2019 Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona Facts

Brad Keselowski won last season's Clash and is the 7-to-1 co-favorite to win Sunday.

Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Advance Auto Parts Clash At Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA, (February 4, 2019) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida going into the Advance Auto Parts Clash on Feb. 10. A total of 20 drivers are eligible to participate in the annual preseason, 75 lap, two segments, non-points race. A competition caution on Lap 25 will separate the two segments. The event will be broadcast live on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 3 p.m. ET.   

2019 Eligible Participants For The Clash Include   The starting field for the 2019 Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona will not be a predetermined number of cars; rather, the field is limited to drivers who meet more exclusive criteria.   2018 Busch Pole Award Winners (13) Ryan Blaney Alex Bowman Kurt Busch Kyle Busch Chase Elliott Denny Hamlin Kevin Harvick Erik Jones Kyle Larson Joey Logano Paul Menard Daniel Suarez Martin Truex Jr. Former Daytona 500 Champions (2) Jamie McMurray Ryan Newman Former Daytona 500 Pole Winners (2) Austin Dillon Jimmie Johnson 2018 Monster Energy Playoff Participants (3) Aric Almirola Clint Bowyer Brad Keselowski

 2019 Eligible Drivers’ Performances

(In alphabetical order)

Aric Almirola

No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang

(Three Clash appearances)

Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2013     6          8          43        75                                Running

2015     18        19        43        55                                Accident

2016     18        17        43        72                                Accident

Ryan Blaney

No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang

(One Clash appearance)

Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2018     4          15        12        75                                Running

 

Alex Bowman

No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

(One Clash appearance)

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2017     3          8          88        75                                Running

 

Clint Bowyer

No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang

(Five Clash appearances)                                                         

Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2008     14        21        07        70                                Running

2011     9          7          33        75        2          4          Running

2012     8          17        15        82                                Running

2015     20        18        15        45                                Accident

2016     23        8          15        23                                Accident

Kurt Busch

No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

(15 Clash appearances)                                               

Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2002     14        1          97        70        1          3          Running

2003     11        3          97        70        1          11        Running

2005     6          6          97        70                                Running

2007     3          19        2          70        2          6          Running

2008     18        1          2          70                               Running

2009     9          12        2          78                                Running

2010     23        22        2          32                                Accident

2011     1          17        22        75        3          3          Running

2012     17        6          51        82                                Accident

2013     13        18        78        15                                Accident

2014     14        10        41        35                                Accident

2015     15        13        41        67                                Accident

2016     7          21        41        79                                Running

2017     17        10        41        16                                Accident

2018     3          14        41        75                                Running

Kyle Busch

No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry                                                           

(12 Clash appearances)                                               

Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2006     15        14        5          72        2          4          Running

2007     7          6          5          70        3          39        Running

2009     10        10        18        78        2          6          Running

2010     4          17        18        76                                Running

2011     16        21        18        41        2          2          Accident

2012     1          2          18        82        2          3          Running

2013     16        13        18        14                                Accident

2014     3          4          18        75        1          6          Running

2015     8          5          18        75                                Running

2016     17        9          18        72                                Accident

2017     2          13        18        75        1          5          Running

2018     7          13        18        75                                Running

Austin Dillon

No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

(Four Clash appearances)

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2015     17        6          3          61                                Accident

2016     8          10        3          79                                Running

2017     12        4          3          75                                Running

2018     5          1          3          75        2          3          Running

Chase Elliott

No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

(Two Clash appearances)

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2017     7          14        24        75                                Running

2018     13        12        9          74        3          17        Running

Denny Hamlin

No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry

(13 Clash appearances)                                               

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2006     1          15        11        72        3          16        Running

2007     17        21        11        70                                Running

2008     9          12        11        70                               Running

2009     13        5          11        78        2          4          Running

2010     5          24        11        76                                Running

2011     12        4          11        75                                Running

2012     5          16        11        82                                Running

2013     15        5          11        14                                Accident

2014     1          1          11        75        6          27        Running

2015     19        9          11        45                                Accident

2016     1          15        11        79        5          39        Running

2017     13        2          11        74        2          48        Running

2018     6          2          11        75        1          8          Running

  

Kevin Harvick

No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang

(14 Clash appearances)                                   

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2003     9          16        29        70                                Running

2004     3          5          29        70        2          10        Running

2006     20        18        29        15                                Engine

2007     5          20        29        70        2          11        Running

2009     1          27        29        78        1          1          Running

2010     1          2          29        76        5          21        Running

2011     7          18        29        75                                Running

2012     22        22        29        54        3          4          Accident

2013     1          17        29        75        3          37        Running

2014     5          6          4          75        2          6          Running

2015     11        8          4          75        1          1          Running

2016     25        22        4          22                                Accident

2017     5          7          4          75                                Running

2018     9          9          4          75        1          2          Running

Jimmie Johnson

No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

(16 Clash appearances)

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2003     7          2          48        70        1          4          Running

2004     9          17        48        70                                Running

2005     1          17        48        70        1          16        Running

2006     5          2          48        72        3          12        Running

2007     4          8          48        70                                Running

