Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series
United Rentals 300 — Daytona International Speedway
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Nick Sanchez finished eighth in Stage 1, despite being collected in a multi-car accident coming to the finish line. The damage, however, was enough to force him out of the race in 36th place.
NICK SANCHEZ, No. 25 Better Compute Works Inc. Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT DID YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU? “Not a whole lot. Obviously, there was a wreck on the bottom and I was committed middle-top and it came up to me and I got caught up in it. It’s really unfortunate for the whole AM Racing team. MCL, Better Compute Works and Ford. We had a really good car in the beginning and was able to drive up from the back. We were just racing hard and got collected, which sucks. That’s the second year in a row.”
DID YOU SEE THE REPLAY? “I don’t really know what was going on, honestly. I wasn’t really expecting them to wreck there. I mean, it’s not really a place you’d wreck, but someone wasn’t clear and it’s just super unfortunate. It’s still so early in the race and I know everyone is racing hard, but you also have a race to finish. It sucks that my team got caught up in it and I got caught up in it. We had a fast race car and nothing to show for it.”
HOW DID THE WIND AFFECT THE HANDLING? “Honestly, my car was super planted to the racetrack. I didn’t really pull out of line. I didn’t think my car was good enough to lead a line, so you probably saw me stay at the top quite a bit and stay tucked up, but my car was handling fine. I had one little moment, but other than that, the wind wasn’t really affecting me.”
YOUR FIRST RACE WITH FORD AND AM Racing AND FROM WHERE YOU STARTED YOU GOT TO THE FRONT, SO YOU HAD A FAST FORD MUSTANG. “Yeah. The Mustang Dark Horse was really fast and I think it’s just a testament to the team and Roush Yates Engines and everyone involved. It’s unfortunate to go out this early, but if you’re gonna go out, go out showing speed. Me and my team, and obviously Ford Racing, showed speed so I think we have a lot to look forward to in future races.”
