Posted on August 28, 2021August 28, 2021 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Coming to the checkered flag, Justin Haley nudged his No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet just ahead of his teammates A.J. Allmendinger and Jeb Burton in a thrilling three-wide finish in the Wawa 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday afternoon.

The blink-of-an-eye .023-second victory marked the fourth superspeedway victory for the 22-year-old Haley but his first win of the 2021 season. He has three wins on the Daytona high banks, also including one in a rain-shortened NASCAR Cup Series race here two years ago.

Allmendinger, who took the white flag in front of the field, may have just missed the race trophy, but he led the most laps on the day (29) and his runner-up effort was good enough to take the season driver standings lead by 17 points over defending series champion Austin Cindric, who was sidelined after a Lap 27 incident.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

Although Haley and Allmendinger’s third Kaulig Racing teammate Jeb Burton made it a three-wide photo at the line, JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier actually nudged just ahead in the middle to officially take third place. Burton was credited with fourth place, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Daniel Hemric, whose fifth-place finish was a massive comeback after his No. 18 was involved in the same early-race incident that took Cindric out.

NASCAR Cup Series regular Christopher Bell was sixth with Noah Gragson, Myatt Snider, Harrison Burton and Riley Herbst rounding out the top 10. Hemric, Harrison Burton and Haley all clinched spots in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs with their finishes today.

“This has just not been the best season, it’s been really, really hard on this No. 11 LeafFilter team all year,” said an emotional Haley, who teared up in car congratulating his crew after the checkered flag. “We’ve had a lot of bad luck.

“I was trying to formulate a plan there and obviously there were team orders. Hats off to Kaulig Racing. I think we’ve got the teammate thing down. It’s just so special to win here at Daytona.”

“I’ve won twice here and neither time did I get to see anyone [fans] on the front stretch, so thank you guys for being here,” he told the cheering crowd. “I love you”

The first 19 laps of the 100-lapper ran on Friday night, but Florida rain showers forced the Saturday matinee. The competition resumed, however, in the kind of typically flat-out, thrilling superspeedway storyline that NASCAR fans have become accustomed to.

“That was like the perfect photoshoot right there coming across the line for all the Kaulig Racing Chevys,” Allmendinger said with a huge grin. “Proud of my ‘son’ Justin Haley. He might be one of the best we’ve ever seen on superspeedways and Jeb did a fantastic job.

“I was just hanging on in the middle there. I thought we might get it [1-2-3 finish] but proud of everyone at Kaulig Racing.”

Haley and Burton won the opening two stages in an action-packed afternoon that had a great impact on the championship chase.

Cindric, the defending Xfinity Series champion and a series best five-race winner in 2021, has led the series standings all season. But he was involved in a five-car accident toward the front of the field on Lap 26 that eliminated him from the race less than a half-hour after it re-started.

Cindric’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford was hit from behind by Snider’s No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet entering Turn 1 sending a handful of cars into save-mode, with several – including top-10 finishers Hemric and Snider – suffering damage but returning to the race.

“Pretty upset for our Ford Mustang, two weekends in a row we’ve had race-winning capable cars and I’ve had probably a total of 40 laps in the last two weeks,” Cindric said. “Really frustrating to have that situation play out so early. It only takes one, sometimes.”

Coming into the Daytona race, Cindric held a 35-point advantage over Allmendinger. Now he trails by 17 with only three races remaining to set the 12-driver Playoff field.

The top-10 work by Herbst was significant in terms of the Playoffs. He came into the race ranked 12th, but was able to extend his lead ahead of Michael Annett (30th) and Brandon Brown (34th) who both had bad luck days at Daytona.

RELATED: Xfinity Series schedule

The Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 is next Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at the historic Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Allgaier won at the track this spring. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Brandon Jones, who finished last on Saturday after his Toyota battled overheating issues, is the defending race winner.

Note: Post-race inspection was completed without major issue in the Xfinity Series garage, confirming Haley as the winner. The No. 17 Chevrolet of JJ Yeley had one lug nut not safe and secure, resulting in a monetary fine to be announced in next week’s penalty report.

Posted on August 28, 2021August 28, 2021 by Staff Report

Before Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR will celebrate the legacy of NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Wendell Scott and present the Scott family with a trophy commemorating the driver’s historic victory on Dec. 1, 1963 at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida.

A native of Danville, Virginia, Scott was the first Black driver to compete full time in the NASCAR Cup Series and his victory in the Jacksonville 200 marked the first race won by a Black driver at the sport’s top level.

