Daytona International Speedway Track Facts: 2017 Daytona 500

The 59th running of the Daytona 500 happens Sunday. 

Daytona 500 Tidbits

·        The 2017 edition will be the 59th running of the Daytona 500.

·        Although the first Daytona 500 was held in 1959, it has been the season-opener only since 1982.

Starts

·        536 drivers have competed in at least one Daytona 500; 321 in more than one.

·        Dave Marcis leads the series all-time in Daytona 500 starts with 33; followed by NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (32) and Terry Labonte (32).

·        Michael Waltrip leads all active MENCS drivers in Daytona 500 starts with 29; followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. (17) and Matt Kenseth (17).

·        Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the series among active drivers with more than one start in the Daytona 500 in average starting position (5.89).

·        12 different manufacturers have made at least one start in the Daytona 500: Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, Toyota, Plymouth, Mercury, Chrysler, American Motors Company and Studebaker

Poles

·        40 different drivers have won a Coors Light pole for the Daytona 500; led by Bill Elliott, Cale Yarborough and Buddy Baker with four each.

·        Only nine drivers have posted more than one Coors Light pole for the Daytona 500; Jimmie Johnson (two) is the only active driver with more than one Daytona 500 pole.

·        Chase Elliott became the youngest Daytona 500 pole winner at the age of 20 years, 2 months, 17 days with his pole last season.

·        Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 Daytona 500 poles, the series most: Ken Schrader (1988, 1989, 1990), Jeff Gordon (1999, 2015), Jimmie Johnson (2002, 2008), Mark Martin (2010), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2011) and Chase Elliott (2016).

·        Seven different manufacturers have won the pole for the Daytona 500, led by Chevrolet with 24; followed by Ford (12), Pontiac (eight), Mercury (five), Dodge (four), Oldsmobile (three), Plymouth (two).

Wins

·        37 different drivers have won a Daytona 500.

·        Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959; he led 38 laps and won by 2 feet.

·        Youngest Daytona 500 winner: Trevor Bayne (02/20/2011 - 20 years, 0 months, 1 days)

·        Oldest Daytona 500 winner: Bobby Allison (02/14/1988 - 50 years, 2 months, 11 days)

·        Nine different manufacturers have won the Daytona 500, led by Chevrolet with 23 victories; followed by Ford (14), Dodge (four), Plymouth (four), Buick (three), Mercury (three), Oldsmobile (three), Pontiac (three) and Toyota (ninth). 

·        Seven drivers posted their career-first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory with a win in the Daytona 500. 

Drivers	Seasons
Tiny Lund	1963
Mario Andretti	1967
Pete Hamilton	1970
Derrike Cope	1990
Sterling Marlin	1994
Michael Waltrip	2001
Trevor Bayne	2011

·        Three other drivers posted their career-first victory in (points-paying) qualifying races: Johnny Rutherford (1963), Bobby Isaac (1964) and Earl Balmer (1966).

·        Lee Petty, who won the inaugural Daytona 500, and Trevor Bayne, 2011 Daytona 500 champion, are the only two drivers to win the Daytona 500 in their first appearance.

·        11 drivers have won more than one Daytona 500, led by Richard Petty with seven victories.

The 11 Drivers With Multiple Daytona 500 Wins
No. of Wins	Drivers	Seasons
7	Richard Petty	1964	1966	1971	1973	1974	1979	1981
4	Cale Yarborough	1968	1977	1983	1984
3	Bobby Allison	1978	1982	1988
3	Dale Jarrett	1993	1996	2000
3	Jeff Gordon	1997	1999	2005
2	Bill Elliott	1985	1987
2	Sterling Marlin	1994	1995
2	Michael Waltrip	2001	2003
2	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	2004	2014
2	Jimmie Johnson	2006	2013
2	Matt Kenseth	2009	2012

·        A driver has won back-to-back Daytona 500s three times. Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84) and Sterling Marlin (1994-95).

·        Active Daytona 500 winners and the number of MENCS starts in their careers when they won: 

No. of Wins	Drivers	Seasons	Career Start
2	Michael Waltrip	2001	463
		2003	535
2	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	2004	148
		2014	506
2	Jimmie Johnson	2006	148
		2013	400
2	Matt Kenseth	2009	329
		2012	437
1	Kevin Harvick	2007	215
1	Ryan Newman	2008	225
1	Jamie McMurray	2010	259
1	Trevor Bayne	2011	2
1	Joey Logano	2015	220
1	Denny Hamlin	2016	363

·        The Daytona 500 has been won from the pole position nine times; Bill Elliott (1985, 1987) and Cale Yarborough (1968, 1984) are the only two drivers to accomplish the feat more than once. Dale Jarrett was the most recent driver to win from the pole in 2000.

Season	Driver
1962	Fireball Roberts
1966	Richard Petty
1968	Cale Yarborough
1980	Buddy Baker
1984	Cale Yarborough
1985	Bill Elliott
1987	Bill Elliott
1999	Jeff Gordon
2000	Dale Jarrett

·        The pole position is the most proficient starting position in the Daytona 500 field, producing more winners (nine) than any other position; followed by second-place (seven wins) and fourth-place (seven wins).

·        16 of the 58 Daytona 500s (27.6%) have been won from the front row; nine from the pole position and seven from the second-place position.

·        28 of the 58 Daytona 500s (48.3%) have been won from a top five starting position.

·        42 of the 58 Daytona 500s (72.4%) have been won from a top 10 starting position

·        Five of the 58 Daytona 500s (.08%) have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

·        Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 from the 39th starting position in 2009, the deepest a race winner has started.

·        Five reigning Monster Energy Cup Series champions have gone on to win the Daytona 500 the following season: Lee Petty (1959), Richard Petty (1973), Cale Yarborough (1977), Jeff Gordon (1999) and Dale Jarrett (2000).

Five Drivers Have Won the Daytona 500 and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship In The Same Season
Drivers	Seasons
Richard Petty	1964	1971	1974	1979
Jimmie Johnson	2006	2013
Lee Petty	1959
Cale Yarborough	1977
Jeff Gordon	1997

·        A driver has swept both the Daytona 500 and the July race only five times at Daytona International Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (2013), Bobby Allison (1982), LeeRoy Yarborough (1969), Cale Yarborough (1968) and Fireball Roberts (1962).

·        Seven drivers made 10 or more attempts before their first Daytona 500 victory: Dale Earnhardt (19), Buddy Baker (18), Darrell Waltrip (16), Bobby Allison (14), Michael Waltrip (14) and Sterling Marlin (12) and Denny Hamlin (11).

·        The driver with the all-time most Daytona 500 starts without a victory is Dave Marcis with 33 races; Kurt Busch (15) and Kasey Kahne (13) lead all active drivers with the most Daytona 500 starts without a Daytona 500 win.  

·        Drivers who have won the Daytona 500 in more than one car manufacturer:

Driver – Manufacturer (Number of wins in that manufacturer)

o   Richard Petty – Plymouth (3), Dodge (2), Oldsmobile (1) and Buick (1)

o   Cale Yarborough – Chevrolet (2), Mercury (1) and Pontiac (1)

o   Bobby Allison – Buick (2) and Ford (1)

o   Dale Jarrett – Ford (2) and Chevrolet (1)

·        Drivers who have won The Clash and the Daytona 500 in the same season:

Driver – (Year)

o   Bobby Allison (1982)

o   Bill Elliott (1987)

o   Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)

o   Jeff Gordon (1997)

o   Denny Hamlin (2016)

·        Car Numbers that have produced three or more Daytona 500 victories:

Car Number – Drivers – (Years)

o   No. 43 – Richard Petty (1964, ’66, ’71, ’73, ’74, ’79, ‘81)

o   No. 21 – Tiny Lund (1963), Cale Yarborough (1968), A.J. Foyt (1972), David Pearson (1976) and Trevor Bayne (2011)

o   No. 28 – Fred Lorenzen (1965), Buddy Baker (1980), Cale Yarborough (1983 and 1984) and Davey Allison (1992)

o   No. 4 – Ernie Irvan (1991), Sterling Marlin (1994 and 1995)

o   No. 15 – Bobby Allison (1978), Michael Waltrip (2001 and 2003)

o   No. 17 – Darrell Waltrip (1989), Matt Kenseth (2009 and 2012)

o   No. 88 – Bobby Allison (1982), Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2014)

o   No. 24 – Jeff Gordon (1997, 1999 and 2005)

o   No. 11 – Mario Andretti (1967), Cale Yarborough (1977) and Denny Hamlin (2016)

Additional Finishing Positions

·        Dale Earnhardt leads the series in runner-up finishes in the Daytona 500 with five; Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all active drivers with four (Earnhardt Jr. is tied with NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough for second most all-time with four).

