Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway
(⏰ 10 a.m. ET | 📺 CNBC, Peacock, NBC Sports App | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona, the final regular-season event of the 2022 campaign.

Race-day info 📝

Where: Daytona Beach, Florida
🚨 UPDATE: Saturday’s race postponed to Sunday
Approximate start time: Sunday, 10 a.m. ET | Updated weekend schedule
TV/Radio: NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio | Full TV schedule
The purse: $8,312,719
Forecast: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 3 p.m. ET, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 160 laps | 400 miles
Stages: 35 | 95 | 160
Pit-road speed: 55 mph
Caution car speed: 70 mph
Daytona 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup (Qualifying canceled): Where drivers will start Sunday
Pit stalls: Where drivers will pit on Sunday

Key things to watch 🔑

Big story line

It all comes down to this. One race. Through 25 races in the regular season, there have been 14 winners advancing to the playoffs (Kurt Busch, the 15th winner, is out after 23XI withdraws waiver) leaving two coveted spots up for grabs on Sunday. For Ryan Blaney, sure, he moves off the cutline with Martin Truex Jr. slotting in there. But with the usual unpredictability that comes with racing at the “World Center of Racing,” even a solid points day may not be enough. Everyone behind Blaney and Truex will be aiming for the only way they can make it in: a win. Easier said than done, but the numbers favor one of the winless to get the job done on Sunday. Fourteen winners. Fifteen winless drivers each trying to join them. Expect Sunday’s showdown to have a finish for the ages. | Full playoff outlook | Scenarios for final playoff spots

Who’s hot? Who’s not? 

Last year in the regular-season finale, Ryan Blaney won in overtime. Heading back to Daytona needing a win, the numbers say it is one of his best chances of the season. Blaney has been remarkable here of late, reeling in four finishes of sixth or better in the last five races and leading laps in nine of his last 11 trips to Daytona Beach. For a race with a lot of uncertainty, one thing is for certain: the No. 12 Team Penske bunch will likely be a top contender at the finish.

On the other side of the team shop, Joey Logano has been uncharacteristically off the pace at the Florida superspeedway. Logano has six consecutive finishes outside the top 11, and though he has led laps in 10 of the last 12 Daytona races, he only has one win to show for it (2015). Logano’s aggressive driving style always puts him in contention to win at the plate tracks. But more often than not, it has led him to trouble. Three of his last six races here have ended with DNFs.

Driving under the radar

After a season full of unexpected twists and turns, could Sunday be the day that RFK Racing takes center stage? If you look all the way back to the Duels at Daytona earlier this season, you will remember how dominant the No. 6 of Brad Keselowski and No. 17 of Chris Buescher looked at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Keselowski and Buescher swept both Duels, bringing home an impressive double podium for the newly restructured team. But since then, the organization has not made many strides to get back to Victory Lane. Of the two, Keselowski’s experience and resume on superspeedways, though mostly at Talladega Superspeedway, always have him in the conversation. If one of the RFK drivers is able to pull off a win, it would be one of the story lines of the entire season.

A view of the sun setting behind the grandstands at Daytona.
Mike Ehrmann | Getty Images

Race-day staples ✅

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

• Paint Scheme Preview: Summer schemes for Daytona | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Blaney off the bubble and on the rise this week | Updated driver rankings
• NASCAR betting: Odds for 2022 Daytona summer race | Underdogs, value bets
• Fantasy Fastlane: Expect chaos in regular-season finale | Top plays, sleepers
• Bubble Watch: Playoff outlook after Watkins Glen | Read more

Catch the pack 💨

Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.