2008     3          18        48        70                               Running

2009     14        21        48        77        1          2          Accident

2010     13        16        48        76                                Running

2011     4          23        48        75        2          7          Running

2012     14        18        48        74        1          1          Accident

2013     14        11        48        14                                Accident

2014     17        18        48        28                                Accident

2015     22        17        48        45                                Accident

2016     22        1          48        43                                Accident

2017     16        6          48        48                                Accident

2018     12        5          48        74                                Running

Erik Jones

No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry

(One Clash appearance)

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2018     8          4          20        75                                Running

Brad Keselowski

No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang

(Six Clash appearances)                                                                      

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2012     4          3          2          82                                Running

2014     2          5          2          75        3          8          Running

2015     25        4          2          22        1          2          Accident

2016     9          2          2          79        6          26        Running

2017     6          1          2          75        2          18        Running

2018     1          17        2          75        2          43        Running

Kyle Larson

No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

(Four Clash appearances)

Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2015     5          25        42        75                                Running

2016     4          4          42        79                                Running

2017     14        11        42        61                                Damage

2018     10        10        42        75        2          2          Running

Joey Logano

No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang                                                                 

(10 Clash appearances)

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2009     28        19        20        3                                  Accident

2010     7          21        20        76                                Running

2011     18        22        20        27                                Accident

2012     18        10        20        54        1          1          Accident

2013     3          9          22        75                                Running

2014     4          11        22        75        2          11        Running

2015     6          3          22        75                                Running

2016     2          25        22        79                                Running

2017     1          9          22        75        2          4          Running

2018     2          3          22        75        1          1          Running

Jamie McMurray

No. 40 Spire Motorsports-Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

(12 Clash appearances)           

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2004     17        3          42        69        2          8          Accident

2006     8          17        26        72        1          1          Running

2008     22        4          26        24                                Accident

2009     2          15        26        78        4          16        Running

2010     3          9          1          76        2          2          Running

2011     2          14        1          75                                Running

2012     16        4          1          73        5          11        Accident

2014     6          2          1          75        2          10        Running

2015     24        21        1          45                                Accident

2016     14        24        1          78        1          14        Running

2017     10        3          1          75                                Running

2018     17        16        1          43                                Accident

Paul Menard

No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Mustang

(Four Clash appearances)                    

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2009     12        1          98        78        1          2          Running

2012     23        24        27        8                                  Accident

2015     21        1          27        45        1          7          Accident

2016     3          14        27        79                                Running

Ryan Newman

No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang

(14 Clash appearances)           

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2002     15        8          42        70                                Running

2003     4          15        12        70                                Running

2004     16        16        12        69        1          4          Accident

2005     2          7          12        70        1          4          Running

2006     17        7          12        68                                Accident

2007     20        9          12        46                                Engine

2008     17        23        12        70                                Running

2010     19        4          39        74                                Accident

2011     3          8          39        75        3          18        Running

2012     7          13        39        82                                Running

2014     8          17        31        75                                Running

2015     12        12        31        75                                Running

2016     19        5          31        69                                Accident

2018     11        11        31        75                                Running

Daniel Suarez

No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang

(One Clash appearance)

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2018     8          16        19        75                                Running

Martin Truex Jr.

No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry

(Seven Clash appearances)                              

                                                            Times  Laps   

Year     Fin       St         Car      Laps    Led      Led      Status

2008     21        9          1          47                                Accident

2012     19        1          56        54        2          7          Accident

2013     9          6          56        75        1          2          Running

2015     2          10        78        75        4          29        Running

2016     13        7          78        78                                Running

2017     15        5          78        60                                Accident

2018     14        6          78        74                                Running

2019 Eligible Drivers - Stats from The Clash At Daytona
2019 Eligible Drivers	Starts	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish	DNFs
Aric Almirola	3	0	0	1	0	14.6	14.0	2
Ryan Blaney	1	0	1	1	0	15.0	4.0	0
Alex Bowman	1	0	1	1	0	8.0	3.0	0
Clint Bowyer	5	0	0	2	4	14.2	14.8	2
Kurt Busch	15	1	3	6	23	11.5	11.4	6
Kyle Busch	12	1	4	8	65	10.5	8.8	3
Austin Dillon	4	0	1	2	3	5.3	10.5	1
Chase Elliott	2	0	0	1	17	13.0	10.0	0
Denny Hamlin	13	3	5	7	142	10.1	9.0	2
Kevin Harvick	14	3	7	10	93	14.1	8.9	3
Jimmie Johnson	16	1	5	7	42	12.5	11.1	7
Erik Jones	1	0	0	1	0	4.0	8.0	0
Brad Keselowski	6	1	3	5	97	5.3	7.8	1
Kyle Larson	4	0	2	3	2	12.5	8.3	1
Joey Logano	10	1	5	7	17	13.2	8.9	3
Jamie McMurray	12	0	3	6	62	11.0	11.8	5
Paul Menard	4	0	1	1	9	10.0	14.8	2
Ryan Newman	14	0	3	5	26	11.1	12.1	5
Daniel Suarez	1	0	0	1	0	8.0	16.0	0
Martin Truex Jr.	7	0	1	2	38	6.3	13.3	3