·        Dale Earnhardt had 12 top fives in his 23 Daytona 500 starts, more than any other driver. 

·        Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all active drivers in Daytona 500 top-five finishes with eight (Earnhardt Jr. is tied with Benny Parsons, Bobby Allison and Buddy Baker for fifth most-all-time).

·        Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty each posted a series leading 16 top 10s in the Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all active drivers in Daytona 500 top-10 finishes with 10.

·        Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all active drivers in average finishing position in the Daytona 500 with a 13.5 (17 appearances)

Female Competitors

·        Danica Patrick on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2013 became the first female in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history to win a Coors Light pole for the Daytona 500 posting a speed of 196.434 mph.

·        Janet Guthrie previously held the record for top starting position by a female NASCAR premier series driver, starting ninth twice in 1977 - at Talladega Superspeedway on Aug. 7, 1977 and at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 28, 1977.

·        In 2012, Danica Patrick became the third female driver to compete in a Daytona 500 joining Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson. Below are the previous female driver performances in the Daytona 500.

Race	Season	Driver	Start	Finish
Daytona 500	1977	Janet Guthrie	39	12
Daytona 500	1980	Janet Guthrie	18	11
Daytona 500	2002	Shawna Robinson	36	24
Daytona 500	2012	Danica Patrick	29	38
Daytona 500	2013	Danica Patrick	1	8
Daytona 500	2014	Danica Patrick	27	40
Daytona 500	2015	Danica Patrick	20	21
Daytona 500	2016	Danica Patrick	16	35

Track / Daytona 500 Specific Stats

·        Denny Hamlin’s 0.001-second margin of victory over Martin Truex Jr. in the 2016 Daytona 500 is the closest Daytona 500 finish and tied with Atlanta (3/12/2000) and Phoenix (3/13/2016) as the seventh closest MOV since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993. 

·        Kevin Harvick’s 0.020-second margin of victory over Mark Martin in the 2007 Daytona 500 is the 12th-closest overall since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993, and the second closest in Daytona 500 history.

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty has led the most laps in a single Daytona 500; leading 184 laps in the 1964 Daytona 500.

·        Among active drivers, Denny Hamlin has led the most laps in a single Daytona 500, when he led 95 laps on his way to victory last season.  

·        Jamie McMurray has led the fewest laps in a Daytona 500 and won - in 2010, McMurray only led two laps on his way to winning the Daytona 500.

·        2011 Daytona 500 had the most all-time lead changes with 74; which is 14 more than the race with second-most lead changes the 1974 Daytona 500 with 60 lead changes.

·        The 1964 Daytona 500 won by Richard Petty had the fewest lead changes with a mere six on record.

·        2011 Daytona 500 had the most all-time leaders with 22.

·        2011 Daytona 500 had the most all-time Cautions with 16.

·        1968 and 2011 Daytona 500s had the most all-time Caution Laps with 60 laps each.

·        The Daytona 500 has finished under NASCAR Overtime conditions seven times: 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2007, 2006 and 2005.

·        Due to the overtime rules in NASCAR, the longest Daytona 500 ever run was the 2010 and 2011 Daytona 500 races – both went 208 laps/520 miles – eight laps and 20 miles more than the scheduled distance.

·        The largest field to compete in the Daytona 500 was 68 cars in the 1960 race.

Statistical Look At Daytona International Speedway

History

·        Groundbreaking for Daytona International Speedway was Nov. 25, 1957. The soil underneath the banked corners was dug from the infield of the track and the hole filled with water. It is now known as Lake Lloyd.

·        The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona was a 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, 1959.

·        Richard Petty won his 200th career race on July 4, 1984 at Daytona.

·        Lights were installed in the spring of 1998. However, the July race was delayed until October that year due to thick smoke from wildfires. The second Daytona race has been scheduled for under the lights ever since.

·        The track underwent a repave in 2010.

·        2016 marked the next phase in the existence of Daytona International Speedway as the DAYTONA Rising project was completed, ushering in the first ‘motorsports stadium,’ a 400-million-dollar project.

Notebook

·        There have been 139 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races since the track hosted its first race in 1959: 58 have been 500 miles, 54 were 400 miles and four 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifier races that were point races.

·        Fireball Roberts won the inaugural pole at Daytona in a Pontiac with a speed of 140.121 mph.

·        Bob Welborn won the first race at Daytona, the 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500.

·        Fireball Roberts won the first 400-mile race at Daytona, the 1963 Firecracker 400.

·        59 drivers have posted poles at Daytona – including Chase Elliott the 2016 Daytona 500 pole winner; one of six active drivers that won their first career pole at Daytona – Austin Dillon (2014), Danica Patrick (2013), Paul Menard (2008), Kevin Harvick (2002), Jimmie Johnson (2002).

·        Cale Yarborough leads all drivers with 12 poles at Daytona.

·        Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with two poles at Daytona.

·        60 different drivers have won at Daytona International Speedway; led by Richard Petty with 10 points-paying victories at Daytona.

·        The Wood Brothers have won 15 races at Daytona, more than any other organization.

·        18 full-length races at Daytona have been won from the pole; the last to do it was Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the 2015 July race.

NASCAR in Florida

·        There have been 365 NASCAR national series races among 10 tracks held in the state of Florida.

Track Name	City	MENCS	NXS	NCWTS	Total Races
Daytona International Speedway	Daytona Beach	139	50	17	266
Homestead-Miami Speedway	Homestead	18	22	21	67
Daytona Beach & Road Course	Daytona Beach	10	0	0	10
Palm Beach Speedway	W. Palm Beach	7	0	0	7
Speedway Park	Jacksonville	6	0	0	6
Volusia County Speedway	Barberville	0	4	0	4
Walt Disney World Speedway	Orlando	0	0	2	2
Five Flags Speedway	Pensacola	1	0	0	1
Golden Gate Speedway	Tampa	1	0	0	1
Titusville-Cocoa Speedway	Titusville	1	0	0	1
Totals		183	76	40	365

·        178 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state recorded as Florida.

·        There have been 11 race winners with their home state recorded as Florida in NASCAR’s three national series:

Driver	MENCS	NXS	NCWTS
Fireball Roberts	33	0	0
LeeRoy Yarbrough	14	0	0
Marshall Teague	7	0	0
Joe Nemechek	4	16	0
Bobby Johns	2	0	0
David Reutimann	2	1	1
Aric Almirola	1	2	2
Shorty Rollins	1	0	0
Joey Coulter	0	0	1
Rick Wilson	0	2	0
Ben Kennedy	0	0	1
Total	64	21	5

Pre-Race Loop Data Category Leaders At Daytona International Speedway

Loop Data Categories Active Series Leaders Stat Driver Rating Kyle Busch 95.9 Average Running Position Kyle Busch 12.8 Percentage of Laps In The Top 15 Kyle Busch 69.7% Laps Led Denny Hamlin 369 Fastest Laps Run Kevin Harvick 104 Quality Passes Jamie McMurray 3,739 Green Flag Passes Jamie McMurray 5,886 Closers Michael Waltrip 5.3 Avg. Spots Gained Fastest On Restarts Dale Earnhardt Jr. 177.282 MPH Average Speed Early In A Run Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 192.196 MPH Average Speed Late In A Run Ty Dillon 191.049 MPH

