to be different. … then it puts all the emphasis on the little stuff. How fast are your pit stops? How much gas you got in it? How good’s your restart? All the itty-bitty little things become much larger pieces of the puzzle when the cars are just more and more the same, especially when you’re running around here wide open.’’

“There’s still a little bit of a difference,’’ he added. “Whether it’s the driver, the car or a combination of both, I still think a guy can make himself stand out.’’

Ford dominated the qualifying session, with seven cars among the 10 that advanced to the final round. NASCAR Xfinity Series’ regular Riley Herbst qualified sixth fastest in the No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford. Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was seventh fastest, followed by the Fords of Penske Racing’s Ryan Blaney and the SHR teammates Ryan Preece and Kevin Harvick.

Among the grid’s top 10, only Larson and Blaney have victories. Harvick is the only other driver among that group to have secured his playoff bid – pointing his way in. The retiring driver of the No. 4 SHR Ford still hasn’t scored a win in his farewell season.

“It would definitely shake up the playoff field for sure, and everybody loves an underdog,’’ Briscoe said of possibly winning from pole Saturday night.

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin qualified their Toyotas 13th and 19th, respectively. Truex leads Hamlin by 39 points in a duel for the regular-season championship, which gives the champ a 15-point bonus for the playoff.

Defending Coke Zero 400 race winner — Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon — will start 21st.

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 25, 2023) – National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (“NASCAR”), and FanDuel, the premier online gaming company in North America, today announced a multiyear partnership that makes FanDuel an Authorized Gaming Operator of NASCAR®. As an Authorized Gaming Operator, FanDuel has been granted the rights to use certain NASCAR marks and will collaborate with NASCAR to create and promote engaging betting experiences, including odds integration into NASCAR’s fantasy platform.

“Partnering with FanDuel, a best-in-class sports gaming company and iconic brand in the space, is a huge win for NASCAR and its fans,” said Joe Solosky, NASCAR managing director of sports betting. “We can’t wait to work with FanDuel to deliver our fans more engagement opportunities and expand our sports gaming offerings.”

MORE: Play Fantasy Live | Cup Series schedule

NASCAR entered legal sports wagering in September 2020 when it became the first league to partner with the American Gaming Association. Since then, sports betting on NASCAR has increased exponentially as betting operators saw a 51.5% increase in the total amount of money wagered on NASCAR in 2022 compared to the previous year. From 2021 to 2022, FanDuel saw a 70% increase in NASCAR bets placed on their platform leading to an 88% increase in handle showing the continued growth in engagement opportunities for fans through betting.

“We see the potential in sports gaming offerings around NASCAR and are committed to further engaging its fans with the heavy-passing, side-by-side racing action on the track,” said Clifton Ma, strategic partnerships, vice president at FanDuel. “We’re thrilled to partner with the premier racing organization in North America and continue to grow its presence in the sports gaming space.”

In addition to its partnership with NASCAR, FanDuel has brought on NASCAR on FOX Analyst and racing icon Clint Bowyer as a FanDuel Ambassador. Bowyer will help engage race fans by promoting FanDuel NASCAR offerings.

FanDuel is currently available in 19 states that offer mobile sports betting, including Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

All players must be 21+ to place a legal sports wager. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Brandon White

Brandon Ward has long carried a reputation of being one of the most versatile competitors in the southeast.

From the moment he took his first national checkered flag in a NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2001, Ward has figured out how to win in nearly every type of car in which he has competed. This includes Late Model Stocks, the USAR Pro Cup Series and Modifieds.

On Saturday night, Ward obtained one of the most noteworthy accomplishments in southern Modified competition by adding his name to the prestigious list of track champions at Bowman Gray Stadium that includes Tim Brown, Burt Myers, Junior Miller and many more.

A Winston-Salem, North Carolina native, Ward had long been familiar with the lore surrounding summer Saturday nights at Bowman Gray. His championship campaign from 2023 now has him permanently intertwined with the track’s storied history.

“Any championship you can win is always a big honor not only for yourself, but your entire team,” Ward said. “The track is in my hometown, but I spent a lot of years not even racing there because I was traveling with different touring series. To win a championship there is such a big accomplishment for me.”

Despite having plenty of experience on his side when he first started racing at Bowman Gray a decade ago, nothing could have prepared Ward for what the Madhouse provided.

Bowman Gray’s flat, quarter-mile layout frequently forces drivers to abandon traditional race craft for more aggressive, on-track tactics. Different formats ranging from 25 lap sprints to 200-lap endurance features only further emphasize the importance of finding great track position to gain as many points as possible.

