In the chaos of a car accident, bystanders often find themselves thrust into unexpected roles as first responders. Whether the accident is a minor or serious one, knowing how to assist can make a significant difference in the outcome for those involved.
As reported by Yahoo News, traffic accident-related deaths in the US are on the rise. Every year, over 40,000 people lose their lives on the roads in this part of the world. In 2022 alone, around 43,000 people were killed in car accidents.
Some parts of the country are more likely to see a car crash than others. For example, according to Forbes, you’re more likely to get into a car accident in places like Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, and Memphis. However, no matter where you’re from, there’s always a chance that you might witness someone else getting involved in a car accident.
Professional medical help should always be sought as quickly as possible during a car accident. However, there are several actions you can take as a passer-by to provide immediate care and support to car accident victims. Here are a few essential tips to guide you through this critical situation.
#1 Assess the Scene and Ensure Safety
Upon encountering a car accident, your first priority should be to assess the safety of the scene. Park your own vehicle at a safe distance, away from any potential hazards such as oncoming traffic or leaking fluids.
Turn on your hazard lights to alert other drivers to the situation. Take a moment to observe the surroundings and identify any immediate dangers, such as fire or unstable vehicles. Only approach the accident scene if it is safe to do so.
#2 Approach Victims with Care and Compassion
As you approach the accident scene, remain calm and composed to reassure the victims. Approach individuals involved in the accident with care and compassion, being mindful of any potential injuries they may have sustained.
Introduce yourself calmly and explain that you are there to help. Assess the condition of each person involved, checking for signs of consciousness, breathing, and visible injuries. Offer words of comfort and reassurance to help alleviate their anxiety and fear.
#3 Provide Basic First Aid
While you may not be a medical professional, there are several first aid measures you can administer to accident victims before professional help arrives.
If someone is bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound using a clean cloth or bandage to control the bleeding. If a victim is unconscious but breathing, carefully position them on their side in the recovery position to maintain an open airway.
Avoid moving individuals with suspected spinal injuries unless absolutely necessary, as improper movement can worsen their condition.
#4 Offer Emotional Support
In addition to physical injuries, car accident victims may also be experiencing shock, trauma, or extreme emotional distress. Offer emotional support by listening attentively to their concerns and providing reassurance. Encourage them to focus on their breathing and try to remain as calm as possible.
Reassure them that help is on the way and that they are not alone. Avoid making any promises about the outcome of the situation, but offer hope and encouragement for their recovery.
#5 Coordinate with Emergency Responders
When professional help arrives, provide them with a brief but accurate overview of the situation and the care you have administered thus far. Offer any relevant information you have gathered, such as the number of injured individuals and their condition.
Be prepared to assist emergency responders as needed, whether it’s directing them to the location of victims or providing support during the rescue efforts. Once professional medical care is underway, step back and allow trained professionals to take over.
#6 Coordinate with the Victim’s Legal Team
Last December, KSDK reported that a local figure skating coach almost lost her life in a car crash in St.Louis. Fortunately, she escaped death with a few fractures. The driver who hit her car had run a red light. Thus, if the victim wants to press charges, she simply has to call a car accident lawyer in St. Louis. This personal injury lawyer will then take care of the rest.
According to TorHoerman Law, a local and experienced car accident attorney can help victims secure compensation for their medical expenses and financial losses. However, to solidify the victim’s case, they require witness testimonials at times.
If you were present at the site during the accident, and saw it unfold, you too might be called to testify. Therefore, you have to coordinate with the car accident victim’s legal team accordingly.
In conclusion, caring for a car accident victim as a passer-by requires quick thinking, compassion, and a willingness to assist those in need. By following these essential tips, you can help ensure the safety and well-being of individuals involved in an accident until professional help arrives.
Remember to prioritize safety, provide basic first aid, offer emotional support, and coordinate with emergency responders. That way, you can provide the best possible care in a challenging situation. Your actions as a bystander can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by a car accident.
BELL AND WALLACE LEAD FOUR CAMRYS IN THE TOP EIGHT IN THE DAYTONA 500 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB places two in the top-10 in official Toyota debut
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 19, 2024) – Christopher Bell earned his second consecutive third-place finish in the Daytona 500, which was rain-delayed until Monday. Bell, who won his Duel race on Thursday evening, led 22 laps around the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.
Bubba Wallace continued his strong Daytona performance with a fifth-place run, while LEGACY MOTOR CLUB earned two top-10 finishes in their official race debut with Toyota with John Hunter Nemechek finishing in seventh and Erik Jones scored in eighth.
Toyota Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Daytona International Speedway Race 1 of 36 – 500 miles, 200 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, William Bryon*
2nd, Alex Bowman*
3rd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
4th, Corey LaJoie*
5th, BUBBA WALLACE
7th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
8th, ERIK JONES
15th, MARTIN TRUEX, JR.
17th, TY GIBBS
19th, DENNY HAMLIN
28th, JIMMIE JOHNSON
29th, TYLER REDDICK
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DEWALT – Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
How were you able to pull out a top-five finish today?
“Honestly, we got really fortunate. With those two wrecks, you know. The race was not playing out our way at the end. And after the green flag stop, I was pretty much in the back. But being on the bottom lane, I was able to squeeze by that last wreck. I don’t know, we had an awesome Interstate Batteries DEWALT Camry. We showed a lot of pace between the Duel and the early part of the race. When we had track position, we were fast. But I don’t know, didn’t go our way and we need to study it.”
BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 5th
What more did you need for a potential win tonight?
“Got to give yourself a chance if you want more. We don’t give ourselves chances in the 500. We’re always trying to come from behind, whether that’s my doing or just not executing. Unfortunate, you know? We got lucky with that big caution as we were going to need to pit for an unscheduled stop. Luck was on our side, but that’s not something we needed because we lost all our track position there. Feel like you need to be in the top three rows to have a shot at this race. While we came from 14th, our McDonald’s Toyota Camry was fast enough to get to fifth, but you don’t know, right? What if we restarted fourth or in the lead? I don’t know, man. I’m so frustrated, but proud of this team. This was the cleanest 500 car I’ve ever had. That’s nice! Lot of positives. The team, 95% execution, but you got to have 100. I don’t know exactly what happened. Just didn’t need that, but proud of the race we ran. Have a full race under us to go debrief and come back stronger for the next race here.”
What happened to you on the backstretch?
“I locked up the brakes. We’ve got to figure that out. Usually, I feel like I’m pretty aware when wrecks happen especially we were out of the race at that point. As soon as I touched the brakes I locked up and slid into AJ (Allmendinger) pretty hard, but the Next Gen cars can take a hit, so we were able to make it through with a scrape and we were okay.”
Were there any surprises about the race?
“I think we scared the hell out of each other on that first wreck – lap two. But, yeah, just the fuel mileage stuff is a little crazy.”
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Finishing Position: 7th
How was your race?
“Solid Daytona 500, solid start to our year. P7. Ran up front for a little bit, rode around for a while and stayed out of the carnage. Overall, really proud of everyone at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB with this Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE.”
How did your Toyota Camry XSE feel during the race?
“It felt good. We’ve got some things to clean out on the pit road side, but overall, it felt really good in the draft. I felt like I could push, I could ride, I could be pushed. Overall, a solid day. I feel good about where we are at. Decent start to the year.”
ERIK JONES, No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Finishing Position: 8th
How was your race?
“A top-10 it looks like, so a good day for the AdventHealth Camry. It went the way we needed it to. We had some issues on pit road. We had a fast car; it just didn’t work out. We were out front there and then got caught up in a wreck there, and then came back and finished top-10. Good solid start.”
How do you feel about the top-10?
“It’s good. It’s a good start to the season. I’ve not had good luck at the start of the season at Daytona, so we will take a top-10. I wish it was more. I think we had a car capable of more – I just struggled to make much happen throughout the day, getting in line and getting to the front. The AdventHealth Camry was good. Just didn’t play out at all throughout the night like we needed. We finally had something rolling there in the middle and it got choked up and we got caught up in that wreck, but we will take it. We will go to Atlanta and try again.”
How tough was it to get caught up in a wreck so early in the race?
“I’m very thankful to be in the race, but I hoped to race a little longer before we got in a wreck. It’s just a matter of time before you get caught up in something around here it seems like. It was pretty disappointing.”
What’s going through your head the rest of your race?
“There’s optimism in the beginning, hopeful we could straighten out the suspension and then at least run in the draft. Then, as time went on, we realized the severity of the damage and we just had too much damage to even really hang in the draft unless I had a unique situation. So then, at that point it was just wondering if there were going to be more cautions and if we would gain some positions through the cautions.”
TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Nasty Beast Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 29th
Can you take us through what happened there in that crash?
“Well, it looks like (pause). You know, you get to the end there and no one’s really lifting, right? We’re pushing really aggressively, trying to be in the conversation, right? Trying to be one of the front cars in the top or bottom lane. Looks like the 24 (William Byron) and 48 (Alex Bowman) are pushing really hard and you know, at some point when you’re pushing that hard, you’re going to get out of shape a little bit. Unfortunately, I got into the 6 (Brad Keselowski). I saw everyone wrecking there in front of me, just got caught up in it.”
How was your day overall?
“Pretty solid day for us on the speedway, honestly. Our Nasty Beast Toyota Camry was fast. We didn’t do the best job in Stage 1 to get points, kind of let that one get away. We were right in the mix there, they just started wrecking at the end. Tried to get by them on the apron, just didn’t make it.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.