Daytona 500 All-Time Winners

Season	Daytona 500 Winners
2016	Denny Hamlin
2015	Joey Logano
2014	Dale Earnhardt Jr
2013	Jimmie Johnson
2012	Matt Kenseth
2011	Trevor Bayne
2010	Jamie McMurray
2009	Matt Kenseth
2008	Ryan Newman
2007	Kevin Harvick
2006	Jimmie Johnson
2005	Jeff Gordon
2004	Dale Earnhardt Jr
2003	Michael Waltrip
2002	Ward Burton
2001	Michael Waltrip
2000	Dale Jarrett
1999	Jeff Gordon
1998	Dale Earnhardt
1997	Jeff Gordon
1996	Dale Jarrett
1995	Sterling Marlin
1994	Sterling Marlin
1993	Dale Jarrett
1992	Davey Allison
1991	Ernie Irvan
1990	Derrike Cope
1989	Darrell Waltrip
1988	Bobby Allison
1987	Bill Elliott
1986	Geoff Bodine
1985	Bill Elliott
1984	Cale Yarborough
1983	Cale Yarborough
1982	Bobby Allison
1981	Richard Petty
1980	Buddy Baker
1979	Richard Petty
1978	Bobby Allison
1977	Cale Yarborough
1976	David Pearson
1975	Benny Parsons
1974	Richard Petty
1973	Richard Petty
1972	A.J. Foyt
1971	Richard Petty
1970	Pete Hamilton
1969	LeeRoy Yarbrough
1968	Cale Yarborough
1967	Mario Andretti
1966	Richard Petty
1965	Fred Lorenzen
1964	Richard Petty
1963	Tiny Lund
1962	Fireball Roberts
1961	Marvin Panch
1960	Junior Johnson
1959	Lee Petty

 

Daytona International Speedway

Qualifying / Race Data

2017 pole winner:

Chase Elliott, Chevrolet SS

(192.872 mph, 46.663 seconds)

2016 pole winner:

Chase Elliott, Chevrolet SS

(196.314 mph, 45.845 seconds)

2016 race winner:

Joey Logano, Ford Fusion

(161.939 mph, 2-22-15)

Qualifying record:

Bill Elliott, Ford Thunderbird

(210.364 mph, 42.783 secs. 2-9-87)

Race record:

Buddy Baker, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

(177.602 mph, 2-17-80)

Daytona 500 Qualifying Fast Facts

Ø  Chase Elliott becomes the fifth driver in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history to win consecutive Daytona 500 poles joining Fireball Roberts, Buddy Baker, Bill Elliott, and Ken Schrader.

Ø  Alan Gustafson, crew chief for Chase Elliott, posted his third consecutive Daytona 500 pole (Jeff Gordon, 2015; Chase Elliott, 2016-2017) tying the record Ernie Elliott set in 1985-1987.

Ø  Chase and Bill Elliott are the fourth father-son duo to win the Daytona 500 pole joining Richard and Kyle Petty, Bobby and Davey Allison and Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr.; the Elliott's are the first father-son duo to win consecutive Daytona 500 poles.

Daytona International Speedway Data

Race #: 1 of 36 (2-26-17)

Track Size: 2.5 miles

Banking/Corners: 31 degrees

Banking/Straights: 3 degrees

Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees

Total Race Length: 500 miles (200 laps)

Stage 1 Length: 150 miles (60 laps)

Stage 2 Length: 150 miles (60 laps)

Final Stage Length: 200 miles (80 laps)

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Daytona

Kyle Busch                   95.9     

Dale Earnhardt Jr.         94.1

Denny Hamlin               91.0

Kurt Busch                    89.9

Matt Kenseth                88.5

Jimmie Johnson            88.2

Joey Logano                 87.4

Kasey Kahne                82.1

Kevin Harvick               81.8

Jamie McMurray           80.2

Note: Driver Ratings are compiled from 2005-2016 races (23 total) at Daytona (active drivers only). 

Note: Loop Data is compiled from 2005-2016 races (23 total) at Daytona (active drivers only).

- NASCAR

Joey Logano wins Clash at Daytona while Keselowski, Hamlin crash

Joey Logano paid out at 13/2 odds to win Clash.

Joey Logano took advantage of a last-lap wreck between race leader Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski to take the lead of and win the Advance Auto Parts Clash.

Logano was in third when Keselowski dove beneath Hamlin for the lead. They sideswiped each other in Turn 2, sending Hamlin spinning through the field untouched.

The slowing of the field to avoid Hamlin allowed Logano to put enough distance between him and second place, which was fought for between Kyle Busch and Alex Bowman.

Danica Patrick finished fourth.

“Kind of was in the right place at the right time,” Logano told Fox Sports 1. “Brad was going to make the move and I was just going to follow him through. When I saw (Hamlin) coming down, I immediately went to the top. The writing was written on the wall what was going to happen.”

The accident between Hamlin and and Keselowski involved the drivers who started on the front row and led the most laps in the 75-lap race.

Read More Here....NBC Sports

Clash at Daytona Results
1) #22-Joey Logano, Shell/Pennzoil Ford
2) #18-Kyle Busch, M&M's Toyota
3) #88-Alex Bowman, Nationwide Chevy
4) #10-Danica Patrick, TaxAct Ford
5) #4-Kevin Harvick, Busch Beer Ford
6) #2-Brad Keselowski, SKF Ford
7) #24-Chase Elliott, NAPA Chevy
8) #19-Daniel Suarez, ARRIS Toyota
9) #37-Chris Buescher, Kroger Click List Chevy
10) #1-Jamie McMurray, McDonald's Big Mac Chevy
11) #20-Matt Kenseth, Interstate Batteries Toyota
12) #3-Austin Dillon, Dow Chevy
13) #11-Denny Hamlin, Fedex Express Toyota, 74 laps, accident
14) #42-Kyle Larson, Credit One Chevy, 61 laps, accident
15) #78-Martin Truex Jr, 5-hour ENERGY Extra Strength Toyota, 60 laps, accident
16) #48-Jimmie Johnson, Lowe's Chevy, 48 laps, accident
17) #41-Kurt Busch, Monster Energy / Haas Automation Ford, 16 laps, accident

Average Speed of Race Winner: 143.831 mph.
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 18 Mins, 13 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.120 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 4 for 16 laps.
Lead Changes: 6 among 4 drivers.
Lap Leaders: B. Keselowski 1-8; D. Hamlin 9; B. Keselowski 10-19; Kyle Busch 20-24; J. Logano 25-27; D. Hamlin 28-74; J. Logano 75;.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): D. Hamlin 2 times for 48 laps; B. Keselowski 2 times for 18 laps; Kyle Busch 1 time for 5 laps; J. Logano 2 times for 4 laps.

Clash at Daytona Final Notes
- Joey Logano: 1st Clash win; 3rd career win at Daytona (2015 Daytona 500, 2011 July NXS race)
- Team Penske: 3rd time winning The Clash (2011 Kurt Busch, 1998 Rusty Wallace)
- Kyle Busch: finished 2nd; 2012 winner of race
- Alex Bowman: finished 3rd; making Clash debut (does not have ride for 2016 Cup Series season)
- Danica Patrick: finished 4th; first finish better than 10th in 4th career Clash start
- Denny Hamlin: was leading on final lap (finished 13th after contact from Brad Keselowski); had won race 2 of last 3 years
- Jimmie Johnson: finished 16th; 6th straight year wrecking out of event (7th DNF in The Clash ties Jeff Gordon's record)
- First win for a Ford driver since Dale Jarrett won in 2004.

Ford strong in first Daytona 500 practice sessions

Joey Logano and Ford looked strong Saturday.

Joey Logano posted the fastest lap in Saturday’s lengthy practice session at Daytona International Speedway.

Fords went 1-2-3 in the session, which lasted 3 hours, 55 minutes.

Logano led the way with a lap of 193.116 mph. Aric Almirola piloted his Richard Petty Motorsports ride to a lap of 193.054 mph. Logano’s Team Penske teammate, Brad Keselowski, was third on the speed chart at 193.046 mph. Kyle Larson was fourth at 193.034 mph. Ryan Blaney completed the top five in his Wood Brothers Racing Ford at 192.980.

Read More Here...NBC Sports

Alex Bowman earned right to be in Clash at Daytona

Alex Bowman during Friday's Clash practice at Daytona 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – During his December test at Darlington Raceway that cleared his return to NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr. gathered his No. 88 team in the hauler and broke some news.

He wouldn’t be running The Clash, turning over the wheel of his Chevrolet to Alex Bowman as a reward for filling in for him last season.

Unless his team said otherwise.

“I said, ‘They could put (Bowman) in the 5 (the car of Kasey Kahne, who wasn’t eligible Saturday), and if the guys really want me to run (the No. 88), I’ll run it,” Earnhardt said Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. “But otherwise I’d just assume let Alex run it. They said, ‘Yeah, I think Alex earned his shot, and he should be able to work with guys that he knows.’ Nothing against the 5 guys, but he hadn’t worked with them any.”

