Posted on by Zack Albert

Noah Gragson announced his intent to be assertive in a pre-race interview, saying it was “checkers or wreckers” Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. With inside three laps left in the scheduled race distance and within reach of the former, the 22-year-old driver got the latter end of his either/or proposition.

RELATED: Race results | Weekend schedule

Gragson’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet led the field in the closing laps of Saturday’s Contender Boats 250 when the No. 13 Toyota of veteran David Starr bobbled into his path with an apparent issue on his MBM Motorsports entry. Starr’s No. 13 scraped the outside retaining wall, and the faster car of Gragson plowed into his back bumper, ending his day and sending the race into overtime for others to decide.

“You know what they can do is get these guys a (expletive) drivers license,” Gragson radioed his team after coming to a halt.

In Starr’s defense, he had rallied from the last-place starting position to run inside the top 15, clawing to stay on the lead lap when his trouble struck.

Gragson didn’t back down in his televised interview, which also pushed the boundaries of PG-13: “What are you gonna do? You got (expletives) in the way every single week,” he said. “But very thankful for Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops. It’s a shame. We’ve dominated the last three races, including this race, and have had stuff happen like that.”

RELATED: Heartbroken Gragson after Miami wreck: ‘It’s a shame’

Gragson started last season in the best way possible, prevailing in the Xfinity Series’ opener at Daytona International Speedway. This year’s first three races have been the opposite, with finishes of 32nd, 28th and Saturday’s 33th — all of which have him stuck in 27th in the series standings.

Adding to the ache: Gragson had made Miami’s well-worn 1.5-mile layout his playground in recent runs. In his last two Miami starts, he led the most laps each time but was forced to settle for top-five finishes. Saturday, his 34 laps out front ranked third in the field, but his late-race advantage was a commanding one before its derailment.

“Definitely a bummer,” Gragson said. “They know who won this race based off speed the last three times we’ve been here, and not meant to show it. But (crew chief) Dave Elenz and the rest of these guys, it’s really unfortunate, but there’s only one thing we know how to do and that’s rebound and keep our heads up and be thankful for the opportunity.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials have disqualified the No. 23 Chevrolet of Tyler Reddick for failing post-race inspection after Saturday’s Xfinity Series event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

RELATED: Official results

Reddick, a Cup Series regular, had driven the No. 23 to an apparent second-place result at the checkered flag in the Contender Boats 250. But his car failed the rear height requirement in post-race technical inspection, dropping Reddick to last in the 40-car field.

All other finishers move up one position, which elevates Brandon Jones to a runner-up placement behind first-time race winner Myatt Snider.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

Myatt Snider got his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory.

Noah Gragson got another heartache at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

With perfect execution from the inside lane on his second chance at an overtime restart, Snider held off charging Tyler Reddick to win Saturday’s Contender Boats 250.

RELATED: Official race results | Weekend schedule

For his third straight race at the 1.5-mile track, Gragson was close enough to taste victory, but it was his ill-fated crash with just over two laps left in regulation that set up overtime and Snider’s victory.

Reddick’s second-place finish didn’t stand, however. His No. 23 Chevrolet was disqualified after post-race inspection, because the ride height measured too low in the rear.

On the first attempt at extra laps, Snider spun his tires, and Reddick grabbed the lead before AJ Allmendinger spun toward the infield grass in Turn 1 to cause the eighth and final caution.

In the second overtime, Reddick returned the favor, and Snider pulled clear in the bottom lane. With a determined charge on the final lap, Reddick gained ground, but he was .085 seconds in arrears when Snider crossed the finish line in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

“Yeah, I guess I learned my lesson on that first restart, ‘cause I spun the wheels,” said Snider, who won in his 36th start in the series. “Then I saw Tyler spin the wheels on the next one, and I knew I might have a chance.

“Just a shout-out to all these RCR guys, (sponsor) Taxslayer, all these people that supported me over the years. It’s been a rough journey, but we’re here with a win, and I can’t complain.”

Reddick, who drives full time for RCR in the NASCAR Cup Series, was moonlighting with RSS Racing, making his first Xfinity start since winning his second straight series title at Miami in 2019.

RELATED: No. 23 of Tyler Reddick disqualified after failing post-race inspection

“I just needed to work better there with Austin Cindric (restarting fourth for the final overtime) on that restart,” Reddick said. “I don’t know if I just didn’t go when he was wanting me to, but it didn’t allow me to get a push — so that’s on me.