Finishes of Drivers Starting from  the Pole in The Clash
Season	Driver	Finish
2018	Austin Dillon	5
2017	Brad Keselowski	6
2016	Jimmie Johnson	22
2015	Paul Menard	21
2014	Denny Hamlin	1
2013	Carl Edwards	12
2012	Martin Truex Jr	19
2011	Dale Earnhardt Jr	19
2010	Carl Edwards	17
2009	Paul Menard	12
2008	Kurt Busch	18
2007	Dale Jarrett	18
2006	Ken Schrader	14
2005	Dale Jarrett	15
2004	Jeremy Mayfield	18
2003	Geoff Bodine	19
2002	Kurt Busch	14
2001	Ken Schrader	16
2000	Mark Martin	15
1999	Rusty Wallace	7
1998	Mark Martin	8
1997	Bobby Labonte	13
1996	Rick Mast	12
1995	Geoff Bodine	12
1994	Bobby Labonte	12
1993	Bill Elliott	9
1992	Rusty Wallace	14
1991	Geoff Bodine	6
1990	Jimmy Hensley	10
1989	Ken Schrader	1
1988	Geoff Bodine	4
1987	Bill Elliott	1
1986	Harry Gant	7
1985	Ricky Rudd	6
1984	Jody Ridley	7
1983	Bill Elliott	3
1982	Terry Labonte	2
1981	Darrell Waltrip	1
1980	Bobby Allison	4
1979	Benny Parsons	4
Average		10.6

The Clash at Daytona All-Time Race Winners
Date	Winners	Starting Pos.
2018	Brad Keselowski	17
2017	Joey Logano	9
2016	Denny Hamlin	15
2015	Matt Kenseth	16
2014	Denny Hamlin	1
2013	Kevin Harvick	17
2012	Kyle Busch	2
2011	Kurt Busch	17
2010	Kevin Harvick	2
2009	Kevin Harvick	27
2008	Dale Earnhardt Jr	7
2007	Tony Stewart	14
2006	Denny Hamlin	15
2005	Jimmie Johnson	17
2004	Dale Jarrett	15
2003	Dale Earnhardt Jr	19
2002	Tony Stewart	3
2001	Tony Stewart	7
2000	Dale Jarrett	15
1999	Mark Martin	13
1998	Rusty Wallace	13
1997	Jeff Gordon	3
1996	Dale Jarrett	12
1995	Dale Earnhardt	2
1994	Jeff Gordon	10
1993	Dale Earnhardt	15
1992	Geoff Bodine	3
1991	Dale Earnhardt	14
1990	Ken Schrader	3
1989	Ken Schrader	1
1988	Dale Earnhardt	2
1987	Bill Elliott	1
1986	Dale Earnhardt	4
1985	Terry Labonte	11
1984	Neil Bonnett	8
1983	Neil Bonnett	15
1982	Bobby Allison	12
1981	Darrell Waltrip	1
1980	Dale Earnhardt	5
1979	Buddy Baker	3

The Advanced Auto Parts Clash At Daytona Tidbits

History

·        The first Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona was held on February 11, 1979, and the event was won by Buddy Baker (194.384 MPH).

·        This weekend’s event will be the 41st running of the Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona.  

·        The number of participants has ranged from a low of seven in 1981 to a high of 28 in 2009.

·        Like the past two seasons, the starting field for the 2019 Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona will not be a predetermined number of cars; rather, the field is limited to drivers who meet more exclusive criteria. (20 drivers are eligible for this year’s event).

·        The format for The Clash at Daytona has changed 14 times since its inception in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 1979.

Starts

·        In total, 116 different Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have competed in the Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona; 85 of the 116 drivers have participated in more than one.

·        The top 10 drivers (all-time) with the most Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona appearances: Mark Martin (24), Bill Elliott (23), Jeff Gordon (22), Ken Schrader (19), Rusty Wallace (19), Terry Labonte (18), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (16), Geoff Bodine (16), Jimmie Johnson (16) and Ricky Rudd (16).  

·        The top 10 (active) drivers with the most Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona appearances: Jimmie Johnson (16), Kurt Busch (15), Kevin Harvick (14), Ryan Newman (14), Denny Hamlin (13), Jamie McMurray (12), Kyle Busch (12), Joey Logano (10), Martin Truex Jr. (7), Brad Keselowski (6) and Clint Bowyer (5).

·        Jeff Gordon has appeared in the most consecutive Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona races, competing in 22 consecutive events from 1994-2015.

·        Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in consecutive Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona starts with 16 (2003 – 2018).

Wins

·        A total of 23 different drivers have won the Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona.

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona wins with six victories (1980, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995).

·        Denny Hamlin (three: 2006, 2014, 2016) and Kevin Harvick (three: 2009, 2010, 2013) lead all active drivers in the Advanced Auto Part Clash at Daytona wins with three each.

·        There have been nine multiple winners in the Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona:

o   Dale Earnhardt won six events, most all-time (1980, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995).

o   Dale Jarrett won in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

o   Kevin Harvick won in 2009, 2010 and 2013.

o   Tony Stewart won in 2001, 2002 and 2007.

o   Denny Hamlin won in 2006, 2014 and 2016.

o   Other multiple winners: Neil Bonnett (1983-1984), Ken Schrader, (1989-1990), Jeff Gordon (1994 and 1997), and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2008).