On that day in Florida, however, Scott didn’t get to celebrate his win and didn’t receive a trophy as part of the standard post-race presentation. At the end of the race, Buck Baker was flagged the winner and it wasn’t until the official scoring review that race officials determined Scott had won the event by two laps – with Baker finishing second.

On Saturday, nearly 58 years after Scott’s landmark victory, NASCAR is recognizing the achievement with the pageantry it deserves before thousands of race fans at Daytona International Speedway. And less than 100 miles from the site of the old Speedway Park in Jacksonville, NASCAR will present the Scott family a trophy.

“It’s quite an honor and a privilege to be here this weekend for this historic moment in time,” said Frank Scott, Wendell’s son. “I grew up at Daytona as a young teenager and a child and came here throughout my father’s racing career. It’s good to be back in this historic place.”

Frank and his three siblings will be joined at the track by a dozen family members including grandchildren and great grandchildren. On hand for the presentation will be Steve Phelps, NASCAR President, and Brandon Thompson, NASCAR Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion.

“NASCAR is honored and delighted to have the family of NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Wendell Scott with us here in Daytona in the presence of the industry and the fans as we celebrate and honor the legacy of Wendell Scott and everything he brought to the sport,” Thompson said.

“That historic moment (in 1963) wasn’t celebrated In the way that it should have been,” he added. “It is certainly one of the most iconic and monumental moments in American stock car racing history, but dare I say motorsports history.”

During a media availability on Friday, Warrick Scott, Frank’s son and Wendell’s grandson, addressed his grandfather’s contributions to NASCAR and what Saturday’s presentation means to his family.

“Wendell Scott’s legacy as a man is rooted in community and outreach,” Warrick Scott said. “The work that we’ve been doing for so many years, this moment crystallizes it. All things are possible. At this moment in time I think diversity is a really big topic, and Wendell Scott built a bridge for diversity, in the minds and ideologies for many people. We are blessed to be here in this moment.”

RacingOne

During his NASCAR career, Wendell Scott competed in 495 Cup Series races and scored 147 top-10 finishes. He died in 1990 and was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in the Class of 2015.

On Dec. 1, 1963, Scott won the third race of the 1964 season, a 100-mile feature on the half-mile Speedway Park. He started 15th and led 27 laps, finishing first in a field that included future Hall of Famers Baker (second), Richard Petty (fifth), Ned Jarrett (seventh), Joe Weatherly (14th) and David Pearson (16th).

While he achieved notable on-track success, much of Scott’s legacy in NASCAR is the multicultural drivers and crew members who came after him – many of whom found their path as part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program. As a rookie in 2018, Drive for Diversity graduate Bubba Wallace became the first Black driver since Scott to compete full time in the NASCAR Cup Series.

“We can talk about the legacy of Wendell Scott and everything he’s done for the sport, but at this point in time his legacy is felt more than anything else,” said Thompson. “To look around our sport and a community that’s becoming more diverse and inclusive, we can see and feel his impact every day.”

“I think any grandparent would want to see fruitful things take place in the lives of their grandchildren,” Warrick Scott added. “ … It’s been a wonderful opportunity for me to build out this understanding with NASCAR.

“Needless to say we are extremely pleased.”

Posted on August 27, 2021August 28, 2021 by Sean Montgomery

Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (⏰ 7 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s Cup Series regular-season finale, the 26th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2021 season.

Where: Daytona International Speedway, aka The World Center of Racing, a 2.5-mile track located in Daytona Beach, Florida
Starting Lineup: Kyle Larson will lead the field to green under the lights, accompanied by teammate William Byron on the front row. See the full lineup.
Green flag: 7:44 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Possible thunderstorm in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 80. East southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, according to NOAA.gov
Grand Marshal: Noah Lyles, Tokyo 2020 U.S. Olympic medalist and 200-meter world champion in track and field
Race Distance: 160 laps, 400 miles
Stages: 50 | 100 | 160
Pit-road speed: 55 mph
Caution car speed: 70 mph
Daytona 101: Get the full lowdown
Entry list: See who’s in the field
Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where | Expert breaks down pit-road selections

Mike Ehrmann | Getty Images

Five to watch

Here are five big story lines we’ll be following at Daytona:

1. We have reached the regular-season finale, meaning a driver will be leaving Daytona International Speedway with an incredible trophy in hand. The only question is: Will it be Kyle Larson or Denny Hamlin? Hamlin has had control over the season standings for most of the season to date, despite being winless. But Larson’s summer streak has put a halt to Hamlin’s reign and the N0. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver is in ideal position to secure the 15 bonus points for the playoffs that come with the regular-season championship. Heading into the finale, Larson leads Hamlin by 28 points — the largest deficit the veteran has faced all season. If there’s one thing we know about Daytona, it’s don’t count out Hamlin. See the full standings here.

