NASCAR Daytona International Speedway

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Chevrolet Owners Contemplate a Surfeit of Young Talent in NASCAR Racing

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Track News
(L-R) Chevrolet executive Jim Campbell and Chevrolet team owners Richard Childress, Chip Ganassi, and Rick Hendrick preview the Daytona 500 during a press conference at Daytona International Speedway on February 24, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Photo – Scott Hunter/Getty Images

Roughly 30 minutes after Chevrolet unveiled the Camaro ZL 1 that will pace Sunday’s Daytona 500 and announced four-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon as its driver, Chevy brass and team owners gathered in the Daytona International Speedway media center to field questions from reporters.

Owners Richard Childress, Chip Ganassi and Rick Hendrick joined Jim Campbell, Chevy’s U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports, at the press session. One of the first topics to arise was the prospect of Jimmie Johnson winning a record-breaking eighth championship at NASCAR’s highest level.

Johnson won his seventh title last year to tie Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt for most championships in the history of the series. Continue reading →

Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin Win Action-Filled Can-Am Duel Qualifying Races

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Track News

Daytona 500 pole winner Chase Elliott put an exclamation on his qualifying effort with a victory in Thursday night’s first Can-Am Duel at Daytona International Speedway.

Elliott passed second-place starter Brad Keselowski for the lead on lap 37 and held it the rest of the way—through a wreck that altered the positions of the two Open Team drivers trying to race their way into the field for the 59th running of the Great American Race.

In the second Duel, defending Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin got a huge push from Austin Dillon and passed Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the next-to-last lap to win the race by 0.214 seconds over Clint Bowyer, who was competing for the first time in the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. Continue reading →

Denny Hamlin, FedEx Sign Extensions with Joe Gibbs Racing

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Track News
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, speaks with the media during the Daytona 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway on February 22, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Photo – Jerry Markland/Getty Images

Denny Hamlin has signed an extension to drive the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with FedEx continuing as his sponsor, the team announced at a press conference on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. Continue reading →

Kevin Harvick: New Race Formats will Impact Strategy

NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Track News
Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Ford, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Photo – Chris Graythen/Getty Images

If there’s a consensus among NASCAR drivers, it’s that dividing races into stages, with points available at the end of each stage, will further tax the cunning of their crew chiefs. Continue reading →