·        Bonnett, Schrader, Stewart and Harvick are the only drivers to win back-to-back Clash at Daytona races.

·        No driver has won three consecutive Clash events.

·        Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994), Dale Jarrett (1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006) all won the first Clash at Daytona in which they competed.

·        Only six times in the 38-year history of the race has the winner gone on to win the Daytona 500:

              Bobby Allison (1982)

              Bill Elliott (1987)

              Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)

Jeff Gordon (1997)

Denny Hamlin (2016)

·        There have been four winners from the pole: Darrell Waltrip (1981), Bill Elliott (1987), Ken Schrader(1989) and Denny Hamlin (2014).

·        Two drivers have swept the Clash at Daytona, Daytona 500 pole and Daytona 500 from 1979-2018: Dale Jarrett (2000) and Bill Elliott (1987)

·        One driver has swept the Clash at Daytona, Daytona 500 and the Coke Zero 400 from 1979-2018: Bobby Allison (1982).

·        Seven drivers have won the Clash at Daytona (1979-2018) and the championship in the same season. Dale Earnhardt is the only one to have accomplished it multiple times (four).

Tony Stewart (2002)

Jeff Gordon (1997)

Dale Earnhardt (1993, 1991, 1986 and 1980)

Darrell Waltrip (1981)

·        Four drivers have won consecutive Clash at Daytona races (1979-2018). None went on to win that year’s Daytona 500.

Kevin Harvick (2009-10)

Tony Stewart (2000-01)

Ken Schrader (1990-91)

Neil Bonnett (1983-84)

The Clash At Daytona Manufacturer Wins Recap Manufacturer         Victories          Last Victory - Driver Chevrolet                20                    2013 – Kevin Harvick Ford                       9                      2018 – Brad Keselowski Toyota                    4                      2016 – Denny Hamlin                Buick                      2                      1982 – Bobby Allison Oldsmobile             2                      1980 – Dale Earnhardt Pontiac                   2                      2002 – Tony Stewart Dodge                    1                      2011 – Kurt Busch

By the Numbers: The Advance Auto Parts Clash At Daytona

.013 – Margin of victory in seconds by Kyle Busch over Tony Stewart in 2012, the closest margin in the Clash at Daytona history

.058 – Margin of victory in seconds by Kurt Busch over Jamie McMurray in 2011, the second-closest margin in the Clash at Daytona history

.080 – Margin of victory in seconds by Dale Earnhardt over Sterling Marlin in 1995, the third-closest margin of victory in the Clash at Daytona history

1 – Laps led by Rusty Wallace (1998), Neil Bonnett (1983-84), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Dale Jarrett (2000 and 2004) and Kevin Harvick (2009) in the Clash at Daytona races they won

2.75 – Average finish by Dale Earnhardt, best by any driver with multiple starts

4 – Number of drivers to win the Clash at Daytona from the pole position – Darrell Waltrip (1981), Bill Elliott (1987), Ken Schrader (1989) and Denny Hamlin (2014).

5 – Drivers who have won the event in their first appearance (Buddy Baker, 1979; Dale Earnhardt, 1980; Jeff Gordon, 1994; Dale Jarrett, 1996; Denny Hamlin, 2006) – every driver entered this season has made a previous Clash appearance

6 – Number of the Clash at Daytona wins by Dale Earnhardt, the series leader (1980, 86, 88, 91, 93, 95)

7 – Number of fewest starters in the field for the Clash at Daytona (1981)

11 – Number of starts before winning, most since race began in 1979 (Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin)

14 – Number of different leaders in the 2009 event, most since race began in 1979

20 – Number of wins by Chevrolet in the Clash at Daytona, leads all manufacturers

22 – Most consecutive starts in the Clash at Daytona by a driver - Jeff Gordon (1994-2015).

27 – Kevin Harvick’s starting position in 2009, the lowest by a race winner in the event’s history

28 – Number of lead changes in the 2011 event, highest number since race began in 1979

44 – Laps led by Greg Biffle in 2005, the most by a driver who did not win the event

47 – Laps led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2008, the most in a single Clash at Daytona.

197.802 mph – The fastest average speed of the race for the Clash at Daytona was in 1987 won by Bill Elliott.   

NASCAR drivers, teams learn tons from Las Vegas test

The new Mustang

Thursday was the first of a two-day Cup Series test session of the 2019 aero package at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the first opportunity to see the rules’ effects with more than just a handful of cars on the track.

During the course of 10 hours of testing Thursday, three times 14 teams competed in 25-lap drafting sessions, trying to replicate racing conditions.

The second session saw more on-track action than the first, including some three- and four-wide moves through the corners. The final session was much like the second.

“I feel pretty good so far. Even in the first session, where they all started single-file pretty all spread out, you saw that cars that weren’t good in the early part of the run, by the time you got to about seven (laps) to go, they worked back to the front,” said John Probst, NASCAR’s vice president for innovation and racing development.

