Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing drivers Austin Dillon and Paul Menard finished 11th and 21st in the first of two Duels at Daytona. Ryan Newman competed in the second Duel and finished 22nd.
In the first Duel, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished first and was followed to the finish line by Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin. Kyle Busch won the second Duel and was followed to the line by Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards and Ty Dillon.
The 2016 Sprint Cup Series begins with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 21. The first race of the 2016 season is scheduled to be televised live on FOX beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Austin Dillon Runs as High as Third in Duel at Daytona before Securing 11th-Place Finish in Dow Chevrolet
Start – 5 Finish – 11 Laps Led – 0 Points – N/A
“That was a good race. I have to thank Dow and everybody involved in this program. I’m proud of my guys because they put a lot of hard work and effort into this Chevy. I was hoping for a win tonight and tried to be as aggressive as I could. I just got put in the middle and went to the back on the last lap. We got to the front a few times, but just didn’t have enough steam to hold us up there. We were close though and I learned a lot tonight. We got through the race in one piece which is what we needed because it pays on Sunday. I feel like we have a solid car for the Daytona 500.”
– AUSTIN DILLON
Paul Menard Finishes 21st in PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant/Menards Chevy in Duel at Daytona
Start – 9 Finish – 21 Laps Led – 0 Points – N/A
“I only have positive things to say after tonight’s race. We made some changes and learned a lot. I think the car was a lot better than practice and we feel confident heading into Sunday’s race. I’m proud of this team and how hard they’ve worked this week to get the car where it needs to be. Our Chevy ran really well during the race, maybe just a little more free than practice, but I was happy with the changes we made. We got some debris on the grille which hurt us in the long run and forced us to the garage a little early. Overall, I’m happy with how tonight went and looking forward to Sunday.”
– PAUL MENARD
Mechanical Issues Slow Ryan Newman to 22nd-Place Finish in Duel at Daytona
Start – 7 Finish – 22 Laps Led – 0 Points – N/A
“This is definitely not the Speedweeks we were expecting so far. We had a fast Caterpillar Chevrolet. I barely had to lift before we had an issue under the hood. We felt it was in our best interest to bring the Cat Chevy to the garage to diagnose the issue. Something is definitely off here and we’ll figure it out. I am confident what we have planned for the Daytona 500 is even better than what we had planned for this Duel. We will be fine.”
-RYAN NEWMAN
