NASCAR Cup Series

Tony Stewart, the three-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion picked up his 17 victory at Daytona International Speedway with a win in the Gatorade Duel No. 1 under cation flag conditions.

Tony Stewart is familiar with the way to Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway. The three-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion picked up his 17 victory at the famed 2.5-mile superspeedway with a win in today’s Gatorade Duel at Daytona Race No. 1.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Duel 1 Finishing Position: 17th How was your car in the Duel? "Our car was pretty strong. We raced right to the top five in five laps and really had a car that we felt like could contend with those guys."

WHAT HAPPENED? “It looked like somebody turned (David) Gilliland. This plate racing deal is pretty tough right now. It’s kind of a hybrid of pack drafting and it’s not working out real well.”

Last season Ricky Stenhouse Jr. became the fifth driver in Roush Fenway’s “25 Winning Years” to hoist a NASCAR Series Championship trophy.

EXPRESS NOTES: Shootout Recap: Denny Hamlin drove the #11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry to a fifth-place finish in Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway, battling an overheating engine and avoiding a handful of late multi-car accidents in the 75-lap season

Riviera Hotel & Casino is hosting a series of events as part of NASCAR® March Race Weekend, March 8–11, 2012. The weekend officially begins on Thursday, March 8, with a slot tournament benefiting the Kyle Busch Foundation.

Most years in February, I’m heading down to Daytona Beach for the opening of the NASCAR season. The last few years, I’ve stayed home for any number of reasons, but mostly because it’s inconvenient for me.