Racing is undeniably awesome. The rush of speed, the roar of engines—it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement. But here’s the thing: while we’re having a blast at the track, we’ve got a responsibility to the environment. It’s all about finding that balance between the adrenaline rush and being mindful of our impact.
A good place to start is with the vegetation and so here are 3 tips.
Natural Habitat Preservation Zones
Preserving natural habitat zones around the racing track is crucial for maintaining local biodiversity, providing wildlife corridors, and enhancing the overall ecological health of the area. Plus, it means you’re creating a more harmonious blend between the racing infrastructure and the natural landscape.
You want to start by doing a thorough site assessment to identify areas with high ecological value, like wetlands or woodlands. Once you’ve got those spots pinpointed, designate specific areas as natural habitat preservation zones where native vegetation can thrive undisturbed. Lastly, it really helps to educate track visitors, staff, and stakeholders about the importance of these preservation zones.
Picture this: designated areas with signage and educational materials explaining their significance, fencing or landscaping features to demarcate these zones, and regular monitoring and maintenance to keep everything in check.
Low-Impact Vegetation Clearing
Implementing low-impact vegetation clearing techniques minimizes disruption to the ecosystem, preserves native plant species, and reduces soil erosion. Basically, it means you’re keeping things as natural as possible while still making room for the track.
You want to remove vegetation only where absolutely necessary for track construction or safety requirements. Then instead of heavy machinery, consider hand tools or manual labor to minimize soil compaction.
Don’t forget to plan for revegetation to restore cleared areas with native plants and consider implementing erosion control measures like silt fences or mulching to protect cleared areas.
Imagine crews carefully removing select vegetation by hand or with specialized tools, using before-and-after photos to show minimal disruption, and implementing erosion control measures to prevent soil erosion.
Sustainable Turf Management
Adopting sustainable turf management practices reduces the environmental footprint of the racing track, conserves water, and promotes healthy, resilient vegetation. It’s all about keeping the landscape looking great without harming the environment.
So make the switch to organic fertilizers or compost to nourish the soil without introducing harmful chemicals, mow grass at appropriate heights to encourage deep root growth and minimize water requirements, and consider using alternative ground covers like gravel or permeable pavers to reduce the need for extensive turf maintenance and irrigation.
Visualize crews applying organic fertilizers or compost to the turf, aerating the soil, and adjusting mower heights for healthy grass growth.
We can balance the thrill of racing with environmental stewardship for a sustainable future. Consider these tips so that every lap is both exhilarating and environmentally responsible.
In this present reality where comfort is essential, versatile vehicle enumerating has shown to be a lifeline for both car lovers and individuals with furious timetables. Having your vehicle completely washed and cleaned right at your entryway is a definitive in comfort. When searching for “mobile auto detailing near me,” you’ll be satisfied with what you find. This extensive aide will assist you with finding the most ideal administrations that anyone could hope to find, yet it will likewise make sense of the advantages of portable specifying and how it fluctuates from conventional vehicle washing techniques.
The Rise of Mobile Auto Detailing
Convenience Redefined
The days of lounging for hours at a vehicle wash or cleaning shop are long gone. With Mobile car detailing near me, you can deal with your everyday commitments while partaking in the solaces of having your vehicle sparkled. You can have the expert itemizing faculty come to you, whether you’re at home, working, or partaking in some espresso at a neighborhood bistro.
Time-Efficient Solutions
Time is a scarce and valuable resource, and mobile detailing understands this. It’s no longer necessary to wait in line or reorganize your plans in order to visit a vehicle wash. Doing a quick web search for “mobile auto detailing near me” will yield a plethora of results, saving you time and effort.
The Anatomy of Exceptional Mobile Auto Detailing
Sophisticated Methods
Mobile auto detailing is about quality as much as convenience. The best services use state-of-the-art methods to guarantee that your car gets the care it needs. These professionals go above and beyond with sophisticated paint protection and interior finishing.
Eco-Friendly Practices
Trustworthy mobile detailing services prioritize eco-friendly methods in this day of environmental awareness. They improve your car’s appearance while using water-saving methods, biodegradable materials, and energy-efficient equipment, all of which help the environment.
How to Choose the Best “Mobile Auto Detailing Near Me”
Local Reputation Matters
Check their local reputation before entrusting your vehicle to a mobile detailing service. Read customer reviews, explore social media testimonials, and inquire within your community. A solid reputation is a testament to the quality of service you can expect.
Services Tailored to Your Needs
Different vehicles have different detailing needs. The best “mobile auto detailing near me” services offer customizable packages. Whether you drive a compact car or a spacious SUV, the detailing should be tailored to your vehicle’s unique requirements.
Transparent Pricing
Nobody likes surprises, especially when it comes to pricing. Look for services that offer transparent pricing structures. Avoid hidden fees and opt for a detailing service that clearly outlines the cost of each service they provide.
Professionalism in Action
Being professional is a given. Professionalism in every way is embodied by the best mobile detailing services, from courteous contact to punctuality. They work hard to go above and beyond your expectations because they value your satisfaction.
The SEO Advantage of Mobile Auto Detailing
Localized Keywords for Maximum Visibility
When searching for “mobile auto detailing near me,” utilizing localized keywords is crucial. These phrases not only enhance your search experience but also play a pivotal role in boosting the visibility of local detailing services.
Beating the Competition
Strategic keyword placement and pertinent content are essential for ranking higher on search engines in the cutthroat world of mobile auto detailing. A detailing firm can get to the top of search engine results with an informative, keyword-rich website.
Conclusion:
When searching for the top Clean Image mobile auto detailing near me, keep in mind that quality comes first. Mobile detailing gives an experience rather than just a clean automobile because of its eco-friendly methods, expert touch, and doorstep service ease. Make an informed decision and allow your car to benefit from the experience of excellent mobile detailing services. Turn heads on the road, your immaculate vehicle is waiting for you.
When it comes to online gambling, slots have dominated the space in the past couple of years, and there is a good reason for that. First of all, slots are fairly simple to play and don’t require skills or talent.
However, the biggest reason why people prefer online slots has a lot to do with the entertainment they get. The slot games of online casinos come in many different forms and styles. The theme of the slot is an important entertainment factor, and fortunately, due to the huge expansion of the online gambling industry, there are plenty of slots to choose from.
While some still have the classic “cherries and bars” theme, others have evolved into specific niches that promise hours-long entertainment. One of the most captivating niches is the car-themed slots, which have gained immense popularity among enthusiasts and casual players.
These slots offer the excitement of car racing without leaving your home with these thrilling slot games. Whether you’re a fan of vintage classics, sleek sports cars, or high-speed street races, there is a slot game that will satisfy your craving for speed and adventure.
So, in this article, we will highlight some of the best car-themed slots.
Criteria for Selection For Car-Themed Slots For Real Fans
We have compiled a list of slot car games that you can play for free at low-deposit casinos. These games have been selected for their variety, fun factor, and availability. You will likely find these games there if you try out online casinos with a $10 deposit at any reliable site. Additionally, some of these low-deposit casinos offer demo games that you can play for free. All the games on the list can be played in demo mode and are available at $10 deposit casino sites.
The criteria for selection are simple:
If possible, the game should be offered for free to be easily accessible to everyone. Additionally, it would be great if the game is also available in demo mode, allowing users to try it out before deciding whether to purchase it.
Only car-related themes were considered, ruling out fruit slot machines.
It needs to be fun! Nobody wants to play a boring game!
Best Car-Themed Slots To Play Online In 2024
Slot games offered by leading online casinos have garnered immense popularity among players globally. Renowned for their seamless gameplay, immersive themes, and lucrative opportunities, these slots have become a favorite pastime for millions of enthusiasts.
Among the myriad themes, car-themed slots stand out, drawing players into the realm of high-speed racing and luxury vehicles. Let’s explore some of the most captivating car-themed slots offered by top US-based online casino sites.
1. Fast Lane Fury
Fast Lane Fury is a high-octane slot game that takes players on a thrilling ride through the world of illegal street racing. Developed by a leading software provider, this slot features sleek graphics, intense sound effects, and exciting bonus features.
Players can rev their engines and race to the finish line in the bonus round, where they can win big prizes for outmaneuvering their opponents. With its fast-paced gameplay and adrenaline-pumping action, Fast Lane Fury is sure to satisfy any speed demon.
2. Luxury Wheels
For players who prefer the finer things in life, Luxury Wheels offers a taste of the high life. This glamorous slot game is set in a world of luxury cars, private jets, and opulent mansions. With its lavish design and elegant symbols, Luxury Wheels exudes sophistication and style.
Players can spin the reels and land winning combinations to unlock bonus features like free spins and multipliers. Whether you dream of cruising down the coast in a convertible or flying first-class to exotic destinations, Luxury Wheels offers a glimpse into a world of wealth and privilege.
3. Hot Rod Hustle
Hot Rod Hustle is a retro-inspired slot game that pays homage to classic American muscle cars. Set against a backdrop of 1950s diners and drive-in theaters, this nostalgic slot captures the spirit of the golden age of motoring.
With its vintage graphics and rockabilly soundtrack, Hot Rod Hustle is a blast from the past for players who appreciate retro style. The game features bonus rounds where players can customize their own hot rods and compete in drag races for cash prizes. Whether you’re a fan of vintage cars or just love the nostalgia of the 1950s, Hot Rod Hustle is sure to rev your engine.
