Daytona International Speedway Tag

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service Ben Rhodes wrapped up a perfect pair of race outings at Daytona International Speedway answering his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory on the oval last week with a dramatic win Friday night on the infield road course. It took three overtime starts to secure the victory over 2020 series champion Sheldon Creed, but Rhodes’ work in the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota marked only the third time in series history a driver has opened the season with back-to-back wins. And it marked theRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Had the original 2021 schedule held, the NASCAR Cup Series would have been heading down I-95 to Homestead-Miami Speedway, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced some changes, meaning NASCAR’s top division will be staying in Daytona for another week. After last weekend’s running of the Daytona 500 on the oval, it’s the track’s 3.61-mile, 14-turn road course that will be the focus this Sunday for the running of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253. The 70-lap race will be the third for the Cup Series on theRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – More than an hour after Michael McDowell had officially claimed the most iconic winner’s trophy in NASCAR with a last lap push to the Daytona 500 checkered flag, the 36-year old Phoenix native was still insisting with a smile and a shake of his head that it was all “unbelievable”. It was a phrase he used over and over in the celebratory moments after his life-changing win. When he woke up Monday morning, he could more fully embrace the impactRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Another Daytona 500 is in the books and once again, the finish was capped off by a violent, multi-car crash. A year removed from Ryan Newman’s harrowing crash in the 2020 edition of the Great American Race, carnage reigned supreme in the waning moments of this year’s race at the World Center of Racing. With the Harley J. Earl trophy on the line, it was every man for himself on the final lap, as Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski ran 1-2 down theRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 63rd Daytona 500 wasn’t the night Denny Hamlin made history. Instead, he finished a gut punching fifth after leading a race-high 98 of 200 laps. Entering the race, Hamlin looked to become the first driver to win three straight Daytona 500s and join Cale Yarborough and Richard Petty as the only guys to score at least four victories. For much of the race, it appeared that Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry was the car to beat once more. Only thisRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service In a stunning upset at the end of an action-filled, rain-interrupted Daytona 500, Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell claimed his first NASCAR Cup Series victory after charging into the lead during a brutal multicar wreck in Turn 3 on the final lap. “I can’t believe it,” McDowell said. “I’ve got to thank God. So many years of just grinding it out, hoping for an opportunity like this. I’ve got to thank (team owner) Bob Jenkins for giving me this opportunity. I’m so thankful. Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – In a span of three laps, the 63rd Daytona 500 went from calm to chaos. One for the dreaded Big One and the other being lightning. Coming to the end of the Daytona Superstretch, Christopher Bell was running in fourth when he hooked Duel Race No. 1 winner Aric Almirola on Lap 13. The contact led Almirola’s No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang darting him towards the top lane and collected pole sitter Alex Bowman. Both made tremendous impact towards the outside wall,Read More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Austin Cindric took up where he left off in 2020. The reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion held off Brett Moffitt and Harrison Burton in a two-lap NASCAR Overtime dash to win Saturday’s action-filled Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 at Daytona International Speedway, the season-opener. Cindric, who locked up the Xfinity title by winning in his last outing at Phoenix Raceway in November, picked up his first victory on the 2.5-mile Daytona oval and the ninth of his career in the No. 22 TeamRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service With a gaggle of trucks wrecking behind him as the field approached the finish line, Ben Rhodes shot past Cory Roper in the tri-oval at Daytona International Speedway to win Friday night’s NextEra Energy 250, the 2021 season-opener for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. With a decisive push from ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton on the final lap of an overtime shootout, Rhodes had more than enough momentum to charge past Roper in the final 400 yards. Likewise, Jordan Anderson blew past RoperRead 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