Daytona International Speedway Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Halfway through last season, Matt DiBenedetto made the choice to bet on himself if he was going to have any future in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The Grass Valley, Calif. native announced he was leaving Go Fas Racing, the team he had been with for the two seasons prior, without a place to land for the 2019 season. That gamble could pay off in spades if this season goes to plan. Not long after he made the decision to lookRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. left last July’s race at Daytona as Public Enemy No. 1, having been involved in more than a few of the multi-car crashes that defined the 400-mile race. Despite the criticism, Stenhouse noted his only regrets from that night are that he didn’t get to make a trip to Victory Lane when all was said and done. “The only issue I had with July is we didn’t win,” Stenhouse said. “I could care less what the perception of everybodyRead More

BySeth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent The NASCAR Series that says, “Names are made here,” will be back in action this weekend. The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to the track this weekend, and for the first time since 2015, the defending champion remains in the series. Tyler Reddick moves from JR Motorsports to Richard Childress Racing where he will attempt to be the first repeat champion since Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in 2012. New faces in new places, teams shutting down, the debut of the Toyota Supra, and car number changes are justRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After winning his first Cup Series championship last season, Joey Logano is counting his blessings heading into Sunday’s season opener at Daytona as he looks to not only win his second Daytona 500, but also get his title defense off on the right foot. “I tell everyone every day that I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” Logano said Wednesday morning at Daytona 500 Media Day as he recounted the path his career has taken. “I started too young. I made aRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent One of NASCAR’s most exciting series is set to hit the track once more. After a long and tumultuous offseason, the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series will have its’ first race of the 2019 season at Daytona International Speedway. Driver swaps, teams expanding, and the spec engine are just some of the storylines heading into the season opener. Coverage for the NextEra Energy Resources 250 is scheduled to start Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. The ‘World Center of Racing’ has held the season openerRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent Let’s face it, just about everything that could go wrong in the 2019 Advance Auto Parts Clash went wrong. A bungled running order, inclement weather, a jet dryer leaking fluid, a race-ending, field consuming crash, and a yellow-line rule debate were the ‘highlights’ of this Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Exhibition Race. Ultimately, The Clash, for the first time in its’ history was shortened due to weather. Before we go any further, yes, there is nothing that NASCAR, or anyone else, can do to controlRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jimmie Johnson, who had crashed in the past six running of the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway, found a way to win the 2019 version of the season-opening exhibition race—by helping to trigger a wreck that eliminated nearly everyone else. Moments before a rainstorm halted the action and ultimately made the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race official after 59 of 75 scheduled laps, Johnson—running second on Lap 56—pulled to the inside of leader Paul Menard, who movedRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion Tyler Reddick locked himself into the 61st running of the Daytona 500 after placing 16th on the speed charts. His No. 31 Symbicort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 joins Casey Mears’ No. 27 Germain Racing Chevrolet as the two Open teams to lock into ‘The Great American Race’ via qualifying on Sunday. Reddick, who is in a third Richard Childress Racing car, is one of six cars without a charter that had to either qualify on time or race their way through the GanderRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Paired for the first time with crew chief Chad Knaus, sophomore driver William Byron put his No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on the pole for the Feb. 17 Daytona 500 on Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), leading a Hendrick Motorsports sweep of the top four spots and extending that organization’s dominance in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Daytona International Speedway. Byron edged last year’s pole winner, Alex Bowman, by .036 seconds for theRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent DGR-Crosley driver Natalie Decker will have plenty of seat time the next two weeks at Daytona International Speedway. One year removed from winning the pole in the Lucas Oil 200 she will once again compete in the ARCA Racing Series season opener as well as the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race. Although Decker’s schedule was not a full season, DGR-Crosley has adjusted because of her participation in the W Series. Her new racing home also found her topping a ‘DGR driver pyramid,’ above teamRead More