• Inclement weather: Qualifying canceled at Daytona, lineup set by rule book | Read more
• Kurt Busch out: Veteran driver will miss playoff opener, 23XI Racing withdraws waiver | Read more
• Aric Almirola: Back again, staving off retirement to return in 2023 | Read more
• Greg Ives: No. 48 crew chief to step down at end of season | Read more
• Noah Gragson: Primed for another opportunity with Beard Motorsports at Daytona | Read more
• Daniel Suárez: Trackhouse Racing re-signs 2022 winner to new deal | Read more
• Larson vs. Elliott: Larson says positive talks had after Watkins Glen | Read more
• Lightnin’ Epton: Ticket office at Daytona re-named for 102-year-old | Read more
• Joey Logano: Team Penske, Logano reach a new contract extension | Read more
• Martinsville test: Cup Series drivers recap two-day tire test | Read more
• Truck Series news: Craftsman returns as title sponsor | Read more

Get in on the action 💰

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

• The Action Network: Familiar long shot bet for Daytona? | Read more
• Fantasy show: Picks, predictions for Sunday morning | Watch the segment
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ
• Going all the way: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Destiny at Daytona ⭐️

If you win here, you’re remembered forever. Take a look at some of the remarkable memories over the years.

• Winner, winner: All-time summer winners at Daytona | See them here
• Remember this?: Memorable moments from Daytona’s summer races | See them here
• Last year: Ryan Blaney bests the field in overtime | Full 2021 race recap
• Race 26: Seven drivers to race themselves into the final playoff position | See them here

Fast facts ⏩

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• All 2022 race winners are locked into the playoffs.
• Thirteen of the last 17 races at Daytona or Talladega were won by drivers getting their first win of the season.
• Fifteen drivers can still mathematically make the playoffs with a win. You must be top 30 in points.
• The pass for the win came in the final 10 laps in 14 of the 25 races in 2022.
• Seven of the 16 drivers that won in 2021, including part-time driver AJ Allmendinger, have yet to win in 2022.

Say what? 🎙

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

• “Daytona is interesting. It hasn’t been one of my better tracks, but I really enjoy going there. In the Daytona 500 this year, we had a really strong car and led laps, won the first two stages and were feeling good about things. Then, we had an issue on pit road and had to go to the back and we were swept up in a crash. To me, the strategy at Daytona is to just try to stay up front as much as possible or as close to the front as you can and hope that when the big crash happens, it’s behind you. That’s really the strategy; the only strategy is to try to stay up front. For us, as much of a wild card race as this is, I think we’ll have a good shot at winning, and it’d be a great time to get our first superspeedway win with everything on the line. It’d be quite a story.” — Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

• “After 17 seasons on the road and making countless memories, I’ve decided to step away as crew chief at the end of 2022. There are many reasons, but the most important one is the chance to focus on my family and spend more time with our kids as they grow up.” — Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

• “I think my commitment and my effort to performing at the highest level has never changed, and so I think the biggest thing for me is just looking ahead into the off-season, where I was like, ‘All right, once we get to the off-season I’ll be able to catch my breath and we’ll figure out whatever is next.’ I don’t for right now have to figure out whatever is next. I know what’s next. I’m gonna continue to drive a race car. I’m looking forward to it and I’m excited about it, but you have to remember I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’m going into my 12th season next year. It’s pretty routine, so from a mindset standpoint nothing really changes.” — Aric Almirola, on returning to the No. 10 Ford of Stewart-Haas Racing in 2023

Posted on by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Aric Almirola announced his return to Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 10 Ford on Friday, reversing course on retirement plans with a multiyear deal that includes an extension for primary sponsor Smithfield Foods.

Almirola indicated that he would be back in a Friday press conference at Daytona International Speedway, site of Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (10 a.m. ET, CNBC, Peacock, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM). He’s one of several drivers who will make a late bid for a spot in the Cup Series Playoffs in Daytona’s annual 400-miler.

Almirola had announced Jan. 10 that he would end his full-time career in the Cup Series at season’s end. He is in his 11th full season of Cup Series competition and his fifth with Stewart-Haas Racing.