4. Grand Prix Gold
For fans of Formula 1 racing, Grand Prix Gold offers an exhilarating gaming experience. This slot game puts players in the driver’s seat as they compete in high-speed races around the world’s most famous tracks.
With its realistic graphics and immersive sound effects, Grand Prix Gold recreates the excitement of motorsport like never before. Players can collect symbols representing iconic racing cars and drivers, with each one offering unique bonuses and rewards. Whether you’re a casual fan or a die-hard enthusiast, Grand Prix Gold is the ultimate thrill ride for anyone who loves fast cars and fierce competition.
5. Route 66 Riches
Route 66 Riches is a charming slot game that celebrates the iconic American highway. Set against a backdrop of roadside diners and neon signs, this nostalgic slot takes players on a journey along the famous Route 66.
With its retro graphics and upbeat soundtrack, Route 66 Riches captures the essence of cross-country road trips in the 1950s. Players can spin the reels and collect symbols representing classic Americana, including vintage cars, Route 66 signs, and landmarks like the Grand Canyon. With its laid-back vibe and simple gameplay, Route 66 Riches is perfect for players who prefer a more relaxed gaming experience.
Final Thoughts: Top Car Racing-Themed Online Slots To Play This Year!
If you are an avid gaming enthusiast who loves the delight of the open road, car-themed slots are the perfect way to satisfy your craving for excitement. These fun online casino games offer a variety of experiences, from high-speed races that will get your heart racing to luxurious vehicles that will make you feel like a VIP.
If you’re someone who loves the nostalgia of a good old-fashioned road trip, there are also car-themed slots that will take you on a journey down memory lane. These games capture the essence of the road in a way that has never been done before, with stunning graphics and immersive sound effects that make you feel like you’re actually on the open road.
So, whether you’re looking for a rush of adrenaline or a trip down memory lane, car-themed slots will surely provide you with an unforgettable gaming adventure. Get ready to buckle up, hit the gas, and let the excitement begin!
Austin Hill rallied from three different circumstances that sent him to the rear of the field to commence a new season of NASCAR Xfinity Series competition on a victorious note three years in a row by winning the rain-postponed United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on Monday, February 19.
The 29-year-old Hill from Winston, Georgia, led nine of 120 scheduled laps in an event where he shared the front row with new teammate and series newcomer Jesse Love. After being edged by Love at the conclusion of the first stage period, Hill was involved in a multi-car wreck at the start of the second stage period that sent him to the rear of the field. He would rally with cosmetic damage to his No. 21 Richard Childress Racing entry by winning the second stage but would hit another obstacle by being nabbed with a speeding penalty on pit road during the stage’s break period that sent him to the rear of the field for a second time. After rallying from that, he would hit a third obstacle by pitting during a late caution period with approximately 20 laps remaining to address a flat tire to his entry.
Amid the three issues that sent him to the rear of the field, Hill capitalized on two late-race caution periods and late-race carnages to draft Jordan Anderson to the lead during the final restart with three laps remaining before he assumed the lead. He would then fend off late challenges from Sheldon Creed, Chandler Smith and Brandon Jones to muscle away from the field and notch his third consecutive victory in the Xfinity Series’ opener at Daytona.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, February 17, newcomer Jesse Love secured his first Xfinity career pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 181.079 mph in 49.702 seconds. Joining him on the front row was teammate Austin Hill, who clocked in the second-best qualifying lap at 181.068 mph in 49.705 seconds.
Prior to the event, Dawson Cram and BJ McLeod were sent to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective entries. In addition, Sage Karam would start at the rear of the field due to an engine change to his No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing entry.
When the green flag waved and the 2024 Xfinity Series commenced, Love muscled his No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro ahead with the lead from the outside lane and ahead of teammate Hill entering the first two turns. With the field stacked amid two tight-packed lanes through the backstretch, Love, who transitioned from the inside to the outside lane to keep Hill behind him, proceeded to lead the first lap. He would proceed to lead the ensuing laps while keeping teammate Hill behind him amid the draft. By then, a majority of the field migrated to a long single-file line towards the outside wall while some led by AJ Allmendinger raced on the inside lane.
Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Love was leading a bevy of competitors running in a long single-file line towards the outside wall while teammate Hill, Parker Kligerman, Justin Allgaier, Anthony Alfredo, Sammy Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Sheldon Creed, Jeb Burton and Daniel Suarez were scored in the top 10. Behind, Ryan Truex was in 11th followed by Riley Herbst, Cole Custer, Brandon Jones and AJ Allmendinger while Sam Mayer, Daniel Dye, Parker Retzlaff, Shane van Gisbergen and Hailie Deegan rounded out the top 20.
Just past the Lap 20 mark and with the majority of the field still running in a long single-file line on the outside lane, Love also continued to lead ahead of teammate Hill, Kligerman, Allgaier and Alfredo. By then, Sammy Smith, Nemechek, Creed, Burton and Truex were running in the top 10 ahead of Custer, Brandon Jones, Allmendinger, Dye and Retzlaff while van Gisbergen moved up to 16th as Herbst fell back to 17th.
Then on Lap 22, the event’s first caution flew when Suarez, who stepped off the gas to avoid running into the rear of van Gisbergen, got bumped and turned into the outside wall entering Turn 1, where he then spun back across the track and clipped Sam Mayer as Mayer hit the outside wall head-on. Hailie Deegan and Kyle Weatherman would also be involved, with all four competitors being eliminated early from contention.
During the event’s first caution period, some led by Love remained on the track while others led by Allgaier pitted for service.
With the event restarting for a one-lap dash to the conclusion of the first stage period on Lap 29, teammates Love and Hill dueled for the lead in front of the field that was fanning out to three tight-packed lanes through the first two turns and the backstretch. When the field returned to the frontstretch to complete the first stage period on Lap 30, Love was able to edge Hill by a hair to claim the first stage victory. Hill ended up second followed by Kligerman, Alfredo and Burton while Creed, Nemechek, Allmendinger, Allgaier and Ryan Truex were scored in the top 10.
Under the stage break, some led by Love pitted while the rest led by Allmendinger remained on the track. During the pit stops, Alfredo was penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation.
The second stage period started on Lap 35 as Allmendinger and Allgaier occupied the front row. At the start, Allmendinger received an early push from Herbst to muscle his No. 16 Celsius Chevrolet Camaro ahead with the lead through the backstretch until Allgaier muscled ahead from the inside lane entering Turns 3 and 4. He would be followed by Cole Custer and Blaine Perkins as the field behind fanned out to three lanes.
Then during the following lap, where Allgaier was pinned in a tight three-wide battle for the lead against Custer and Perkins, the caution returned after Love, who was running in the top 10 but mired in the middle lane amid a stacked field, got loose in front of Nemechek, where he spun, clipped Allmendinger and triggered a multi-car wreck that collected van Gisbergen, Kligerman, Daniel Dye, Alfredo, Josh Williams, Frankie Muniz, Jeremy Clements and Hill, who spun towards the backstretch’s infield, but managed to keep his No. 21 Bennett Chevrolet Camaro away from the inside wall as he proceeded with cosmetic damage.
Following the second carnage of the night, the event proceeded under green on Lap 42, where Allgaier muscled ahead on the outside lane from Stewart-Haas Racing’s Custer and Riley Herbst. Not long after, Custer and Herbst pinned Allgaier in a three-wide battle for the lead as Custer muscled ahead in his No. 00 Haas Ford Mustang from the inside lane. Custer would proceed to lead the next lap, Lap 44, as the field fanned out to three tight-packed lanes while Allgaier was trying to regain ground from the inside lane.
On Lap 44, however, Allgaier, who attempted to draw even with Custer for the lead entering the backstretch, went up the track and bumped against Custer sending Allgaier’s No. 7 BRANDT Chevrolet Camaro spinning towards the backstretch’s infield as Garrett Smithley also spun.
When the race restarted on Lap 48, teammates Parker Retzlaff and Jeb Burton zipped by Custer from the inside lane through the first two turns as Clements tried to follow suit. Burton would then move his No. 27 Golden Corral Chevrolet Camaro in front of Clements to be drafted into the lead from Retzlaff during the next lap, with Retzlaff and Clements getting shuffled out of the lead draft while Hill muscled his way back to the front with a bandaged race car.
Following another caution period on Lap 50, where Nemechek spun his No. 20 Pye Barker Toyota Supra across the frontstretch after losing a left-rear tire as Josh Bilicki also got bumped and spun, the event restarted under green on Lap 56, where Burton maintained a brief lead over Ryan Sieg and Hill before he would be pinned in a three-wide battle with Hill and Sheldon Creed for the lead. Following the battle, Hill was back atop the leaderboard during the following lap.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 60, Hill fended off Sammy Smith and Creed to capture the stage victory. Sammy Smith edged Creed for the runner-up spot while Custer, Sieg, Ryan Truex, Herbst, Allgaier, Allmendinger and Brandon Jones were scored in the top 10.
During the stage break, a bevy of names led by Hill pitted while the rest led by teammate Love remained on the track. Amid the pit stops, Hill, who slid through his pit box, was penalized and sent to the rear of the field for speeding while entering pit road.
