No matter how many times a professional racer makes their annual wintertime journey to Daytona International Speedway for Speedweeks, there’s always a sense of awe about the race track and the events that are run there, especially the Daytona 500.
The Wood Brothers, who are returning to Daytona with Harrison Burton driving their No. 21 Motorcraft/DEX Imaging Mustang, have been racing at Daytona in February since the late team founder Glenn Wood drove – and regularly won – on the old beach-road course that preceded the 2.5-mile Superspeedway that opened in 1959.
Burton has been making the trek to Daytona for most of his young life, with his early trips as a child watching his dad Jeff Burton competing there.
Brian Wilson, crew chief on the No. 21 Mustang also has a fairly long history as a racer at Daytona. His first Speedweeks was in 2002, when he was an engineer and shock specialist for ARCA veteran Frank Kimmel.
“I thought it was so cool,” Wilson said of his Daytona debut. “In that moment I accomplished my goal in racing – to be on a team.
“From there I’ve made other goals, but that time in 2002 was my first one.”
He’s returning to the World Center of Racing to start his second year as crew chief for the Motorcraft/DEX Imaging Mustang, and the sense of awe and anticipation that he felt 20 years ago remains just as strong today as it was back in the beginning.
“Every year when we start our season in Daytona all of the teams find reasons to have hope,” Wilson said. “There’s an excitement in the garage to see how the season will go.”
Wilson said the No. 21 team’s late-season surge in 2022 has brought an air of optimism to the entire organization as NASCAR heads into its 75th year.
“When looking at the end of our season on the No. 21 and how we progressed overall through the year it’s easy to have excitement within our team,” he said, adding that there have been some tweaks to the team’s line-up for 2023. “Within our group we’ve added experience, talent and depth to our roster. We added a new engineer, setup plate specialist and front tire changer, but the core of our 2022 group is still together.
“In preparing our car for Daytona we can see the strength of the team as we’re all starting to work together.”
There are other changes as well heading into Sunday’s Great American Race.
“Another storyline this week will be the new bodies that each manufacturer has for 2023,” Wilson said. “The data that we get shows that Ford has really done an exceptional job in preparing for this change.
“The cars we’re bringing to Daytona are a great balance of drag vs. downforce. The Ford engineers were very efficient.”
The first time Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/DEX Imaging Mustang will be on the track is for single-car qualifying on Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time.
The first of two 60-lap,150-mile Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races is set to get the green flag at 7 p.m. on Thursday followed by the nightcap at about 8:45 p.m.
The first Cup practice session is scheduled to start at 5:35 p.m. on Friday, with the second and final practice getting the green flag at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
The 65th-annual Daytona 500 is scheduled to start just after 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, with Stage breaks at Laps 65 and 130.
FOX Sports 1 will carry the TV coverage of the preliminary events, with FOX broadcasting the Daytona 500.
About DEX Imaging
DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions, such as HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and numerous others.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
Reducing Operating Costs
Reducing Paper Consumption
Increasing Productivity
DEX Imaging has been the recipient of virtually every industry award since the company’s inception, including the JD Power & Associates Award for Best Customer Experience, the prestigious ProTech Service award by Konica Minolta, the Diamond Premier Dealer Award by Kyocera, and the Elite DEALER Award by ‘ENX’ magazine. Other accolades include being named ‘Best Place to Work’ by numerous business journals in the markets DEX serves.
About Motorcraft®
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.
About Omnicraft®
Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.
About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, that is committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for and deepen the loyalty of those customers. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, as well as connected services. Additionally, Ford is establishing leadership positions in mobility solutions, including self-driving technology, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 176,000 people worldwide. More information about the company, its products and Ford Credit is available at corporate.ford.com.
*See seller for limited-warranty details.
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the WoodBrothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.