RELATED: Aric Almirola driver page | Stewart-Haas Racing team page

Friday’s announcement confirmed the 38-year-old driver will be back for 2023 and beyond, and the team indicated that Almirola has found ways this season to achieve a better work-life balance on the circuit, spending more time with his wife, Janice, and his children Alex and Abby.

“Our family dynamic has changed.  Things have changed and it just feels right,” Almirola said.  “It feels like a blessing and a wonderful opportunity to continue to do what I love to do, and I think I made that very clear when I announced that I was gonna retire and that I wasn’t retiring because I didn’t enjoy racing anymore, I was retiring because I was willing to make a sacrifice for my family because, ultimately, my family is the most important thing to me.  Winning races and making money and all of those things, I was willing to make that sacrifice to make sure I was being the husband I needed to be and the father I needed to be, and through this year Janice and I just found a wonderful balance to where I still can be the husband that I want to be and the father that I want to be and we did some really cool stuff this year.

“I forgot just what a wonderful opportunity it is to be a race car driver.  Not only do I get to do what I love to do, but we get to travel around the country and go to all sorts of different cities, so we took that opportunity this year. ”

The extension with Smithfield continues one of the longest-running partnerships in the Cup Series garage. The Virginia-based food company first connected with the driver in 2012 during his tenure with Richard Petty Motorsports, and that relationship continued when Almirola moved to the No. 10 Ford in 2018.

“I think that’s one thing, for me, that has been just a huge blessing personally and professionally,” Almirola said. “Smithfield has been the primary sponsor on my race car my entire Cup career and so to continue to have their support and their backing is just an awesome feeling to be their guy and to be wanted.”

MORE: Key players in Silly Season

Almirola is a three-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, with his first victory scored at Daytona for the Petty organization and the rest coming during his time with SHR. His most recent triumph came in July 2021 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

This season, Almirola ranks 18th in the Cup Series standings, and he will need to win Sunday to reach the 16-driver postseason grid. His immediate future with playoff eligibility is uncertain, but his long-term future is secure.

“All of us at SHR are very happy to have Aric back in our Smithfield Ford Mustang,” said team co-owner Tony Stewart. “I’ve always admired Aric because he’s always working to better himself, to find a better way. This year is proof of that. We’re in a tough sport, in terms of the competition and in terms of the commitment it takes to compete at this level. Even with all that, Aric has found a way to compete and enjoy life. That sounds simple, but achieving it is hard, yet Aric makes it look simple. It’s one of his many attributes, and it’s one of the many reasons why he’s such a good fit for Smithfield and for us. I’m proud of him and proud to extend our partnership with Smithfield.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Friday’s qualifying sessions at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series were canceled due to inclement weather. The fields for both series were set in accordance with the NASCAR Rule Book.

RELATED: Cup starting lineup | Xfinity starting lineup

Kyle Larson will start on the pole in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for the Cup Series’ Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Sunday (10 a.m. ET, CNBC, Peacock, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM). Larson is coming off a victory at Watkins Glen International, his 18th career Cup win and his second of the season.

AJ Allmendinger will start on the pole in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet for the Xfinity Series’ Wawa 250 powered by Coca-Cola on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM). Allmendinger leads the Xfinity Series in points with four regular-season races remaining.

MORE: Cup Series race postponed

Heavy rain and lightning came through the Daytona Beach area mid-day and were forecast for the afternoon hours.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

Daytona Beach, FL — NASCAR and Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK), the world’s largest tool company and a leader in outdoor equipment, today announced American tool icon CRAFTSMAN® will return as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Truck Series beginning in 2023. After serving as the series’ title sponsor from its inception in 1995 to 2008, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will make its homecoming at Daytona International Speedway on February 17, 2023.

Stanley Black & Decker will further expand its presence in the sport, entering into a multi-year partnership designating the company and its iconic brands as the “Official Tools Partner of NASCAR” and “Official Tools” of all NASCAR-owned and operated tracks.