With 54 laps remaining, the final stage commenced under green as Love and Sammy Smith occupied the front row. At the start, Sammy Smith muscled his No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet Camaro into the lead from the inside lane while Love was left to battle Creed for the runner-up spot in front of two stacked lanes. Smith would proceed to lead the next four laps until Herbst moved his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang into the lead from the outside lane, where he would lead the next four laps.
With 45 laps remaining, select names led by Hill and including teammate Love, Leland Honeyman and Kligerman peeled off the racetrack to pit under green before more names led by Allmendinger and including Sammy Smith, Clements, Daniel Dye, van Gisbergen and Jordan Anderson pitted. Over the next several laps, more names pitted while three names led by Natalie Decker and including Ryan Ellis and Garrett Smithley remained on the track to inherit the top three spots with less than 40 laps remaining.
With 33 laps remaining, Ellis assumed the lead followed by Smithley as Decker dropped to third, though all have yet to pit. Meanwhile, Herbst, the first competitor who pitted, was in fourth and leading a bevy of competitors that fanned out to three lanes.
Then with 24 laps remaining, the caution flew after contact from van Gisbergen sent Jeb Burton spinning entering the frontstretch. By then, Ellis, Smithley and Decker remained on the track as the top-three leaders while Ryan Sieg was the lead competitor of those who pitted followed by Herbst, Custer, Chandler Smith, Hill and Truex. During the caution period, some led by Ellis, Smithley and Decker pitted while the rest, led by Sieg, remained on the track. Not long after, Hill would pit under caution due to a flat tire on his entry.
During the next restart with 18 laps remaining, Sieg received a draft from Herbst to muscle away from Chandler Smith and retain the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch. The caution, however, quickly returned after Retzlaff made contact with Clements exiting the backstretch and ignited another multi-car wreck that included Honeyman, Smithley, van Gisbergen and Burton.
The start of the next restart with 11 laps remaining featured Herbst and Sieg dueling for the lead through the first two turns and through the backstretch as the field slowly started to fan out to three lanes by the time the front-runners returned to the frontstretch. Not long after, however, Herbst was penalized for a restart violation, where he was laying back prior to the restart zone.
Two laps later and a three-wide battle between Herbst, Anderson and Chandler Smith ignited, the caution returned after Karam, who was being drafted at full speed by Allmendinger, bumped and sent Custer into the backstretch’s outside wall, where he then veered back to the left and clipped Karam into the wall as another multi-car wreck ensued that collected Poole, Daniel Dye, Allgaier and Custer, where all four were sent sliding and slamming into one another towards the infield’s grass before the former two slid back across the track. By then and with Herbst out of contention by falling back to the tail of the field, Anderson was scored the leader followed by Chandler Smith, Hill, Sieg and Retzlaff.
As the event restarted with three laps remaining, Chandler Smith muscled into the lead on the inside lane followed by Sieg and Truex. Not long after, Anderson was drafted by Hill into the lead through the backstretch. Hill, however, seized an opportunity to veer to the right and overtake Anderson entering Turns 3 and 4 while Chandler Smith, Retzlaff and Truex followed suit amid the draft. Hill would maintain the lead over Chandler Smith, Truex and a hard-charging Brandon Jones during the next lap followed by Creed as the field began to fan out and scramble to the front.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Hill remained as the leader ahead of ex-teammate Creed, who muscled his way into the runner-up spot followed by Sieg and Sammy Smith while Chandler Smith was losing momentum on the outside lane. Then as the field navigated through the first two turns, Sammy Smith and Sieg made contact that resulted with both along with Truex wrecking. The race, however, remained under green flag conditions as Hill remained ahead of Creed and a scattered field with the lead. With Creed unable to gain any draft or momentum for one final turn, Hill was able to smoothly navigate his way around Turns 3 and 4 with a comfortable advantage at full speed before he returned to the frontstretch and claimed his third consecutive checkered flag at Daytona to commence a new season of competition.
With the victory, Hill achieved his seventh NASCAR Xfinity Series career victory in his 82nd series’ start and his fifth on a superspeedway venue as he also became the first competitor to achieve three consecutive Xfinity Daytona opener victories since Tony Stewart made the last accomplishment from 2008-10, with Stewart proceeding to win a fourth consecutive opener in 2011. Compared to his two previous season-opening victories at Daytona that ended under caution, Hill earned this year’s victory under green flag conditions. The Daytona victory was also the ninth overall in the Xfinity circuit for Richard Childress Racing.
“[Tonight’s victory] tops it all,” Hill said on FS1. “Three-peat. You know how hard it is to win at Daytona? God almighty! I don’t know what was going on with me on pit road today, but my guys just kept telling me, ‘Look, man, dig deep; you’re really good at these superspeedways.’ I tried to screw it up on pit road—sped on pit road, slid through the box, about slid through the box on the first stop, but man, this Bennett Chevrolet was fast as Xfinity 10G, that’s for damn sure. I don’t even know what time it is. I know it’s past my bedtime, but we’re about to party tonight, I can tell you that. I am so stoked. This is incredible…it can’t get any better.”
Creed settled in the runner-up spot for the eighth time in his career and in his first event driving for Joe Gibbs Racing while Retzlaff, Jordan Anderson and Chandler Smith finished in the top five.
Herbst rallied his way to finish sixth while Nemechek, Allgaier, Brandon Jones and Allmendinger completed the top-10 finishing order on the track.
Notably, Ryan Ellis ended up 11th after leading 11 laps followed by newcomer Shane van Gisbergen, Cole Custer, Blaine Perkins and BJ McLeod. In addition, Natalie Decker settled in 18th and pole-sitter Jesse Love ended up 20th while Ryan Truex, Ryan Sieg and Sammy Smith ended up 21st through 23rd, respectively, following their last-lap accident.
There were lead changes for different leaders. The race featured cautions for laps. In addition, 22 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the first event of the 2024 Xfinity Series season, Austin Hill leads the regular-season standings by 11 points over Sheldon Creed, 24 over Riley Herbst, 25 over both Parker Retzlaff and Justin Allgaier, and 26 over Jordan Anderson.
Results.
1. Austin Hill, nine laps led, Stage 2 winner
2. Sheldon Creed, two laps led
3. Parker Retzlaff, six laps led
4. Jordan Anderson
5. Chandler Smith, one lap led
6. Riley Herbst, eight laps led
7. John Hunter Nemechek
8. Justin Allgaier, eight laps led
9. Brandon Jones
10. AJ Allmendinger, three laps led
11. Ryan Ellis, 11 laps led
12. Shane van Gisbergen
13. Cole Custer, six laps led
14. Blaine Perkins
15. BJ McLeod
16. Garrett Smithley
17. Patrick Emerling
18. Natalie Decker, seven laps led
19. Brennan Poole
20. Jesse Love, 34 laps led, Stage 1 winner
21. Ryan Truex
22. Ryan Sieg, 12 laps led
23. Sammy Smith, one lap down, six laps led
24. Anthony Alfredo, two laps down
25. Parker Kligerman, two laps down
26. Jeb Burton, two laps down, eight laps led
27. Daniel Dye, three laps down
28. Sage Karam – OUT, Accident
29. Jeremy Clements – OUT, DVP
30. Leland Honeyman – OUT, Accident
31. Dawson Cram – OUT, Accident
32. Josh Bilicki – OUT, Accident
33. Frankie Muniz – OUT, DVP
34. Josh Williams – OUT, Accident
35. Daniel Suarez – OUT, Accident
36. Sam Mayer – OUT, Accident
37. Hailie Deegan – OUT, Accident
38. Kyle Weatherman – OUT, Accident
With the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season underway, the next event on the schedule is Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, for the RAPTOR King of Tough 250. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, February 24, and air at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.
In a star-studded and electrifying season-opening event where the Ford and Toyota competitors were deemed as the heavyweight favorites, Chevrolet competitor William Byron and Hendrick Motorsports delivered the final ultimatum that sent them to Victory Lane in the rain-postponed, 66th annual running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Monday, February 19.
The 26-year-old Byron from Charlotte, North Carolina, led the final four of 200-scheduled laps in an event where he started 18th and was consistent amongst a bevy of competitors running in tight two and three-stacked lanes from start to finish. After dodging a multi-car wreck with eight laps remaining that eliminated a bevy of former Cup Series champions and stars, Byron cycled to the front and made his presence at the front known for the first time during the final restart. With four laps remaining, he fended off late challenges from Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric.
Then as both Chastain and Cindric wrecked before the start of the final lap, Byron managed to start the final lap and emerge in front of teammate Alex Bowman at the moment of caution to emerge as the winner of the Great American Race for the first time in his career and in his seventh full-time campaign piloting the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports.
The starting lineup for the main event was determined through a single-car qualifying session comprising two rounds that occurred on Wednesday, February 14, followed by a pair of Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday, February 15. At the conclusion of both sessions, Joey Logano started in the pole position after posting a lap at 171.947 mph in 49.465 seconds and was joined on the front row by Michael McDowell, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 181.686 mph in 49.536 seconds. Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell occupied the second row after both won their respective Duel events.
Before the event, the following drivers including Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Noah Gragson and Daniel Hemric dropped to the rear of the field in backup cars after each wrecked their primary cars during the Duel events. Kaz Grala also dropped to the rear of the field due to an engine change made to his Front Row Motorsports entry.