2. The Cup Series playoffs’ Round of 16 looms large with 15 drivers already gearing up for a 2021 Championship 4 bid in Phoenix, Arizona later this year. Just one final race decides who moves on to the title hunt and who might need to regroup for next season. Richard Childress Racing teammates Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon have been locked in a friendly battle over the last few races, but Reddick’s grip on the final points position is still strong — plus 25 over the cutline. If history has any say, Dillon should be the most comfortable of the two, having already won at the daunting Daytona track. But pump the brakes. The battle for the final position isn’t just between the two RCR contenders, it extends much further below them. In addition to the RCR duo, if any driver in 17th through 30th position in the points standings gets a win, he is automatically in. The temperature in the field just got a little hotter. See the drivers locked in the bubble battle. | Explore the clinching scenarios.

3. Every time the Cup Series heads to Daytona, or any superspeedway for that matter, all eyes seem to turn to Denny Hamlin. How does he do it? How is he so consistent at the most unpredictable track type on the schedule? Hamlin has won two of the last five races at Daytona and has finished in the top five in six of the last seven superspeedway races. Another win at The World Center of Racing would give him four in his career, placing him in a tie for seventh-most all time. Needing a high-pressure win — which would shockingly be his first of the 2021 campaign — it all comes down to one of Hamlin’s best tracks. Already locked into the playoffs on points, the regular-season title honors (trophy and points) and all the momentum heading into the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway would be that much sweeter for the No. 11 camp. He is undoubtedly the driver to beat.

4. This year has been the season of new winners. From Michael McDowell‘s season-opening win at the Daytona 500 to Aric Almirola‘s clutch victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the entire season has been filled with new tracks and unpredictability. Through 25 races, the Cup Series has seen 13 different drivers in Victory Lane. Though slowed drastically by Kyle Larson‘s blazing-summer run, there has still been a substantial amount of parity this season as a whole. And the same holds true at a track like Daytona. Nine different drivers have combined to win the last 10 races there. If there has ever been a season (or a single race) to bet on the underdogs, this is it.

5. Joe Gibbs Racing superstars Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. have had a rough time of it at superspeedways in recent memory. Busch has failed to finish the last three races at Daytona, and his best superspeedway finish in the last eight tries is 14th. Truex notched finishes of 20th or worse in 10 of his last 11 trips to the big ovals and is 0-for-65 in superspeedway races in his career. Currently, Truex sits second in the projected playoff standings, followed by the younger Busch brother in third. Will the dynamic JGR duo fare better this weekend under the lights?

Race-day staples

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

• Power Rankings: Will Matt DiBenedetto come in clutch at Daytona? | Scope the ranks
• Paint Scheme Preview: Shining bright under the lights | See the schemes
• Fantasy Fastlane: See who to use, avoid | Full Fantasy advice | Set your roster
• Preview Show: Jonathan Merryman and Alex Weaver preview the race | Watch the show

Get in on the action

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

• Bet on it: Betting odds for Daytona | See the odds
• NASCAR betting: See how the sport is ascending, according to an expert | Read more
• Locking in the lines: Playoff scramble impacts odds for Daytona | Read more
• Q&A: Vegas native Brendan Gaughan talks NASCAR betting, growing up in casinos and more | Full conversation
• No risk, big reward: Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2021 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ

Fast facts

Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

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

• Excluding 2013, seven drivers have raced their way into the postseason in Race 26, the regular-season finale.
• Every driver 15th in points through 30th in points could make the playoffs by winning.
• If Kyle Larson earns 32 points in the race, he becomes regular-season champion regardless of what Denny Hamlin does.
• Martin Truex Jr. has 65 superspeedway starts, leading all active drivers who are winless at the track type.
• Corey LaJoie has finished top 10 in three of the last four races at Daytona, and Spire Motorsports won here in 2019 with Justin Haley.

Catch the pack

Read up on all the headlines from the week leading up to Saturday’s race.

