Bluegreen Vacations Duel Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As the first of two Bluegreen Vacations Duel 150s at Daytona played out on Thursday night, things weren’t looking good for Kaz Grala and The Money Team to make it into the Daytona 500 in their debut race, but at the World Center of Racing, it’s not over until it’s over. Grala, driving the No. 50 Chevrolet owned by world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather, started the race off on the right foot by pulling away from his main competitor in the race,Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It was past midnight at the Daytona International Speedway when a late-race carnage beckoned the second race of the Bluegreen Duels. In the end, the greatest benefactor was Kaz Grala. Not only he got the free pass, but thanks to David Ragan finishing eighth, the 2017 Truck Series Daytona winner will make his first 500 appearance. Grala was already appreciative of Ragan because at around 2011, he got to experience a NASCAR race from the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing pit boxRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With a little help from Ryan Preece, Austin Cindric will officially make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in Sunday’s Daytona 500. Following a pit road speeding penalty, Cindric’s bid of bringing his No. 33 Verizon 5G Ford Mustang appeared to be over. Add insult to injury, he even lost a lap which ultimately left just Preece and Ty Dillon as the lone open entries on the lead lap. “I get the bonehead of the race award,” said Cindric. “Speeding in the lastRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Florida native Aric Almirola drove to a convincing victory in the opening Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona qualifying race Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway. Almirola’s No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford led a dominating 52 of the 60 laps and held off Christopher Bell’s No 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota by a mere .041-seconds for the Tampa native’s first victory in the Daytona 500 field-setting race. Ryan Newman, who was involved in a frightening last lap crash in last year’sRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The 63rd Daytona 500 will have a plethora of racing standouts looking to make the 40-car field. One of those being Ryan Preece, who must make the field either via qualifying or the Duels to make his third 500 appearance. That’s because Preece’s No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing entry doesn’t have a charter as the once Todd Braun owned property was sold to Spire Motorsports. Thus, the team who won last year’s Daytona 500 pole could possibly only have Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and not theRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Joey Logano grabbed the lead on the final lap of the first Bluegreen Vacations Duel 150-mile qualifying race Thursday at Daytona International Speedway and held on for the win, but a wreck at the halfway point dashed Daniel Suarez’s prospects of competing in his first Daytona 500 with his new team Gaunt Brothers Racing. In the second Duel, William Byron made a late charge to edge Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson for the victory by .117 seconds and will startRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The final two spots for Sunday’s 62nd Daytona 500 spot have been set as Reed Sorenson and Timmy Hill got themselves into the race after Thursday’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona International Speedway while crashes eliminated Daniel Suarez and J.J. Yeley from making the 40-car grid. In Race No. 1, Suarez’s misfortune became Sorenson’s gain as the 16-year NASCAR Cup Series veteran locks his way into Sunday’s Daytona 500 via qualifying speed after Justin Haley (who was already in as the fastestRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When the 62nd annual Daytona 500 takes the green flag on Sunday, the 40-car field will be without Daniel Suarez and Gaunt Brothers Racing. The No. 96 team, looking to run their first full-time season with Suarez as their driver, failed to post a fast enough lap during qualifying last Sunday, leaving the team with their work cut out for them as they would have to race their way in during the first of Thursday night’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona. “WeRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla – Even for a driver used to pushing the 200-mph barrier on the track, Bubba Wallace’s ride to work on Thursday afternoon was one of a kind. With a sponsor like the United States Air Force, Wallace has had the opportunity to experience some extraordinary activities and this time around it came in the form of a 10,000 foot skydive out of the back of a C-17 Globemaster into the infield of Daytona International Speedway. Amid gusty winds and sunny skies, Wallace floatedRead More