Denny Hamlin Last Driver to Pull off the Feat in 2016; The Great American Race, Set for Sunday, Feb. 20, Will Showcase NASCAR’s New ‘Next Gen’ Car
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 7, 2022) – With his triumph in Sunday’s Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, Team Penske driver Joey Logano has the opportunity to join some elite company when he competes in the 64th running of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20 (FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The Busch Light Clash was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the first time. On six occasions in the history of the Busch Light Clash, which was showcased at Daytona International Speedway from 1979-2021, the winner of the exhibition race went on to become Champion of the DAYTONA 500. They included Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1987), Dale Jarrett (1996, 2000), Jeff Gordon (1997) and Denny Hamlin (2016). Here’s a recap of each, historic DAYTONA 500 from those years:
- 1982 – For the first time, the DAYTONA 500 was the season-opener for the NASCAR Cup Series. Allison led the most laps in his No. 88 DiGard Racing machine, and finished over 23 seconds ahead of Cale Yarborough.
- 1987 – Elliott won the Busch Light Pole, then dominated by leading 104 of 200 laps. Benny Parsons finished three car lengths back in second.
- 1996 – Jarrett outlasted Dale Earnhardt, Sr, the same 1-2 result that took place in 1993 when Jarrett claimed his first career triumph, in the Great American Race.
- 1997 – At age 25, Gordon became the youngest DAYTONA 500 winner ever. Hendrick Motorsports posted a 1-2-3 finish with HMS teammates Terry Labonte and Rick Craven finishing second and third, respectively.
- 2000 – After winning the Busch Light Pole Award, Jarrett was victorious again in the 500, holding off Jeff Burton. He became the first and only driver to date to win the Busch Light Clash and the DAYTONA 500 in the same season twice.
- 2016 – Hamlin won in a photo finish over Martin Truex, Jr. by a mere .010 seconds. It was his first of three DAYTONA 500 victories to date.
Logano already has impressive credentials at Daytona International Speedway. He has one DAYTONA 500 victory on his resume, coming in 2015. He won the Busch Light Clash in 2017 but wound up sixth in the DAYTONA 500. Logano has competed in The Great American Race 13 times (first in 2009) with three top-five finishes and six top-10s. He is a former Busch Light Pole winner at Daytona in the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400.
The DAYTONA 500, which feature NASCAR’s anticipated ‘Next Gen’ car, has sold out of reserved frontstretch seating and RV camping, but fans can still be a part of the DAYTONA 500 experience with fan hospitality options. There’s still a variety of hospitality packages left in the Rolex 24 Lounge Suites and the all-new Harley J’s Experience (High Banks Suite with incredible view of the frontstretch), plus options for other events as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth. For ticket information, log onto www.DAYTONA500.com. The full schedule is below:
- Tuesday, Feb. 15: DAYTONA 500 Practices (5:05 p.m./6:35 p.m. ET).
- Wednesday, Feb. 16: DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Busch Light (8:05 p.m. ET).
- Thursday, Feb. 17: Bluegreen Vacations Duel At DAYTONA qualifying races (7:00 p.m. ET); NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice (4:35 p.m. ET) & ARCA Menards Series practice (5:30 p.m. ET).
- Friday, Feb. 18: NextEra Energy 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race (7:30 p.m. ET); ARCA Menards (1:30 p.m. ET) and Camping World Truck Series qualifying (3:00 p.m. ET); NASCAR Cup Series practice (6:00 p.m. ET).
- Saturday, Feb. 19: Lucas Oil 200 Driven By General Tire ARCA Menards race (1:30 p.m. ET) and Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series event (5:00 p.m. ET); NASCAR Cup Series final practice (10:30 a.m. ET); NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying (11:35 a.m. ET).
- Sunday, Feb. 20: DAYTONA 500, The Great American Race (2:30 p.m. ET).
** Schedule subject to change
Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.
About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training. The iconic venue will be the site of a host of motorsports events early in 2022, beginning with AHRMA Classic Motofest and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA in January, and the 64th DAYTONA 500, which will debut the first points race for NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth in February. The tradition-rich 81st Annual Bike Week At DAYTONA returns in March, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, and in May with the Heroes Honor Festival. Later in the summer during Independence Day weekend, the track, in association with Torneos, will host Soccer Fest before the NASCAR Cup Series returns for the final race of the regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 27.