“We celebrate the return of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series,” said Doug Redpath, President of Hand Tools and Storage for Stanley Black & Decker. “From proud homeowners and homebuilders to auto enthusiasts and master mechanics, CRAFTSMAN has been the brand generations have trusted to get the job done. The Truck Series represents authentic, bold and proud drivers and fans, which embody the same characteristics of our CRAFTSMAN brand. We look forward to our return in Daytona in 2023 to reunite with our loyal fans as we begin this new chapter in NASCAR history.”

A Craftsman Truck Series logo and paint scheme
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series title sponsorship includes exclusive brand integrations on vehicles, crew uniforms, tracks and more in addition to the branding of the Triple Truck Challenge and Championship Race entitlement. It will also serve as a platform to support the launch of new products, amplify seasonal promotions, and highlight the many ways CRAFTSMAN is building pride.

As part of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Title Sponsor announcement, representatives from NASCAR and Stanley Black & Decker revealed a CRAFTSMAN Toyota Tundra truck at Daytona International Speedway alongside current Truck Series driver Zane Smith and inaugural Truck Series champion Mike Skinner.

Stanley Black & Decker Named the Official Tools Partner of NASCAR

With a mission to celebrate those who make the world, paired with an enduring partnership history with NASCAR, Stanley Black & Decker and its brands such as CRAFTSMAN, DEWALT and MAC TOOLS will be put to work across all NASCAR locations. The company’s tools will be highly utilized from the pit crews during the big race, to the teams responsible for constructing new racing facilities across the country, generating unrivaled enthusiasm on and off the track.

“Stanley Black & Decker is an innovative company that has a rich history in our sport and these new agreements connect our brands in an authentic and meaningful way,” said Daryl Wolfe, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer at NASCAR. “We know NASCAR fans are brand loyal and recognize how important tool performance is in racing. We are excited to see how this official partnership deepens the connection with our racing community while also bringing back CRAFTSMAN, the brand that started it all in the Truck Series.”

As an Official Partner, Stanley Black & Decker has exclusive NASCAR Marketing and Promotional rights and becomes a member of the NASCAR Fuel For Business Council.

Craftsman Truck Series Trophy
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios
Posted on by Zack Albert

Editor’s note: Daniel Suárez will be spotlighted in USA Network’s new unscripted series “Race for the Championship” airing this fall. The first episode is Thursday, Sept. 1, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Watch the trailer here.

___

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Trackhouse Racing announced Friday that Daniel Suárez will return to the No. 99 Chevrolet for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Suárez is in his sixth season at the Cup Series level, and has spent the last two years with the No. 99 Trackhouse team, which is co-owned by Justin Marks and Pitbull. The 30-year-old Mexico native scored his first Cup Series win in June, driving to a dominant victory at Sonoma Raceway.

Suárez had indicated in recent weeks that the deal was imminent, saying that he was in the final stages of reaching a contract extension. Hours after Friday’s announcement was revealed through Trackhouse’s social media channels, Suárez said that his sole focus was on re-signing.

“This the first year in my Cup Series career that I didn’t talk to anyone else,” Suárez said, adding that the extension was for one year. “That’s how confident I was about this. I mean, when they reached out to me to start having a conversation with a contract, I told then I didn’t want to hear about it yet, because that was already before Sonoma and I was so focused on winning races. I knew it was close. I didn’t want distractions.

“So you know, Trackhouse has been amazing to me. We have worked together extremely well. I’ve been with Trackhouse since it was on paper. So it’s been a lot of fun, and I think we’re gonna continue together for a while.”

Trackhouse entered Cup Series competition in 2021 with Suárez as its sole driver. The organization expanded this year after the purchase of Chip Ganassi Racing’s NASCAR assets. As a two-car operation at the dawn of the Next Gen era, Trackhouse has flourished with three wins this season – two for teammate Ross Chastain, added to Suárez’s Sonoma tally.

Both have clinched berths in the 16-driver field for the Cup Series Playoffs, and Chastain said he was eager to make the most of the continuity for Trackhouse’s driver roster.