Previously competing in different touring divisions gave Ward an advantage in the longer Bowman Gray events, but the shorter races required a brief adjustment period. It did not take long for Ward to get acclimated to Bowman Gray’s electric environment, and he gradually became a favorite for wins in the Modified division.

A stellar 2022 season gave Ward and New Day Motorsports plenty of optimism about grabbing their first title this year, but everyone within the organization knew it would take more than just winning races to accomplish that goal.

“To race for a championship, you have to complete every lap and be consistent,” Ward said. “In the past, we could win some races [at Bowman Gray], but we also fell out of some races over there. In 2019, we won four races but were barely top five in points. We’ve made an honest effort to chase points the past couple of seasons, and it’s been a good effort.

“We fell a little bit short last year and that was motivation going into this year.”

Despite not winning a race, a stellar final six-race stretch from Brandon Ward enabled him to secure his first Bowman Gray Stadium title. (Photo: Erick Messer)

After falling to fifth in the standings during the second half of the year, Ward accumulated five consecutive top-five finishes to rapidly close the gap on the points leader Brown heading into the season finale.

The Monday leading up to the finale saw Ward deliberate with co-owners Jeff Day and Kevin Powell about how to approach everything. Powell said there was plenty of confidence prevalent in the speed of their No. Q104 Modified, but he knew circumstances outside of their control could easily curtail any championship hopes.

“Historically we’re very good in the long races, so we thought we had a good chance of winning,” Powell said. “But we were also warned there could be some extra dynamics going on with some people who might want to wreck our car and take shots at Brandon. That’s part of the show at Bowman Gray that might cost us the championship.

“It was a little bit nerve-wracking, but it was also the calmest I had ever been watching a race at Bowman Gray. I knew we were going to be OK.”

Powell’s optimism did not betray him. After J.R. Snow intentionally damaged Brown’s car following an on-track incident between them, all Ward had to do was maintain second behind Myers to secure the illustrious Bowman Gray Modified championship.

Ward was disappointed to see a great fight between him and Brown get settled by another driver seeking revenge. He added the 11-time track champion has always raced him fairly since his first race at Bowman Gray, and that it was honor to best one of the facility’s greatest drivers for his first title.

Aside from Ward, Danny Bohn is the only other driver without the last name of Brown, Myers or Miller to earn a Bowman Gray track championship since 1996. It took Ward more than a decade just to get one title, but his grueling quest helped him gain more appreciation for everything those three sacrificed to enjoy so much success.

“Being a champion at Bowman Gray means so much,” Ward said. “There’s not a lot of people who have done it, so you have true respect for what Tim [Brown] and Burt [Myers] have done for the last 20 years. It’s not easy over there, and it makes you realize just how tough everything is, even for those two.”

RELATED: Career stats for Brandon Ward

For Powell, Ward finally being able to hoist a Bowman Gray championship trophy served as a culmination of not only a season-long goal, but one that started when Ward initially teamed up with him and Day many years ago.

A broken scapula for Powell is what led to Ward making his first Bowman Gray Modified appearance. Since then, New Day Motorsports has become a household name at the facility, with Ward and Powell having developed a close bond that extends far beyond race weekends.

With a championship under their belt, New Day Motorsports seeks to add onto their growing legacy at Bowman Gray Stadium. (Photo: Erick Messer)

Powell is proud of everything New Day Motorsports has accomplished and hopes their 2023 championship is the first of many to come.

“I picked Brandon to drive my car because he’s a great driver and he exhibits the same type of characteristics I do as a person,” Powell said. “There are a lot of famous names at Bowman Gray we could have tapped, but Brandon was an unknown at Bowman Gray, and the way he handled himself outside of the car spoke volumes to me.

“I love him just like he’s my own, and he honestly feels like my adopted son. I can’t see us doing anything outside of what we’re currently doing.”

Earning a Bowman Gray track title was Ward’s first championship of any kind since grabbing a UARA STARS Late Model Series crown in 2006. He plans to cherish his accomplishment for as long as he can while he chases more victories around the southeast to close out the year.

When April comes around, for Ward, it will be right back to focusing on Bowman Gray. He who believes he and New Day Motorsports can build off the momentum from the end of 2023 and claim another championship.

“I wish we could have started the year off where we’re at now,” Ward said. “There were so many new things that happened at New Day Motorsports this year with us having a two-car team, building two new cars and bringing in new people. This was going to be a rebuilding year, so to come out the first year with a title after so much restructuring was amazing.

“Going into next year, we’re going to be even further ahead than where we were starting out this year.”

