Daytona International Speedway Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – To pit or not to pit? That is the question that crew chiefs always face when weather is a factor late in the going. Make the wrong decision and it could cost your driver a chance at a win. Unfortunately for Kurt Busch and Chip Ganassi Racing crew chief Matt McCall, the odds weren’t in their favor in Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, as an untimely lightning strike would be their undoing. Busch was able to escape the “BigRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Anything can happen at Daytona International Speedway and it usually does. Once again, it was the case in Sunday’s rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400. Only this time, it involved two Ford camp regulars on the bottom of the points table. After dodging the 18-car big one and some pitting before the red flag, both Corey LaJoie and rookie Matt Tifft were in excellent spots for a strong outcome. Then Mother Nature reared its ugly head for good and after 127 laps, they each scored their maidenRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent Through the carnage and smoke, Matt DiBenedetto emerged unscathed on his way to a Top-10 finish at Daytona International Speedway. With weather in the area, the intensity increased dramatically in the final stage of the Coke Zero Sugar 400. DiBenedetto attempted to stay in line with his fellow Toyota Racing drivers. His No. 95 Procore Toyota Camry was shuffled out of line and he found himself in the middle of the hornets’ nest. On lap 118, contact between Austin Dillon and Clint Bowyer at theRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As the dark clouds and lightning descended upon Daytona International Speedway Sunday afternoon, Justin Haley climbed out of his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet feeling like it was perhaps divine intervention. He was first on the scoreboard at the time Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 was red-flagged for lightning 33 laps short of the intended 160-lap distance. Two hours and 12 minutes later, the 20-year old Indiana native was celebrating his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup win – inRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With 42 laps remaining in Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, dark clouds closed in on the 2.5-mile superspeedway and as it always happens when weather threatens, the intensity ratcheted up and the inevitable “Big One” struck. Austin Dillon and Clint Bowyer had hooked up in the draft to find their way to the front of the field when Bowyer ducked low from second place to try and take the lead for himself. Dillon threw an untimely blockRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Persistent rain with no letup in sight forced postponement of Saturday night’s scheduled Coke Zero Sugar 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway. The event has been rescheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, to be broadcast on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Reigning series champion Joey Logano will lead the field to green at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, with Kyle Busch beside him. A lightning delay on Friday forced cancellation of Cup time trials, andRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent In an attrition-filled race at Daytona International Speedway, Brandon Brown earned his first career top-10 finish. The NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender was at the center of one ‘big one,’ and involved in another. A mistimed bump by Brown’s No. 88 BMSRaceTeam.com Chevrolet Camaro SS to Scott Lagasse Jr.’s No. 93 sent Lagasse spinning in the middle of the field. 11 cars, including the Brandonbilt Motorsports machine, were damaged in the incident. Brown’s team persisted however and repaired his No. 86Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer A combined eight Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships represents this year’s covers of 704 Games newest game, NASCAR Heat 4. The cover boys were unveiled at Daytona International Speedway Saturday afternoon as the main cover will feature Kevin Harvick and his Stewart-Haas Racing owner Tony Stewart, who will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020. It’s Harvick’s first cover appearance since EA Sports’ NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup and Stewart’s first since Eutechnyx’s NASCAR ’14. “For me it’s pretty cool becauseRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Stephen Leicht avoided the bulk of the carnage at Daytona International Speedway to earn his first top-five finish in over a decade. The JD Motorsports driver was running mid-pack when the final ‘big one’ broke out with 12 laps to go. Leicht had the wreck avoided in his No. 01 Flex Glue Chevrolet Camaro SS until his teammate, Garrett Smithley swerved to avoid the melee. Leicht and Smithley spun and emerged with little, if any, damage. “That backstretch wreck, Garrett andRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Kaulig Racing team owner Matt Kaulig issued an edict during the offseason that he wanted to go “trophy hunting” in 2019 and with three cars in the arsenal for Friday night’s Circle K Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway, the hunt finally paid off as the team netted its first NASCAR Xfinity Series win. Ross Chastain ended the night in Victory Lane driving part-time for the team in its No. 16 entry, adding another win to his resume that has seenRead More