Bowman and Earnhardt both were eligible to run in The Clash – the former by virtue of winning the pole position at Phoenix International Raceway, the latter as a former winner of the event.

Read More Here....NBC Sports

Joe Gibbs Racing puts on drafting show in final Clash practice

Daniel Suarez fit right in with his Gibbs teammates in practice.

After not seeing the track at a in the first practice session for the Advanced Auto Parts Clash, Joe Gibbs Racing swept the top four in the second and final session.

Denny Hamlin, who will start second in the exhibition race, was fastest at 196.528 mph. That came as all four Joe Gibbs Racing cars drafted alone for most of the 55-minute session.

Hamlin was followed by rookie Daniel Suarez, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. Joey Logano completed the top five and Danica Patrick was sixth fastest.

Brad Keselowski, the pole-sitter for the Clash, was fastest in the first session, which was devoted to single-car runs. He was 10th fastest when working in the draft.

Read More Here....NBC Sports


Final Practice Speeds

Denny Hamlin obviously "looking forward" to Daytona return

Denny Hamlin is 8/1 to win his fourth Clash at Daytona.

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Express Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Advance Auto Parts Clash
Date/Time: Feb. 18/8:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 75 laps/187.5 miles
Track Length: 2.5 miles
Track Shape: Tri-Oval
Banking: 31 degrees
2016 Winner: Denny Hamlin

Express Notes:
Clash at Daytona: Hamlin returns to the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway this Saturday to kick off the 2017 season as the defending winner and three-time victor of the Advance Auto Parts Clash. His 2016 win marked his second Clash victory in three years, and made him only one of six drivers to win both the Clash and Daytona 500 during the same Speedweeks. He has led 86 total laps in 11 Clash starts, setting a race-high 39 laps led in 2016. This year’s race will be 75 laps, beginning with a 50-lap segment and concluding with a 25-lap chase to the finish line.

Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Races: 11
Wins: 3 (2006, 2014, 2016)
Top-5: 5
Top-10: 6
Laps Led: 86

Hamlin Conversation – Returning to Daytona:
“Obviously, we had a great Speedweeks last year, so I’m looking forward to returning to Daytona to start the season and repeat that same success. Of course, we want to defend our Daytona 500 win, and this FedEx team has a strong restrictor plate program that puts us one step closer to accomplishing that. I’m also excited to have Wheels (Mike Wheeler) back for a second season, and I think we’ve really positioned ourselves to be competitive this year.”

Daytona Beach Station Team Along for the Ride at Daytona: The FedEx Express station team from Daytona Beach (Fla.) will be recognized for claiming the title of Southern Region FY16 Station of the Year Champions by having its “DABA” code letters appear on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota at their home track, Daytona International Speedway, throughout SpeedWeeks.

FedEx Office – Closest to Daytona International Speedway: 2274 W International Speedway, Daytona Beach, (386) 323-7840

#11 FedEx Racing – 2016 Crew Roster
Crew Chief – Mike “Wheels” Wheeler
Car Chief – Leo Thorsen
Engineers – Justin Langdon, Sam McAuley
Shock Specialist – Drew Bible
Tire Specialist – Kerry Ferris
Mechanics – Tony Hamm, Scott Eldridge, Sean Kerlin
Spotter – Chris Lambert
Front Tire Changer: Dustin Necaise
Front Tire Carrier: Brandon Pegram
Rear Tire Changer: Mike Hicks
Rear Tire Carrier: Ben Fischbeck
Jack Man: Nate Bolling
Gas Man: Caleb Hurd
Transportation – Frank Hodel

- Weber Shandwick Worldwide for FedEx Racing

Jimmie Johnson goes for second Clash win

Jimmie Johnson is 7/1 to win Clash.

No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS / Jimmie Johnson

Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Hometown: El Cajon, California
Age: 41
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

SEVEN-TIME IS A TWO-TIME AT DAYTONA: Daytona marks the first opportunity for Jimmie Johnson to pilot his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS since winning the 2016 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to secure his record-tying seventh NASCAR Cup Series title. The seven-time champion has won the Daytona 500 on two occasions — Feb. 6, 2006, and Feb. 24, 2013. Since winning “The Great American Race” in 2013, Johnson finished fifth in the event in 2014 and 2015 and 16th in 2016.

LONE CLASH WIN: Johnson has one win in The Clash. The lone victory in the non-points event came at the start of the 2005 season when the race format was reserved for pole position winners who qualified from the previous season.

POLE WINS FOR JOHNSON: As a rookie, Johnson came on the scene in the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet with a vengeance, taking the pole position in his first attempt at “The Great American Race” with a qualifying lap of 185.831 mph. His second Daytona 500 pole came in 2008. Johnson also has earned three second-place starts for the race, which came in 2005, 2010 and 2015.

DUEL PERFORMANCE: Johnson has compiled two wins in the Duel 150-mile qualifier races, which will take place on Thursday, Feb. 23. He went to Victory Lane in 2010 after edging competitor Kevin Harvick by a mere 0.006 seconds. Johnson also won a 2015 Duel, which went into overtime and ended under a green-white-checkered flag finish.

RECENT DAYTONA FINISHES: Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus have recently racked up some spectacular statistics and laps led for the No. 48 team at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Johnson swept the season with victories in both the Daytona 500 and in the July 400-mile event in 2013. In the 2014 Daytona 500, Johnson finished fifth after leading 15 laps. In 2015, he finished fifth in the Daytona 500, leading 39 laps, and finished second in July of that year to teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. after leading 35 laps. Last year’s Daytona 500 saw Johnson lead the field for 18 laps before finishing 16th.

SIXTEEN YEARS AND HOLDING: Johnson, Knaus, car chief Ron Malec and sponsor Lowe’s will celebrate their 16th full season together in 2017. Lowe’s joined forces with Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 48 team in 2001 and has been Johnson’s full-season primary sponsor since his 2002 rookie year, including for all seven Cup Series championships.

MOUNTAIN MAN: Johnson spent the majority of the NASCAR offseason in Aspen, Colorado, where he owns a home. In addition to growing a robust beard, Johnson skied, skinned and even participated in the Ajax Cup, a fundraising ski race that provides support to the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club. Johnson and daughter Evie also took in the Winter X Games, held in Aspen, and made a cameo on ESPN’s coverage of the games.

OFFSEASON ACCOLADES: Stemming from his record-tying seventh championship, Johnson has received recognition from many organizations. Among the highlights, Johnson was named San Diego Hall of Champions Professional Star of the Year along with NHRA drag racer and fellow San Diego native Ron Capps. Johnson also won Driver of the Year honors from the National Motorsports Press Association for the seventh time in his career.

TEAM CHEVY STAGE: Johnson will appear at the Team Chevy Stage on Sunday, Feb. 26, at 11:15 a.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.

- Hendrick Motorsports

Kevin Harvicks goes for fourth Clash at Daytona win

Kevin Harvick is +850 to win Saturday's Clash.

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Feb. 15, 2017) – In a new season that will feature a new race format, points system and manufacturer for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 team at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), there is comfort in the consistency displayed by the colors adorning their new Ford Fusion for Speedweeks at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

While the make and model of the No. 4 may have changed as SHR collaborated with Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motor Company starting in 2017, the familiar black-and-red livery of Jimmy John’s will return for its second season as the primary sponsor for the Daytona 500. Jimmy John’s, based in Champaign, Illinois and famous for its freaky fast delivery, made its Daytona 500 debut in 2016, when Harvick and the No. 4 team started ninth and finished fourth to start the season in “The Great American Race.”

While Jimmy John’s is on the hood for the Daytona 500, for the second consecutive year Busch Beer returns to Harvick’s No. 4 Ford Fusion for the Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona – the 75-lap, bonus-points-paying race that kicks off the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series season Feb. 18. Busch is back on the hood, but the No. 4 Busch Beer Ford is updated with a fresh new look, giving a nod to new packaging the brand will debut in April.

Busch debuted its new packaging and advertising campaign featuring the return of the “BUSCHHHHH” can-crack sound with its first-ever Super Bowl commercial that aired during the FOX broadcast of the game Feb. 5.