Ward knows the Bowman Gray legends like Brown and Myers are going to be chasing him in 2024 with the goal of adding on to their own legacies. With an organization like New Day Motorsports behind him, Ward is confident he can keep adding on to his own.

Posted on August 25, 2023August 26, 2023 by Kobe Lambeth

Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway

(⏰ Saturday, 7 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC, Peacock | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona, the 26th points-paying race of the 2023 Cup Series campaign.

Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | Daytona 101

📍 Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
📐 Track length: 2.5 miles
🎟️ Buy tickets: Find weekend passes, seats for the race
💰 Cup Series race purse: $8,778,583
📏 Race distance: 160 laps | 400 miles
🔢 Stages: 35 | 95 | 160
—
🚪 Entry list: Cup Series drivers entered
📋 Starting lineup: Briscoe leads the field
🚗 Pit stall assignments: See where drivers will pit
🏆 Most recent winner: Austin Dillon, summer 2022

Key things to watch 🔑

Friday’s sessions

Seven Fords crowded the top 10 during Friday’s final qualifying session at the superspeedway, and no blue oval showed more speed than Chase Briscoe, who will lead from the pole for only the second time in his NASCAR Cup Series career. Following Briscoe on the front row was Aric Almirola, with Harrison Burton, Bubba Wallace and Ty Gibbs rounding out the top five. | Read the full qualifying recap

Big story line

Who will claim the 16th and final spot in the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs? With one race remaining in the regular season, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace currently holds the final playoff spot ahead of Saturday night’s regular-season finale under the lights at Daytona. Following a strong day of picking up valuable stage points and a 12th-place finish at Watkins Glen, Wallace is 32 points above the elimination line. The first five out are Ty Gibbs (-32), Daniel Suárez (-43), AJ Allmendinger (-72), Alex Bowman (-96) and Chase Elliott (-101). However, Wallace, Gibbs and Suárez are the only three drivers who can mathematically advance on points. Everyone else below Suárez in points will need to win the Daytona summer race for any shot at advancing to the postseason. A total of 17 drivers will be fighting for the final spot in the field of 16 that will fight for the 2023 Cup Series title. Seven of these 17 drivers have past wins on drafting tracks. Knowing how unpredictable and intense the racing can get at Daytona, it will almost surely be a race of survival to see who is the last one standing from this group. | Preview Show: Daytona provides final shot to make playoffs

History tells us…

There is a chance of getting a first-time Cup Series race winner. In the last 10 Daytona races, five drivers got their first career Cup Series wins: Erik Jones (2018 summer race), Justin Haley (2019 summer race), William Byron (2020 summer race), Michael McDowell (2021 Daytona 500) and Austin Cindric (2022 Daytona 500). Superspeedways such as Daytona give more drivers an opportunity to win compared to most weeks. Drafting tracks bring the competition closer and tight racing allows for a surprise winner to emerge. One driver in the hunt to make the postseason and looking for his first win at NASCAR’s premier level is Ty Gibbs. Winning his first Cup race at the World Center of Racing on Saturday night would come at the perfect time for the rookie driver, who is seeking a playoff berth in his maiden season. Gibbs has clicked off five consecutive top-15 finishes, giving the No. 54 team some positive momentum heading into a high-pressure, leave-it-all-on-the-line situation to cap off the regular season, which the Joe Gibbs Racing driver hopes will end with a playoff berth. | Relive William Byron’s first Cup win in 2020 Daytona summer race

He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for…

Bubba Wallace. Surprisingly, Wallace’s odds opened at 20-1 for Daytona (improving to 14-1 by race day). Considering that superspeedways are typically his best tracks, seeing the No. 23 Toyota running upfront on the high banks of Daytona should not be a surprise. With three runner-up finishes on the 2.5-mile high-banked oval, Wallace will try to do one spot better on Saturday night by getting a win at one of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks. If there is a repeat winner at Daytona and Wallace avoids a catastrophic points night, the 23XI Racing driver can make the playoffs without needing a win. Despite the 32-point cushion at the moment, winning the 400-mile Florida race will have to be at the top of Wallace’s mind. The No. 23 team certainly has the speed and talent to seal the deal at Daytona, but their fate will come down to avoiding chaos on the track and fully executing every aspect of the race with minimal mistakes. | Analysis: Bubba Wallace pads playoff cushion with ‘exceptional’ effort

Talkin’ Trophies 🔍

In this installment of ‘Talkin’ Trophies’, we explore the origins of the Harley J. Earl trophy that is handed out to the winner of the Daytona 500.