• On the move: Kurt Busch is heading to 23XI Racing for the 2022 season | Read more
• Don’t forget my number: Number placement is moving forward on the Next Gen car |Read more
• Partnering up: Xfinity named presenting partner for Cup elimination races | Read more
• Unfinished business: Crew chief Todd Gordon chasing one more title | Read more
• Back in Petty blue: Erik Jones returning to Richard Petty Motorsports in 2022 | See details
• Remembering Robin Miller: Motorsports media personality dies at age 71 | Read more
• Ever been to Dawsonville?: Take a tour of Chase Elliott’s hometown — documentary airing on Peacock now | See the images
• Partner-driven technology: NASCAR launches global Technology Partner Platform initiative | Learn more

Say what?

The best quotes from big names in the sport heading into this weekend’s race.

• “With a playoff spot still available, I’m sure it’s going to be intense. (Second place in standings) Denny (Hamlin) runs well at Daytona, so I am glad we have a bit of a cushion in the points. But that lead can be gone in an instant, so I hope to avoid all the craziness and have a good solid finish.” — Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

• “Daytona is always exciting because of the unknowns that it presents. For me, it hasn’t been too kind over the years. We’ve had strong cars more often than not and not much to show for it because of being caught up in the big wrecks. In February, I felt like we had a great car all week and then got caught up in that big wreck early and had to ride around in the back all day. We’ll go down there this week and try to run up front all night and see what happens.” — Martin Truex Jr. driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

• “I think about growing up I never raced for points in anything. We never purposely raced to try and win a track championship or any national events that were big ones. We wanted to go where everybody was showing up and go win that race, and so that was something that I grew up not really racing for points. It’s was you maximize your weekend and it will get you the maximum amount of points that you’re capable of. Winning every race will win you championships, so it’s something that I don’t have a whole lot of experience in doing and actually kind of dislike doing because of it, and I think that it always has to be on your mind as we look towards the playoffs, but in our scenario now we don’t have to think about the points side and we haven’t for a couple weeks now. Now, it’s go to the race track and figure out how to win a race.” — Chris Buescher, driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford

• “Anything I do to help him, hurts me. Anything he does to help me, hurts him. So, we really can’t work together at all, unfortunately. At the end of the day, I still want an RCR car to be in the playoffs over anybody else, obviously. And he feels the exact same way about that. But for him to do everything for his team to get into the playoffs, he can’t be helping the 8 and I can’t be helping the 3. It’s kind of a weird spot. But, for sure, I know where he stands because I’m the same way. We want an RCR car to be in the playoffs this year. It’s just a difficult place to be in because we’re obviously not going to go out there and screw each other over because neither one of us will make the playoffs potentially if someone new wins. It’s just a very complex situation.” — Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet on battling his teammate for the final spot in the playoffs. Reddick and Dillon are the only drivers who can make the playoffs without having to win at Daytona.

Posted on August 27, 2021August 27, 2021 by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Rain has pushed the remainder of Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway to a Saturday finish.

Pole-starter AJ Allmendinger is scored as the leader of the Wawa 250, which ran 19 of the scheduled 100 laps before showers and nearby lightning forced a stoppage. The event is scheduled to resume Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Allmendinger, driver of Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevrolet and the series’ most recent winner, has led 15 of the 19 laps so far. Fellow front-row starter Noah Gragson led the other four laps in the JR Motorsports No. 9 Chevy before sliding back to 17th place at the time of the red flag.

Christopher Bell, making his second Xfinity Series start of the season in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, is second in the current order. Myatt Snider runs third with defending series champ Austin Cindric fourth and Brett Moffitt fifth.

Brandon Jones is the race’s only retiree. Debris on the grille of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota caused an overheating issue, and the car was pushed back to the garage after completing just 17 laps. Jones will be credited with last place in the 40-car field, marking his fourth DNF in the last six races.

The 250-mile race is the 23rd of 33 events for the Xfinity Series this year, and stages are scheduled to end on Laps 30, 60, with 100 laps making the full scheduled distance. Just four races remain in the regular season.

The remainder of the Xfinity Series event will be an afternoon opener to the NASCAR Cup Series’ regular-season finale, the Coke Zero Sugar 400, scheduled for 7 p.m. (7 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM). Saturday’s race will set the 16-driver playoff field that will vie for the NASCAR Cup Series championship in a 10-race elimination-style Playoff format that concludes Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway.

Contributing: Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service

Posted on August 27, 2021August 27, 2021 by Staff Report

In a video released Friday, Kurt Busch announced he will drive for 23XI Racing in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series and unveiled the new No. 45 Toyota he will pilot full time next season. A full shot of the Camry revealed the number placement on the Next Gen car will be different from what it is currently.