“He’s really good at pushing. So I’ve got to do better next time. But, hey, I’ll take second place. I work out with Myatt quite a bit. I’ve seen him progress a lot. I knew this wasn’t far around the corner. I was just hoping that it wouldn’t come here at Homestead when I was racing against him… I wanted to fight. I wanted to make it as hard as I could, but he just got me at the end there.”

Gragson was about two laps away from a redemptive victory when the No. 13 Toyota of David Starr — the last driver on the lead lap — blew a right-front tire and shot up the track into the outside wall and right into Gragson’s path.

RELATED: Watch Noah Gragson run into David Starr to lose lead

Gragson, who led 83 and 81 laps in last year’s two Miami races but failed to win either, couldn’t avoid the collision that destroyed his No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. At the time, Gragson led second-place Reddick by more than eight seconds.

“What are you going to do,” Gragson said after a visit to the infield care center. “We dominated the last three races here, including this one, and have stuff like that (happen). We were saving fuel. I was half-throttle the last 30 laps, and we were still pulling away.”

The first stage of the race was eventful — but not primarily for Stefan Parsons’ spin in Turn 4 on Lap 26 or for Daniel Hemric missing his pit stall under the resulting caution and knocking his tire carrier to the pavement.

What Stage 1 demonstrated with jarring clarity was the enormous value of fresh tires on the abrasive asphalt surface. AJ Allmendinger restarted 25th on fresh tires with 10 laps left in the stage and grabbed the lead from Kaulig Racing teammate Justin Haley eight laps later.

Allmendinger won the stage with Haley second after restarting 20th and moving into the lead on Lap 33 before surrendering the top spot to his teammate. Reigning series champion Cindric, on the other hand, stayed out during the caution, restarted in the lead on old tires and fell to 14th by the end of the 10-lap run.

Stage 2 was the mirror image of Stage 1. When fluid from Parsons’ car necessitated the third caution of the race on Lap 68, drivers who had stayed out under the Lap 26 caution to save a set of tires came to pit road — Cindric among them.

Allmendinger led the field to the restart with six laps left in the second stage. Cindric restarted 22nd and in less than three laps took the lead on the way to a stage win and a playoff point.

Pit stops followed at the end of the stage, on Lap 83, leaving almost all drivers on equal rubber for the final run, with two sets of sticker tires left in the pits. But in terms of track position, the exchange favored those who had pitted late in Stage 2 and charged to the front.

First off pit road during the fourth caution, Cindric led the field to green on Lap 87. But neither Cindric nor Allmendinger was a major player in the overtime. Brandon Jones finished second, followed by Hemric and Jeb Burton. Cindric, Haley, Brett Moffitt, Ryan Sieg, Jeremy Clements and Josh Berry completed the top 10.

Xfinity stalwarts Harrison Burton and Justin Allgaier were the first two drivers out of the race, Burton with and engine failure and Allgaier after contact with the Ford of Riley Herbst on Lap 98.

NOTES: Race winner Myatt Snider’s No. 2 Chevrolet passed post-race inspection at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The No. 23 Chevrolet of Tyler Reddick was disqualified after failing post-race inspection. The car failed the rear height requirement, dropping Reddick to last in the 40-car field after initially finishing second. The No. 8 Chevrolet of Josh Berry, No. 16 Chevrolet of AJ Allmendinger, No. 19 Toyota of Brandon Jones and No. 51 Chevrolet of Jeremy Clements each had one lug nut unsecured.

Posted on by Staff Report

The following article is brought to you by BetMGM.

After two straight races at Daytona, it’s time to get back to the stock-car basics.

Nothing will remedy it more than heading back to the bread-and-butter of NASCAR racing — a 1.5-mile track. The NASCAR betting odds are interesting.

RELATED: NASCAR Bet Center | See the betting odds for Sunday’s race from BetMGM

Homestead-Miami Speedway is a good bit more predictable than Daytona. Now, Greg Biffle isn’t ready to pounce on another Homestead victory. He’s been retired for several years. In fact, it’s not exactly clear who is the most dominant current driver at this south Florida track.

But one thing is for sure: Starting upfront is a massive advantage at any standard 1.5-mile-long track. In fact, the past four race winners at Miami have started in the top five. When it comes to the junior circuits, every Xfinity race winner since 2007 has come from the top 10 as well as every Camping World Truck Series winner since 2013.