Familiar favorites ⭐️

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• At-track photos: All of the best photos from the action-packed race weekend | Scroll through gallery
• Bubble Watch: Seventeen drivers fight for one playoff spot | All comes down to Daytona
• Paint Scheme Preview: See the schemes for Daytona-2 | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. goes for Daytona double as playoff countdown looms | Latest driver rankings
• Stacking Pennies: Corey LaJoie discusses Bubba Wallace’s approach to racing at Daytona on the playoff bubble and more | Listen to the podcast

💎 NASCAR 75: Learn more about the history of the sport, from pioneers to current stars | Visit NASCAR 75 hub

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy and Fan Rewards.

• Fantasy Live: Participate in interactive gameplay from week to week | Choose your lineup
• Fan Rewards: New in 2023, get rewarded for your participation | Learn more
• NASCAR BetCenter: Don’t miss your chance to make picks each week | Visit the BetCenter
• Going the distance: 2023 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

🔮 Advance to Victory Lane: Racing Insights projects the finishing order

Posted on August 25, 2023August 25, 2023 by Staff Report

Saturday night marks the final race in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series regular season. Seventeen drivers will vie for the final playoff spot when the green flag drops for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock, NBC Sports App).

As Daytona International Speedway levels the battlefield, any of the drivers listed below can clinch their way into the 2023 postseason. Here are some notes on the drivers going for the 16th playoff position, courtesy of Racing Insights.

✅ DRIVER ABOVE ELIMINATION LINE

BUBBA WALLACE

Points above: 32

Trending: Cold

Daytona outlook — Hit or Miss: Wallace is one of the top superspeedway racers at the Cup level. His first career win came at Talladega in the fall of 2021 and he’s finished runner-up twice in the Daytona 500 (2018, 2022). But his results have been on and off recently, wrecking out in both this year’s Daytona 500 and at Talladega in the spring.

☣️ ON THE BUBBLE

TY GIBBS

Points below: 32

Trending: OK

Daytona outlook — Cold: Gibbs’ top-five run at Watkins Glen kept him within striking distance of the 16th playoff spot. The math checks out for him to still point his way in but given Wallace’s prowess at superspeedways, Gibbs will need to manage his way to the front as soon as possible.

DANIEL SUÁREZ

Points below: 43

Trending: Hit or Miss

Daytona outlook — Cold Until 2023: Suárez has scored a top-10 finish in three of the four superspeedway races this season with the most recent being a runner-up finish in the rain-shortened night event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

🚩 MUST-WIN SITUATION

AJ ALLMENDINGER

Trending: Watkins Glen Snapped Cold Streak

Daytona outlook — Hot: In what may come as a surprise, Allmendinger has five consecutive top-10 finishes at Daytona. He finished sixth in this year’s running of the Daytona 500 and he’s got a teammate known for getting it done on superspeedways.

ALEX BOWMAN

Trending: Mostly Cold

Daytona outlook — Hit or Miss: Hendrick Motorsports knows how to qualify at the front of the field at Daytona but it’s the consistent results that have yet to show on the 2.5-mile oval. However, Bowman placed fifth in this year’s Daytona 500, which is his best result at the track.

CHASE ELLIOTT

Trending: Hit or Miss

Daytona outlook — Cooling off: Like Bowman, Elliott has a good chance to start toward the front of the field Saturday night. He owns two career runner-up finishes at Daytona and won two races at superspeedways last season.

AUSTIN CINDRIC

Trending: Cold

Daytona outlook — Hit or Miss: Cindric won the Daytona 500 to begin his rookie campaign but has yet to find Victory Lane in the Cup Series since. He’s also finished outside the top 10 in the last four superspeedway races.

JUSTIN HALEY

Trending: Cold

Daytona outlook — Cold: It’s surprising that Haley has yet to produce the superspeedway results at the Cup level that he did in Xfinity but that can all change Saturday night. Haley snagged the Daytona summer trophy in 2019.

RYAN PREECE

Trending: Cold

Daytona outlook — Hit or Miss: Having a skilled superspeedway teammate in Aric Almirola always helps but Preece has yet to produce steady results on this discipline with five straight finishes of 24th or worse at superspeedways.

ARIC ALMIROLA

Trending: Cold

Daytona outlook — Mostly Cold: Almirola knows how to run up front at superspeedways. He was less than half a lap from winning the Daytona 500 in 2018 and scored his first career Cup win at Daytona in 2014. If he can stay out of trouble, don’t be surprised if Almirola is the one to steal the final playoff spot Saturday night.

COREY LAJOIE

Trending: Cold

Daytona outlook — Cold: Mark down LaJoie as another driver that can steal the final playoff spot if he keeps his No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet clean. He has four straight finishes of 14th or worse at Daytona but did finish fourth at Atlanta in the spring.

