Tag: Daytona 500

Categories
Motorsport

Keselowski leads the final Daytona 500 practice, with Fords sweeping the session as 17 drivers sit out

Brad Keselowski relaxes in his garage before a practice

Ford led the final Daytona 500 practice with Brad Keselowski leading the pack as he tries to break a 15-year winless streak in “The Great American Race” on Sunday.

Keselowski has had a tough time at Daytona International Speedway. Although he’s often a strong contender, he often gets caught in accidents, which are common in this race. The field this year has 41 cars, the largest number in a decade, and if the Daytona 500 turns out like Saturday’s crash-filled ARCA Series race, it could get chaotic.

This could be a challenge for Keselowski, who has failed to finish in nine Daytona 500 races.

He co-owns Roush Fenway Keselowski, which built a Ford that reached 193.307 mph in Saturday’s 55-minute final practice session.

Alex Bowman, driving a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, followed Keselowski, with Cole Custer, who is back in the Cup Series after moving down to the Xfinity Series, finishing third in a Ford run by Haas Factory after Stewart-Haas Racing shut down.

Justin Allgaier came in fourth, marking a feel-good story for the Daytona 500. His Chevrolet, owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., is making its Cup Series debut in the Daytona 500 and is sponsored by country singer Chris Stapleton’s whiskey brand. Earnhardt has been deeply involved in this effort, and he was emotional after Allgaier made it into the field.

Kyle Larson, the 2021 champion who has never won the Daytona 500, was fifth in a Chevrolet, giving Hendrick Motorsports two drivers in the top five.

Alex Bowman stands next to his car

Corey Lajoie, who used his kids’ college fund to secure his seat in the Daytona 500, finished sixth in a Ford from Rick Ware Racing.

Ryan Preece finished seventh in a Ford from RFK, Justin Haley was eighth in a Chevrolet from Spire Motorsports, and Chris Buescher completed the top nine, putting all three RFK cars in the top positions. Zane Smith finished tenth, driving another Ford, this time from Front Row Motorsports.

Ford is the only manufacturer showing it can keep up with Toyota, which won the pole with Chase Briscoe, qualified Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. for the race on speed, and won the first of Thursday’s two qualifying races. However, Toyota did not perform as well in the final practice, with Ty Gibbs from Joe Gibbs Racing finishing 13th on the speed chart.

Ford showed its speed with Austin Cindric qualifying second for the Daytona 500 and beating Toyota driver Erik Jones in the finish of their qualifying race. Cindric was 21st on Saturday.

Defending Daytona 500 winner William Byron was 23rd in final practice, and the reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano was 12th. Helio Castroneves, a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner who got into the race using a controversial “world-class driver” provisional spot, was 20th.

Out of the 41 drivers, only 24 practiced on Saturday, as many didn’t want to risk damaging their cars before the big race. Some drivers who skipped the practice include pole-sitter Chase Briscoe, qualifying-race winner Bubba Wallace, and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, all of whom are driving fast Toyotas.

Categories
Motorsport

Truex aims for another Daytona 500 attempt, this time behind the wheel of the No. 56 car his late father once drove

Martin Truex Jr. interacts with the spectators

When Martin Truex Jr. began talking about a deal to race in the Daytona 500, he had a special request: Could he drive the No. 56?

Tricon Garage agreed right away, and the decision has become even more meaningful for Truex in the weeks since.

The day after Truex officially announced his entry into “The Great American Race,” his father unexpectedly passed away at age 66. Truex Sr. had driven the No. 56 car for most of his racing career, which included 15 starts in the Xfinity Series and 135 starts in the ARCA Series in the 1990s.

“It probably means more. It probably hits home more with me of just what it means to us and our family,” said Truex Jr., who drove the No. 56 for four seasons (2010-13) at Michael Waltrip Racing. “A lot of people are going to be excited to see it out there.”

For the Truex family, it may be the most emotional, especially for Martin and his younger brother Ryan.