It literally pays to start upfront. It is also clear that some of the age-old veterans perform well here. Welcome to 1.5-mile track racing in Dade County.

THE FAVORITE

Denny Hamlin +500

Hamlin won last year’s latest Homestead race and has three all-time victories at the once-a-year track. It only stands to reason that he’d be favored to do it again. Hamlin not only had eight top 10s in the past decade on this track, but he also leads all current drivers with three poles. On some tracks, nabbing a pole isn’t that important. This is one of those tracks where it’s imperative for success. Hamlin has a knack for making that happen.

Thanks to this year’s qualifying format, Hamlin is already on the pole for Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead. Joey Logano (+1000 odds and the 2018 race winner) will start second.

OTHERS: Not too far behind are Kevin Harvick (+600) and Kyle Busch (+1000). Busch won this race in 2019 while Harvick has the top average finish at the track over 10 races. Both are proven winners.

THE DARK HORSE THREAT

Austin Dillon +4000

There are so many ways to look at this. Could Austin Dillon come out of nowhere and win this after 7th- and 8th-place finishes the past two seasons? He’s not exactly a 1.5-mile track ringer, but at the same time, many of the old-time legends at these tracks have moved on to the world of retirement. There is a lot to consider with this.

OTHERS: It’s funny to call Chase Elliott (+550) a long-shot threat on any track, as he has been a favorite for a long time. But with three top 10s in five career Cup starts, he is an interesting guy to keep an eye on. He also was last year’s race runner-up. Kyle Larson (+850) is another guy to keep an eye on.

THE INTRIGUING LONG SHOT

Tyler Reddick +2500

Why are Reddick’s odds better than Dillon’s above? Good question. He has one NASCAR Cup race under his belt at Homestead, and he finished in fourth place last year. That coupled with his Xfinity wins in 2019 and 2018 should turn some heads. But at the same time? He wasn’t racing against the world’s elites when he pulled those victories off in NASCAR’s junior circuit. Just keep an eye on the young star.

OTHERS: Chase Briscoe (+8000) won one of last year’s Xfinity races at the track and he’s signed up to make a go at this. Don’t forget that Cole Custer (+8000) won the 2017 Xfinity race here, as has Daniel Suarez (+30,000, winner in 2016), who has four starts in the Cup series on this track.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Roughly 40 people total can list “NASCAR Cup Series driver” as their current occupation, which suggests it’s not the easiest gig to reach. Imagine turning the degree of difficulty dials up by more than a notch — removing the power steering, a flapped-up hood and a fluid-soaked windshield obscuring your view on one of the series’ newest and least familiar road courses. At dusk.

Chase Briscoe knows that all too well, saying he knew he’d face a certain learning curve when he embarked on his rookie Cup Series season. But last Sunday’s 32nd-place drive — last on the lead lap — at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course was an exercise in wrench-dodging.

“Once the hood flew up, I knew our day was pretty much over,” Briscoe said in a Friday media teleconference over Zoom. “I ran one lap trying to see kind of where I could stack up and then it got to where it was almost impossible to see and then just the steering was getting so stiff that it was hard for me to do anything, but it was tough. I was just trying to look out the left side and the right side.”

Briscoe’s initiation into the Cup Series has been a rocky one so far as he sits 27th in the standings after two races. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate, in his first season in Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 14 Ford, will attempt to rebound in Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

RELATED: Homestead weekend schedule | Cup Series standings

The 1.5-mile Florida track presents a change of pace from the superspeedway then road course combo that opened the season. But Miami also offers some encouragement for the 26-year-old Briscoe, who scored an overtime victory there last year as part of his stellar Xfinity Series campaign.

“It’s just a really, really well-built race track,” he said. “I wish we went there more than one time.”

Briscoe had endured visibility problems earlier in his career. He recalled a 2018 Xfinity Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway, where a dashboard panel had flown up and blocked his sightlines. Last weekend, his damage was compounded by steering loss, but also the spray of power-steering fluid that coated his windshield. The fact the car finished on the lead lap was a stroke of resilience.

That finish, however, combined with a crash-related result of 19th in the season-opening Daytona 500, has him staring down a 30th-place start in Sunday’s lineup at Miami. Briscoe said crew chief Johnny Klausmeier has made efforts to keep his spirits up, aiming to make methodical, bit-by-bit gains from that starting perch during the 400-miler.