“Yeah, I mean, he got a head-start on me at Trackhouse. He was the guy that bought in first, right? And so now it lines up with, I’ve got my contract that goes through next year. So we’re lined up on that and yeah, it’s great. It’s just, we’ve got a good thing. We don’t want the water to shake too much and too many waves, so it’s only going to help me, selfishly, and the end of the day, that’s got my best interest in mind.”

Posted on by Cara Cooper

After finishing second in his race division in 2018 and third in 2019, Alex Brock looked well on his way to a championship at Dominion Raceway.

But the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to the 24-year-old’s race career. His family owns a restaurant in Virginia, not far from Woodford, where his home track of Dominion is located. Brock was forced to take two seasons off to help his family through the pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, he raced a total of four times.

“That was kind of a heart break for me,” Brock said.

This year, Brock teamed up with Virginia’s Sellers Racing, owned by defending NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I national champion Peyton Sellers. Not only is Brock back at the track full-time, he’s showing no signs of rust after taking time off.

RELATED: Dominion Raceway’s track schedule

Brock is now racing in Dominion’s Virginia Racer Late Model class, because he said “It’s a lot more affordable, we’re able to run more races, and we’re not having to purchase more tires every week.”

He won the first race of the season, and three of the last four for five total victories this season. He currently leads the points in his division at Dominion by more than 40, and he’s also currently tops in the Virginia state championship points, and second in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division III Southeast Regional points.

“It’s incredible,” Brock said of his season. “Our team, we’ve hunkered down, we found out what the car needs, and we’ve been able to go out there every race being consistent and taking them one at a time to get these races won. It’s incredible.”

Alex Brock
Eric Winslow, left, and Alex Brock, right (Photo: KMF Photography/Courtesy Alex Brock Facebook)

Fans and officials at Dominion have given Brock the nickname “The Brocketship” for the speed he’s shown this season.

A lot of people have asked Brock if it was difficult physically to get back in the car after two years – not just for one race but having the endurance to make it through an entire season.

Thankfully, he said, for him, getting back into racing felt like nothing.

“I got right back into the car,” he said. “My first test session we were right there running pole times and everything. We were right there, right out the get-go. Nothing had changed for me.”

Even though he wasn’t racing himself, Brock was still at the track every week for the last two years working with the late model team of Sellers. He learned a lot from working with the national champions, and, most importantly, was able to gain their trust to bring him in as part of the team.

The biggest thing Brock has learned from his time working with Sellers is car control and management, and making the right changes on the car to be there at the end of the race.

Every week, HC Sellers or Brock’s crew chief, Eric Winslow, will call the Brocks and tell them what changes they think need to be made ahead of that weekend’s race. The Brocks will then make the adjustments at home.

“It’s one whole package that we come to the race track every week and we have a chance to win,” Brock said.

Brock and his dad Jimmy, who has been by his side for Brock’s entire 10-year race career, work on the car just about every night at their home with Brock’s best friend, Shannon Marano.

“We’re a father-son race team,” he said. “Me and my dad have been doing it since Day 1, and I want to make him proud this year.”

When Brock won on opening night this season, not only was it his first points win of his career, it was also the first win as a crew chief for Winslow, who has won many times as a limited late model driver, but never in the pits.

“For him to be a crew chief that has won races now is just something even bigger for all of us,” Brock said.

Brock wanted to thank his sponsors and partners for their help this season.

“It’s a huge blessing beyond measure,” he said. “All of my sponsors, my partners, everybody that works together with me to make this happen. I couldn’t do this without my team. A lot drivers take it for granted, but all the hard work happens in the shop.”

Brock’s goal coming into the season was to fight for his first championship. After finishing no worse than seventh in 11 races this year, that championship could turn into three. He called it the “Triple Crown of the Coast.”

“We have had our uphill struggles,” Brock said. “We went on a drought for about two months this year, but we finally reeled back in what we needed and we’ve just been picking them off one at a time.