“I’ve been doing this long enough to know even when days go rough, it’s probably not as bad as how you feel in the moment. And like today, we feel like things have gone pretty well, but by no means are we high-fiving and declaring any kind of victory.

“We still know we have a lot of work to do.”

NASCAR was especially pleased with teams’ participation in the drafting sessions, which are key for both the series and teams to get a better understanding of how races may play out.

READ MORE HERE....MOTORSPORT.COM

Odds to win 2019 Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona

Brad Keselowski in his new Mustang at Las Vegas testing Jan. 31.

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK
ODDS TO WIN ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CLASH
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2019 - 3:25 PM ET

Kevin HARVICK 7/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 7/1
Joey LOGANO 7/1
Aric ALMIROLA 10/1
Clint BOWYER 10/1
Chase ELLIOTT 10/1
Denny HAMLIN 10/1
Ryan BLANEY 12/1
Kyle BUSCH 12/1
Daniel SUAREZ 16/1
Kurt BUSCH 16/1
Martin TRUEX Jr 20/1
Alex BOWMAN 20/1
Erik JONES 25/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 25/1
Kyle LARSON 30/1
Paul MENARD 30/1
Jamie McMURRAY 30/1
Austin DILLON 30/1
Ryan NEWMAN 30/1

NASCAR Cup Series to test Goodyear tires at Fontana January 9-10

To kick off the 2019 NASCAR season, teams will be at Auto Club Speedway for the Goodyear Tire Test on January 9-10, 2019.

NASCAR Auto Club 400 ticket holders will be able to watch the Goodyear Tire Test from the infield Terrace Suite rooftops, just above Pit Road on Jan. 9, between 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

In addition, Hard Card Members (ticket holders who renewed their tickets before the deadline) will have the opportunity to reserve a seat to attend a special Q&A session with Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver Joey Logano on January 9 after the tire test session.

After the tire test at Auto Club Speedway, NASCAR returns to the superspeedway for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 race weekend - March 15-17, 2019.

Drivers scheduled to participate:
#19-Martin Truex Jr., Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing
#20-Joey Logano, Ford for Team Penske
#41-Daniel Suarez, Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing

Fan Info:
• January 9, 2019 - between 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Designated viewing area at the infield Terrace Suite rooftops above Pit Road.
• FREE to attend must show 2019 Auto Club 400 ticket proof of purchase or guests can purchase an Auto Club 400 ticket onsite.
• Designated parking in the infield.

- Jayski.com

What kind of racing will new rules package produce in 2019

The 2019 rules package — featuring aerodynamic and engine changes intended to heighten the competition level next season — is designed to be a bridge to both of those developments, O’Donnell says.

“I think if you look at our current partners, it’s important to speak with them first and I think they’re very happy with where we are in the sport, but we always want to grow,” O’Donnell said. “And when we talk about growth, that means being more relevant, potentially introducing more technology into the sport, especially around the engine. As we’ve had discussions with new OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), the direction we’re going in for next year’s rules package really opens up a variety of options for us to bring in new OEMs, to have our current OEMs potentially accept a new direction.

“So a lot of thought went into this that this isn’t just a 2019 rules package, it’s something that we believe really sets us up for the future — not only for our current partners, but growing the sport, which hopefully leads to more healthy ownership as well where we can bring some new OEMs in.”

NASCAR introduced the current sixth-generation car — labeled “Gen-6” — in the 2013 season, taking competition and safety cues from the previous model while strengthening the brand identity for the three participating automakers. O’Donnell indicated that a Gen-7 car could further define those manufacturer distinctions, all while exploring long-term technological progress in a closer-to-stock vehicle.

“I think when you look at the next-gen vehicle, if you look at what people are driving on the street today in terms of horsepower numbers and different relevancy options, in terms of electrification or partial electrification, all those things become an option for you,” O’Donnell said. “Do I ever think we’ll be a hybrid racing series? No, but this allows for some tweaks to the engine package down the road if we wanted to when we race around this horsepower, so it gives us a real look not only to what we believe will be better racing than we’ve produced in the past but it also opens it up to new OEMs, opens it up to new technologies and really puts us on a great growth path for the future.”

Odds to win 2019 Daytona 500

Austin Dillon rocked the series with a 2018 win at Daytona. 

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK

ODDS TO WIN 2019 DAYTONA 500

DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2019

Kevin HARVICK 8/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 8/1
Joey LOGANO 8/1
Clint BOWYER 10/1
Aric ALMIROLA 12/1
Denny HAMLIN 12/1
Chase ELLIOTT 12/1
Ryan BLANEY 12/1
Daniel SUAREZ 18/1
Kyle BUSCH 14/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 14/1
Kurt BUSCH 14/1
Martin TRUEX JR 14/1
Alex BOWMAN 25/1
Erik JONES 25/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 25/1
Kyle LARSON 30/1
Austin DILLON 40/1
Paul MENARD 40/1
Daniel HEMRIC 50/1
Ryan NEWMAN 50/1
Ryan PREECE 80/1
William BYRON 40/1
Darrell WALLACE JR 80/1
Chris BUESCHER 100/1
Matt DIBENEDETTO 200/1
Ty DILLON 100/1
David RAGAN 100/1
Michael McDOWELL 200/1
FIELD (all others) 30/1

Odds to win 2019 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series Championship

Martin Truex Jr is 6/1 to win the title driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Toyota.

