Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The start of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is officially here and with it comes the biggest race of the season, the Daytona 500. For 61 years, drivers have been making the pilgrimage to the Daytona high banks to win the sport’s most prestigious race and write themselves into the record book as Daytona 500 champion. Many have attempted it, but only a select few have been able to hoist the Harley J. Earl trophy in victory lane at theRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – During Daytona 500 Media Day on Wednesday, Brendan Gaughan noted that he was having the most fun he’s had in his NASCAR career driving part-time for Beard Motorsports. A day later, Gaughan is set to have even more fun with the No. 62 team after racing his way into a starting spot in Sunday’s race with a 15th place finish in Thursday’s Gander RV Duels at Daytona. Though the end result was transferring into the Daytona 500, Gaughan said he was asRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Watching Speedweeks from home a year ago, Parker Kligerman said he never thought he’d be back in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car, let alone starting Sunday’s Daytona 500 again. Now, the 28-year old has a date with the Great American Race after racing his way into the field with his finish in the first of the two 60-lap Gander RV Duel qualifying events, marking his second start in the race and first since 2014. “Here’s the crazy thing, a yearRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Straight-line speed in qualifying is one thing. Speed and drivability in the draft is something quite different, as the Ford camp proved decisively in Thursday night’s Gander RV Duel at Daytona 150-mile qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway. Kevin Harvick led the last 44 laps on Thursday night to win the first Duel and secure the third starting spot in Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion JoeyRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It was a Valentine’s Day heartbreak for Ryan Truex and the entire Tommy Baldwin Racing No. 71 Chevrolet team, as they failed to beat Parker Kligerman in the first Gander RV Duel Race Thursday, which would’ve been Truex’s first Daytona 500, and was one of two cars that failed to make the race. “I mentally prepared to not make it, just so the letdown wasn’t so big,” Truex on how handling missing the show. “I’ve missed this race before, so I know howRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It’s quite the journey both Richard Childress Racing drivers Daniel Hemric and reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick has had. From both running Brad Keselowski Racing’s No. 19 Ford F-150 in the Gander Outdoor Truck Series at some point to now making their Daytona 500 debuts Sunday. Each have their own tale on how they’re approaching this race, but their goal are the same. That is going out to join a slim list of rookies that have won the biggest raceRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For 51 out of the first 56 laps in last Sunday’s Advance Auto Parts Clash, it was all Paul Menard, but as everyone knows, that dominant race evaporated after Jimmie Johnson ran into the back of his No. 21 Ford Mustang, causing a 17-car pileup that led to a win for the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. Menard wasn’t pleased with Johnson’s actions, but during Daytona 500 Media Day Wednesday, he reflected more on what happened after spending the previous day withRead More

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 Luis Torres, Staff Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The task is very simple for the four non-chartered drivers of Joey Gase, Brendan Gaughan, Parker Kligerman and Ryan Truex, be the best finisher of their respective Gander RV Duel Thursday. The match-up in Race No. 1 is between close racing friends Kligerman and Truex, who have created buzz on Twitter with their interaction about what’s at stake as only one of them will make their first Daytona 500. Neither drive has made an attempt of making the race since 2014, whenRead 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