ERIK JONES

Trending: Hit or Miss

Daytona outlook — Cold: Around this time last year, the No. 43 Legacy Motor Club team found a spark that propelled them to a Southern 500 win but weren’t in the playoffs. Jones has won at Daytona before and if he can steal the final playoff spot Saturday night, it could have him shocking the NASCAR world once again when the playoffs begin at Darlington.

AUSTIN DILLON

Trending: Cold

Daytona outlook — Hit or Miss: Austin Dillon is the defending winner of the regular-season finale after escaping the Big One unscathed last season. He was among those at the front in the closing stages of February’s Daytona 500 so there’s a good chance Dillon can pull off back-to-back shockers.

MORE: Racing Insights predicts regular-season finale results

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Holly Cain

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to action at Daytona’s big track following back-to-back weeks of high-drama, road-course style racing. The Wawa 250 powered by Coca-Cola takes center stage at Daytona International Speedway on Friday night (7:30 ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

There are still three races remaining to set the 12-driver 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff field – but much to the pleasure of race fans, these drivers have been competing as if each race was a cut-off event.

RELATED: Xfinity standings | Daytona schedule

Sam Mayer claimed last week’s win at the Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International road course with a full-contact overtime restart knocking the day’s most dominant driver and defending series champion Ty Gibbs from the lead. Mayer took the lead position from Gibbs after the contact and held off Sheldon Creed to claim his second career victory in the series in only the last four races.

It’s worth noting, Gibbs, a full-time Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender in the NASCAR Cup Series, will not be back in the Xfinity Series this week at Daytona, rather in his stead will be 2011 Daytona 500 winner, Trevor Bayne, driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Last week’s race was as impactful for the top of the championship standings as it was for those drivers competing for the last playoff position. Austin Hill – who won the series’ February season-opener at Daytona – holds a slim nine-point lead over John Hunter Nemechek for the regular-season title and all-important 15-point playoff bonus. Both drivers had action-packed days on the Watkins Glen road course with Hill being collected in the final restart and finishing 14th and Nemechek taking a hard-earned sixth-place finish.

Jeremy Clements is the defending summer race winner at Daytona; however, Hill has won two of the last three Xfinity Series events there – both February races in 2022 and 2023. They are the only two current full-time drivers with a past Daytona trophy. NASCAR Cup Series regular Justin Haley – who has a pair of Daytona Xfinity Series wins – is the only other former winner who will be competing in Friday night’s race.

Should Hill, driver of the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, win Friday night he would be only the second driver ever to sweep both Daytona races in a season. NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. is currently the only one to accomplish the feat (2003).

Eight drivers have already clinched a position in the playoffs with victories, including Nemechek – who boasts a series-best four wins – plus Hill, Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Mayer, Chandler Smith, Sammy Smith and Jeb Burton.

Josh Berry, Creed, 2021 series champion Daniel Hemric and Riley Herbst are currently inside the playoff points cutoff. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver Herbst, however, holds only a slim three-point advantage over Big Machine Racing’s Parker Kligerman. Herbst was sixth in the Daytona season-opener, and Kligerman was 23rd.

This marks a rare race weekend when the series will not have practice but instead qualify right away. Qualifying is set for 3 p.m. ET on Friday and the session will air at 4 p.m. on the USA Network.

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Holly Cain

The 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs resume this weekend with the Clean Harbors 175 at the Milwaukee Mile Speedway on Sunday (4 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). This is the second race in the seven-race playoff run to crown the series champion.

Ty Majeski earned his first win of the season in the playoff opener at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park two weeks ago to claim the automatic bid into the second round of postseason action.

This marks the series’ first race at the famed Milwaukee Mile Speedway since 2009 – an event won by NASCAR Hall of Famer and multi-time Craftsman Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr.

MORE: Truck playoff standings | Milwaukee weekend schedule

The event included a 16th-place finish by three-time series champion and current playoff contender Matt Crafton – the only current full-time series driver to have competed there previously. Crafton was runner-up to Johnny Benson Jr. in 2008 – one of five top-10 finishes in nine starts. Crafton, who is ranked ninth among the 10 playoff drivers, is two points behind rookie Nick Sanchez in that all-important eighth-place transfer position to the Round of 8.

Regular-Season Champion Corey Heim holds the playoff standings lead just ahead of Majeski (+3 points), followed by Christian Eckes, Carson Hocevar, defending series champion Zane Smith, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes and Sanchez.