When the green flag waved and the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season commenced, Logano gained an early advantage to lead the field entering the first two turns from the outside lane followed by Christopher Bell until McDowell fought back on the inside lane as both fought for the top spot through the backstretch and in front of two packed lanes. With the field still stacked up amid two tight-packed lanes through the frontstretch, Logano led the first lap by a hair over McDowell as both continued to battle side-by-side for the lead during the proceeding laps.
Then on the fifth lap and as the field started to fan out to three lanes as both Logano and McDowell continued to fight for the lead, the event’s first caution flew. Brad Keselowski, who was running within the top 10, got John Hunter Nemechek loose and sent him veering left into Harrison Burton. Burton, who collected rookie Carson Hocevar, was sent spinning across the frontstretch grass before his No. 21 Motorcraft Ford Mustang Dark Horse came back across the track and was T-boned by Kaz Grala, who sent Ryan Preece spinning across the frontstretch. Preece, however, avoided making heavy contact with the inside wall, before Burton was hit by Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 while Jimmie Johnson collided with Hocevar.
During the first caution period, nearly the entire field led by Logano and McDowell pitted while the rest of the field, including Christopher Bell, David Ragan, Daniel Hemric, Ryan Blaney and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., remained on the track. During the pit stops, where a majority of the field opted for only fuel for their respective entries, William Byron received a vehicle interference penalty when he pulled up into the wrong box and nearly collided with teammate Alex Bowman. In addition, Nemechek would be penalized for an equipment violation.
When the race restarted under green on Lap 11, Bell and Blaney dueled for the lead amid two tight-packed lanes through the first two turns as Bell had Logano drafting him on the outside lane while Blaney had Daniel Hemric drafting him on the inside lane. Both Bell and Blaney would continue to compete for the lead in front of two tight-packed lanes during the proceeding laps. By then, AJ Allmendinger served a drive-through penalty through pit road for not lining up properly during the restart.
Through the first 20 scheduled laps, Bell and Blaney continued to battle for the lead in front of two tight-packed lanes while Hemric, Logano, McDowell, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Austin Cindric, Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick were scored in the top 10 followed by Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman, Erik Jones, Riley Herbst, rookie Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe, Chris Buescher, rookie Zane Smith, Daniel Suarez and Justin Haley. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch was back in 21st along with Kyle Larson, Ty Gibbs, Todd Gilliland and Martin Truex Jr. while Bubba Wallace, Nemechek, Corey LaJoie, William Byron and Noah Gragson were running within the top 30 ahead of Ragan, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Preece, Anthony Alfredo and Allmendinger, with Jimmie Johnson scored two laps down in 36th place.
Five laps later, Bell and Blaney remained dead even for the lead in front of the pack as Hemric and Logano followed suit in the second row while McDowell and Elliott were running in the third row ahead of Keselowski, Cindric, Hamlin and Reddick. The field led by both Bell and Blaney would continue to run stacked amid two tight-packed lanes by the Lap 30 mark.
Just past the Lap 35 mark and with a majority of the field migrating to the inside lane while trying to conserve fuel, Blaney had sole possession of the lead followed by Bell, Hemric, Logano and Elliott while Keselowski and Cindric fought for sixth place with Cindric leading a handful of competitors on the outside lane. A lap later, Logano mounted a charge on the outside lane through the frontstretch but was blocked by teammate Blaney entering the first turn. By then, Blaney had his Team Penske teammates Logano and Cindric along with a majority of the competitors following suit on the outside lane while Bell served as the lead competitor on the inside lane, followed by Hemric, Elliott and Keselowski.
On Lap 40, Logano mounted another charge on the outside lane followed by teammate Cindric and overtook him for the lead entering Turns 1 and 2 while teammate Blaney moved to the inside lane in front of Bell. Another lap later, however, the Team Penske competitors along with Bell, Hemric and Keselowski pitted under green, mainly for fuel, while McDowell assumed the lead. Chris Buescher would then pit his No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse by Lap 42 as McDowell was trying to fend off Berry, Hamlin, Elliott and Kyle Busch for the lead. Though he initially prevailed, McDowell was left battling Elliott side-by-side for the lead.
After Berry led a lap on Lap 45, Elliott assumed the lead in his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 during the following lap. He would be followed by Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace, Martin Truex Jr. and Noah Gragson while Byron, Larson, Hamlin, Bowman and Zane Smith were scored in the top 10 as the field dispersed, with the Team Penske competitors separated as Blaney was losing the draft from teammates Logano and Cindric due to taking extra time in his pit stall for fuel.
Just past the Lap 50 mark, top names that included Bell, Hemric, Blaney and McDowell, all of whom previously pitted, were lapped by the front-runners as Elliott retained the lead followed by Kyle Busch, Wallace, Truex and Gragson while Byron, Larson, Hamlin, Bowman and Zane Smith remained in the top 10 amid a long single-file line towards the outside lane.
Four laps later, Zane Smith and Stenhouse pitted under green. Another lap later, a bevy of competitors, mainly Chevrolet competitors, led by Elliott pitted as Wallace cycled into the lead, though Wallace would lead another wave of competitors, mainly Toyota competitors, into pit road for service during the following lap as Gragson cycled into the lead followed by a bevy of Ford competitors. The leader, Gragson, along with teammate Berry, Justin Haley and Todd Gilliland then pitted prior to the Lap 60 mark as Ragan assumed the lead followed by Preece while Kyle Busch, who was leading a bevy of competitors who pitted, was in third and trying to gain ground amid the draft.
With three laps remaining in the first stage period, Ragan and Preece, both of whom were trying to stretch their fuel tanks to the distance of the stage’s conclusion, were overtaken by a wave of competitors led by Kyle Busch, who assumed the lead followed by Byron, Elliott, Suarez and Larson while Bowman, Chastain, Wallace, Truex and Hamlin were mired in the front pack.
At the start of the first stage period’s final lap, Elliott moved to the outside lane as he assumed the lead from Busch followed by teammates Larson, Bowman and Chastain. Then entering the frontstretch, Larson tried to make his move to Elliott’s outside approaching the start/finish line, but Chastain gave Elliott a bump, which propelled Elliott forward as he claimed the first stage victory on Lap 65. Teammate Larson settled in second followed by Chastain while Byron, Bowman, Busch, Hamlin, Wallace, Truex and Suarez were scored in the top 10. By then, Blaney, Bell and Hemric had managed to cycle their way back onto the lead lap while Allmendinger fended off McDowell to emerge as the first competitor scored a lap down, which enabled him to cycle back onto the lead lap during the caution period.
Under the stage break, nearly the entire field led by Elliott pitted while select names that included Keselowski, Riley Herbst and Hemric remained on the track. Amid the pit stops, both Nemechek and Reddick stalled their respective entries. In addition, Kyle Busch was penalized for a safety violation. Herbst and Hemric would pit during the proceeding lap while Keselowski remained on the track, though he pitted to top off of fuel prior to the lead as Larson and Berry cycled into the lead.
The second stage period started on Lap 70 as Larson and Berry occupied the front row. At the start, Larson and Berry dueled for the lead through the first two turns as Berry muscled his No. 4 SunnyD Ford Mustang Dark Horse into the lead before Larson fought back on the outside lane. With both remaining dead even for the lead, Larson led the next scheduled lap as Hamlin and Gilliland followed suit in the second lane.
With the field fanning out to three lanes through the backstretch by Lap 71, both Larson and Berry remained dead even for the lead until Logano mounted a charge from the third outside lane as he rocketed his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse into the lead followed by Chase Briscoe and Haley before Briscoe, who migrated to the inside lane, challenged Logano for the lead as Logano transitioned from the inside and outside lane. With Larson stuck in the middle lane, Logano had drafting help from Haley on the outside lane while Briscoe was trying to regain momentum from the inside lane. As teammates Briscoe and Berry lost momentum and were slowly drifting to the rear of the field, Logano retained the lead followed by Haley, Buescher, Kyle Busch, Preece and Blaney while Larson, who moved in front of Briscoe, was trying to mount forward on the inside lane by the Lap 75 mark.
By Lap 80, Logano was leading followed by Haley, Buscher, Busch and Preece while Blaney, Gilliland, Hemric, Wallace and Zane Smith were in the top 10 followed by Truex, Larson, Alfredo, Reddick, Bell, Elliott, Cindric, LaJoie, Keselowski and Stenhouse. Meanwhile, Byron was mired back in 25th while teammates Berry and Briscoe fell back to 23rd and 27th, respectively, as Chastain was in 29th in between Gragson and Ty Gibbs. In addition, Hamlin was back in 34th place.
Ten laps later, Logano continued to lead followed by Haley, Wallace and Buescher while Todd Gilliland, who was challenging Logano for the lead a few laps earlier, was trying to mount back towards the front on the inside lane as Gilliland, who received drafting help from Wallace earlier, was being drafted by Truex while Reddick tried to join the fray.
A few laps later and as the field lapped McDowell, who was battling gear issues, through the frontstretch, Gilliland steered his No. 38 gener8tor Ford Mustang Dark Horse to the inside lane and battled dead even with Logano through the first two turns before managing to move in front of Logano’s Ford through the backstretch. This allowed Truex to mount a charge on the inside lane as Gilliland retained the lead both on the outside lane and in the overall event ahead of Logano while Truex, Reddick, Haley and Cindric were battling with close quarters for the top spot.
