Tag Archives: Great American Race

Chase Elliott edges Dale Earnhardt Jr. for Daytona 500 pole

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Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 NAPA Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after qualifying for pole position for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Photo – Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

Winning back-to-back Daytona 500 poles is something of a family tradition, as Chase Elliott proved by the skin of his teeth on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.

The last driver to take a lap in the second and final round of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, Elliott covered the distance in 46.663 seconds (192.872 mph) to edge Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 0.002 seconds.

The pole was the second straight for Elliott, who led the field to green last year as a Sunoco rookie. It was the third straight for Elliott’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson, who won the pole with driver Jeff Gordon in 2015 in Gordon’s last year as a full-time driver.

With three straight poles as a crew, Gustafson shares a record previously held solely by Ernie Elliott, Chase Elliott’s uncle, who fielded cars driven by former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Bill Elliott, Chase’s father. Continue reading →

What it Takes to Make the Daytona 500

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Photo – Getty Images

Christmas comes but once a year. The same is true of the unique qualifying format for the Daytona 500.

Unlike Christmas, however, the setting and ordering of the field for the Great American Race takes five days, from single-car qualifying on Sunday through the Can-Am Duel at Daytona twin 150-mile races on Thursday.

The basics are straightforward. Only two cars in Sunday’s time trails are locked into their starting positions for the Daytona 500—the pole winner and the car that qualifies on the outside of the front row.

Of the 42 entries for the race, 36 hold Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series charters and are guaranteed to compete on Feb. 26. That leaves six drivers fighting for the four remaining positions in the 500. Those drivers are Elliott Sadler, Timmy Hill, Reed Sorenson, Brendan Gaughan, Corey LaJoie and DJ Kennington.

Qualifying on Sunday sets the starting order for the Can-Am Duel races on Thursday, with the odd-number qualifiers (positions 1-3-5, etc.) running the first Duel, and even numbers competing in the second Duel.

The finishing positions in the Thursday races determine the starting positions for the 500, with the exception of the front row. The winner of the first Duel, which forms the inside row, starts third in the Great American Race, with the winner of the second Duel starting fourth, on the outside of the second row.

If either of the front row starters wins a Duel, then the second-row position goes to second place finisher in that particular Duel.

Open drivers, those competing without charters, have two avenues into the 500. The highest-finishing driver in each of the Can-Am Duels earns a starting position on Feb. 26. The final two positions go to the two fastest among the open drivers in Sunday’s time trials, if not already qualified through the Duels.

Aside from determining who’s fastest in single-car runs, this year’s qualifying session will provide several story lines of keen interest to NASCAR fans.

FOX Sports and NASCAR Productions Commemorate Jeff Gordon’s First Daytona 500 Victory in Original Documentary

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 16, 1997: Daytona 500 1997 winner Jeff Gordon (center) celebrates with teammates Terry Labonte (left) and Ricky Craven (right) following their sweep of the first three finishing places by Hendrick Racing. Photo – Getty Images

FOX Sports and NASCAR Productions Commemorate Jeff Gordon’s First

Daytona 500 Victory in Original Documentary

Actor Luke Wilson Narrates “Beyond the Wheel” Short Film in One of Three Daytona-Themed Specials 

In advance of the 59th annual Daytona 500, FOX Sports and NASCAR Productions have teamed up to deliver a rare behind-the-scenes look at four-time champion Jeff Gordon’s first win in the “Great American Race” with an original film entitled “Refuse to Lose.” On the 20thanniversary of Gordon’s milestone triumph, the documentary takes viewers inside his journey to victory lane using never-before-seen footage of the No. 24 team captured in the ten days leading up to the event.

Featuring interviews with Gordon and crew chief Ray Evernham, both executive producers on the project, the film premieres on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 10 p.m. ET immediately following FS1’s coverage of the Can-Am Duel at Daytona International Speedway. Continue reading →

NASCAR Marketing Campaign Celebrates 2016 Season Launch

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Photo - Courtesy DIS

Photo – Courtesy DIS

Ready. Set. Race! NASCAR Marketing Campaign Celebrates 2016 Season Launch, Fans’ Universal Passion for Racing

The Hashtag 500 to Give Fans the Chance to Race on Twitter for Memorabilia from the 2016 DAYTONA 500 

Inspired by fans’ shared love of racing, NASCAR® today unveiled a new, integrated marketing campaign celebrating the launch of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ season. Ready. Set. Race will engage NASCAR fans online, at home and on the go through a blend of digital and social media activation, and original television creative.

Fans will be invited to put their racing skills to the test during the 2016 Daytona 500® on February 21, when NASCAR hosts the first-ever Hashtag 500 on Twitter. The unique promotion, developed by Ogilvy & Mather New York, will give fans a chance to win memorabilia from this year’s “Great American Race®,” including a driver firesuit, helmet, steering wheel and set of Goodyear tires, among other race-used items. Continue reading →