Busch’s rich racing history began in 1978 when the brand sponsored the award presented to the pole winners of what was known then as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Busch went on to be the “Official Beer of NASCAR” from 1988 through 1997 and was the title sponsor of the stepping-stone division to the NASCAR Cup Series – currently known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series – from 1984 through 2007. The last Busch-sponsored driver prior to the company’s return in 2016 was Cale Yarborough and his iconic No. 11 car during the 1980 season.

Both Jimmy John’s and Busch have reason to be optimistic as Harvick and the No. 4 team head to Daytona.

As Harvick enters his 17th NASCAR Cup Series season and his fourth at SHR with crew chief Rodney Childers at the helm, he is looking to score his second win in the Daytona 500. He won the famed Harley J. Earl trophy in 2007, when he beat Mark Martin to the Daytona 500 finish line by .020 of a second on the final green-white-checkered restart. It was the closest Daytona 500 finish since the start of computer scoring in 2003.

Harvick also has three wins in the Clash at Daytona – 2009, 2010 and 2013 – tying him for second-most with his team owner Tony Stewart and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett.

In the 2009 Clash at Daytona, Harvick survived an incident-filled race that saw a record eight caution periods and less than half the starting field make it to the checkered flag.

The following year, he joined Neil Bonnett, Ken Schrader and Stewart as the fourth driver in event history to win consecutive races, and he did so driving a backup car he was never able to practice, passing Greg Biffle with two laps remaining in a green-white-checkered finish. NASCAR declared Harvick the winner when a multicar incident ended the race under caution.

In his 2013 win, Harvick led 40 of 75 laps, dominating the second and third segments en route to his third Clash at Daytona victory in five years.

If Harvick can add his name for a second time to the Harley J. Earl trophy Feb. 26 in the season-opening Daytona 500 at “The World Center of Racing,” he would be the 11th driver in NASCAR history to win the iconic event more than once. It would also put the No. 4 team in prime position to secure a berth in the 2017 playoffs as it attempts to win a second NASCAR Cup Series championship in four years.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What does it mean to have a Harley J. Earl Trophy?
“The Daytona 500 is the biggest race that we run every year – it’s the biggest one-week prize you can grab. It is probably the most prestigious list you can probably put your name on for any one trophy. You always hear about people who say winning the Daytona 500 isn’t like winning any other race – and it’s not – it’s the Daytona 500. After you win it and you see all the things that come with it and the things you have to do, you learn very quickly that the Daytona 500 is special. It means a lot to this sport and it’s an honor to have won it and put my name on that trophy with the greats who are on it. I hope we can put it on there again before the end of my career.

Explain the new points system in simple terms to a race fan. What do you tell them?
“I would tell them to just watch the race. I think as you look at the points system and things, that doesn’t really necessarily matter until the end of the day. You tally it all up and show it on the television screen. As long as we are having good races, it’s exciting to watch and the competitors are going as hard as they can every lap to gain or hold every position. You’ll see strategy on TV from the crew chiefs knowing that a segment is coming up. There are a lot of carrots out there. The segment bonus points going toward the playoffs twice in one race. Then you have the race win at the end of the race, so there are many things to think about. There are a lot of things to watch and keep your interest. That’s really what we all needed because, in the end, as competitors we needed to be enthused about having something to go out there and grab. When you see those points up on the table – sure the point total will be higher – but it still won’t be as high as it used to be with the old points system. But I would worry less about how the points work and more about just watching the race, and you’ll naturally just get it.”

From the driver’s seat, how does the new points system change your approach to a race?
“For us, that’s the good thing. For us, Rodney (Childers, crew chief) has always been pretty pressing on going out there and trying to get everything you can out of the car in practice, qualifying and at the beginning of the race to try and position yourself for the end as early in the race as possible. That opens up a lot of windows. You know where your car is and we’ve tried to race that way for the last three years. When you go back and look at the history, the regular-season points, the segment wins and those types of things have been very good for us and hopefully that trend continues as we move forward.”

What will the new format mean for the pit crews with the new stages?
“I don’t think it will change anything. No more than what it used to be because it’s basically a live pit stop when you come down pit road at the end of a segment. You’ll change tires and try to get out first, so in the end the goal is still to be first in everything that we do, whether it’s practice, qualifying, pit stops or the race – whatever it is that’s still the No. 4 team’s goal.”

What will it mean to get points for the Duels at Daytona this year?
“There’s points in everything we do, so you need to go and try and get the most points that are possible because, basically, what you’re doing is racing every moment and every race leading up to Homestead to gather as many points as you can to start to try to build yourself a cushion for when those days happen. You hope those moments don’t happen in the playoffs. For us, they happened in the Chase last year and, luckily, our performance was good enough to be able to win. We had a phenomenal first 26 races and, if we would have had that points cushion, we would have had the ability to have some hiccups and still be able to move on. It rewards performance throughout the year where you won’t have a William Byron-type situation that we had in the Truck Series, where the kid goes out, wins seven or eight races, leads a bunch of laps, has one engine failure in the Chase, and gets eliminated from winning the championship. I like the fact that it rewards running well, running consistently, so it has the mix between traditional and new world NASCAR.”

In the past, you might have laid back at the beginning to better position yourself for the end of the race. Are those days over now with the new format?
“I think there is still balance. You still have to try to go after all the bonus points in the segments that you can in order to pile up as many points as you can if your car is capable of it. However, you still have to balance trying to put yourself in a position to win the race, finish the race and gain the big prize at the end of the day. You still want to get all the points that you can, but you still have to be smart about it as you go through the day.”

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing

Kenseth can take more risk in non-points Clash at Daytona

Matt Kenseth is +850 to win Clash at Daytona.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 14, 2017) – Don’t call it a comeback. We’ve been here for years.

Interstate Batteries, founding partner for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), has been here for years – more than 25 years to be exact. This weekend, the brand will kick off its 26th season with JGR as part of Saturday night’s Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. It will be the first time in 12 years that the brand will be part of the event that serves as the unofficial season opener to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

And the company is doing it in a big way, serving as the primary sponsor of the No. 20 JGR Toyota Camry entry and driver Matt Kenseth.

As the “Official Battery of JGR,” Interstate Batteries has been powering the championship-winning organization since 1992. The brand has been a sponsor on the No. 18 JGR Toyota with driver Kyle Busch for select Cup Series races during the last nine NASCAR seasons but has not made a start in the annual Clash at Daytona since 2005. Prior to that, the brand had appeared on the No. 18 JGR entry with 2000 Cup Series champ Bobby Labonte, who made 10 straight starts in the Clash from 1994 to 2005 as the driver of the Interstate Batteries car.

While Interstate Batteries is making its return to the Clash this weekend, Kenseth is aiming to improve upon an already impressive resume at the “World Center of Racing.”

The winner of the 2015 edition of the Clash, Kenseth will make his 11th start in the non-points event Saturday night when he jumps behind the wheel of the No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota. When the 2003 Cup Series Champ scored the victory in the Clash two years ago, he did so in fairly convincing fashion, leading 21 of the 75 laps run after starting 16th. In addition to the win, Kenseth’s stats in the Clash feature three top-five finishes and six top-10s with 53 laps led and an average finish of 9.5.

And while he only has one win in the Clash, Kenseth is no stranger to victory lane at Daytona.

He is a two-time winner of the iconic Daytona 500, winning the 2009 and 2012 editions of the Great American Race. In 34 career starts during points-paying races at the superspeedway, the Wisconsin-native has led at least one lap in 19 different races for a total of 362 laps led. In addition to the two Daytona 500 wins, Kenseth’s record at Daytona includes six top-fives and 14 top-10 finishes.

The 2017 season is Kenseth’s 18th as a full-time driver in NASCAR’s elite series. Like Interstate Batteries, he’s been here for years and his goals are the same – to score wins and be in the hunt for a Cup Series championship when the season ends in November. That effort begins in earnest this weekend at Daytona.

MATT KENSETH, Driver of the No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

Interstate Batteries is the founding partner for Joe Gibbs Racing but the brand hasn’t been a part of the Clash in more than 10 years. How special is it to be able to race the Interstate colors this weekend?
“Obviously, it’s an honor to have Intestate Batteries on the car this weekend. One of the things you learn when you work for Joe Gibbs Racing is how important Interstate Batteries is to the team. Coach Joe is very proud of that sponsorship, the relationship and the fact that they have been together since the very beginning. Probably one of the more interesting things about the partnership is the relationship between Coach and Norm Miller. It really goes beyond a regular business arrangement.”