At the halfway mark on Lap 100, Gilliland continued to lead followed by Logano, Truex, Haley and Reddick while Wallace, Cindric, Buescher, Keselowski and Busch were scored in the top 10 amid two tight-packed lanes. By then, 34 of 40 competitors were scored on the lead lap and separated by two seconds. Gilliland would continue to lead the next eight laps until he was overtaken by Bubba Wallace through the frontstretch. Wallace, however, would be overtaken by Kyle Busch exiting the backstretch and through Turns 3 and 4 while Preece mounted a charge to the outside lane as he challenged Busch for the lead while Wallace followed suit.
Then on Lap 111, a second cycle of green flag pit stops commenced as Preece led Logano, Gilliland, Wallace and a bevy of competitors to pit road. Amid the pit stops, Berry was turned by Nemechek as he was trying to enter his pit stall while Preece, who locked up his front tires while trying to enter pit road, was penalized for speeding on pit road. Meanwhile, Busch assumed the lead followed by Larson, Alfredo and the rest of the pack.
Busch would then lead another wave of competitors, mainly Chevrolet competitors, to pit road for service on Lap 114 under green while Larson, who assumed a brief lead, led Blaney, Elliott, Corey LaJoie, Cindric, Byron, Bowman and Chastain to pit road. At the completion of the green flag pit stops, Larson managed to merge back onto the track as the leader followed by teammate Elliott, Blaney and LaJoie while Busch was trying to carve his way back to the front followed by a bevy of competitors. Larson would maintain the lead until Cindric made his way to the front and the lead, followed by teammate Blaney nearing the Lap 120 mark while Busch was in fourth ahead of Elliott, Byron and LaJoie.
Just past the Lap 120 mark, a tight battle for the lead ignited between Cindric and Busch, with Busch receiving drafting help from Byron on the outside lane while Cindric had teammate Blaney drafting him in front of two tight-packed lanes as the top-23 competitors were separated by more than a second.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 130, Blaney, who had been drafting teammate Cindric over the course of the previous 10 laps amid his battle with Busch, made a bold move beneath teammate Cindric to assume the lead through Turns 3 and 4, which enabled him to muscle his No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse ahead of the pack and claim the stage victory. Teammate Cindric followed suit in second along with Suarez while Busch, Reddick, Byron, Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., AJ Allmendinger and Buescher were scored into the top 10. Amid the battle towards the front, Ty Gibbs managed to fend off Preece and Berry to emerge as the first competitor a lap down as he cycled back onto the lead lap.
During the stage break, nearly the entire field led by Blaney pitted while Keselowski remained on the track. Amid the pit stops, Suarez was penalized for equipment interference while Busch had issues for a loose wheel to his entry, but he managed to cycle back to his pit stall to have the wheel issue addressed as he remained on the lead lap. In addition, Keselowkski, Nemechek and Ragan would pit, which cycled Cindric back to the lead.
With 64 laps remaining, the final stage commenced as Cindric and Wallace occupied the front row. At the start, Cindric and Wallace dueled for the lead as Cindric had teammate Blaney drafting him on the outside lane while Wallace had teammate Reddick drafting him on the inside lane. Both Cindric and Wallace would continue to battle dead even for the lead during the proceeding laps. Then as the field fanned out to three tight-packed lanes, Allmendinger, who rallied from being mired a lap down earlier, muscled his No. 16 Celsius Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into the lead over Wallace followed by Buescher and Truex while Wallace and Cindric slipped out of the top five. A tight battle for the lead then ignited between Allmendinger and Reddick with 60 laps remaining while the field continued to battle amid three tight-packed lanes.
Five laps later, Allmendinger retained the lead from the inside lane followed by teammate Hemric while LaJoie was trying to mount a charge from the outside lane followed by Bell and Truex as Hamlin was leading the middle lane ahead of Kyle Busch. Not long after, Allmendinger would get shuffled out of the lead as LaJoie and Kyle Busch battled dead even for the lead while Hamlin, Bowman, Larson and Bell followed suit with 50 laps remaining. Two laps later, Hamlin muscled his No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry XSE into the lead over LaJoie as Busch tried to fight back on the inside lane.
With 40 laps remaining, Hamlin was leading ahead of LaJoie, Busch, Bell, Logano and the rest of the field. As the field fanned out to three tight-packed lanes while the intensity of the event started to ignite, Logano, who assumed the lead not long after, was leading followed by Ragan, Hamlin, Busch, and Keselowski while Bell, Briscoe, Reddick, Gragson and Chastain were scored in the top 10 amid two tight-packed lanes with 30 laps remaining. Logano would continue to lead ahead of Ragan, Hamlin, Keselowski, Busch and the rest of the field with 25 laps remaining.
Then with 23 laps remaining, another wave of green flag pit stops commenced as Riley Herbst led Hemric, LaJoie and a handful of competitors to pit road. Another wave of competitors, mainly Toyota competitors, led by Bell pitted during the next lap while Hamlin and Busch pitted together with 20 laps remaining. A wave of Ford competitors led by the race leader Logano would pit with 19 laps remaining while a wave of Chevrolet competitors led by Chastain pitted during the following lap. After the pit stops, Ross Chastain would cycle into the lead followed by Stenhouse and teammate Suarez while Logano was trying to weave his way back to the front amid the drafting momentum from his Ford teammates.
Down to the final 15 laps of the event, Chastain was leading ahead of Logano, Stenhouse and a bevy of competitors running tight amid two tight-packed lanes. Shortly after, Suarez would muscle his No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into the lead while Stenhouse was getting shuffled out of the lead draft. Meanwhile, Chastain remained in contention up on the outside lane followed by Logano while Byron tried to mount a charge on the inside lane.
A few laps later, the field fanned out to three tight-packed lanes as Chastain made his move to the outside lane followed by Logano, leaving Suarez pinned on the middle lane and Byron on the inside lane, as he reassumed the lead. Not long after, Byron mounted a charge on the inside lane along with Suarez as all three continued to battle dead even in front of the stacked field with 10 laps remaining.
Then with nine laps remaining, the caution flew after Bowman bumped and got teammate Byron loose, which resulted with Byron veering left and clipping Keselowski’s No. 6 Castrol Ford Mustang Dark Horse into Logano and into the path of both Blaney and Truex exiting the backstretch, which triggered a multi-car wreck that collected Suarez, Stenhouse, Reddick, Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Preece, Gragson, Hemric, Alfredo, Larson, Briscoe, Buescher and Erik Jones. Amid the wreckage, Chastain barely escaped with the lead followed by Bowman, Byron, Cindric and Elliott as the event was placed in a red flag period for more than 15 minutes.
Once the red flag lifted and the field proceeded under a cautious pace, some led by Briscoe pitted while the rest led by Chastain remained on the track.
Down to the final four laps of the event, the race restarted under green as Chastain and Byron occupied the front row. At the start, Chastain and Byron dueled for the lead through the first two turns as Chastain had Bowman drafting him on the outside lane while Byron had Cindric drafting him on the inside lane. Through the backstretch, Chastain and Byron continued to battle dead even for the lead as the field returned to the frontstretch with three laps remaining.
With two laps remaining, Byron received a strong push from Cindric to muscle his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 ahead of Chastain from the inside lane through the frontstretch. Byron would then maintain the lead over Cindric, Chastain and LaJoie through the backstretch and approaching the start/finish line to start the final lap of the event.
Then as the field approached the tri-oval to start the final lap of the event, Cindric, who blocked LaJoie while battling Byron for the lead, veered back to the right and clipped Chastain’s No. 1 Busch Light Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which sent both spinning through the frontstretch’s grass as Cindric came back across the track and was T-boned by Ragan as Zane Smith was also involved while Chastain slid across the infield and just missed the inside wall.
With the leaders having crossed the start/finish line to start the final lap of the event prior to the caution being displayed that ended the event, Byron emerged out in front of teammate Bowman and the field when the caution flew and was declared the winner of the event.
With the victory, Byron, whose previous best Daytona 500 result was 21st, became the 43rd competitor to win the Great American Race as this season marks the fourth consecutive time where the Daytona 500 featured a first-time winner of the event. In addition, Byron, who achieved his 11th NASCAR Cup Series career victory and second at Daytona International Speedway, delivered the ninth Daytona 500 victory for Hendrick Motorsports and the team’s first since 2014, which occurred with Dale Earnhardt Jr., while also piloting the No. 24 car to a 500 victory for the first time since Jeff Gordon made the last accomplishment in 2005. The 500 victory was also the first for crew chief Ryan “Rudy” Fugle and the 26th overall for the Chevrolet nameplate.
Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“[Daytona 500 champion title] sounds really damn good,” Byron said on FOX. “I’ve so many emotions. Obviously, I hate what happened at the backstretch. I just got pushed and got sideways, but just so proud of this whole AXALTA team, 40th anniversary to the day on Monday [when HMS first competed]. Just extremely blessed and thankful for all the opportunities. We just wanna keep [the early momentum] going. We have a lot to prove this year. This is a good start, obviously. Daytona 500! It’s freakin’ awesome! Let’s go!”
“[We had] Just really good strategy [that got us to the front],” Byron added. “We laid back and tried to save fuel for most of the race. We would get up there at the end of the stages and make some moves. Just thankful for great power under the hood, all of our partners, everybody that allows us to do this. I’m just a kid from racing on computers and winning the Daytona 500. I can’t believe it. [Me and my dad] have been through so much. We sat up in the grandstands together and watched the races. It’s so freakin’ cool.”