“For me, as a driver being in racing for 10 years, I went from racing UCARs to this. It just shows that no matter how long it takes, it can happen. Never let your dreams get taken aside because one day it’ll all click and the stars will align.”

Racing will return to Dominion this Saturday with twin late model races, twin Dominion Stocks, Twin UCARs, Virginia Racer Late Models, Twin Mini Cups, Legends and Bandoleros, all beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

Posted on by Zack Albert

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As a part-time racer in the NASCAR Cup Series, Noah Gragson won’t figure into the playoff equation when the green flag flies on the regular-season finale Sunday morning at Daytona International Speedway. But the 24-year-old’s outlook is still full of opportunity for the team that gave him his first shot at the big leagues.

RELATED: Daytona weekend schedule | Playoff scenarios

Gragson will make his 11th Cup Series start in Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (10 a.m. ET, CNBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM), driving the Beard Motorsports No. 62 Chevrolet. Three of his Cup Series appearances have come with the small family-owned team, which focuses on entries in superspeedway events. His other eight Cup starts have come in a part-time role with Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevy team.

Gragson, a regular for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, says he’s aware of the stakes for multiple drivers outside of the playoff bubble as they try to make a late bid for one of the 16 Cup Series Playoff berths. But he’s also trying to make his best showing for team owner Linda Beard in one of the No. 62 team’s handful of races this season.

“I think you want to be considerate of those guys, but the most important thing for us is making it to the end of the race and then having a shot to win and really being smart,” Gragson said. “This year, trying to gain respect from the other competitors and not doing anything dumb – I think if we take that mindset, it doesn’t really change between playoff guys and non-playoff guys – it’s about getting that experience and getting that respect.”

The experience has been a boon as Gragson makes the next step in his NASCAR career. He was announced Aug. 10 as the next driver of Petty GMS Motorsports’ No. 42 Chevrolet, making the full-time jump to Cup after four full seasons in the Xfinity Series.

RELATED: Linda Beard shining as team owner

Gragson will be pulling double-duty this weekend, driving JRM’s No. 9 Chevy in Friday night’s Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (7:30 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM). He’s currently in the thick of the Xfinity playoff hunt — fourth in points and an established three-time winner this season. His Cup Series efforts this year have been a tougher go, with five DNFs in 10 races, but Gragson says the seat time he’s had between both teams have given him a head-start on 2023.

“I think the opportunity with Beard Motorsports and Kaulig Racing have helped,” Gragson says. “I know how raw I was getting into the Cup car to start the season and how much I’ve learned since then with more experience. That’s definitely been a big help. And with these guys having a full season under their belt this year, if I were to hop in cold turkey next year, it’d definitely be a lot more challenging. But just getting the understanding of the car and how they feel and the level of competition, all of that has helped.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Greg Ives announced on Friday that he will retire from his role atop the No. 48 team pit box after the 2022 season and will take another position within the company.

Ives has been a crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports for eight full-time seasons, inheriting the position with the No. 88 team when Steve Letarte left to become an analyst for NBC Sports. Ives won three races with Dale Earnhardt Jr. his first year in 2015, and 10 total so far in his time with Hendrick.

MORE: Daytona schedule | Points standings

Ives and driver Alex Bowman are coming off a four-win campaign in 2021, the highest in a season for both driver and crew chief and their first year together in the No. 48 shop. All told, the Ives-Bowman partnership will span five full-time seasons.

“It’s been a great ride,” Ives said Friday during a media availability at Daytona International Speedway. “But ultimately, it came to the point where I’m ready to be home with my family, go-kart and softball dad, and maybe even flag football coach.”

Bowman is one of 14 drivers who has qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs ahead of Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (10 a.m. ET, CNBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the regular-season finale at Daytona. All seven of his Cup Series victories have come in partnership with Ives, who Bowman has nicknamed “The Riddler” for his sometimes cryptic communications over the team radio.