Photo of the look from the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race (Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images)

NASCAR confirmed the change Friday as well, and said in a statement: “There remains incredible interest from new owners and new sponsors in joining the NASCAR family. We are committed to working with our race team partners to innovate and deliver opportunities to increase the value to sponsors who support our sport.”

The number on the Next Gen car will be moved forward from its normally centered position. The Next Gen car features a smaller quarter panel, therefore impacting space available for sponsors. Moving the number forward will allow more space for logos.

NASCAR tried the opposite in 2020 with the All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The numbers then were placed further back on the car, which also sported an under glow for the exhibition event (see inset photo).

The 2022 Next Gen car is set to make its official on-track debut Feb. 20 at Daytona International Speedway with the annual Daytona 500 season opener.

“We are extremely enthusiastic about the launch of the Next Gen car in 2022,” Richard Childress Racing President Torrey Galida said. “All three manufacturers did a great job with the styling of the new race cars. We all know how important the number is to a fan’s connection with their driver. Moving the numbers forward should make them more visible, and will also provide the race teams an opportunity to give sponsors some enhanced branding opportunities. The teams and sponsors are going to have fun creating some bold new designs on the new car.”

Posted on August 27, 2021 by Marcus DiNitto

With a 25-point cushion over Austin Dillon for the 16th and final spot in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, a conservative strategy may be the way to go for Tyler Reddick at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday. This notion is part of oddsmakers’ thought process, as they price the No. 8 Chevrolet at longer odds than they would have had Reddick needed to take more aggressive approach.

At SuperBook USA in Las Vegas, Reddick opened at 30-1 to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400, the final race before the start of the 10-race playoffs. Reddick and Dillon can both get in on points; 13 other drivers need a victory.

“He’s really good at restrictor plate,” Ed Salmons, vice president of risk management at the SuperBook, said of Reddick. “I’d probably have him at 20-1 if he needed to win. …

“Basically, Reddick just needs not to crash and have one of those other guys win. So I would assume that (Reddick’s team is) going to race essentially not to wreck. But you never know, sometimes these guys do things that you would never expect them to do.”

Dillon, who figures to be aggressive to clinch a spot over his Richard Childress Racing teammate, is priced at 18-1 on multiple oddsboards, including the SuperBook.

Among NASCAR’s three betting partners, WynnBET has the best price on Reddick (40-1), and Wynn and BetMGM are both dealing 20-1 on Dillon.

Here’s how the SuperBook and NASCAR’s trio of official books, price the baker’s dozen win-and-their-in drivers:

Driver	Superbook	Barstool	BetMGM	Wynn
Matt DiBenedetto	25-1	22-1	25-1	22-1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	30-1	22-1	20-1	25-1
Bubba Wallace	30-1	25-1	25-1	25-1
Ross Chastain	40-1	40-1	40-1	50-1
Chris Buescher	50-1	40-1	40-1	40-1
Ryan Newman	50-1	33-1	33-1	33-1
Daniel Suarez	50-1	60-1	50-1	50-1
Cole Custer	50-1	60-1	50-1	60-1
Chase Briscoe	60-1	60-1	50-1	60-1
Ryan Preece	60-1	80-1	66-1	66-1
Erik Jones	100-1	50-1	66-1	80-1
Corey LaJoie	100-1	80-1	80-1	80-1
Anthony Alfredo	100-1	200-1	150-1	100-1

Does the reality that these guys have to go all out, coupled with the randomness that tends to ensue on restrictor-plate tracks, prompt bookmakers to price them shorter than usual?

“You kind of have that in the back of your mind,” Salmons said, “but you know the guys that are good at restrictor place. Austin Dillon’s really good at this stuff, so his odds are gonna be much lower than what he would be at a normal race, just because at a restrictor plate he can win. At the other tracks he can win, but it just would take a little bit more.”

The Favorite

Denny Hamlin seems to be the exception to the rule that restrictor-plate racing is dictated by randomness – especially when it comes to Daytona. Over the last seven races at Daytona, Hamlin has piloted the No. 11 Toyota to a pair of wins and five top fives. This past February, he won both stages and led 98 laps before his bid for a third straight Daytona 500 victory fell short, largely due to misfortune on pit road.

Hamlin is the only driver in Sunday’s field priced with single-digit odds, listed at 8-1 at the SuperBook.

“At Daytona, he really seems to excel,” Salmons said. “He’s definitely the starting point this week, but it’s Daytona and you get these 20 wrecks, and anything can happen.”