This will be your 11th start in the Clash at Daytona. What does it mean to be a part of that event?
“As a kid, I always remember watching the Clash because it was the first racing thing that came on TV in Wisconsin over the winter. There was always snow on the ground up there, of course, but that was always the first race to come on the TV, and that got me excited for the race season. To me, Daytona Beach looked like it was a million miles away and I always looked forward to watching that race every year.”

How does the Clash impact the overall experience that is Speedweeks at Daytona?
“The Clash is such a fun way to kick off Speedweeks and it has been one of my favorite races to watch. The racing season always starts in such a unique way down in Daytona with the Clash, and then how we set the starting line-up for the Daytona 500. We end up getting a lot of practice in, as well as some racing scenarios, before we even get to the 500. The Clash allows teams to go out there and just fight for a win to start off the year. Since it’s a non-points race, you can typically take a bit more risk. It’s a chance to try out different lines and moves, as well as a chance to learn how our new Camrys will handle in race conditions. It’s a fun race because everyone is just racing to grab a win.

- True Speed Communication for Interstate Batteries Racing/Joe Gibbs Racing

2017 Clash at Daytona Preview: plate packages same as 2016

Saturday's Clash at Daytona will have 17 drivers participating.

Alright, let's get this 2017 NASCAR party started. It's been way too long and I need my NASCAR fix.

We've got a new series name to get used to -- Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series -- and we've got some new race format and playoff changes as well. We'll talk more about that next week for the Daytona 500, but let's discuss Saturday night's Clash at Daytona and try to kick off the season with a winner right out of the gate.

The Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona is a 75-lap non-points race featuring drivers that participated in last seasons playoffs or won a pole, won past Clashes or have been former Daytona pole winners. There are 20 eligible drivers with the field set at 17 just because Greg Biffle no longer has a ride and the retirements of Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards.

NASCAR has been running some version of this race prior to the Daytona 500 since 1979. It used to be called the Busch Clash and later was changed to the Bud Shootout and for the past few seasons its been known as the Sprint Unlimited. The race will be split into two segments with a mandatory pit stop after 25-laps. With it being the first real race of the season, no points being involved, the field limited to the best drivers, and the race being so short, the action is always action packed.

This race also serves as a great Daytona 500 tune-up for crew members and drivers like Kyle Busch who has a 2012 Clash win on his resume, but his first Daytona 500 victory keeps eluding him.

"I think anytime we ever go down to Daytona, whether it’s with a new car or whether it’s with a different rules package or what have you, we always look at the Clash, as they call it now, as a race to watch to see exactly what’s going to happen and what characteristics you have in your racecar and things," Busch said.

"It’s a learning experience for everybody, whether you’re in the race or whether you’re out of the race and not in it. For us, we’re curious to see how the car is going to race and how it’s going to handle and what it’s going to react like. Things aren’t too drastically different with speedway racing this year, so there will be less to get used to."

The racing we'll see during the entire Daytona Speedweeks will be similar to what we've seen on restrictor-plate tracks the past two seasons -- the race package is the same, so it serves well to see what happened last season at the four regular season races between Daytona and Talladega as well as what happened in this exhibition race that Denny Hamlin won.

Read More Here............Top-5 Finish Prediction

Kyle Busch looking to learn from Clash for Daytona 500

Kyle Busch finished third in 2016 Daytona 500; he's 8/1 to win Clash.

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Feb. 13, 2017) – Over the past two seasons, Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), has made significant progress on his bucket list within the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Along with bringing home his first NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2015, Busch has brought home back-to-back Brickyard 400 wins in 2015 and 2016 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and a victory in the 2008 Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

With those items checked off the list entering his 13th full-time season in NASCAR’s top series, Busch turns his attention to a race every stock car driver dreams of winning – the Daytona 500. After 11 career starts in the “Great American Race,” Busch is still searching for his first victory in NASCAR’s season-opening event and he looks to add the ultimate bucket list item to his resume.

When it comes to NASCAR, there aren’t many traditions that run deeper than kicking off each new season with Speedweeks at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, which this year culminates Feb. 26 with the 59th running of the Daytona 500.

Before next week’s edition of the Great American Race, the 2017 season will warm up with Saturday night’s non-points Advance Auto Parts Clash, which Busch won in 2012. It continues through next week’s Can-Am Duel qualifying races. Busch won his Duel qualifying race in 2009, 2013 and 2016. Then, the official NASCAR Cup Series season begins in earnest Feb. 26 with the Daytona 500. In addition to his three non-points race wins at Daytona, Busch captured his first and only Daytona points-paying Sprint Cup win in July 2008.

Busch will look to top his strong season from one year ago when he finished third in the Cup Series standings, qualified for his ninth career appearance in NASCAR’s playoffs, and made the Championship 4 for the second consecutive season. Busch won four races in 2016, which gave him at least one win in each of his first 12 seasons. The Las Vegas native also tied his 2008 career-high 17 top-five finishes and career-high 25 top-10s last season.

The 38-race winner in NASCAR’s Cup Series will look to continue to win races and vie for another championship, with a few other goals still left to accomplish. Along with a Daytona 500 victory and a return to the Championship 4, Busch’s goals for 2017 include crossing off two tracks where he’s never won in the Cup Series – Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

Also for 2017, primary backer M&M’S returns for its ninth season with Busch and the colorful M&M’S Toyota. M&M’S will have its fan pit stop experience on site during Speedweeks at Daytona at the base of the Toyota Injector. Activities there will include the M&M’S Tire Changer, prize wheel, sampling of M&M’S product and the No. 18 M&M’S show car on-site for fan photo opportunities.

So, as Busch and his No. 18 M&M’S Camry head back to Daytona for another edition of Daytona Speedweeks, his sights will be set on checking off another item on the bucket list by adding his name as the 38th driver to grace the Harley J. Earl Trophy as Daytona 500 champion.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

Are there race wins or other things that you hope to accomplish before your racing career is over?

“The number-one, most important thing is trying to win the Daytona 500. After that, we will try to win the Coke 600 at Charlotte, or really any Cup race at Charlotte, which I haven’t been able to do, yet. Past that, to be able to win at Pocono, which is the only other place besides Charlotte where I haven’t won a Cup race. Winning at Martinsville and getting a Grandfather Clock and winning at Kansas, where I haven’t been very good in my career, were both really special last year. Beyond that, I would certainly still like to win 200 overall NASCAR races, but that may be down the line a bit. Those are some of the bucket-list things that would be cool to accomplish someday. We still have plenty to accomplish but I’m excited to head back to Daytona and get a new year started. Hard to believe it’s my ninth season with M&M’S on board with me. We have a lot of great things to come with them this year and with the launch of M&M’S Caramel in May.”

Does having a championship on your resume make you feel any different heading into another new season?
“I don’t think I’m any different than I was before winning the championship than I am today. I’m just a fierce competitor who wants to go out there and win races and compete for championships. Even though there’s one under my belt, there’s plenty more to achieve. We’ll go out there and fight hard and make sure we can do that week-in and week-out, but also year-in and year-out with this M&M’S team and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing. At the same time, I feel like there was the pressure of winning a title lifted off my back. To be introduced as a Cup Series champion never gets old and will always be a huge honor for me, no doubt.”

Why is the Daytona 500 so hard to win?
“Because everybody else wants to win it and it’s on all their bucket lists and, of course, it’s a race that 40 people have a chance to go out there and win. I wouldn’t say the same for a race like Atlanta. You go to Atlanta and obviously that’s a race where probably 10, 12 guys are going to have a chance to win but, when you show up to Daytona, all 40 people will believe that they have a chance to win.”

How would you explain the feeling of starting the Daytona 500?
“It’s crazy because I felt that as a rookie, maybe my second year, but I don’t necessarily feel it that much now. I feel it’s like another race, but it is the first race of the year and you want to start it off well. Are you always really ready for the start of the season? Who knows? If the Daytona 500 was the fifth or sixth race of the year, would it be better for me or better for somebody else? Maybe, or maybe not. The only way I can explain it to people is if you ever get excited or the adrenaline starts pumping and you don’t necessarily have any feelings and it’s just excitement. It could be for people experiencing the birth of a kid or something like that, or seeing their kid go through graduation or something like that. That’s sort of the feeling that you get of getting ready to start the Daytona 500. To me, I get nervous or pumped up or excited for the start of the Super Bowl, especially being there in person this year in Houston. I’m excited and I’m jacked up for it, so I can only imagine what the players feel, and that’s sort of the feeling that you get.”