“I don’t know anything different than Greg,” Bowman said, noting that the search for a new crew chief is ongoing. “So just trying to think about the things that are going to benefit me the most and think about kind of the leadership that I need and what can help me has been interesting. We’ve had a lot of conversations so far, and I’m excited for Greg and the fact that he’s not really going anywhere else and he’ll be close by at Hendrick Motorsports is really good as well.”

Before his promotion to the Cup Series, Ives spent two years as a NASCAR Xfinity Series crew chief, which culminated in a championship with driver Chase Elliott for JR Motorsports in 2014. He moved to Hendrick Motorsports the following season.

Ives shed some light about the scope of his new role with the organization, which he said should work closely alongside VP of competition Chad Knaus and fellow team leadership in Jeff Gordon and Jeff Andrews.

“Chad and I work well together, and he’s gotten into a lot of different things with Jeff Andrews’ move up to help support the company,” Ives said. “And I see myself somewhere in the middleman of different projects — any project to come up, making sure that they are successful, taking direction from Chad and Jeff Gordon and Jeff Andrews and whatever else Mr. H wants. There’s wasn’t really like, ‘hey, you’re directly in charge of this or that.’ It’s more like, you’re a guy that can provide performance for us and get our company where it needs to be in other things other than just crew-chiefing one team.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

With four races remaining to set the 12-driver playoff field, the NASCAR Xfinity Series shows up at Daytona International Speedway for Friday night’s Wawa 250 powered by Coca-Cola (7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) expecting a dramatic chapter in the 2022 championship story.

Two-time defending race winner Justin Haley will make his first Xfinity Series start of 2022 in a fourth Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. His presence as a race favorite will likely step up the intensity in a field still hotly contesting that regular season championship.

Going to Daytona, three-time race winner AJ Allmendinger carries a 61-point lead on rookie, five-race winner Ty Gibbs, who will do double duty — also driving Kurt Busch’s No. 45 Toyota in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race.

The duo atop the points finished runner-up (Allmendinger) and 27th (Gibbs) at Watkins Glen International last week, but neither of them has won on the 2.5-mile Daytona oval.  Allmendinger was runner-up in the last two Daytona races, finishing 0.023 seconds behind Haley in this race last year.

There are four former winners entered this weekend — Haley, JR Motorsports driver Noah Gragson (2020, spring) and the most recent winner Austin Hill, who took the trophy in the February season-opener. Joe Nemechek, who won this race in 1998 and 2002, will team with his son, John Hunter Nemechek, in a pair of Sam Hunt Racing Toyotas.

Former NASCAR Cup Series Daytona race winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will compete in the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet in a weekend double.

There is no denying the intensifying competition in the series. The top six drivers in the standings are all multi-time race winners. Beyond Gibbs’ five victories, Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier and Noah Gragson all boast three wins. Josh Berry and Hill have a pair of wins, and Brandon Jones has one trophy.

Sam Mayer, Riley Herbst, 2021 Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric, Landon Cassill and Ryan Sieg are currently safely inside the playoff cutoff.

Sieg holds a 39-point advantage on Sheldon Creed for the final transfer position. Sieg has three top-five finishes at Daytona, including third-place showings in 2013 and 2016. Creed, the 2020 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, finished sixth in February in only his second NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the track.

The Xfinity Series qualifying at Daytona is set for 3:05 p.m. ET on Friday and will be televised on USA Network. There are 43 drivers vying for 38 starting positions.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

The weekend we’ve all been waiting for is here.