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK

ODDS TO WIN 2019 NASCAR MONSTER ENERGY CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP

Kevin HARVICK 9/2
Kyle BUSCH 9/2
Martin TRUEX JR 6/1
Chase ELLIOTT 7/1
Kyle LARSON 7/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 10/1
Ryan BLANEY 10/1
Joey LOGANO 10/1
Clint BOWYER 15/1
Erik JONES 15/1
Aric ALMIROLA 25/1
Denny HAMLIN 25/1
Kurt BUSCH 25/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 30/1
Daniel SUAREZ 40/1
Alex BOWMAN 50/1
Austin DILLON 60/1
William BYRON 60/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 100/1
Paul MENARD 100/1
Daniel HEMRIC 300/1
Ryan NEWMAN 300/1
Ryan PREECE 1000/1
Darrell WALLACE JR 2000/1
Chris BUESCHER 2000/1
Matt DIBENEDETTO 2000/1

Homestead Betting Preview: 2018 Ford EcoBoost 400

Kyle Busch and Martin Truex jr going for second title.

It's been a long ride on the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, and now the sun is setting. Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway is race No. 36, the 10th of the Playoffs and 11th on a 1.5-mile track.

The Playoffs began 10 weeks ago in Las Vegas and now we finally have our Championship 4. There are no carryover points from previous races. Whoever has the best finish Sunday wins the season championship and the past four seasons have seen the eventual champion win at Homestead and three of those drivers are looking for another championship Sunday.

Kevin Harvick won the 2014 Homestead race to seal his first career title and Las Vegan Kyle Busch also did it in 2015 for his first. Last season, Martin Truex Jr. completed the double for his first title. Those three drivers have been called the Big-3 all season long. They were supposed to be here. The driver looking for his first championship is Joey Logano who has twice been in the Championship 4.

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook adjusted its championship odds with Busch and Harvick co-favorites at 11/5, Truex next at 11/4 odds and Logano with the longest odds at 7/2. The reason the odds are the way they are is far deeper than Busch and Harvick each winning a series-high eight races and Truex winning the next most with four wins. It's more about the type of track.

There are more races on 1.5-mile tracks than any other type and Harvick won four of the 10 so far this season, Busch won three of them and Truex won one. Logano's two wins on the season came at Talladega where almost any driver can win and the other was on Martinsville's half-mile layout. He's had good runs lately on the 1.5s, such as leading 54 laps and finishing third at Texas two weeks ago, a race won by Harvick who led a race-high 177 laps.

“Well, it’s exciting for us, I think, to be in this position again,” said Truex. “This is our third trip to Homestead in four years, which I think is something we’re all really proud of as a group, and obviously going to be our last race together as a complete group, it’s definitely going to be a special weekend.

“You know, all we can do is prepare the best we can and do the same thing that we’ve done down there before and just try our best. That’s all you can do at the end of the day. We’ve got a great team. It’s been an amazing, amazing ride together, and hopefully, we can get down there next week and make our owners proud and just live up to our potential.”

Can you imagine a team closing shop after winning back-to-back titles? That's John Elway-type of stuff right there. The SuperBook has Truex 6/1 to win. Harvick and Busch are co-favorites to win the race at 11/4 odds.

One variable to be considered when betting on Harvick is that crew chief Rodney Childers was suspendedfor the final two races of the season for creative engineering (cheating) and Tony Gibson has taken over the duties. Imagine being suddenly told you're in charge of the two most important races of the season.

“Yeah, it was a pretty nerve?racking deal there for sure," Gibson said of taking over crew chief duties. "My biggest deal, like I said before, is just making sure that we take each practice ?? the inspection process we all know is pretty intense, so making sure that stuff flows good and we get through there safe and sound, and then we’ll take each practice just like we did Phoenix. We took each practice, each run one at a time, thought about changes and what we needed to do, and like I said, Rodney had a great plan laid out, and we kind of just followed his lead through that. He has an awesome race team. They all pretty much know what to do. You don’t have to tell them what to do."

I really don't think it matters who's on the pit box making calls. As Gibson said, these guys know what has to be done.

All the 1.5-mile tracks have their own unique traits and Homestead's layout is different from all of them with progressive banking up to 20 degrees around the turns of a paperclip shape. All the other 1.5s are on D-shaped tri-ovals. But the thing that matters most is the distance and the banking making most of them set-up similarly.

“I feel like we’ve got as good an opportunity as anybody," said Logano's crew chief Todd Parrot. "If you look back, the thing I would build off of is we led over 100 laps at Kansas at a progressively banked racetrack that’s similar banking to what Homestead is, not a high?falloff racetrack, but it was a good place for us. We lost some track position and really didn’t recover from that to finish the way I think we could have, but we had a great run there, and I think at Texas, the 4 car was dominant at Texas, but beyond the 4 car, I thought we were as good as anybody and finished third there. Our mile?and?a?half program I think through the summertime was lacking speed, and we just needed to understand how to make our race cars faster. Setup wise and everything. And I think we’ve continued to understand what we need to do to make ourselves faster, and we’re working on that, and I think through the last two mile?and?a?halfs we’ve had speed. We’ve been competitive."

