SM Archive

After a shortened qualifying session due to rain, James Buescher and the No. 99 Toyota Care team lined up in the 18th position for Friday evening's Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Just before the scheduled start time of the 100-lap race, another rainstorm rolled through the Daytona Beach area, delaying the start of the race. After nearly a two-hour delay, the 40-car field started the Subway Firecracker 250.

Darrell Wallace Jr. (seventh) was the first Toyota driver to the finish line in Friday evening’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Daytona International Speedway. Kasey Kahne won the 103-lap rain-delayed race.

RYAN REED, No. 16 ADA Drive to Stop Diabetes Ford Mustang – FINISHED 4th “That was what we needed right there. You know, we were trying to conserve all night but man it felt good to get our first top-five. The guys told me that Ricky really turned his rookie season around a couple years ago at Daytona by coming away with a top-five so I am hoping to do the same thing. We had a bit of a rough start but the guys never gave up on me and I never gave up on them. I am really proud of everyone and thank you to Lily Diabetes and Ford and American Diabetes Association.”

David Gilliland earned Front Row Motorsports its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole position in team history Friday at Daytona International Speedway. Gilliland's Love's Travel Stops Ford turned the fastest lap of the field during the rain-shortened qualifying session for Saturday's Coke Zero 400, recording a lap time of 45.153 seconds at a speed of 199.322 miles per hour.

After a bizarre and rain-shortened qualifying session for the Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Daytona International Speedway, there were a few uncommon names at the top of the final time sheet, but another solid contingent of Chevrolets at the front. Reed Sorensen led the way for Team Chevy with his first top-10 start of the 2014 season by qualifying on the outside of the front row in his No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet SS with a lap of 45.176 seconds, 199.322 mph.

MATT KENSETH, No. 20 Home Depot Husky Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Starting Position: 6th - How was qualifying? “We stayed out the whole time and ended up getting a good lap there at the end. Me and David (Ragan) and Brian (Vickers) was behind me for just a little bit and then I think he bailed off there at the end because it was looking a little spooky."

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS - QUALIFIED 7th - ON DESCRIBING THE FLOW OF THE FIRST QUALIFYING SESSION TO HIS TEAM “I gave up trying to describe it to them. But I sure they want to know what’s going on. It’s a mess. You have to be in the very back and try to get a big tow. I ain’t ever seen anything like it. It’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

DAVID GILLILAND, No. 38 Love’s Travel Shops Ford Fusion – QUALIFIED 1st (PIT ROAD INTERVIEW) “You know, the win last year at Talladega was big for David Ragan and I feel like this is our strong suit for our team. Out there qualifying we knew that anything could happen and Frank Kerr, my crew chief, has worked really hard on this car and it has a lot of speed."

After winning three of the four short track races this season, Team BCR’s Grant Enfinger expects nothing less than a win at Winchester Speedway.

As a team that opened their 2014 campaign with back-to-back mechanical DNFs, Corey Jones and his J Star Motorsports crew are reveling in their recent change of fortunes. The freshman competitor recently impressed in back-to-back outings at the 16th annual Don Biederman Memorial, registering a pair of top-15 finishes in the two-night event.