Also Lurking

After Hamlin, the oddsboard strikingly suggests the “anything can happen at Daytona” mantra. Five drivers opened at 12-1 odds at the SuperBook– Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, William Byron, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. Then, there’s a tight gap to Brad Keselowski (14-1) and Kevin Harvick (16-1), Dillon (18-1) and Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola all offered at 20-1 odds.

A perusal of past performances indicates a driver’s overall ability doesn’t typically translate to success at Daytona. After Hamlin, among drivers who have raced in all seven Cup events at Daytona since 2018, Michael McDowell has the best average finish, followed by Dillon, Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, Ryan Newman, Bowman, Corey LaJoie and Matt DiBenedetto. That’s not a list that mirrors the top of the Cup standings.

This analysis isn’t quite fair to Larson, who has raced in six of the seven races and would fit right behind Buescher on the list with a 15.83 average finish.

How about some other top drivers in the series? Well, most are pretty far down the list. Martin Truex Jr. (30-1 at the SuperBook) has compiled a modest 19.71 average finish, Elliott a 20.00 average, with Byron (20.71), Blaney (21.71) and Busch (22.14) also not finishing near the front.

There’s a reason many sharp bettors stay away from these races. Indeed, anything can happen at Daytona.

Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on August 27, 2021 by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced Friday that Xfinity, a NASCAR Premier Partner and title sponsor of NASCAR Xfinity Series, will be the exclusive partner of NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Elimination Races. The NASCAR Playoffs signal the most competitive time of the season, and Xfinity will help amplify the drama and unpredictability of the NASCAR Playoffs as drivers look to avoid elimination and safely secure their spot in the next round.

“There is no better time in the NASCAR season to highlight the importance of providing a fast, safe and secure internet to customers during their most important moments,” said Matt Lederer, Comcast’s vice president of brand partnerships and amplification. “When everything is on the line, the best drivers in NASCAR know it requires peak performance to advance to the next round and we look forward to celebrating those moments of excellence with NASCAR fans.”

The NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Elimination Race schedule will begin under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway, navigate the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway and culminate with the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. The platform will feature additional branding to signify the elimination race at all three tracks and will feature additional interactive elements across the race broadcast. NASCAR’s social and digital platforms will give fans even greater access to the excitement and drama of the NASCAR Playoffs.

“Xfinity continues to find creative ways to elevate their brand during key moments of the season and our elimination races are among the highest anticipated events on the schedule,” said Jeff Wohlschlaeger, NASCAR’s chief sales officer. “Xfinity is the gold standard in delivering integrated activation and we are excited to introduce a customized platform that ties Xfinity’s reliable performance to the reliable performances that the best drivers in the world will need competing at their highest level in the most critical of moments.”

Xfinity entered the sport as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2015 and was announced as part of the inaugural grouping of NASCAR Premier partners in 2019. Xfinity has engaged and rewarded fans and industry members with unique platforms, such as the Comcast Community Champion of the Year, and multiple team and track sponsorships. To learn more about Xfinity’s NASCAR partnership, visit Xfinity.com/NASCAR.

Posted on August 27, 2021August 27, 2021 by Zach Sturniolo

The regular season of the NASCAR Cup Series comes to a close under the lights at Daytona International Speedway in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

With 15 of the 16 playoff spots spoken for, let’s set the stage for one final chance for drivers on the outside to win their way into the postseason conversation.

RELATED: Buy tickets | Clinching scenarios for Daytona | How the playoff picture looks

READY TO GRID

For the second week in a row, Kyle Larson will lead the field to green courtesy of the qualifying matrix formula utilized to set the starting lineup. He will be joined in Row 1 by William Byron. Behind the pair of Hendrick Motorsports teammates sit two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates as Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch roll off from Row 2. Check out the full starting lineup here.

RULES PACKAGE

Drivers will wheel cars utilizing the lower-horsepower, high-downforce package this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, featuring tall spoilers and longer splitters to promote drafting.

Following Joey Logano’s airborne tumble at Talladega Superspeedway in April, NASCAR has altered its superspeedway package to decrease horsepower from 510 HP to 450 HP in addition to removing the wicker that created drag from the top of the spoiler.

NASCAR shelved restrictor plates, a metal plate placed on the intake manifold meant to reduce horsepower and used since 1988, after the 2019 Daytona 500 in favor of the tapered spacer, which accomplishes the same goal while still suiting the pack-style racing fans have become accustomed to seeing at Daytona and Talladega.

STORYLINES ENTERING DAYTONA

– Kyle Larson holds a 28-point lead over Denny Hamlin for the regular-season championship entering Daytona. The winner of the title collects 15 playoff points while the runner-up is awarded 10.

– Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon are the only drivers who can claim the final playoff spot on points. Reddick enters the race with a 25-point advantage on his Richard Childress Racing teammate.

– Drivers who can clinch the final playoff spot with a victory are Reddick, Dillon, Matt DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece, Cole Custer, Corey LaJoie and Anthony Alfredo.

– Four of the last six Daytona winners were first-time Cup Series winners (Erik Jones, Justin Haley, William Byron, Michael McDowell). The other two went to Denny Hamlin.

– Hamlin is the only repeat winner in the last 14 Daytona races and has won three times, each in the Daytona 500.

– In the last 11 Daytona events, Joe Gibbs Racing is the only organization to win multiple times. Other teams who went to Victory Lane in that span include Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing and Spire Motorsports.

– Only once has a stage winner gone to Victory Lane at Daytona.

– There were four cautions during stage two of the Daytona 500 this season, the most cautions during stage one or two in any Daytona race.

– The final green-flag stretch was two laps or less in the last eight Daytona contests.

– The average green-flag stretch was 23 laps or less in the last 10 Daytona events.

– 10 of the last 16 Daytona races had an overtime finish including last August.

– Each of the last five superspeedway races were won by different drivers (Ryan Blaney, Byron, Hamlin, McDowell, Brad Keselowski)

Source: Racing Insights

GAMBLING ON A CRAPSHOOT?

Superspeedway racing opens the door for myriad drivers to punch their last-minute ticket into the playoffs with a victory. However, one driver is still favored over everyone else: Denny Hamlin.

BetMGM lists the three-time Daytona 500 champion at 7-1 odds over a slew of drivers at 12-1 odds, including Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, 2015 Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and defending race winner William Byron.

Michael McDowell, victor of this year’s Daytona 500, is listed at 33-1 odds and perhaps worth laying some money on considering his breakthrough win in February.

Another sleeper to keep an eye on is Corey LaJoie at 80-1. LaJoie’s four career top 10s have all come on superspeedways, three of which came at Daytona.

HISTORY ON THE HIGH BANKS OF DAYTONA

– In the early 1950s, Bill France Sr. realized the days of racing on the sands of Daytona Beach were soon disappearing. After creating Bill France Racing, Inc. in 1953, France went to work to raise funds for his 2.5-mile superspeedway dream facility. The project began Nov. 25, 1957 and Daytona International Speedway held its first Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959.

– Daytona held its first night race on Oct. 17, 1998, an event postponed from the Fourth of July by Florida wildfires that summer.

– Following Kyle Busch’s crash in the 2015 Xfinity Series race that left Busch with lower-body injuries, Daytona added over 200,000 square feet of asphalt in turns one and four. In Turn 1, where Busch crashed, the track paved more than 177,000 square feet of grass and realigned the wall where he hit head on.

– All outside and inside walls on the track’s 2.5-mile tri-oval, with the exception of pit lane, have energy-absorbing barriers.

– Saturday’s race marks the 148th points race on the Daytona oval.

Source: Racing Insights

GOODYEAR TIRES

Goodyear will bring the same tire compound to Daytona as it has the previous four races at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. As teams navigate Daytona’s 31 degrees of banking in the corners at 200 mph, reliability and stability play the ultimate role in this weekend’s tire setup.

“Gaining mechanical grip through the tire setup is an important factor for teams at Daytona,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “With the style of racing we see on this superspeedway, with cars side-by-side and nose-to-tail throughout the pack, stability is of the utmost importance. We design our tires for Daytona with tread compounds that give the cars the grip they need and the stability to race in such tight quarters.”

FANTASY LIVE

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts. It’s not too late to join in on the competition.

The 2021 Fantasy Live points leaders are Kyle Larson (990), Denny Hamlin (972) and Chase Elliott (842).

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 August 26, 2021August 27, 2021 by Reid Spencer

In sharp contrast to the NASCAR Cup Series, where 15 of 16 playoff spots have been filled, only five drivers have clinched berths in the NASCAR Xfinity Series postseason.

That leaves seven spots still open with four events left in the regular season, including the Wawa 250 (resumes Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier, Jeb Burton and Myatt Snider have qualified for the playoffs by winning races this season.

Emblematic of the wide-open nature of the series, only Daniel Hemric, who has scored the fourth-most points this year, controls his own destiny via points margin entering Friday’s race. Currently 264 points above the cutline, the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota can clinch a spot by scoring 44 points at Daytona. No other driver has a guaranteed clinch scenario, other than by winning the race.

