Friday, February 12
Track: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, 2.5-mile superspeedway
Race: 1 of 22
Event: NextEra Energy 250 (100 laps, 250 miles)
Schedule
Thursday, February 11
Final Practice: 5:35 – 6:25 p.m. ET
Friday, February 12
Qualifying: 3:10 p.m. ET
Race: 7:30 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)
Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Monster Energy Ford F-150
Deegan’s No. 1 Monster Energy Ford F-150 will have owners points from last year’s No. 17 Truck Series entry.
The 19-year-old driver will have veteran crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. calling the shots from atop the pit box for her rookie Truck Series season. Additionally, spotter TJ Majors will be Deegan’s eyes in the sky for her first full-time season in the Truck Series.
The California native has one Truck Series start on her resume. In October of last year, she started 34th at Kansas Speedway and finished 16th. The result was the best finish by a female competitor in her first series start.
The Ford driver has one previous start at Daytona’s 2.5-mile high-banked oval. In 2020, she started seventh in the ARCA Menards Series and finished runner-up in the 80-lap event.
In preparation for the season, Deegan has spent several hours at the simulator, practicing pit stops and visiting the race shop.
Deegan on her 2021 season:
Is there anything you can take from your ARCA and K&N experience over to the Truck Series?
“The ARCA and K&N cars are so different from the trucks, from what I learned at Kansas last year. I don’t even really know what to compare those cars to. The Kansas truck race last year was really beneficial to me going into this year. I learned how different the truck is going to drive from what I’m used to in ARCA and K&N. It was nice to get one race under my belt before this season starts.”
What are some goals and expectations you have for yourself going into this season?
“I think its more about earning respect on the track, earning the respect of other people in the garage instead of just having statistical goals. I’m sure it will be a big learning year for me and that I will have tough moments, but taking those moments and learning from them will be key.”
Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150
Gray is reunited with crew chief Shane Wilson and spotter Kevin Hamlin for a second consecutive season. The trio will look to build on the foundation they established in Tanner’s 2020 rookie season.
The 21-year-old has two career starts at Daytona both coming during 2020 speedweeks in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and ARCA Menards Series.
Survival is the name of the game for Gray at Daytona as both of his superspeedway starts last season were cut short by multi-vehicle incidents.
Gray will pull double duty this week as, in addition to his NCWTS duties, he will take the helm of the No. 17 Ripper Coffee Ford Fusion in the Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire with the ARCA Menards Series on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. ET.
The New Mexico native earned four top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 2020 with a career-best finish of third three times – once each at Michigan International Speedway, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway.
Gray on Daytona: “I am really looking forward to Daytona and another opportunity to learn this style of racing. I have only been able to run a handful of superspeedway races so far in my career between ARCA and the Camping World Truck Series, and honestly just haven’t had much luck in any of them. Last season we were running near the top-10 and got caught up in a big wreck, so the goal this year is to learn as much as I can and survive until the end, and hopefully that gives us a chance to win.”
David Gilliland, No. 17 Black’s Tire and Auto Service Ford F-150
Gilliland will run the Black’s Tire and Auto Service livery for his Daytona attempt in the No. 17 Ford F-150. Black’s Tire and Auto Service began their partnership with Gilliland in 2015.
Last year, Gilliland made two Truck Series starts and earned a best finish of 12th. In total, he currently has 17 Truck Series starts spanning six years.
Gilliland has three Truck Series starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway and earned the pole position in his 2018 start. His best finish at Daytona in the Truck Series is sixth, captured in 2015.
Gilliland co-owns David Gilliland Racing with businessman Johnny Gray. An ownership change over the offseason resulted in a rebranding of the Truck Series team from DGR-Crosley to David Gilliland Racing.
Click here for Gilliland’s career statistics.
Gilliland on Daytona: “It is always special to reunite with Black’s Tire and Auto Service and to be able to do it at Daytona makes it even sweeter. We will have to make sure we lay down a good qualifying lap to lock into the race, but I am confident and excited to be able to compete in one of our DGR Ford F-150 trucks.”