With just two events complete in a 36-race season, there’s time to reach those longer-range goals. But if the opening two weekends taught Briscoe anything about his welcome to the Cup Series, it’s the competition level has increased.

“I think that’s been the biggest thing is just how many guys are just really, really good,” Briscoe said. “How many cars are really good and everybody that’s there is there for a reason and that’s been pretty eye-opening to me is just how tough it is to gain track position. The Xfinity stuff you could start in the back and you were gonna be able to be up front fairly quickly. The Cup Series there’s still guys that can do that, but it’s a lot tougher, so that’s been the biggest thing I would say has been most eye-opening to me.”

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Welcome to NASCAR, Antonio Williams.

The NFL running back released a video on Twitter late Thursday night that shares his backstory and reasons for partnering with Joe Graf Jr., driver of the No. 07 SS Green Light Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Their relationship began before the 2021 season began in February, as Williams became an official investor in Graf’s racing career.

The 2-minute video closed with: “YEAR OF THE UNDERDOGS. TO BE CONTINUED.” Friday afternoon, Williams and Graf announced Z Grills will sponsor Graf for several races this season, beginning at Phoenix Raceway on March 13.

RELATED: NFL’s Alvin Kamara supportive of NASCAR’s push for inclusion

Watch Williams’ full video below.

A product of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, Williams joined the Buffalo Bills in 2020. He was released on Aug. 5 — the day after his grandfather died, he shares in the video.

“Two uppercuts back to back,” Williams said. “Twenty-two years old, chasing a dream. But man, I was hurting. All I wanted to do was be around my family at that point.”

As he drove from New York to North Carolina, Williams thought about his grandfather’s legacy.

“His love for NASCAR, me growing up with him watching it continued to flash over and over in my head,” Williams said. “With the platform I have from the NFL, I knew I had a shot of getting something done I probably couldn’t have done before. I wanted to continue his push and love for NASCAR by finding a way to join the sport, and that led to this connection with Joe. That’s what started all this — the continuation of my grandfather’s legacy, the start of a great friendship and partnership and the growth of hunger to get back in Buffalo and get on the field.”

The Bills have since re-signed Williams.

Graf is two races into his second full-time season. He finished 11th in the opener at Daytona International Speedway, then 20th on the Daytona Road Course. He has one career win the ARCA Menards Series from 2018 at Berlin Raceway in Michigan.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ next event is Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway — the Contender Boats 250 at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Graf will fire off from the 16th starting position.

Williams isn’t the first non-NASCAR public figure to recently join the sport. NBA legend Michael Jordan and Grammy-winning superstar Armando Perez — a.k.a. Pitbull — are both team co-owners in the NASCAR Cup Series. NFL running back Alvin Kamara has sponsored an entry in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, as well. They’re all new for 2021.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 26, 2021) – NASCAR announced today a multiyear partnership with DoorDash, the nation’s leading last-mile logistics platform, that will designate it as the “Official On-Demand Delivery Platform of NASCAR.” The wide-ranging agreement will span across the sanctioning body and 11 NASCAR-owned facilities.

Over the course of their partnership, DoorDash and NASCAR, two of the fastest-growing brands with Gen Z consumers*, will collaborate meaningfully to empower local communities. Additionally, DoorDash will look to deepen its connection with race fans by bringing the DoorDash experience to NASCAR tracks over the coming years through highlighting local restaurants within racing communities.

2021 Feb26 Doordashsign Main“DoorDash is a category leader and one of the fastest growing brands in the country, their expanded presence in NASCAR underscores the incredible momentum being generated around this historic season,” said Frank Kelleher, senior vice president and chief sales officer, NASCAR. “Together, NASCAR and DoorDash are committed to giving back to the communities in which we race while drastically improving the fan experience at our facilities.”

DoorDash entered the sport in 2020 by announcing a partnership with NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace and a founding partnership of 23XI Racing. The DoorDash logo is prominently featured on the hood of the No. 23 DoorDash Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing, seen during the first two points races of the season at Daytona International Speedway.

“This partnership enables us to expand our engagement and build a further connection with the racing community, while activating against our values of diversity and empowering local communities,” said Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, DoorDash’s VP, Marketing. “We are committed to leveraging our platform and resources to create a more inclusive environment for racing fans in the coming years and look forward to working with NASCAR to create unique and authentic experiences for fans and food-lovers alike.”

