Daytona 500 Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Throughout the years, the “Dale and Dale Show” between Dale Earnhardt and Dale Jarrett had several episodes, but the first one back in 1993 may have been the best as the two future NASCAR Hall of Famers battled it out in the season opening Daytona 500. Earnhardt was still looking for his first win in the Great American Race, while Jarrett was entering his second season with upstart Joe Gibbs Racing as the team was still searching for their first win. By the time the checkeredRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The tragic and untimely passing of Kobe Bryant and eight other people (Gianna Bryant, John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan) last month were among the subjects brought up in Wednesday’s Daytona 500 Media Day. Topics ranged from how the five-time NBA champion impacted their lives to their viewpoint on aviation. The most notable of the drivers was Ryan Blaney, who met and spoke to Bryant back in 2018. Blaney said that “The Black Mamba”Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jimmie Johnson may be stepping away from full-time racing in the Cup Series at the end of the 2020 season, but one thing is for sure, the impact that the seven-time champion has had on the sport will live on long after he has taken his final checkered flag. As drivers circulated through Daytona 500 Media Day on Wednesday, many were asked about their favorite Jimmie Johnson memory and by the time all was said and done, it was clear that JohnsonRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Heading into tomorrow’s Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona International Speedway, we already know that Justin Haley and Brendan Gaughan are locked in for the 62nd Daytona 500 after being the fastest open cars in last Sunday’s time trials. However, the biggest angle are those five guys on the outside looking in as only two spots are left. The immense pressure of racing among themselves to be the top guy in their respective Duel races is there but each their own story. InRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Days removed from the indescribable Busch Clash last Sunday, there were three drivers who were in the center of attention during Daytona 500 Media Day Wednesday and it happened to be three of the most polarizing drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. What started the overall madness for the 88-lap crash fest occurred on Lap 66 when a little block by Joey Logano to defend his race lead went haywire as Kyle Busch made a slight tap on Logano in Turn 3.Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Heading into the 2020 season, change is in the air throughout the NASCAR Cup Series garage. Team Penske in particular underwent a major shift over the offseason, with the organization moving crew chiefs around among its three teams. Ryan Blaney, the newest member of the Team Penske trio, inherits Todd Gordon as his crew chief for 2020 as both he and the No. 12 team look to take a leap forward. Since earning his first Cup Series win in 2017, the 26-yearRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The youngest and the oldest driver on the grid have made “The Great American Race.” Both Justin Haley (age 20) and Brendan Gaughan (age 44) were not only the first two cars out to qualify, but they were fastest among the open cars during Sunday’s Daytona 500 qualifying and to each story is their own. For Haley, he was 31st fastest at 190.018 mph and the most recent NASCAR Cup Series winner at Daytona. Not only that, Haley making the field willRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With a blistering lap at 194.582 mph on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. broke the Hendrick Motorsports monopoly on Daytona 500 pole positions—sort of. In his first competitive trip in the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet, Stenhouse covered the 2.5-mile distance in 46.253 mph to lock himself into the top starting spot for next Sunday’s Great American Race (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Admittedly, Stenhouse had a Hendrick engine under theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Kevin Harvick won’t be going anywhere in the foreseeable future as the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion confirmed Saturday that he’ll be staying with Stewart-Haas Racing through 2023. This came to be after earlier this week that he would be stepping down from doing television and radio broadcasting this season to focus on family, his own agency (KHI Management) and racing. “There are a number of things that went into those decisions. First and foremost, Wednesday’s just don’t work very well forRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The boys of NASCAR are back in full sound at Daytona International Speedway. Saturday saw a possible indication which cars look poised of capturing the Busch Pole Award for next Sunday’s 62nd Daytona 500 and who can work together in the draft, but as the saying goes – it’s too early to tell who’s the heavy favorite right now as Daytona is an ultimate crap shoot where anything can happen and it usually does. Before qualifying practice, there was one 50-minute sessionRead More