DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 16: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet, and Alex Bowman, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, pose in Ruoff Victory Lane after qualifying on the front row for the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2022, in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman take the front row for the Daytona 500 during NASCAR Cup Series qualifying on Wednesday night.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has started 2022 off the way he ended 2021 – out front. The 29-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver won the pole position for Sunday’s Daytona 500 season-opener with a lap of 181.159 mph in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Wednesday night at Daytona International Speedway.
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 15: A general view of the grandstands as the sun sets during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 15, 2022, in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
2022 NASCAR Cup Series power ranking comes before the first points-paying race of the year, the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
The 2022 NASCAR season is just a few days away, which means the excitement and anticipation are building. With the Next-Gen car making its debut, drivers like Harrison Burton, Austin Cindric, and Justin Haley moving up to Cup full-time, and teams such as 23XI Racing, Trackhouse Racing, and Kaulig Racing expanding their operations, there is plenty to look forward to heading into 2022. While there have been some shake-ups in terms of expectations coming into the season, some parts of NASCAR remain the same from last year, and the first edition of this season’s power rankings showcase that.
Sammy Smith finds redemption at New Smyrna Speedway in the ARCA East season opener on Tuesday evening in the Race to Stop Suicide 200.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Having entered Tuesday night’s Race to Stop Suicide 200 presented by Place of Hope at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway as the defending ARCA Menards Series East champion, Sammy Smith had little to prove on the half-mile paved oval.
Previewing the ARCA East opener at New Smyrna Speedway for the Race to Stop Suicide 200 on Tuesday evening.
Since 2014 the ARCA Menards Series East has held its season-opening event at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida. So, for the ninth season, the ARCA East will race the half-mile paved oval as part of the track’s nine-day World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. On Tuesday, February 15th drivers will strap in for the Race to Stop Suicide 200 presented by Place of Hope at 7:30 pm ET.