“Everything I’ve ever learned was from him,” Martin said. “He was my hero growing up and still is. He made a lot of things happen for me. Taught me a lot of things with racing and really the opportunity to get here and what I’ve accomplished is all because of him and his sacrifices. Hopefully we’ll go win this thing for him on Sunday.”

It would be a perfect tribute. And even though Truex has not won in his 39 starts at Daytona International Speedway, no one should count him out. Truex has the longest active losing streak in the Daytona 500, having failed to win in 20 starts.

But he came very close in 2016, finishing just inches behind Denny Hamlin in the closest finish in Daytona 500 history.

Martin Truex Jr. in the team practice

Truex hasn’t been as close since, though he has finished in the top 15 in each of the last three years, while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.

The 2017 Cup Series champion retired from full-time racing at the end of last season but chose to race in this one event with Tricon, hoping to finally win the 500. They still have an alliance with JGR.

“In the grand scheme of things, this is probably the easiest one to do as far as being a driver in a series,” Truex said. “You couldn’t do a one-off and go to Richmond or Dover or somewhere and expect to have a chance to win, honestly. It’s just not really feasible. …

“Speedway racing is the best opportunity to come out and have a true shot at winning. That’s why guys do it. That’s why I wanted to do it and especially because it’s the Daytona 500. It’s such a big race. It’s such a big deal.”

This could be Truex’s last chance. And winning the Daytona 500 in his 21st try, just a month after his father’s death and driving a car number that brings back memories for his family, would be an incredible achievement.

“We have as good a shot to win as anyone to win,” Truex said. “If you’re in it, you can win it. I’ve always said that. One of these days I’m going to be right about it.”

Categories
Motorsport

The Daytona 500 attracts celebrities, with Trump and Captain America set to attend the ‘Great American Race’

Helio Castroneves talls to other drivers

The Daytona 500 is trying to live up to its excitement as NASCAR’s biggest event, with major names involved. “The Great American Race” will feature Captain America and possibly President Donald Trump.

Chase Elliott, NASCAR’s most popular driver, said, “I think having a sitting president come and be a part of one of our biggest days of the year is special. It certainly brings a lot of eyes and a different perspective to what we do down here for this race.”

The race features a group of big names, including Helio Castroneves, a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and former “Dancing with the Stars” champion. Castroneves, who is making his NASCAR debut at age 49, used the new “elite-driver rule” to enter as the 41st driver, which makes this the largest Daytona 500 field in ten years.

Castroneves drew a crowd at the Wendy’s concession stand at Daytona International Speedway. Sponsored by the hamburger chain, he wore a firesuit that looked like a chef’s outfit.

“This is a great exposure. This is one of the biggest races. You want to have as much exposure as possible,” said Castroneves. “When I was testing Talladega, people there were excited, saying, ‘I’ll be watching for you. I’ll be cheering for you.’ It gives opportunity for foreign people, Brazilian people, people from other series to watch it.”

The race features seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson and 2017 Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., who entered after unexpectedly losing his father just one day after announcing his entry into the Daytona 500.

There’s no clear favorite, but Elliott will try to follow his father’s path. Bill Elliott won both the Clash and Daytona 500 in 1987, when both races were held at Daytona.

Toyotas are fast, and they almost went undefeated at Daytona this week. A late caution flag stopped Erik Jones from winning the second qualifying race on Thursday night. Jones thought he had won, but NASCAR ruled that Cindric was ahead when the yellow flag came out.

Bubba Wallace, racing for 23XI Racing, won his first race at Daytona in the first Thursday qualifying race. Justin Allgaier earned a spot in the Daytona 500, which moved Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. to tears. Allgaier is the reigning Xfinity champion and has raced in two Daytona 500s, his last in 2015. He thought he would never race in it again.

Bubba Wallace celebrates after the win

“I don’t think I realized how much I missed this race until you come back to it,” Allgaier said.

Allgaier and JR Motorsports got the chance to race with Chris Stapleton, who sponsored the car with his whiskey label. Stapleton, fresh off winning a Grammy for best country solo performance, will attend the Daytona 500.