Crafton and first-time series playoff contender Matt DiBenedetto are ranked ninth and 10th – two points and three points, respectively, behind Sanchez in an already-tight playoff run.

“It’s going to be a challenge, for sure,” said Eckes, the two-race winning driver of the No. 19 McAnally Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet.

“Not many people have raced at Milwaukee recently, so there’s not much of a notebook to look at other than some visual similarities to Gateway or Phoenix. We’d love to get another win with our Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet and we’re certainly capable of that.

“Hopefully, we can take another step forward from how we ran at IRP and Gateway earlier this year and be one of the trucks to beat this weekend. Another great points day like we had at IRP would be great to help us get close to advancing, but getting back to Victory Lane is the priority for our team.”

Qualifying for the Clean Harbors 175 takes place at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday (FS2) followed by the race at 4 p.m. ET on FS1.

Five-time Olympic speed skating gold medalist and Wisconsin-native Bonnie Blair will serve as the race Grand Marshal.

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 24, 2023) – NASCAR® and nVenue announced today a groundbreaking multi-year partnership to develop in-race micro-betting markets and predictive content for race fans nationwide. As part of the agreement, NASCAR will work with nVenue, an innovative micro-betting technology company, as an official micro-betting data and technology provider.

NASCAR’s active commitment to fostering innovation and enhancing the fan experience, combined with nVenue’s specialized technological expertise, has strategically positioned the collaboration for a resounding success.

MORE: Cup Series schedule | Daytona weekend schedule

“This collaboration epitomizes a shared vision to entertain fans and enhance the race viewing experience,” said Joe Solosky, NASCAR managing director of sports betting. “We are thrilled to pair our racing product with expert technology like nVenue’s to bring micro-betting to NASCAR fans going forward.”

As an official micro-betting partner, nVenue will collaborate directly with the league to design and develop in-race odds for delivery to NASCAR fans via sportsbooks and operators. Unlike traditional betting markets focused on the end-of-race outcome, in-race markets will include unique betting windows such as stage results, qualifying, pit-road betting opportunities and more. nVenue will leverage official live racetrack data along with historical race data points to generate predictions and odds for each race and driver. These newly developed betting opportunities present thousands of additional ways for fans to engage throughout a single race.

“nVenue is thrilled to partner with the NASCAR team to build the future of in-race betting and live engagements to delight fans for years to come,” said Kelly Pracht, CEO and Co-Founder of nVenue. She continued, “It is a terrific match: nVenue brings the real-time predictive sports platform designed for micro-bets and media, and NASCAR brings the mind-share and reach of a league ready to innovate leveled-up fan experiences. We predict this industry-first collaboration will be significantly beneficial not only for sportsbooks and media, but also for NASCAR’s base of knowledgeable, and new fans.”

Posted on August 24, 2023August 24, 2023 by Cameron Richardson

It’s time to set the field for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series postseason. There’s still a lot to be decided, including the battle for the regular-season championship between Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin, playoff position among drivers currently locked in, and half of the field with eyes on the 16th playoff spot.

Before cars hit the track this weekend for Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock, NBC Sports App), check out trends to watch, important info on Goodyear tires and interactive ways to follow all the action.

17 DRIVERS, ONE PLAYOFF SPOT ☝️

Fifteen drivers have already been locked into the 2023 Cup Series playoffs, leaving just the 16th and final transfer spot to be clinched Saturday night at Daytona. In total, 17 drivers will vie for the spot Bubba Wallace provisionally holds by 32 points over rookie Ty Gibbs.

The rest of the field eligible for the final playoff berth are: Daniel Suárez, AJ Allmendinger, Alex Bowman, 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, 2022 Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric, Justin Haley, Ryan Preece, Aric Almirola, Todd Gilliland, Corey LaJoie, Erik Jones, Austin Dillon, Harrison Burton, Chase Briscoe and Ty Dillon.

MORE: How the playoff picture looks heading into Saturday

SENSING THE WEATHER 📡

Ahead of this weekend’s races at Daytona, NASCAR has deployed four permanent sensors around the 2.5-mile facility, with one outside each corner of the speedway. Using learnings from last year’s Cup Series regular-season finale, the sensors should help determine whether a caution flag will be thrown prior to the rain hitting the racing surface. When a rain drop hits the sensor, it will trigger a reading in NASCAR’s internal system, notifying officials of precipitation in the area.

James Gilbert | Getty Images

📉 TRENDS TO WATCH 📈

— Four of the last five winners of the summer Daytona race got their first win of the season.

— Five past Daytona winners are not locked into the playoffs: Austin Dillon, Austin Cindric, Justin Haley, Erik Jones, Aric Almirola.

