A Joyous Dale Earnhardt Jr. Holds On for His Second Daytona 500 Victory

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 23, 2014   Photo - Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 23, 2014
Photo – Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Emotions ran high at the end of the 56th Annual Daytona 500 as Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored his first victory in the race since 2004. It had been a long ten years since he last won in 2004. The years were filled with plenty of close finishes, but Earnhardt Jr. could never close the deal. That all changed Sunday Night as Earnhardt Jr. held off a storming pack in route to victory lane. Continue reading

Smith Starts Season Off Right with Daytona Victory

Regan Smith, driver of the #7 Ragu Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning during the NASCAR Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 22, 2014  Photo - Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Regan Smith, driver of the #7 Ragu Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning during the NASCAR Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 22, 2014
Photo – Tom Pennington/Getty Images

A somewhat surprising outcome to the Drive4COPD 300 featured the outside lane pushing Regan Smith to victory. All day, the outside lane struggled to keep up with the inside lane. The last restart changed everything as Smith was able to stay door-to-door with Brad Keselowski on the inside lane. Smith’s win was the first for a Nationwide regular in the season opener since 2001 when Randy LaJoie took the checkered flag.

If anyone were to say Regan Smith would have ended up in victory lane at the beginning of the race, they would have met weird looks. Smith was not a contender early. It wasn’t until a bit past the halfway point when he was able make it to the front.

Kyle Busch seemed the favorite early as he led for most the race. When Smith took the lead on Lap 76, it was from Busch. Smith and Keselowski seemed the only two drivers able to keep Busch away from the top spot. Continue reading

Truck-tastic: Busch Beats Out Peters in Closest NCWTS Finish at Daytona

Kyle Busch, driver of the #51 ToyotaCare Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning during the Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway on February 21, 2014  Photo - Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Kyle Busch, driver of the #51 ToyotaCare Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning during the Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway on February 21, 2014
Photo – Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Kyle Busch’s prowess was on full display Friday night during the Camping World Truck Series (CWTS) race at Daytona. Busch led a good part of the 100-lap event and he edged out Timothy Peters at the line to win his first career CWTS race at Daytona. The finish was the closest at Daytona for the Truck Series and it was eighth closest in Truck Series history. Continue reading

Hamlin Stays Undefeated as Wild Wreck Wraps Up Duel 2

 

Cars race past the green flag to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Duel 2 at Daytona International Speedway on February 20, 2014  Photo - Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Cars race past the green flag to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Duel 2 at Daytona International Speedway on February 20, 2014
Photo – Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

The word ‘undefeated’ rarely comes up in NASCAR. Winning two straight races is an extremely hard task to carry out, but Denny Hamlin has followed in Kevin Harvick’s footsteps and has done just that during SpeedWeeks. Hamlin opened up SpeedWeeks by winning the Sprint Unlimited and now he is two-for-two at Daytona with his victory in the second Budweiser Duel. Continue reading

Kenseth Beats Out Harvick, Kahne in Thrilling First Duel

A general view of the start of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway on February 20, 2014   Photo - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

A general view of the start of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway on February 20, 2014
Photo – Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

A very competitive first Budweiser Duel ended with Matt Kenseth beating Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne out by a nose. Kenseth earned the third starting spot for Sunday’s Daytona 500. Continue reading