As part of the relationship, DoorDash will also activate across NASCAR’s rapidly growing social and digital platforms. Additionally, eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series broadcasts will integrate DoorDash branding throughout the remainder of its season. DoorDash also joins the NASCAR Fuel for Business Council, bringing together an exclusive group of Official NASCAR Partners to construct business-to-business opportunities and co-marketing programs.

*Source: Morning Consult, 2020

Tune-in to the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and MRN.

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series is heading to Miami! Join us this Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on FOX for the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. NASCAR RaceDay pre-race action begins at 2 p.m. on FS1 before switching the coverage over to FOX at 3 p.m.

Sunday’s race is scheduled for 267 laps with Stage 1 ending on Lap 80 and Stage 2 on Lap 160.

RELATED: Homestead-Miami weekend schedule | See every Homestead-Miami winner

WHO’S ON THE POLE THIS SUNDAY?

Last summer, Denny Hamlin led 137 laps in the 2020 Dixie Vodka 400 en route to a dominating victory. This year, he gets to start right where he left off. Without qualifying for this weekend’s race, Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team’s metrics earned them their first Busch Pole Award of the season. See the full starting lineup.

BUY TICKETS

Limited tickets and special offers are on sale now for this weekend’s slate of races. Want to be a part of the race weekend? Visit the Homestead-Miami Speedway ticket site or sign up to participate virtually by using the NASCAR Mobile App.

MARVELOUS IN MIAMI

Only six active Cup Series drivers have made their way to Victory Lane at the South Florida track and just Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin have multiple wins there. Like Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick each raced their way to title-winning victories in Miami. Kurt Busch also has a win at the 1.5-mile track. In fact, Kurt Busch is the only of those drivers to win on the track prior to its repave in 2003.

Will one of these drivers continue the exclusive trend or will an outside contender have something to say about it? Perhaps another young star?

ODDS
Hamlin’s hot start to 2021 has the veteran leading the books at 5-1 heading into the weekend, according to BetMGM’s NASCAR betting odds. Chase Elliott at 11-2, Kevin Harvick at 6-1, Martin Truex Jr. at 7-1 and Kyle Larson at 17-2 fall in just behind to round out the top five.

RULES PACKAGE

The rules package for intermediate-sized tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to set a target of 550 horsepower. The cars will use aero ducts in addition to other aerodynamic devices to increase downforce. 

GOODYEAR TIRES

Cup Series teams have 10 sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for the 400.5-mile race. One of the most high-wear tracks on the circuit, Homestead-Miami presents an interesting challenge to teams looking to gain position on tire strategy throughout the race.

“Homestead has produced some of the best racing we have seen in NASCAR over the past several years,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing.  “As we have all seen, tires wear significantly at Homestead.  That leads to some cars being fast at the beginning of the run, while others are faster at the end of the run.  That’s all based on a driver’s ability to manage his tires – some guys are just better at that than others.”

NUMBERS TO KNOW

— This is the third time in Cup series history that the first two races of the season were won by first-time winners. The other two were in the first two years of the sport (1949, 1950).

— Of the drivers to win in the last six Miami races, only Denny Hamlin and Chris Gabehart are a current crew chief pairing. The duo won from first at Miami in 2020, making it the third time the race winner started on the pole.

— Alex Bowman and Martin Truex Jr. have both finished top 10 in the last four 1.5-mile races, the longest active streaks.

— Four of Ryan Preece’s seven career top-10 finishes have come in the last 10 races and he has already scored 74 points in 2021, a tally it took him eight races to reach a season ago.

Stats provided by Racing Insights 

FANTASY LIVE

Another week means another chance to beat the competition and show off your crew chief instincts. Take control of your very own team each week with NASCAR Fantasy Live — it’s free to play! Learn everything you need to know at fantasygames.nascar.com.­

2021 fantasy points leaders: Denny Hamlin (104), Joey Logano (85) and Kevin Harvick (75).

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.

New for this season, 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.

 

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Don’t be fooled: Steve Letarte has no intentions of returning atop the pit box full time.

The only reason he agreed to do so this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway is that friends at Spire Motorsports asked for his help. Ryan Sparks, crew chief of Spire’s No. 7 entry in the Cup Series, will be sidelined due to NASCAR’s COVID-19 protocols for Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 400 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Somebody else needed to help driver Corey LaJoie with the team’s Chevrolet at the track.