“You know that anything can happen when you go to Daytona or Talladega,” said Hemric, who is seeking his first NASCAR national series victory. “You just have to try to put yourself in the best position possible and hope that you’re in the right place at the right time and able to capitalize on runs and not get caught up in the big wrecks when they happen.

“We’ll definitely try to work with our teammates as much as we can and try to get all four of our Supras up front. That’s always the plan going in, but these races tend to get pretty wild, especially at the end of the stages and ultimately at the checkered flag. So we’ll give it our best shot and see what we can do.”

With four races left in the Xfinity Series regular season, at least three playoff spots will be determined by points. Riley Herbst currently occupies the 12th and final playoff-eligible position by 41 points over Michael Annett, who has been sidelined for four races because of a stress fracture in his right femur and subsequent surgery to repair it.

Series leader Austin Cindric, a five-time winner this season, can become only the second driver to sweep both Xfinity races at Daytona in the same season. The only driver to accomplish the feat so far is NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2003.

Posted on August 26, 2021August 26, 2021 by Davey Segal

The stat sheet will show only two races in the books for Matt Hirschman on the Whelen Modified Tour thus far in 2021, but there’s more to his season than what the numbers bare out.

Sure, the results of a win at Oswego Speedway and runner-up at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway are great. But, why only those two races? The four-time winner on the tour has opted to run a limited schedule for multiple years, with his last full-time campaign coming in 2011 — but he makes sure that whenever he shows up, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

Mainly, it’s the increased cost and logistical hurdles involved with gathering up his group to go race all over the Northeast on the tour, coupled with his escapades in other series and big events, that have prevented him from running more races annually.

“I run a busy schedule, a very diverse schedule to start with,” he said. “For us to put the full team together, especially races that have pit stops in it, requires us drawing from several different states to bring everyone together. It’s just difficult to do that multiple times.”

But the Northampton, Pennsylvania, native enjoys the time he does spend racing side-by-side with the names that have populated the NWMT over the years. He just prefers to do so at different venues, citing his first ever trips to Langley Speedway and White Mountain Motorsports Park in recent years as something new to try, where he came home with top-three finishes.

Hirschman always had Beech Ridge in his plans — but postponements in other series made it a bit tougher for the No. 60 team to make it work as the date creeped up. Nevertheless, they came home with a runner-up result after leading a race-high 66 laps from the pole and losing the top spot inside the final 10 laps.

“We’ve tried to do something different each year,” he said. “It’s kind of a combination of things. When you’re only doing three or four (races per year), unfortunately, there’s only a few you’re going to pick and maybe there’s some others that would be of interest that you don’t do.”

RACING-REFERENCE: Career Stats For Matt Hirschman

Hirschman has spent much of his 2021 season competing in the Tri Track Open Modified Series and currently leads the standings with just one race remaining, closing in on his sixth series title. He’s also spent time competing in the Race of Champions and running locally in Pennsylvania.

On July 24, he was victorious at Star Speedway in New Hampshire, bringing home a hefty $17,000 paycheck for besting the rest over the 125-lap feature. In the five races so far in Tri-Track, he’s only finished outside the top 10 once and hasn’t finished worse than third in every other race. He won the Open Wheel Wednesday $10,000 to win race at Seekonk Speedway on Wednesday night and took home a grand total of $10,600 with bonus awards.

He’s earned the nickname ‘Money Matt’ that everyone in New England knows him by.

“What I do, I probably run as many as much or as or more than anyone in terms of tour type modified races annually,” Hirschman said. “We run a pretty diverse schedule and have been very successful. I kind of believe in the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ type of mentality.”

With four races remaining on the Whelen Modified Tour schedule, Hirschman has his eye set on Oswego, the next event on the slate on September 4, where he won earlier this season for the second time in his career with Pee Dee Motorsports, leading a race-high 70 laps.

MORE: Schedule, Times & More For Mod Tour Race Day at Oswego

He’s entering that event with high expectations — per usual — especially given their exceptionally strong results this season and successful history at the .625-mile.

“Winning races is never easy. But if we continue to put ourselves in a position to contend for wins, they seem to come your way,” he said. “If we weren’t a contender to win, it would definitely be a disappointment. But actually winning the event, they’re all tough to win. They don’t come easy. I fully expect to contend.”

The Toyota Mod Classic 150 at Oswego is scheduled to go green at 7:30 pm ET on Saturday, September 4. NBC Sports Gold’s TrackPass will have live coverage of the event. The race is part of the 65th annual Classic Weekend at the historic New York oval.