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NASCAR postpones 2022 Cup regular-season finale at Daytona to Sunday

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

The 2022 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway has been postponed a day later from its original starting date on Saturday, August 27, due to inclement weather.

The announcement comes after NASCAR dealt with persistent rain, thunderstorms and lightning that delayed the event’s original green flag starting time at 7:46 p.m. ET on Saturday. With the weather forecast indicating that the rain would persist throughout Saturday evening, the announcement to postpone the event a day later to Sunday, August 28, was made not long after its original starting time. Live coverage of the event that will now occur on Sunday is scheduled to commence at 10 a.m. ET on CNBC, Peacock, NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

When the regular-season finale at Daytona commences, Kyle Larson, winner of last weekend’s Cup event at Watkins Glen International and the reigning Cup Series champion, will lead the 37-car field to green flag from pole position, which was awarded to him based on a metric formula per NASCAR’s rulebook after rain canceled this weekend’s on-track qualifying session that was scheduled to occur on Friday, August 26. Joining him on the front row will be teammate Chase Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion who clinched this year’s regular-season title.

This weekend’s Cup event at Daytona serves as the 26th and final regular-season event of the 2022 season. Following the conclusion of the event, the 2022 Cup Series Playoff field that will comprise 16 competitors will be determined. Prior to the event, 14 competitors (Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, William Byron, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Kyle Busch, Daniel Suarez, rookie Austin Cindric and Alex Bowman) have clinched spots for the Playoffs based on winning at least once throughout the regular-season stretch. Currently, Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. occupy the final two vacant spots for the Playoffs based on points, with Blaney being 25 points ahead of Truex and Truex retaining the 16th and final transfer spot to the Playoffs by 187 points over Erik Jones.

Names like Erik Jones, Aric Almirola, Austin Dillon, Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, Justin Haley, Michael McDowell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Cole Custer, Brad Keselowski, rookie Harrison Burton, Ty Dillon and rookie Todd Gilliland are the competitors who are situated outside of the top-16 cutline entering Daytona, but are still in contention to make the Playoffs. Their hopes of making the Playoffs depends on winning the regular-season finale and potentially eliminating Blaney or Truex from Playoff contention.

Following this weekend’s regular-season finale at Daytona, the Playoffs are scheduled to commence at Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500 next Sunday, September 4, at 6 p.m. ET on USA Network.

The 2022 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona is scheduled to occur on Sunday, August 28, at 10 a.m. ET on CNBC.

Gonzalez Victorious in Mazda MX-5 Cup Thriller at VIR

By
Official Release
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ALTON, Va. (August 27, 2022) – Tyler Gonzalez (No. 51 Copeland Motorsports) scored his third Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires win of the season at VIRginia International Raceway after starting from the last row of the grid on Saturday. Gonzalez fought through the field for 45 minutes to take the win by 0.076-second over Connor Zilisch (No. 72 Hixon Motor Sports). Defending champion Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) completed the podium.

After missing the Road America weekend due to a scheduling conflict, Gonzalez returned to Mazda MX-5 Cup competition in grand fashion with his win. His Saturday at VIR got off to a rocky start, however, when he experienced a mechanical issue in qualifying that kept him from setting a time. As a result, Gonzalez started the race from 27th on the grid.

It may have worked in his favor since the race started with several cars making contact in Turn One. The incident damaged the car of championship contender Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports), who was forced to pit for repairs and lost a lap. He may have lost more than that if a full-course caution hadn’t come out to retrieve Bruno Carneiro’s (No. 21 Hixon Motor Sports) car from Turn 14.

On the restart it was the championship leader Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) who found trouble and eventually had to pit for repairs. Thomas would end up finishing 17th.

While all this was going on, Zilisch, Wagner and polesitter Aidan Fassnacht (No. 15 McCumbee McAleer Racing) were trading places at the front of a seven-car train. At the back of that train was Gonzalez.

Zilisch and Wagner started to break away from the pack but were then surprised to see Gonzalez catching them. The race was coming down to a three-way fight for the win.