Yes, they've been very competitive lately on 1.5s. In addition to Logano's nice runs at Texas two weeks ago, he led a race-high 100 laps at Kansas and finished eighth in October and before that he led 46 laps at Las Vegas to kick off the Playoffs and finished fourth. Still, no wins on the 1.5s this season for Logano.

Recent history also shows that those who do well in the first 10 races on 1.5s do just as well at Homestead in the finale. Last season Truex won seven of the 11 races on 1.5s closing out with a Homestead win. In 2016 Jimmie Johnson had won two of the 10 races before winning at Homestead for his first career win there in what would be his seventh championship. The Big-3 will have an edge at Homestead, but Logano isn't far behind. It wouldn't be a surprise to see all four finish in the top-five.

Of course, there will be 35 others drivers trying to close their season out with a win. Denny Hamlin and Johnson have won at least one race a season for their entire Cup careers and Homestead is their last chance to keep it alive. For Johnson, this will be his last race with Lowe's as a sponsor on the hood as well as last race with Chad Knaus as crew chiefs. He's been with both since his rookie year in 2002.

"Man, I want to win this year. I want to win with Lowe’s on the car and I want to win with (No. 48 team crew chief) Chad (Knaus)," Johnson said. "So, that’s our top priority. Seeing that (rookie) paint scheme is going to trigger emotions from myself and I’m sure our fans. So many good years with that paint scheme and victories and such. I think this weekend’s definitely going to be an emotional one.”

If liking Johnson's chances the SuperBook has posted his odds at 80/1 to win, which is the largest number the seven-time champion has ever had at Homestead.

In 2013, Hamlin won the finale at Homestead to keep his streak alive and he's 20/1 to win his first race of the season on Sunday. He also won there in 2009 and has a solid 10.4 average finish in 13 starts.

Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski each won on a 1.5-mile track this season and will be battling amongst the Championship 4 for the win. Elliott is 20/1 and Keselowski is 15/1, which are both attractive numbers despite a Championship 4 driver winning at Homestead the past four years. Hamlin's 2013 win was the last driver to win at Homestead and not win the title.

And then there's Kyle Larson who seems to be 8/ to win each week because of being respected by the sports books, but he has yet to win in 2018. The SuperBook has him at 3/1 this week, crazy. However, Homestead is a really good track for him -- top-five in his last three starts there.
READ MORE HERE....TOP-5 FINISH PREDICTION ON VEGASINSIDER.COM

Odds to win 2018 Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead

Martin Truex Jr is going for back-to-back championships.

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK
ODDS TO WIN 2018 FORD ECOBOOST 400
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2018 - 2:35 PM PT

Kevin HARVICK 11/4
Kyle BUSCH 11/4
Kyle LARSON 3/1
Martin TRUEX JR 6/1
Joey LOGANO 10/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 15/1
Chase ELLIOTT 20/1
Denny HAMLIN 20/1
Clint BOWYER 25/1
Kurt BUSCH 25/1
Erik JONES 30/1
Aric ALMIROLA 40/1
Ryan BLANEY 40/1
Austin DILLON 80/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 80/1
Daniel SUAREZ 100/1
Alex BOWMAN 100/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 200/1
Jamie McMURRAY 300/1
Paul MENARD 300/1
Ryan NEWMAN 500/1
William BYRON 500/1
Matt KENSETH 500/1
TY DILLON 1000/1
AJ ALLMENDINGER 1000/1
Chris BUESCHER 1000/1
Michael McDOWELL 2000/1
Darrell WALLACE JR 2000/1
Regan SMITH 5000/1
FIELD (all others) 1000/1

Phoenix Betting Preview: 2018 Can-Am 500

NASCAR racing in the desert is awesome!

We've got some exciting new drama to add to Sunday's Can-Am 500 storyline at Phoenix. This is the cutoff race of the third round of NASCAR's Playoffs and when it's over we'll know who the Championship 4 drivers will be for next week's season finale at Homestead. But layered over the top of it all is alleged cheating and the severe penalties that come with it.

Kevin Harvick looked to have earned an automatic Championship 4 berth by winning Sunday at Texas, but his spoiler was proven to be too high in a post-race inspection and he had 40 driver points stripped along with the automatic berth for winning. Also, crew chief Rodney Childers was suspended for the final two races and fined $75,000. Wow!

No wonder those guys were so fast over the weekend. But I really do love the creative engineering effort. It's old school among so many new school things in the sport. So the deal here is Harvick's No. 4 passed the pre-race inspection, but failed post-race, as if someone changed the spoiler after the pre-race inspection? Bizzare, but perhaps a bit too harsh.

As a team, you have to find that edge somewhere, but now Harvick is fourth in points, only three points above fifth-place Kurt Busch. Only Joey Logano is locked in, so three Championship 4 spots are waiting to be claimed Sunday at Phoenix.