In addition to Byron, the 2024 Daytona 500 victory was meaningful for Jeff Gordon, vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, and owner Rick Hendrick, whose team, Hendrick Motorsports, is celebrating its 40th anniversary of competition in the NASCAR Cup Series.
“I’m telling you, you couldn’t write the script any better,” Hendrick said in Victory Lane. “When we think about coming down here the first time, we didn’t think we should be here, felt so out of place. We win this on our 40th [anniversary] to the day. It’s just… and tied a record now, so that’s awesome.”
“It’s so cool,” Gordon added. “What this is gonna do for this team, for AXALTA and all of our partners, and William Byron. He was already a superstar. He just went to another level being a superstar. I wasn’t driving the car, but I felt like I was making every lap with him out there. It’s just crazy to watch these guys do what they do and do it so well. To watch it from this side of it, it makes me so happy, so proud. We’re gonna celebrate. This is an amazing win. Huge win. Daytona 500!”
Teammate Bowman settled in second place while Bell, Corey LaJoie and Bubba Wallace finished in the top five. For Bowman, the runner-up result was his best in his eighth attempt of winning the Great American Race.
“I was pretty sure Willliam [Byron] had it, but you’re gonna let him debate it, right?” Bowman said. “I think a couple hundred more feet and obviously, we had the run. Just so proud of everybody at Hendrick Motorsports. To get a Hendrick Motorsports 1-2 [finish], have the No. 24 car in Victory Lane. Obviously, I wish it was our Ally No. 48 [car], but it was a great day for us. Proud of everybody. We did everything we could right. [I] Wish it was one spot better, but still, proud of the whole team.”
Allmendinger, John Hunter Nemechek, Erik Jones, Noah Gragson and Chase Briscoe completed the top 10 in the final running order.
Notably, Kyle Larson ended up 11th followed by Kyle Busch, rookie Zane Smith, Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. while Hamlin ended up 19th. Chastain, who was in the position of achieving his first Daytona 500 victory prior to the final lap accident, ended up 21st while Cindric ended up 22nd.
There were 41 lead changes for 20 different leaders. The race featured five cautions for 20 laps. Overall, 20 of 40 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the first event of the 2024 Cup Series season, William Byron leads the regular-season standings by four points over teammate Alex Bowman, 10 over Christopher Bell, 12 over Chase Elliott, 15 over Bubba Wallace and 17 over John Hunter Nemechek, Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch.
Results.
1. William Byron, four laps led
2. Alex Bowman
3. Christopher Bell, 22 laps led
4. Corey LaJoie, one lap led
5. Bubba Wallace, three laps led
6. AJ Allmendinger, nine laps led
7. John Hunter Nemechek
8. Erik Jones
9. Noah Gragson, five laps led
10. Chase Briscoe
11. Kyle Larson, seven laps led
12. Kyle Busch, 12 laps led
13. Zane Smith
14. Chase Elliott, 13 laps led, Stage 1 winner
15. Martin Truex Jr.
16. Daniel Hemric
17. Ty Gibbs
18. Chris Buescher
19. Denny Hamlin, 10 laps led
20. David Ragan, two laps led
21. Ross Chastain, one lap down, 14 laps led
22. Austin Cindric, one lap down, 13 laps led
23. Ryan Preece, one lap down
24. Riley Herbst, one lap down
25. Josh Berry, one lap down
26. Justin Haley, one lap down
27. Anthony Alfredo, two laps down
28. Jimmie Johnson, four laps down
29. Tyler Reddick – OUT, Accident
30. Ryan Blaney – OUT, 12 laps led, Stage 2 winner
31. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – OUT, Accident
32. Joey Logano – OUT, Accident, 45 laps led
33. Brad Keselowski – OUT, Accident, three laps led
34. Daniel Suarez – OUT, Accident, two laps led
35. Todd Gilliland – OUT, Accident, 16 laps led
36. Michael McDowell, 24 laps down, six laps led
37. Austin Dillon, 54 laps down
38. Kaz Grala – OUT, Accident
39. Harrison Burton – OUT, Accident
40. Carson Hocevar – OUT, Accident
With the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season officially underway, the next event on the schedule is the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, February 25, and air at 3 p.m. ET on FOX.
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 | Monday, February 19, 2024
UNOFFICIAL FORD FINISHING RESULTS 9th – Noah Gragson 10th – Chase Briscoe 18th – Chris Buescher 20th – David Ragan 22nd – Austin Cindric 23rd – Ryan Preece 24th – Josh Berry 26th – Justin Haley 30th – Ryan Blaney 32nd – Joey Logano 33rd – Brad Keselowski 35th – Todd Gilliland 36th – Michael McDowell 38th – Kaz Grala 39th – Harrison Burton
AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT DID YOU SEE THAT ROSS DIDN’T? “Me getting wrecked. He didn’t see that. It’s just a really unfortunate end. We had a shot to win the Daytona 500. We were really in great position with the outside lane breaking up and kind of one-on-one with the 24 with the whole pack behind, so you can’t really ask for anything else other than that out of myself and the team. It just sucks a little bit.”
YOU SAID YOU GOT WRECKED. DID YOU FEEL THERE WAS ANYTHING UNFAIR OR IS IT JUST THE NATURE OF RACING ON THE LAST LAP? “I guess. Corey finished fourth, so congrats. He tried to fit a car where there wasn’t a car and just continued to push through my left-rear until I wrecked. I understand trying to shuck me out or put up an opportunity because I was in probably the best spot possible coming to the white, but I’m in the care center and I don’t even know where I finished, so it really sucks but that’s racing.”
YOU DIDN’T HAVE ANY OTHER FORDS TO HELP WITH SO MANY GETTING TAKEN OUT IN THE PREVIOUS WRECK. DID THAT HURT? “Once you get that few laps left in the race it’s gridlock, so you’re pretty much doing your best to push. I mean, my job the whole rest of that race was to push the 24 as best as I could until I could get clear and we got to that point once the outside lane broke apart and had a great opportunity. I don’t know. Yeah, if I had maybe a teammate. Honestly, there are probably 39 other cars that probably would have taken care of that situation maybe a little better, but obviously not.”
JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Speedway racing again. It’s a lot of fun until this happens. It was pretty interesting with a lot of pushing and shoving there at the end. Our car was able to take it. Our Mustang was so fast. It could lead a line really well. I kind of thought I had the cars I wanted around me. I had at least one I wanted around me, but just couldn’t make it work.”
YOU LED THE MOST LAPS AND THEN IT LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE IN POSITION UNTIL THE WRECK. “Yep. That’s very much how speedway racing is – boom and bang and crash and all that. It’s part of it. You’re pushing and shoving there at the end. We had the cars that could take it and were doing really well. I had Blaney behind me. I thought, ‘Man, if I could pick one, that’s the one I want. I’m in a great position here’ and just had to find the right opportunity to slip the 1 again because the 6 wasn’t working with us, so I felt if I could keep the 12 with me I’m gonna be in a decent spot, but it just didn’t work out. The car was so fast. The car was the fastest car on the track. I could lead a line. Whenever we weren’t saving fuel she was a rocket ship. It’s just how this game works. The wreck always starts in the front and you hope you’re in front of it. Second place isn’t far enough ahead.”
WITH 10 TO GO DO YOU EXPECT IT TO BE LIKE THAT? “The pushes are stupid the whole time. The whole thing – everybody just gets more and more intense. You know it’s gonna happen. Anyone can see it happening. You just know it. It happens every year. With 10 to go there’s gonna be a caution. You just hope you’re not in it and you can’t ride around. You can’t just sit there and not race because you’ll be too far back and won’t win that way. You just have to be one of the lucky guys right now like the 24, the 48, the 2, the 9 that are still alive to do it. It’s usually the people that start the wreck that stay alive. That’s the frustrating part.”
RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Peak Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT DID YOU SEE? “You’re kind of always watching when you’re in there and especially if you’re on top you can kind of watch and see how well their pushes are and it just looked like the 48 kind of got the 24 out of shape and just happened to get the 6 in the right-rear and unfortunately we were in the top lane. It’s an early end to our night, but we were up there in it and just wasn’t our weekend.”
YOU WERE HOLDING YOUR HAND. YOU OK? “Yeah, the wheel got ripped. I usually get my hands off the wheel, but I didn’t think I needed to and then it caught something and spun it weird, but it just tweaked it a little bit. It’s all good.”
WHAT HAPPENED? “I saw a replay and I kind of saw the 48 and 24 shoving hard and it looks like the 48 got out of shape and then the 24 was trying to find him and then by that time he got turned into Brad and then we were just a byproduct of being in the top lane. I couldn’t see a ton, but replay showed just hard pushing and it is what it is.”
YOU GRABBED YOUR WRIST. YOU OK? “It bent it pretty weird. I had my initial wreck and then my wheel grabbed something. I usually let go of the wheel, but I didn’t think I needed to and it just tweaked it a little bit. It’s all good.”
DO YOU ALMOST EXPECT SOMEONE TO GET TURNED GETTING PUSHED WITH 10 LAPS TO GO? “Yeah. I mean, there’s 10 to go in the 500. I didn’t think the 24’s push, from the replay I saw, it didn’t look bad. It looked like he just kind of got squirrely and then when he tried to get back to him he was kind of on the quarter, like a weird side of his bumper, but I can’t believe we didn’t wreck before that. I thought we were all going to because we were all shoving hard and stuff like that. It stinks, but I’m not as bad compared to the other night, so that’s good.”
BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Castrol Edge Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT HAPPENED? “I don’t know. I got hit in the back, so I couldn’t really tell you. It’s a shame. I was kind of making a move for the lead with eight laps to go in the Daytona 500 and I’m here talking to you. It’s just one of those deals. We were mixed up in the middle of the soup most of the race. We executed really well in the final stage and put ourselves in position, but that’s just the way Daytona goes.”
IT LOOKED LIKE YOU GOT HOOKED FROM BEHIND. “Yeah, that’s kind of what the replay shows. I don’t exactly know what happened, but it’s unfortunate. We were making the pass for the lead with just eight laps to go and now I’m here talking to you guys. It’s not exactly where I want to be, no offense, but that’s just part of how this deal goes sometimes.”
THE 48 LOOKED LIKE HE WAS PUSHING THE 24. WAS IT OVERAGGRESSIVE? “You guys saw more than I saw. I saw the 1 car and I was making a move on him and I couldn’t tell what happened from there.”
WERE YOU TRYING TO BACK UP TO JOEY TO TRY AND CONTROL THE END OF THE RACE? “Joey, Ryan and I, I thought we were in a good position, but things happen.”
CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We had a fast Fastenal Ford Mustang and I am excited about that heading into next week. That is about where my excitement ends on the day. The crash, that sucks, there is no way around that. That definitely ruined our ultimate result. It was a really strange race. One of the most frustrating races I have been a part of in a long time. Tons of fuel saving and it was all about the pit stop, one pit stop for every stage and then some massive blocks by single cars that weren’t up to speed. It is a lot different than the last go around. I didn’t have as much fan as I hoped to but we will be good for next weekend.”
CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Anytime you can finish this race in one piece is nice. It was hard to get track position. It seemed like wherever you kind of fell in after two or three laps of green flag pit stops you just kind of ran there the whole time. That was a weird race. It seems like everytime we run these superspeedways it turns into more and more of a fuel mileage race. I thought we would be okay there at the end and we had to start 12th or 13th on the restart and it was hard to do anything. We were all kind of bottled up. Coming out of here with an eighth place finish and missing the wrecks and not being in a huge points whole is nice. We have to play the same game next week at Atlanta and hopefully we can do it again but a couple of spots better.”
JOSH BERRY, No. 4 SunnyD Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I feel like I learned a lot and raced well. There were a couple moves I wish I could have back maybe here or there but overall I was pretty happy we could work toward the front and maintain it. I thought the car was really good I just hate we got turned on pit road. That got us behind. We were able to get in the Lucky Dog position but it just didn’t work out there at the end. Overall it was a good night to learn I just hate we didn’t get the finish we deserved.”
NOAH GRAGSON, No. 10 Black Rifle Coffee/Ranger Boats Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We came down there at the end. We led some laps early but we came down there at the end to fix some damage right before the final restart. We didn’t have a whole lot of area to go but I guess it is better than being wrecked. Overall we will take a top-10. We kind of got pinned on the bottom and didn’t have a lot of room to go and then the race ended. I feel so good being the wheel. This whole Stewart Haas team did a great job, especially getting the backup car going.”
JUSTIN HALEY, No. 51 Treetop Apple Juice/Jacob Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Our No. 51 team did great working through the adversity that comes with a race at Daytona. It was good to get up front and work with our Ford teammates; that was something I was really looking forward to and it was nice to be able to show early on that we’re capable of being there. We’ve got some things to clean up on pit road, but that’s expected with a new team. I feel good about what we did overall.”
TODD GILLILAND, No. 38 gener8tor Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I have no clue as far as the wreck. I just got hit in the side and then hit everyone else with the nose and just got stuck down there with a flat tire. My gener8tor Ford Mustang Dark Horse was really good out here. I think we really showed some good speed with all the Fords qualifying in the front row and then my Front Row team really brought me a good car personally. It’s really disappointing. I feel like we honestly could have had a shot with how fast my car was, but that’s how these races go sometimes. You just have to keep putting yourself in position and eventually it will all work out.”
HARRISON BURTON, No. 21 Motorcraft/DEX Imaging Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I don’t remember exactly who it was on my outside. It just looked like they either got a bad push or got loose and just hit me in the right side and sent me across. The grass was so wet that once I got in the grass I thought I’d be OK, but the car just kept going and going, so really sad that our day is over as quick as it was. We had a really fast DEX Imaging/Motorcraft Ford Mustang. It’s just a bummer. There’s nothing we can do but just move on and try to win next week.”
HAVE YOU SEEN A REPLAY? “I haven’t seen it yet. I felt contact on the right side. I don’t know exactly, I guess it was a Legacy car. I don’t know. It’s frustrating. Once I got in the grass I couldn’t slow down because it was so wet and I just slid and slid and slid and came across the rest of the field. It’s just a bummer. I don’t know what to say or to do different. I don’t even thing I got wide open at that point. I was just saving fuel and that’s it. That’s the nature of these beasts. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do but just move on and try to win next week.”
IS IT EARLY TO BE ON THE CHIP? “I didn’t see what they were doing. I assume they were just pushing coming right off turn four. I’ve seen that movie before off of two and that doesn’t normally go well, so I don’t mind top of three-wide. We should be good enough to do that, but I guess just the pushing end and the placement of the pushing was not ideal, obviously.”
WAS FUEL SAVING STACKING THINGS UP? “Fuel saving definitely stacks up a little bit and the leaders fuel saving puts that third lane into play. I’m OK. The hit was probably harder than it should have been just coming back across the field like that. It’s a pretty helpless feeling, but I’m OK. I felt fine. All good. I’m just over wrecking early that’s for sure.”
KAZ GRALA, No. 36 Ruedebusch Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I’m not sure. Two cars wrecked it looked like through the tri-oval grass and just rolled right back up into traffic and, unfortunately, there was nowhere that we could go. It’s pretty disappointing to end our day that early. It feels like we didn’t get a chance to race at all today. I’m disappointed that we’ll have to wait another year to go again in the Daytona 500 and that’s hoping I get an opportunity.”
DID YOU SEE HIM COMING UP? “I saw them in the grass, so you’re always thinking that they might come up and hoping they don’t, but at that time we were three-wide in the pack. You’ve got cars on all sides of you, behind you, in front of you, so you’re just filing through and hoping you don’t draw the unlucky straw where they come up in front of you and they did.”
COULD YOU SENSE THE ENERGY CHANGING A LAP BEFORE IT HAPPENED? “Yeah, I mean for sure. As soon as you get three-wide you know that everybody is pushing, but I figured that these guys wouldn’t want to wreck this early. I don’t know. Maybe somebody did.”
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March 19, 2023: at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georiga. (HHP/Harold Hinson)
HAMPTON, Ga. (Feb. 19, 2024) — Several special guests and dignitaries will be part of the pre-race festivities to help kick off the racing action at Atlanta’s first NASCAR weekend of 2024.
Ambetter Health 400 (Sunday, Feb. 25) Dignitaries:
Grand Marshal: Legendary NASCAR broadcaster Doug Rice will give the command to start engines for Sunday’s race. The leading voice for the Performance Racing Network will check off a major bucket list item to kick off his farewell tour of the NASCAR circuit in 2024.
Honorary Starter: The NASCAR Cup Series field will take the green flag as it’s waived by honorary starter Eric Izquierdo of Intouch Financial Group.
National Anthem Singer: Two-time Georgia Country Female Artist of the Year Mary Kate Farmer will perform the Star-Spangled Banner before NASCAR’s stars strap in for 400 miles of action Sunday.
Flyover: As Mary Kate Farmer performs the national anthem, a pair of F-22s from the 1st Fighter Wing out of Langley Air Force Base will awe the crowd as they perform a flyover above the speedway.
Pre-race entertainment: A Georgia native schooled on ‘90s-country heroes like Alan Jackson, Jon Langston’s blend of warm vocal buzz drenched in raspy Southern soul and a modern-country sound will be enjoyed by fans during Sunday’s pre-race concert. Before Langston’s performance, DJ EU will be spinning sound and fun atop the pre-race stage.
These special guests will play a major role in a fun-filled weekend of racing and entertainment at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Fan activities begin Thursday with the Pedal Power Party bike ride around the speedway and Speedway Children’s Charities Laps for Charity. On-track competition begins Friday with qualifying for the Fr8 208 and RAPTOR King of Tough 250 as well as Legends and Bandolero racing.
More than 850 miles of racing action are on tap with the Fr8 208 and RAPTOR King of Tough 250 both racing on Saturday, Feb. 24, and the weekend’s action culminating with the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, Feb. 25.
Tickets and camping accommodations for the Feb. 23-25 Ambetter Health 400 NASCAR weekend are available at www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.
About the Ambetter Health 400 weekend:
Atlanta’s spring NASCAR weekend is headlined by the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, with intense, superspeedway pack racing and high stakes with a spot in the NASCAR playoffs on the line.
The race weekend also features the tenth year of Atlanta’s same-day NASCAR doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. The thrills of the Fr8 208 and RAPTOR King of Tough 250 races both happen in one action-packed day that race fans look forward to every year.
More information on the Feb. 23-25, 2024, Ambetter Health 400 weekend and ticket availability can be found online at AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.
Follow Atlanta Motor Speedway:
Keep track of all of Atlanta Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter, Instagram, and become a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Atlanta Motor Speedway mobile app.