The NASCAR Cup Series’ regular-season finale is set with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday (10 a.m. ET, CNBC, Peacock, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Tensions are high with limited room remaining in the 2022 edition of the playoffs. | Postponed from Saturday to Sunday

Get set for race No. 26 of the season here:

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Cup Series standings

ONE SHOT, MAKE IT COUNT

The NASCAR Cup Series will not practice for Sunday’s thriller, meaning teams will unload their Cup cars and immediately prepare for Friday’s qualifying (5:05 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). UPDATE: Qualifying canceled due to inclement weather | STORY

MORE: Paint Scheme Preview

DAYTONA STORY LINES

— Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. will qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs without a new winner on Sunday

— A new winner must be inside the top 30 in NASCAR Cup Series driver points to be eligible for the playoffs.

— Blaney enters with a 25-point advantage over Truex.

— Chase Elliott secured the Regular Season Championship in Stage 1 of last week’s race at Watkins Glen International.

— Rookie Austin Cindric won the Daytona 500, claiming his first career victory and spot in the postseason hunt in his eighth career start.

— Fifteen different drivers won through 25 races, tied for the third-most through 25 races.

— Kyle Larson’s 12 wins with Hendrick Motorsports are the most ever by a Hendrick driver through 61 starts with the team.

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

Goodyear returns to Daytona with the same tire construction used in February’s Daytona 500 as well as April’s race at the Talladega Superspeedway. Handling was a critical factor in the debut superspeedway race of the Next Gen era and is expected to be a difference-maker again this weekend.

Teams are also conscious of when they pit under green, being sure not to lose the draft when possible.

“Tire strategy has always been a part of racing at Daytona,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Multi-car teams, as well as teams from the same manufacturer, often try to align themselves coming off pit road so they can work together on the track, stay lined up and work their way to the front of the pack. Teams will have the opportunity to save time on pit road by taking two tires or even fuel only depending on the stint or how they are trying to line up with others they are working with. All that provides for many opportunities to mix up the field and produce exciting racing for the fans.”

HISTORY IN DAYTONA BEACH

— In the early 1950s it became apparent that due to growth on the beachside, the days of racing on the Daytona Beach and Road Course were numbered. Bill France Racing, Inc. was established in 1953 to secure the land and financing to build a new speedway in Daytona.

— The mammoth project to build the 2.5-mile superspeedway began on Nov. 25, 1957 and dream became reality with the first Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959.

— Ford has won each of the last three Daytona races. The last time a manufacturer won four straight races at Daytona was Chevrolet from July 2012 through February 2014.

— Two of the last three Daytona races were first time Cup winners (Michael McDowell, Austin Cindric).

— Only once has a stage winner gone on to win at Daytona — Denny Hamlin, who won the 2020 Daytona 500.

— The last eight superspeedway races were won by different drivers.

— Three of the last four July Daytona winners got their first win of the season.

Source: Racing Insights

BETTING ON A WILD-CARD RACE

The odds are rarely in anyone’s favor heading into a superspeedway. And with postseason hopes on the line, the aggression meter will be pegged come Sunday at Daytona.

Chase Elliott, the winningest driver of 2022 with four victories, is favored at 10-1 odds, according to BetMGM. But the Regular Season Champion has yet to win at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, earning his lone superspeedway triumph in 2019 at Talladega Superspeedway. Ross Chastain scored the Talladega win earlier this season and enters at 14-1 odds.

Those may be the right odds to chase, but perhaps with a different driver in mind: Bubba Wallace. Wallace is also listed at 14-1 odds but would be a wise bet at Daytona. He’s finished runner-up in each of his last two Daytona starts and earned his first career Cup win at Talladega in October 2021. Wallace has proven he can get it done at superspeedways, and there’s no better time to prove it than in the regular-season finale.

Need a longer shot? Consider Michael McDowell, whose 10 top-10 finishes this year double his previous career high set a season ago. McDowell is the 2021 Daytona 500 champion and continues to impress on every track type this season. At 33-1 odds, the No. 34 Ford may be the perfect sleeper.

MORE: Complete list of odds for Sunday

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 3, and there is a $25,000 prize for the winner.

The 2022 Fantasy Live points leaders are Chase Elliott (916), Kyle Larson (776) and Ryan Blaney (771).

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 in 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.