Among the seven drivers looking to advance, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. have an edge in points with each being at least 25-points ahead of fifth-place Kurt Busch. To give an example of how small a 25-point lead is, consider Harvick gained 53-points for his March 11 win at Phoenix in NASCAR's first visit this season during its West Coast swing. Rookie William Byron gained 25-points for his 12-place finish. So Kyle Busch and Truex appear to have a comfortable lead, but they really don't. And if Kurt Busch, Chase Elliott, Aric Almirola or Clint Bowyer win Sunday, they'll automatically qualify and either Kyle, Truex, or Harvick will be chopped.

“I’d like to think our odds are pretty good," Kyle Busch said of advancing. "Obviously, anything can happen. Things didn’t go our way at Texas last weekend and we felt we had a good car, but things just didn’t fall our way after having the loose wheel. You still have to have some luck on your side and have everything kind of go your way. It’s tough to rebound, sometimes, after a difficult start to a day or, even if you have trouble later in the day, it’s really difficult to rebound and get a good finish like you need. We’d love to be able to win and automatically lock ourselves through but, if that’s not the case, then you just have to be smart and mindful of a good points day and try not to hurt yourself – just try and keep what happens to you under your own control if you can.”

While the Playoff standings have some impact in handicapping this race, the main criteria should still begin with handicapping the type of track. In the case of Phoenix's flat 1-mile layout, we can group its results in the same category with the two races at Richmond's flat 3/4-mile layout and New Hampshire's flat 1-mile layout. All three configurations are drastically different, but between the distance and lack of banking, the results have been almost identical in all four races on them this season. If a driver does well on one of these tracks, they do just as good on the other.

This isn't new. It's been happening ever since Cup racing began at Phoenix in 1988. Car chiefs get that winning balance set-up and stick with it, and sometimes use the exact same chassis for all three tracks during a season. Chances are pretty good that Harvick will be using the same chassis he won with in March.

So let's review the four races on these tracks with more emphasis given to the Spet. 22 Richmond race just because it's most recent. Three drivers finished in the top-five of all four races and one driver finished in the top-five of three of the four races and another driver finished in the top-five in the last two races on them.

Check it out, Harvick won at Phoenix and New Hampshire, finished fifth at Richmond in April and was runner-up there seven weeks ago and he led laps in all of them. Kyle Busch took the checkers at both Richmond races, was runner-up at Phoenix while also leading the most laps and was also runner-up at New Hampshire. That's an insane 1.5 average finish for Busch between the four races.

The other driver with all top-fives is Chase Elliott, and he's perhaps the most interesting look to get in the Championship 4 Race. He was third at Phoenix, runner-up at Richmond, fifth at New Hampshire and fourth in the last Richmond race. His 6.8 average finish between five Phoenix starts in the best among all active drivers. Kyle Busch and Harvick have proven to be better on these tracks this season, but Elliott is certainly knocking on the door and he knows he needs to win to advance.

“The No. 9 team and I are looking forward to heading to Phoenix this weekend," said Elliott. "We have to win this week so we are going to go to work and try to get it done. I feel good about Phoenix – we’ve run pretty good there in the past. I think it has actually been one of my more consistent tracks.”

Eliott's crew chief Alan Gustafson elaborated further on the need to win this week.

“We are trying to win. Our outlook hasn’t changed," said Gustafson. "Phoenix is a great place that we have had some success at and it’s a fun place to race. I feel like we will stack up a little better to the competition there than last week. We had a strong run in the spring, obviously, that doesn’t mean anything going back, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. We are going to do everything we can, I can promise you that.”

Yes, I love the team objective. Win! All-in! And man, NASCAR sure would love to have NASCAR royalty in its Championship 4 Race. Not that NASCAR can do anything special but wish for Elliott to win, but I'm on board with wishing as well. I'm also in on a wager for him to win.

READ MORE HERE....TOP-5 FINISH PREDICTION ON VEGASINSIDER.COM

Odds to win 2018 Can-Am 500 at Phoenix

Kevin Harvick snatched his ninth Phoenix win in March.

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK

ODDS TO WIN 2018 CAN-AM 500

ISM RACEWAY (PHOENIX)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2018 - 2:45 PM ET

Kevin HARVICK 8/5
Kyle BUSCH 4/1
Martin TRUEX JR 7/1
Chase ELLIOTT 7/1
Kyle LARSON 12/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 15/1
Clint BOWYER 15/1
Denny HAMLIN 15/1
Erik JONES 20/1
Kurt BUSCH 20/1
Joey LOGANO 20/1
Aric ALMIROLA 20/1
Ryan BLANEY 25/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 60/1
Alex BOWMAN 60/1
Austin DILLON 100/1
Daniel SUAREZ 80/1
Ryan NEWMAN 300/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 300/1
Paul MENARD 300/1
William BYRON 300/1
Jamie McMURRAY 300/1
Matt KENSETH 300/1
Chris BUESCHER 1000/1
AJ ALLMENDINGER 1000/1
Michael McDOWELL 2000/1
Darrell WALLACE JR 2000/1
Regan SMITH 5000/1
TY DILLON 2000/1
FIELD (all others) 1000/1