Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
Track: Daytona Road Course
Race: Clash at Daytona Road Course
Date: February 9, 2020
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No. 2 MoneyLion Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 4th
Finish: 17th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 35/35
Laps Led: 1
Point Standings (behind first): N/A
Notes:
Brad Keselowski’s chances to win the Clash at Daytona were derailed when he spun in the bus stop with three laps to go. The driver of the MoneyLion Ford Mustang recovered and was credited with an 17th-place finish.
Keselowski started fourth and was running sixth at the time of the first caution on lap 8. He pitted for four tires on lap 9 during the first caution. He restarted eighth when the race went green on lap 10. He grabbed the lead on lap 12 before settling into third-place at the time of the competition caution on lap 17. Keselowski said the balance on the MoneyLion Ford was free everywhere and crew chief Jeremy Bullins made the call pit during the yellow for four tires and a wedge adjustment. He restarted fourth when the race went green on lap 18.
Keselowski stayed in the top-five during the next green flag run. He was fourth when the third caution slowed the pace on lap 23. Bullins chose not to pit during the yellow. Keselowski was shuffled back to seventh on restart and was running eighth at the time of the fourth and final caution on lap 29. This time Keselowski pitted for four tires and adjustments and lined up eleventh when the race went green on lap 30.
On lap 32 Keselowski’s chances for a good finish evaporated. The driver of the No. 2 Ford Mustang was running eighth when he spun in the bus stop after trying a different approach to the corner. He recovered and was credited with a 17th-place finish in the final rundown.
Quotes: “Not the finish we wanted tonight in our MoneyLion Ford. I tried something a little different in the bus stop and it didn’t work. We’ll learn from it and get ready for the Daytona 500.”
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No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 1st
Finish: 13th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 35/35
Laps Led: 4
Ryan Blaney came up one corner short of winning the Clash at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday night. The driver of the Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford Mustang took the lead with two laps to go, but unfortunately was spun in the final corner of the last lap relegating him to a 13th-place finish.
Qualifying was set per a blind-draw with crew chief Todd Gordon picking the pole position for the 35-lap event, which was held on the road-course for the first time in the race’s history. Blaney would settle into the second place in the opening laps behind Denny Hamlin. The event’s first caution would waive on lap 9 for debris and Gordon would opt to keep Blaney on-track.
Blaney would lead on the restart on lap 11 when he ran wide going into turn 1. He would fall as low as 18th but would come to pit road on lap 15 for routine service. The subsequent competition caution would allow Blaney to regain his track position. He would take the lead back on lap 27 and would make his final stop of the night on lap 29.
Restarting inside the top-five with less than five laps to go, Blaney would charge to the lead with two laps to go. Unfortunately coming the final corner Blaney and Elliott would make contact sending the Menards Ford into the outside wall relegating him to a 13th-place finish.
Quote: “We were just racing hard and I had a little bit fresher tires there. We saved a set and got back to second there and his car was good. I had to use up a lot to get to him (Chase Elliott) and I kind of tried to protect and I drove into the last corner deep to try to make sure I didn’t get dive bombed like that, but we just came together there. I appreciate the Penske boys and what they do. I missed Turn 1 over there leading earlier and they were able to recover from that. Thanks to Great Lakes Flooring and Menards and Ford. I think we learned something for next week. I’m excited to get the 500 going this weekend.”
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No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang
Start: 10th
Finish: 3rd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 35/35
Laps Led: 0
Joey Logano started 10th and finished third in a wild Busch Clash on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course Tuesday night, rallying back from early damage and a mid-race pit road penalty to bring home the top-five result in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Logano spent time inside the top-five and at the back of the pack during the action filled event, narrowly missing a late race spin by the two race leaders to bring home the podium result.
After starting 10th, Logano ran as high as the seventh position before pitting on lap 6 for overheating due to mud packing the grill, the driver of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Mustang also took significant left front damage on the opening lap of the race when he was pinched into the curbing on the front chicane. The team would pit again to work on repairs under a lap 9 caution flag.
The Shell-Pennzoil team elected to pit on lap 14, just prior to the lap 17 competition caution, taking four tires and make a significant trackbar adjustment. The team would also return to pit road to take fuel only during the competition caution, a strategic move that moved Logano up to sixth position for restart.
After restarting sixth, Logano moved to third on lap 18, chasing race leader Denny Hamlin and teammate Ryan Blaney. Unfortunately, with 12 laps remaining, Logano was assessed a penalty for improperly entering pit road as another competitor elected to pit late, stacking the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang two wide. Logano had worked his way back to the 10th position before a caution was displayed with eight laps remaining.
Logano would rally through the closing laps, ultimately finishing in the third position after the two race leaders tangled on the last lap in the final corner.
Quote: “Perseverance, just keep fighting. It’s a small field so you can always come back. All of the cars ran off the road in the bus stop and got my grille packed full of mud. It’s not even grass back there, it’s just mud so I felt like I was dirt racing again. We got close. I just ran out of tires there at the end and tires ended up passing us.”