Earnhardt said, “Man, we have kind of tried to downplay how badly we want to race in the Cup Series… if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

Due to the threat of rain later on Sunday, the race start has been moved up an hour to 1:30 p.m. Eastern. Pitbull is scheduled to perform the pre-race concert after last year’s rain delay canceled his appearance. Anthony Mackie, who plays the lead in the latest “Captain America” movie, will give the command to start the engines.

Their appearances may be overshadowed if Trump returns. Trump attended the Daytona 500 in 2020 and is coming off being the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl.

A federal antitrust lawsuit is still ongoing as teams 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports challenge NASCAR’s charter system. 23XI Racing is owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, who hopes to become a four-time Daytona 500 winner. NASCAR is appealing a ruling that allowed these teams to start as chartered teams, but for now, they can.

Wallace is a contender to win for Jordan, and Hamlin is also in the running for his fourth Daytona 500 victory. Hamlin’s Toyota team has performed well at Daytona, with Briscoe on the pole and Johnson and Truex earning open spots based on speed, along with Wallace’s qualifying race win.

Tyler Gibbs, president of TRD U.S.A., said, “I would trade it all for a win on Sunday.”

Categories
Motorsport

Helio Castroneves secures a new NASCAR provisional for a “world-class driver” to compete in the Daytona 500

Helio Castroneves talks to media

The 67th Daytona 500 will have a 41st driver as four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves uses a new NASCAR provisional to make his Cup debut in The Great American Race on Sunday.

Castroneves crashed on Lap 14 of the first Duel qualifying race. In a multi-car wreck caused by Chandler Smith, Castroneves’ No. 91 Chevrolet hit the outside wall with its right rear, breaking a toe link.

While driving back to the pits, Castroneves accidentally steered his left front onto the apron. His car shot up the banking into the outside wall with a heavy right-front impact and then slid back onto the infield grass. Jimmie Johnson said he wasn’t happy when he learned about NASCAR’s new provisional and that he wouldn’t be able to use it at Daytona.

“I should have brought it down on the warmup lane,” Castroneves told FS1. “I was a little fast. The second hit was a little bit tough. But the good news is hopefully the guys are going to be able to fix the car.

But I learned so much. How to save fuel, small details that folks don’t understand. It’s so interesting. I love it. We’re going to have to take the provisional. That’s not what I wanted, but we will, and in the end, I have more to learn.”

Despite the rookie mistake at Daytona International Speedway, Castroneves, who has two victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance race, was saved by his superstar reputation.

Although he didn’t make the 40-car field based on qualifying speed or race results, the 2007 “Dancing With The Stars” winner is still in the Daytona 500 as the 41st driver due to a new NASCAR rule for the 2025 season. This rule guarantees a spot for a “world-class driver” in every Cup race.

His Trackhouse Racing entry won’t earn points or prize money in his NASCAR debut. Drivers finishing behind Castroneves in the Daytona 500 will have their positions adjusted up one spot, with their prize money, race points, and stage points also adjusted.

Helio Castroneves talls to other drivers

Castroneves was given the Open Exemptional Provisional for the Daytona 500 because Trackhouse Racing applied before the deadline had passed, after many teams learned of the new rule, which has been heavily criticized by several prominent drivers, including Denny Hamlin.

“It reeks of desperation,” Hamlin said before The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. “I don’t know how else to say it. I don’t know how nice you can really say it. It just feels like you are really trying to get any kind of headline you can to be relevant, and I don’t love it.

To me, it is a short-term gain, long-term loss. I just think that you are premier stock car series in the U.S. The premier racing sport in the U.S. Be the big boys and force people to come in here and get their credentials and do it the natural way.

I don’t think it is going to be a big factor anywhere other than Daytona, but saying that someone has a name that interests you and that they are going to have an automatic bid in the highest form of motorsports in the U.S. I don’t love it.”

Past champions Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, who both had to qualify for the race without any guarantees, were also unhappy about the rule.

“We really didn’t know about it until the rule came out (in January),” Johnson said on Wednesday. “Evidently, it was buried in the charter agreement that was pushed out. When the rule came out … three minutes later we were on the phone with NASCAR and recognized that it wasn’t in the 90-day window (before the 500) and that we weren’t eligible.