— Toyota is winless in the last six Daytona races.

— Chevrolet won eight of the last nine drafting track races.

(Via Racing Insights)

DAYTONA SUMMER CLASSICS 🎥

1984: Richard Petty wins 200th Cup race in photo finish | WATCH

2001: Dale Jr. wins in return to Daytona after his father’s death | WATCH

2007: McMurray outduels Kyle Busch in photo finish | WATCH

2020: William Byron scores first Cup Series victory | WATCH

ON-TRACK SCHEDULE 🗓️

Friday, Aug. 25

— 5:05 p.m. ET: Qualifying (USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App)

Saturday, Aug. 26

— 7 p.m. ET: Coke Zero Sugar 400 (NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Peacock, NBC Sports App)

MORE: Full weekend schedule at Daytona, Milwaukee

RULE CHANGES/GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES 🛞

The GEICO Restart Zone returned to its 2022 dimensions after being extended for this season’s first five races.

Goodyear will run the same tire setup that has been used at Daytona and Talladega since 2022. Teams will be allotted one set of tires for qualifying and an additional six sets for Saturday night’s race.

NASCAR implemented safety updates to the Next Gen car.

Along the right-side door bars and extending toward the rear clip, teams are mandated to run a steel plate in addition to the chassis adjustments made for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The right-side door bar gussets and the removal of the front clip V-brace are changes that remain, in addition to the removal of other front-clip components, to create a softer and larger crush zone for frontal impacts.

Also included in the updates are front bumper strut softening (modifications to existing parts), the requirement of an empty front ballast box and a modified cross brace. NASCAR incurs the cost of all these updates.

In the event of a lost wheel that is contained to pit road, the offending team will be subject to a pass-through penalty under green-flag conditions. If the infraction occurs during a caution period, the offending team will restart at the tail end of the field.

If the wheel breaks free outside of pit road, the new rules guidelines mandate a two-lap penalty plus a two-race suspension for two crew members. Each penalty is series-specific: Violations in one series will not impact those crew members’ eligibility to participate in other series.

RELATED: See rules changes for 2023

FAN REWARDS 🫵

Fans can get in on the action all season long with NASCAR Fan Rewards, a free program that rewards fans for participating in the action when they watch races and play NASCAR Fantasy.

There’s no cost to join. Fans must be 18 years or older to participate in the program.

Earn points by checking into a race from home or at the track, setting your Fantasy Live lineup, making purchases on the NASCAR.com shop and more. Points can be redeemed for race tickets, merchandise and VIP experiences at the track, including pace car rides and waving the green flag at qualifying.

JOIN TODAY

FOLLOW THE RACE 📲

NASCAR Mobile has now added support for fans to “Follow the Race” and access live leaderboard and race information from Live Activities in the current app release (v13.2.0), available now. Android users, we didn’t forget you — the same functionality has been custom-built for Android devices, as well.

How to access Live Activities on iPhones:

Make sure your iOS device has been updated to 16.1 or higher.
Available on the leaderboard of all NASCAR Series races.
Click on the three-dot menu near the top right of screen.
Select “Follow the Race.”
Swipe up to access the home screen and you will see the Live Activities at the top.
Lock the device and you will see Live Activities on the Lock Screen.
To turn off, simply visit the leaderboard, click the three-dot menu and “Unfollow the Race.”

FANTASY LIVE 🏆

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which is open now. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts by garaging a driver by the end of Stage 2, and there is a $25,000 prize for the winner.

How to play: Fantasy Live | Set up a team today!

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM 💻

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement to the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Adam Fenwick

John-Michael Shenette’s road to Saturday night’s CheckeredFlag.com 150 at Langley Speedway was neither short nor straight. His tale is one of dedication and determination to chase a goal that seemed out of reach.

The 37-year-old from Thompson, Connecticut has dreamed of racing on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour since he was 10. Almost three decades later, he will realize that dream when the green flag flies at the Hampton, Virginia NASCAR Home Track.

The moment will not be lost.

“When I was younger, [the Modified Tour] was the division that was always untouchable,” Shenette said. “It was a goal I never once thought I could obtain and achieve.

“At 37, I kind of looked at the bucket list of things I haven’t checked off in my life, and I thought, ‘That’s the one I need to go do.”

Shenette started racing when he was 7; his parents purchased his first quarter midget car at a Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park swap meet. He said racing “has been a passion on and off” ever since that day, depending on when the family was able to fund his racing efforts.

Shenette raced that quarter midget at Little T Speedway located behind Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. From there, he progressed to racing Super Late Models across the Northeast.