How important is the Clash exhibition race to learn the draft and get ready for the rest of Speedweeks?
“I think anytime we ever go down to Daytona, whether it’s with a new car or whether it’s with a different rules package or what have you, we always look at the Clash, as they call it now, as a race to watch to see exactly what’s going to happen and what characteristics you have in your racecar and things. It’s a learning experience for everybody, whether you’re in the race or whether you’re out of the race and not in it. For us, we’re curious to see how the car is going to race and how it’s going to handle and what it’s going to react like. Things aren’t too drastically different with speedway racing this year, so there will be less to get used to. I’ve been so busy with things this offseason with KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) and some of my businesses, I’m just looking forward to getting back to Daytona to my day job with our M&M’S Camry.”

- TrueSpeed Communications

Kurt Busch debuts SHR Ford at Daytona while going for second Clash win

Kurt Busch is 15/1 to win Clash at Daytona.

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Feb. 10, 2017) – As Kurt Busch embarks on his 17th full season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and his fourth with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), he has a good reason to feel right at home as the driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion, as the 2017 marks a homecoming for Busch to Ford Motor Company, the manufacturer with whom he won the 2004 Cup Series championship.

It was Busch’s first Cup Series title and Ford’s most recent. Now reunited, the goal is to once again hoist the trophy during the season-ending Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Busch will attempt to surpass NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte’s record for time between championships –12 seasons separated Labonte’s two titles in 1984 and 1996 – and do it with the Dearborn, Michigan-based manufacturer with whom his NASCAR Cup Series career began.

The story of Busch’s start in NASCAR is well documented. While racing in the Southwest Tour Series, his skill attracted the attention of team owner Jack Roush, who decided to host driver auditions for a team he fielded in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The auditions were informally known as “The Gong Show” and Roush invited Busch to participate. In a pivotal moment in Busch’s life, he won the audition and started competing in Ford F-150s for Roush in 2000. Since then, both Busch and Ford have gone on to experience much success. But, there’s more to be had, and to be had together.

That all starts with the 59th Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Three times a runner-up in the season-opening event, Busch is still seeking his first Harley J. Earl trophy. In fact, while he’s found victory lane at Daytona before, in 2011’s Advance Auto Parts Clash and Can-Am Duel, he’s yet to score a win in a points-paying race at either Daytona or its sister racetrack, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. While he hasn’t found victory, he’s almost always found a way to be in contention at the end. And that, in a race that is known for unpredictable racing with the high likelihood of large, multicar accidents at any moment, is an impressive feat that cannot be overlooked.

Busch has been listed as running at the end of 30 of 31 career points-paying Cup Series starts at Daytona. While he’s seemingly mastered the art of finishing Daytona races, it’s the finishing first part he’s yet to figure out. In fact, a superspeedway win is the only kind that has eluded him during his 18-year Cup Series career. With a victory in the Daytona 500, Busch would join an elite list of drivers who have won at every type of track on the circuit: superspeedway, speedway, intermediate, short track and road course.

So, as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Daytona to kick off the 2017 season, Busch hopes being reunited with Ford can help him not only to finally find his way to victory in the Daytona 500, but also to improve upon his successes of the last four seasons with SHR. While he’s made the playoffs each year with the Kannapolis, North Carolina-based team, he’s fallen short of contending for the championship late in the playoffs.

With the 16-driver Cup Series championship format, all it takes is just one win to lock a driver and team into the playoffs. Busch would like nothing more than to score that win in the 59th Daytona 500, marking his first victory in the prestigious event and placing him well on his way to reaching his season-long goal of winning his second Cup Series title.

KURT BUSCH, Driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You’re the most recent Ford NASCAR Cup Series champion. How special would it be to be able to win another for the company?
“It is a special homecoming feeling to head back to work with Ford and to have them with our power and our bodies at Stewart-Haas Racing. It really feels neat to come back to a place where I’ve seen the faces before and the way that the structure has been polished up on and the way that there’s more depth with Ford Performance. Edsel (Ford) has done an incredible job over the last decade to continue to improve. Guys like Raj Nair, Dave Pericak – the whole gang is ready and willing to help in all areas and directions and the best thing that I’ve seen already come out of things with the engineering staff at Stewart-Haas. It’s like they just opened up a whole new book of things to look at and to advance our program further from where we were.”

You can’t test like you once were able to in January. So how do you, as a driver, adjust to a change like the one that has been made at Stewart-Haas Racing for the 2017 season?
“It’s because the teams have more depth. There is more simulation. The engineering staff has gone through things at a much higher level, whereas it used to be the driver and the crew chief who would go to the track and then come back with a notebook of things. Now the notebook has been gone through by the lead engineers and they’ve prepared it as best as possible before we show up. Limited track time saves money but, at the same time, you end up spending it on personnel and hiring the key guys to make the cars safer, faster, stronger, and I know we’ve done a great job to transition with Ford because I’ve seen some of the drawings and the way that Doug Yates has the engine set up. We had to change a few of our suspension settings to adapt to the way he had his engine set up, so there might be a couple bugs here or there, but I’m not too worried about it. We’ve got really good, quality people at Stewart-Haas with Yates engines.”

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing

Odds to win 2017 Clash at Daytona

The Clash at Daytona used to be call the Sprint Unlimited/Bud Shootout

WILLIAM HILL ODDS TO WIN
2017 CLASH AT DAYTONA
DAYTON INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017 - 8 PM ET

BRAD KESELOWSKI 9 / 2
JOEY LOGANO 13 / 2
JIMMIE JOHNSON 7 / 1
KYLE BUSCH 8 / 1
DENNY HAMLIN 8 / 1
KEVIN HARVICK 17 / 2
MATT KENSETH 17 / 2
MARTIN TRUEX JR. 10 / 1
CHASE ELLIOTT 10 / 1
KYLE LARSON 15 / 1
KURT BUSCH 15 / 1
AUSTIN DILLON 18 / 1
JAMIE MCMURRAY 18 / 1
ALEX BOWMAN 20 / 1
DANIEL SUAREZ 20 / 1
DANICA PATRICK 60 / 1
CHRIS BUESCHER 75 / 1

William Hill has 108 sports books across Nevada

NASCAR spices up race and playoff format for 2017

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2017) – NASCAR, in collaboration with industry stakeholders, announced today an enhanced competition format that will be implemented in all three of its national series – the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Increasing the sense of urgency and emphasizing aggressive racing and strategy, the race format will deliver more dramatic moments over the course of an entire race and season, with playoff point incentives on the line throughout.

The enhanced format consists of the following:

· Races will now consist of three stages, with championship implications in each stage.

· The top-10 finishers of the first two stages will be awarded additional championship points.

· The winner of the first two stages of each race will receive one playoff point, and the race winner will receive five playoff points. Each playoff point will be added to his or her reset total following race No. 26, if that competitor makes the playoffs.

· All playoff points will carry through to the end of the third round of the playoffs (Round of 8), with the Championship 4 racing straight-up at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the title.

· Championship points following the first two stages will be awarded on a descending scale, with the stage winner receiving 10 points, second receiving 9 points, and so on.

· The race winner following the final stage will now receive 40 points, second-place will receive 35, third-place 34, fourth-place 33, and so on.

"Simply put, this will make our great racing even better," said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO. "I’m proud of the unprecedented collaboration from our industry stakeholders, each of whom had a common goal – strengthening the sport for our fans. This is an enhancement fully rooted in teamwork, and the result will be an even better product every single week."

NASCAR also announced a playoff bonus structure that will see the regular season points leader honored as the regular season champion, earning 15 playoff points that will be added to the driver’s playoff reset of 2,000. In addition, the top-10 drivers in points leading into the playoffs will receive playoff points, with second place receiving 10 playoff points, third place will earn 8 points, fourth place will receive 7 points, and so on. All playoff points will carry through to the end of the Round of 8.

"These are enhancements that the NASCAR fan has long sought, and the entire industry has worked hard to develop a better racing format for our fans," said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. "This format puts a premium on every victory and every in-race position over the course of the season. Each point can eventually result in winning or losing a championship."

