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Racing Icon Mario Andretti Named Honorary Race Official for DAYTONA 500

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR Press Releases Track News
Photo – Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Daytona International Speedway to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Andretti’s 1967 DAYTONA 500 Victory

Mario Andretti, who along with A.J. Foyt, Jamie McMurray and most recently Jeff Gordon, are the only drivers to win both the DAYTONA 500 and the Rolex 24 At Daytona, will serve as a Honorary Race Official for the 59th annual DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 26 (FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM Radio), the opening race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

Andretti and Daytona International Speedway will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of his epic 1967 DAYTONA 500 triumph throughout Speedweeks 2017. As part of his Honorary Race Official duties for “The Great American Race,” Andretti will be introduced at the drivers’ meeting, participate in pre-race ceremonies, ride in one of the parade cars and take part in question-and-answer sessions in fan hospitality areas and the UNOH Fanzone.

In addition, a replica of Andretti’s 1967 DAYTONA 500-winning No. 11 Holman-Moody Ford will be on display on DAYTONA 500 Weekend in the UNOH Fanzone.

“It’s an honor to host Mario Andretti for the DAYTONA 500,” Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile said. “Mario is part of an exclusive club of champions at the ‘World Center of Racing’ and arguably has the most recognizable name in the entire history of auto racing. His victory here in 1967 has grown to legendary status and is truly one of the most significant moments in the history of the speedway and our community.”

Andretti is considered by many to be the greatest driver in the history of motorsports, having been named Co-Driver of Century by the Associated Press in 1999. He won the 1978 Formula One World Championship, four IndyCar Series championships and the Indianapolis 500 in 1969. Andretti and Foyt are the only drivers to have won both the DAYTONA 500 and the Indianapolis 500.

Daytona International Speedway

Quick Racecars and Team Effort Pushes Mason Mitchell Motorsports to Two Top-Ten Finishes at Daytona International Speedway

ARCA Camping World Truck Series Press Releases Track News
Fan4Racing Radio guest Kaz Grala at 9 pm ET on Monday, February 20, 2017
Photo – Courtesy MMM

Kyle Weatherman is our guest on Fan4Racing NASCAR & Race Talk, Monday, February 20, 2017 at 9 pm ET. Call 929-477-1790 or tweet @Fan4RacingSite or @Sal_Sigala with any questions or comments during our LIVE broadcast.

From the test in early January to this weekend in the Lucas Oil Complete Engine Treatment 200 Driven by General Tire at the Daytona International Speedway (DIS), one thing was evident, that all three of the Mason Mitchell Motorsports (MMM) cars were fast.

For the second time as a team in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the 2014 championship team fielded three entries and had success doing it. Kyle Weatherman led the charge with an eighth place finish, Kaz Grala finished in tenth and Quin Houff finished 28th. Continue reading →

Update on ARCA Win Tron Racing Driver, Justin Fontaine

ARCA Press Releases Track News
Photo – WTR

Win-Tron Racing driver Justin Fontaine was in an accident during Saturday’s ARCA Racing Series’ Lucas Oil Complete Engine Treatment 200 driven by General Tire at Daytona International Speedway and the team provided an update Saturday night.

Fontaine, 19, suffered a mild compression fracture of his L1 vertebrae and will be kept overnight at a local Daytona Beach, Fla. hospital for observation. Continue reading →

Tom Hessert Grabs Pole Position for Today’s ARCA Season Opener at Daytona

NASCAR

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards veteran Tom Hessert, in the No. 25 Andrews-Renton Coil Spring/Venturini Motorsports Toyota, won the General Tire Pole Award Friday afternoon at Daytona Int’l Speedway for today’s Lucas Oil Complete Engine Treatment 200 Driven by General Tire.

Hessert, in the sixth qualifying group, was the last car off pit road among his six-car pack. His strategy was to lay way back in order to get a run. It worked.

“Being in the back of group was obviously advantageous, so we could sit way back and get a run,” said Hessert. Hessert was so far back he seemed in danger of losing the draft altogether.

“I was worried about that….we were at least a couple hundred yards back. I was worried we weren’t going to get there, but the car did what it was supposed to do and we got it done.

“This is obviously a great start to the weekend for us. I want to thank Venturini Motorsports and all my guys on the crew…our sponsors Andrews, Renton Coil Spring, Musselman’s Apple Sauce.”

Hessert circled the 2.5-mile track in 48.143 seconds, an average speed of 186.943 mph. Friday’s pole award was Hessert’s fifth of his career and third since joining Venturini Motorsports in 2016.

Set to make his 180th career ARCA start, Hessert has notched 6 career victories to go along with 53 top-five and 106 top-ten finishes throughout his career. Already a restrictor-plate winner at Talladega in 2013, the 30-year old driver hopes to complete the sweep and park his Andrews Toyota in Daytona’s famous Victory Lane this afternoon.

Venturini Motorsports entering its 35th year of ARCA Series competition, looks to return to Daytona’s Gatorade Victory Lane for the second time in the past four years. In 2013, driver John Wes Townley delivered the team’s sole Daytona victory. VMS, the well-known ARCA fixture has compiled 43 series victories overall – 30 wins coming since 2007.

Today’s Lucas Oil Complete Engine Treatment 200 Driven by General Tire is live on FS1, with live coverage beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern. In addition, arcaracing.com will feature live timing and scoring and live chat. Local radio affiliate WNDB will also provide live audio coverage of the race, which will be streamed live over arcaracing.com.

Venturini Motorsports