Fast-forward to 2016. At this point married, Shenette was still pursuing his racing dreams. He and his wife Nicole decided to move to North Carolina in search of a better climate, additional racing opportunities and a more fulfilling life.

“When I moved to North Carolina, I quit my job,” Shenette said. “I moved on my 30th birthday. I’d had enough of the corporate world up North, and I said enough is enough.”

The couple packed their bags, loaded Shenette’s race car into an enclosed trailer and made the drive south from Connecticut. Within a few days of arriving in North Carolina, Shenette raced at the now-defunct Concord Speedway.

John-Michael Shenette racing his super late model at Hickory Motor Speedway in 2016. (Photo: Adam Fenwick)

Many things went Shenette’s way over the years that followed, but his racing opportunities became few and far between. He eventually sold his race car back to Dale Shaw, the man who built it, with the agreement that he would lease the car and race it occasionally in the Northeast.

His last race to date came in 2019 at New Hampshire’s Claremont Motorsports Park in that very race car. But the event didn’t go as planned. A violent crash at Claremont left Shenette reassessing his priorities.

“I popped an ear drum; it was a tough race,” Shenette said. “My daughter at the time was 6 months old. My wife watched the wreck on television from home in North Carolina. She kind of freaked out, and I said, ‘I’m not doing this. Not with a 6-month-old child at home.'”

Shenette took a hiatus from racing so he could focus on his family and business. He’s since enjoyed a successful career; he owns a general contracting company that has given him the freedom to enjoy life the way he sees fit.

Yet buried at the back of his mind remained Shenette’s dream of racing on the Modified Tour. That dream returned to the forefront when he took a trip to Bristol Motor Speedway in 2021 to watch the NASCAR Cup Series Food City Dirt Race.

“I went with my dad,” Shenette said. “I walked into Bristol and, no joke, I got butterflies and choked up a little bit.”

That’s when Shenette decided to live his dream, and he was going to do it on his terms. He began the process of acquiring everything he would need, including a new race car from LFR Chassis and an engine from Tony’s Competition Engines in Albemarle, North Carolina.

TICKETS: Claim seats for Saturday’s CheckeredFlag.com 150 at Langley

The process took more than two years, but Shenette is finally ready to race a Modified.

“Ten-year-old me didn’t think I was talented enough to go race the Whelen Modified Tour,” Shenette said. “Thirty-seven-year-old me doesn’t even think about that. My path is very different. I didn’t get discovered at a race track or anything like that. The chances of that actually happening are very slim.

“My path — and I always knew this — was if I went to school and got a degree and worked hard, and I went out there and built a business and all that, then I could do whatever I want. I knew my path to racing was success in the classroom.”

Shenette heads to Langley this weekend as confident as he’s ever been, but he knows he’ll face some growing pains during his first Tour race. He’ll work through those unknowns alongside crew chief Scott Morin, as well as his spotter Angel Jaime, his father John Shenette and fellow crew members Mark Connolly and Stephen Robinson.

“I’ve never raced a Modified,” said Shenette, whose car will carry sponsorship from Heintz Performance and his own business, Eight-Two Services General Contractor. “We’ve practiced it a bunch of times. But I truly do believe with the car and the people we have, we can bring this car to the track on Saturday and compete — and compete really, really well.

“If you want to go race with the best, you go race with the best.”

In addition to racing at Langley Speedway this weekend, John-Michael Shenette also hopes to race with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at North Wilkesboro Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)

Beyond Saturday’s race at Langley, Shenette hopes to join the Modified Tour for two more races this year, the Brushy Mountain Powersports 150 at North Wilkesboro Speedway and the season finale at Martinsville Speedway.

Shenette wants his story serves as inspiration for anybody who still yearns to make a career for his or her self in racing. That includes his 5-year-old daughter, who has already informed her parents she has big plans for her future.

“I get to watch my daughter grow up, and she told me the other day — I don’t know whether she’s going to do it or not — she told me she doesn’t want to grow up and go to college,” Shenette said. “She wants to be a professional race-car driver. That’s what she told me and her mother. I was like, ‘Well, if that’s truly what you want to do, then we’re going to try and make something happen.’

“It’s hard work. It’s understanding how cars work, and it’s understanding how to set up a race car and understanding the nuts and bolts and pieces that go into making it so that you can go build a lifestyle that allows you to go racing.

“If it’s truly a passion, find ways to get involved. Become a spotter, become a crew member, jump on a team. Just be around the sport, soak it in, learn as much as you can. Then go bust your ass to go figure out how to make it work for you.”

Once Shenette realizes his dream and races his Modified at Langley, he’ll embody that mindset.