- NASCAR

Odds to win 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship

The Westgate SuperBook routinely offers fair prices on their weekly odds to win. 

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK
ODDS TO WIN
2017 MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES

Kevin HARVICK 6/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 7/1
Joey LOGANO 8/1
Kyle BUSCH 8/1
Martin TRUEX JR 8/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 10/1
Chase ELLIOTT 12/1
Carl EDWARDS 12/1
Matt KENSETH 12/1

Dale EARNHARDT JR 12/1

Denny HAMLIN 12/1
Kyle LARSON 20/1
Clint BOWYER 20/1
Kurt BUSCH 25/1
Erik JONES 25/1
Kasey KAHNE 30/1
Austin DILLON 40/1
Ryan BLANEY 80/1
Jamie McMURRAY 100/1
Greg BIFFLE 100/1
Ryan NEWMAN 100/1
AJ ALLMENDINGER 100/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 300/1
Ty DILLON 300/1
Trevor BAYNE 500/1
Aric ALMIROLA 500/1
Paul MENARD 500/1
Danica PATRICK 1000/1
Chris BUESCHER 1000/1
FIELD (all others) 1000/1

Odds opened for wagering November 28 and no movement has been made as of February 8, 2017

2017 Daytona 500 odds and match-ups from Westgate Las Vegas

Almost every driver has a shot to win at Daytona

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK

ODDS TO WIN 2017 DAYTONA 500
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2017 - 2:30 PM ET

Brad KESELOWSKI 5/1
Dale EARNHARDT JR 5/1
Joey LOGANO 7/1
Denny HAMLIN 10/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 10/1
Kevin HARVICK 12/1
Kyle BUSCH 12/1
Matt KENSETH 12/1
Martin TRUEX JR 18/1
Chase ELLIOTT 15/1
Austin DILLON 30/1
Clint BOWYER 30/1
Kurt BUSCH 25/1
Kyle LARSON 25/1
Daniel SUAREZ 50/1
Ryan BLANEY 40/1
Erik JONES 40/1
Kasey KAHNE 40/1
Jamie McMURRAY 30/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 60/1
Greg BIFFLE 100/1
Trevor BAYNE 60/1
Ryan NEWMAN 60/1
AJ ALLMENDINGER 80/1
Aric ALMIROLA 80/1
TY DILLON 100/1
Paul MENARD 80/1
Danica PATRICK 100/1
Chris BUESCHER 200/1
FIELD 30/1


DRIVER MATCH-UPS

Brad KESELOWSKI - 110
Dale EARNHARDT JR - 110

Brad KESELOWSKI - 135
Joey LOGANO +115

Brad KESELOWSKI - 135
Denny HAMLIN +115

Dale EARNHARDT JR - 135
Joey LOGANO +115

Dale EARNHARDT JR - 135
Denny HAMLIN +115

Joey LOGANO - 110
Denny HAMLIN - 110

Jimmie JOHNSON - 110
Kevin HARVICK - 110

Jimmie JOHNSON - 110
Kyle BUSCH - 110

Jimmie JOHNSON - 110
Matt KENSETH - 110

Kevin HARVICK - 110
Kyle BUSCH - 110

Kevin HARVICK - 110
Matt KENSETH - 110

Kyle BUSCH - 110
Matt KENSETH - 110

Martin TRUEX JR - 110
Chase ELLIOTT - 110

Martin TRUEX JR - 120
Clint BOWYER EVEN

Chase ELLIOTT - 120
Clint BOWYER EVEN

Austin DILLON - 110
Kurt BUSCH - 110

Kyle LARSON - 120
Ryan BLANEY EVEN

Ryan BLANEY - 120
Erik JONES EVEN

Austin DILLON - 110
Kyle LARSON - 110

Erik JONES - 125
Daniel SUAREZ +105

Larson, Earnhardt Jr, Logano fastest during Phoenix test session

Kyle Larson was fastest during one of the Phoenix test sessions.

Thirteen Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams completed an organizational test at Phoenix Raceway on Wednesday. The four sessions over two days featured the 2017 rules package, the on-track return of Dale Earnhardt Jr., a trio of Rookie of the Year candidates and Stewart-Haas Racing's debut with Ford. Earnhardt, who was sidelined with concussion-like symptoms halfway through last season, posted the fastest lap overall at 26.555 seconds (135.568 mph), coming in Wednesday's morning session. 

Earnhardt is a three-time winner at Phoenix and has finished eighth or better in six of his last seven races there. Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez and Ty Dillon made up the rookies at the test, each debuting with new teams this season. Dillon, driving the Chevrolet for Germain Racing, was second fastest (26.722 seconds) in the afternoon on the first day.

Joey Logano (26.674 seconds) topped Tuesday's opening session while Kyle Larson was quickest in the afternoon sessions both days - 26.586 and 26.667 seconds, respectively. Kevin Harvick made his debut in a Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing after the organization made a manufacturer switch in the off-season. Harvick was fourth fastest Wednesday morning (26.685 seconds) and second in the final session (26.698 seconds). - Jayski.com

Tuesday morning Phoenix test session:
Kyle Larson (Ganassi) — 26.586 seconds
Joey Logano (Penske) — 26.595
Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas) — 26.774
Ryan Blaney (Wood Bros.) — 26.799
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Hendrick) — 26.807
Aric Almirola (Petty) — 26.845
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Roush Fenway) — 26.854
Austin Dillon (Childress) — 26.876
AJ Allmendinger (JTG Daugherty) — 26.896
Erik Jones (Furniture Row) — 26.898
Michael McDowell (Leavine Family) — 26.965
Ty Dillon (Germain) — 26.976
Alex Bowman (Chevy wheel force) — 27.027
Daniel Suarez (Joe Gibbs Racing) — 27.125
JJ Yeley (Toyota wheel force) — 27.186
Landon Cassill (Ford wheel force) — No time recorded

Tuesday afternoon Phoenix test session:
Joey Logano (Penske) — 26.674
Ty Dillon (Germain) — 26.722
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Hendrick) — 26.774
Kyle Larson (Ganassi) — 26.788
Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas) — 26.802
Erik Jones (Furniture Row) — 26.808
Ryan Blaney (Wood Bros.) — 26.885
Aric Almirola (Petty) — 26.965
Austin Dillon (Childress) — 26.997
AJ Allmendinger (JTG Daugherty) — 27.043
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Roush Fenway) — 27.045
Daniel Suarez (Joe Gibbs Racing) — 27.085
Michael McDowell (Leavine Family) — 27.142
Alex Bowman (Chevy wheel force) — 27.276
JJ Yeley (Toyota wheel force) — 27.286
Landon Cassill (Ford wheel force) — 27.680

Wednesday morning Phoenix test session:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Hendrick) — 26.555
Kyle Larson (Ganassi) — 26.583
Erik Jones (Furniture Row) — 26.625
Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas) — 26.685
Joey Logano (Penske) — 26.690
Daniel Suarez (Joe Gibbs Racing) — 26.710
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Roush Fenway) — 26.713
Austin Dillon (Childress) — 26.741
Ryan Blaney (Wood Bros.) — 26.750
Aric Almirola (Petty) — 26.755
AJ Allmendinger (JTG Daugherty) — 26.763
Ty Dillon (Germain) — 26.848
Alex Bowman (Chevy wheel force) — 27.116
Michael McDowell (Leavine Family) — 27.244
JJ Yeley (Toyota wheel force) — 27.278
Landon Cassill (Ford wheel force) — 27.622

Wednesday Phoenix afternoon session:
Kyle Larson (Ganassi) — 26.667
Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas) — 26.698
Joey Logano (Penske) — 26.703
Erik Jones (Furniture Row) — 26.726
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Hendrick) — 26.731
Ryan Blaney (Wood Bros.) — 26.766
Austin Dillon (Childress) — 26.770
Daniel Suarez (Joe Gibbs Racing) — 26.773
Michael McDowell (Leavine Family) — 26.816
AJ Allmendinger (JTG Daugherty) — 26.924
Aric Almirola (Petty) — 26.972
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Roush Fenway) — 27.034
Ty Dillon (Germain) — 27.082
Alex Bowman (Chevy wheel force) — 27.325
JJ Yeley (Toyota wheel force) — 27.337
Landon Cassill (Ford wheel force) — 27.437

Speeds from JeffGluck.com