We’ve had a lot of talks with everyone at NASCAR. I have a better understanding of the intent of the rule. I would anticipate some changes following here to better define and clarify that.”

Categories
Motorsport

Castroneves will race in the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach using a “world-class driver” provisional after a qualifying crash

Cars crashing in NASCAR Daytona 500

Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will race in the Daytona 500 as the 41st driver, thanks to a new rule that allows a “world-class driver” to earn a provisional spot.

Castroneves had hoped to earn his place without the provisional but was involved in an early eight-car crash that damaged his Chevrolet, forcing him to retire from the 150-mile qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway.

“Unfortunately, we’re going to have to take the provisional,” Castroneves said. “That’s not what we wanted, but we will. And, in the end, we have more to learn.”

Bubba Wallace, driving a Toyota for Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing, won the first of the two qualifying races, which determine the starting lineup for the Daytona 500.

“I’ve wanted one of these Duel wins for so long,” Wallace said. “All my buddies got one. I got one now. I’m good.”

One driver from each qualifying race earns a spot in “The Great American Race,” with reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier securing the “open” spot in the first race, beating J.J. Yeley.

Allgaier’s success will mark the Cup Series debut of JR Motorsports, owned by two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister. The car is sponsored by a whiskey brand founded by Grammy winner Chris Stapleton.

“This means a lot to our team, this little team of JR Motorsports. Dale Jr. is an amazing race car driver. He’s an amazing dad, car owner. You can tell how much he wanted this and our whole shop wanted this,” Allgaier said. “To see this happen, everybody at Traveler Whiskey, Chris Stapleton will be here on Sunday. I’m excited to see him here and debut this car in the Daytona 500 and JR Motorsports in the Daytona 500.”

Austin Cindric, driving a Ford for Team Penske, won the second qualifying race after NASCAR ruled he was ahead of Erik Jones when the caution came out on the final lap. Jones had thought he won the race in the No. 43 car, a ride that last saw a victory in Daytona in 1977 with Richard Petty, but NASCAR declared Cindric the winner.

Bubba Wallace crosses the finish line

“What just happened?” Cindric asked after learning he was the winner.

Cindric had to walk from pit lane across the grass to get the checkered flag, only to find there was no flag. Instead, he climbed towards the fans and threw his hat into the crowd.

Jones was disappointed.

“It’s a wide-range of emotions, it’s a bummer,” Jones said. “I don’t know what we could have done different. It’s the rule. Hopefully, we can be in that same spot Sunday.”

Corey LaJoie, in a part-time ride for Rick Ware Racing, secured the final open spot in the field.

“You forget how special this race is, when you are racing full-time it’s the first race of 36,” LaJoie said. “We’ve got 500 miles on Sunday to see if we can get a little closer to the front.”

Castroneves’ crash means he will be the 41st driver in the race, making Sunday’s field the largest since 2015, when there were 43 cars. Trackhouse Racing won’t receive any points or purse payout for Castroneves’ efforts, and every driver who finishes behind him will move up in the order.

“I was having a good time,” Castroneves said. “The good news is hopefully the guys will be able to fix the car. I learned so much, such small details that folks from the other side of TV don’t understand. It’s so interesting. And I love it.”

The provisional rule has caused some controversy. Seven-time NASCAR champion and two-time Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson and 2017 NASCAR champion Martin Truex Jr. didn’t understand why they weren’t considered for the “world-class driver” spot.

This rule was introduced in the new charter agreements signed by teams in September, but neither Johnson nor Truex were aware of it until it was announced. By then, the 90-day window to request the provisional had passed.

Despite this, Johnson and Truex each earned their spots in the Daytona 500 field in Wednesday night’s time trials.

Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is different from other races, as only the front row is determined in time trials. Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing won the pole and will start alongside Cindric of Team Penske. The two fastest drivers from the nine “open” entries claim a spot, and the final two open spots are decided in the Thursday night qualifying races.