“While I guess I’m given this title of crew chief; I don’t want to diminish the role that all the crew chiefs throughout the garage area do 24/7, 365 to do their jobs,” Letarte said Thursday during a Zoom teleconference. “I’m by no means the crew chief of the 7 car. I’m filling in for one race and one day. It’s Ryan Sparks’ team. It’s Ryan Sparks’ car. It’s Ryan Sparks’ setup. All I’m really doing is managing the day and managing the race for Corey.”

MIAMI: Weekend schedule | Betting odds | Paint schemes

LaJoie is in his third full-time season at the sport’s top level, but this is his first year with Spire. He finished ninth in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway two weeks ago and then 31st at the Daytona Road Course last week.

Letarte joined as a consultant at Spire when co-owners Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr decided to upgrade into a two-car organization for 2021. The shop now houses the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolets. Letarte’s full-time job is with NBC Sports as an analyst.

NBC Sports takes over NASCAR coverage June 20 at Nashville Superspeedway.

“I don’t believe I’m going to carry a lot of knowledge from the booth to the pit box,” Letarte said. “What I’m really looking forward to — to be 100 percent honest — is everything I’m reminded and perhaps learn from the pit box that I can carry into the booth. I think that’s the direction information will flow.”

Letarte was a crew chief from 2005-14, with nine full-time seasons. He worked with Jeff Gordon (not during any of his four championship runs), Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Regan Smith (just two starts as a fill-in for Earnhardt in 2012). Letarte tallied 10 wins with Gordon and five with Earnhardt.

That was 218 races ago. Letarte is for sure going to be in communication with Sparks since he’s allowed to chat from home.

“Look, it has been six years,” Letarte said. “The sport has moved weekly, monthly, yearly. It moves so fast. This is more of a race-management role. I’m going to be leaning on Ryan and what he feels the correct adjustments match up with his car. The most important thing is to make sure I don’t create any story lines.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

Though only 22 years old, Santino Ferrucci already has a long history in motorsports, but none of that experience has come in stock cars.

A professional driver since age 14, Ferrucci spent two years as a test driver for the Haas F1 team, before turning to IndyCar full-time in 2019. That same year, he finished seventh in the Indianapolis 500 to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

In 2020, he ran fourth in the Indy 500. His only experience in a full-bodied car, however, was a super late model test for Fury Race Cars last year. Nevertheless, Ferrucci will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in Sam Hunt Racing’s No. 26 Toyota in Saturday’s Contender Boats 250 (4:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Santino Ferrucci joins Sam Hunt Racing for 2021 limited schedule

Last Saturday, Ty Gibbs won the Xfinity Series race on the Daytona Road Course in his first start in the series, but Gibbs had winning experience in stock cars in the ARCA Menards Series. Ferrucci doesn’t have that luxury. 

“It’s tough showing up at Homestead cold turkey,” said Ferrucci, who will compete in the next five Xfinity races. “But my knowledge as a race car driver will always remain from everything I’ve done in my career—how to look at building cars, how to set cars up, my feelings from driving, my knowledge of how to do pit stops, how to race. None of that will go away, which is nice.”

RELATED: Homestead-Miami weekend schedule

Ferrucci won’t even get a chance to drive the car until Saturday, though he has spent time in the Toyota simulator.

“I’ve only got to sit in the car a bunch of times,” Ferrucci said during a video conference with reporters on Tuesday. “I don’t even have my firesuit yet. It’s kind of a funny process, but we don’t have too many expectations going into Homestead. 

“You just want the car to come back in one piece, log some laps for us. We have five in a row, so there’s no sense in throwing away your first race trying to do something spectacular. It’s all about trying to be consistent and building up to it slowly.”

Ty Gibbs won’t be racing at Homestead this week. Another Ty — Ty Dillon — will be behind the wheel of the No. 54 Toyota Supra, assuring that Joe Gibbs Racing will have plenty of firepower. JGR’s Harrison Burton won the first of two races in one Homestead weekend last season, with the schedule compressed after a 10-week hiatus forced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Burton’s most formidable competition is likely to come from Team Penske’s Austin Cindric, who opened the defense of his 2020 series championship with a victory on the Daytona oval and ran second to Gibbs on the road course. As the current series leader, Cindric will start from the pole in Saturday’s race.