On the final lap, Gonzalez was able to get around Zilisch for the lead. As the pair came into the final corner, Gonzalez dropped a tire in the dirt and it looked like Zilisch might have the momentum to pass him down the front straight. It wasn’t to be: Gonzalez beat Zilisch to the line by 0.076-second.

“These races are always filled with mayhem from the get-go,” Gonzalez said. “It’s all about trying to avoid it. We did a great job at that, kept the car 100 percent clean and ready for tomorrow. I was really happy where I was in second place on the last lap. You don’t really want to lead here on a long straight away because you’ll just get blown by. I was able to push Connor [Zilisch] and we got a little bit of a gap and made it a two-car race. We are definitely going to take any chance we can get whether we are in the championship or not. We are just here to win some races.”

There was no questioning who was to receive the Hard Charger Award: Gonzalez picked up 26 positions during the 45-minute race.

“It was hot here today,” Gonzalez said. “This track is all about drafting, but you have to keep the nose clean to get cool air on it. I guess we did alright! Copeland Motorsports gave me a great car and we topped it off with a win today.”

The runner-up finish bolstered Zilisch’s lead in the Rookie of the Year standings, an award that comes with an $80,000 prize from Mazda.

“I like being in the lead,” Zilisch said. “I like being in control of the race. It worked for me at Road America, where they battled for second and I got the gap. Obviously, that didn’t happen here though. I was going to have to make a risky block to keep him [Gonzalez] behind me, but I knew Jared [Thomas] was having a rough points day, so I just wanted to finish, and I would rather finish second than DNF right now.

“I’m just proud of the Hixon Motor Sports team for the car they bring me. That’s first, first, second for us in the last three races. It’s super hard to be disappointed at that. We have a lot of momentum heading into that last three races of the year, so hopefully we can keep up these good finishes and maybe bring home a championship.”

Although he led the most laps of the race, Wagner seemed content to watch Zilisch and Gonzalez battle in front of him.

“The first half of the race there were a lot more people in it,” Wagner said. “It was one of those things where you shuffle or be shuffled. It’s fun but it’s nerve racking when it’s like that. I knew I had some good pace though.

“Connor [Zilisch] played it smart and stayed behind me,” said Wagner. “I think he recognized what was going on. He pushed me. I thought it was going to be a race between us and then out of nowhere, in the last 10 minutes, Tyler [Gonzalez] just motored up to us. Once that happened, it was a matter of hanging onto the podium. It’s getting down to the end of the season, points are tight. I would have gone for it if I could have, but there wasn’t really a good opportunity to. I knew the guys behind me in points and Jared [Thomas] in front of me all had issues. Basically, everyone in the top five in points, except for Connor [Zilisch], hit something. That factored into my decisions. When they get a DNF, sometimes you take a third.”

Points were definitely on everyone’s mind at VIR. With only three more races to go, every position was crucial in the fight for the $250,000 championship prize.

Matthew Dirks (No. 76 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Sam Paley (No. 28 McCumbee McAleer Racing) completed the top five.

Polesitter Fassnacht ended up seventh but will have a chance to redeem himself Sunday when he starts from pole again for the Round 12 race at 10:30am ET. The race will be livestreamed on RACER.com and IMSA.com/tvlive.

About: The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. The series has been operated by Andersen Promotions since 2017 and is currently sanctioned by IMSA. Mazda-powered grassroots champions can earn Mazda scholarships for this pro-level series. The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup champion is awarded $250,000 as the top rookie nets $80,000.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

CHEVROLET NCS AT DAYTONA: Kyle Larson Press Conference Transcript

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
COKE ZERO SUGAR 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 27, 2022

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Press Conference Transcript:

THE NASCAR RACE TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP DOCUMENTARY COMES OUT NEXT WEEK, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT?

“Yeah, honestly, I haven’t had to do a whole lot with it. I think they came to my house one morning and followed us around to Millbridge (Speedway) one night. Other than that, I think they have been collecting stuff behind the scenes and like from a distance. So, it’s been nice that it hasn’t been like in our face all the time, so honestly, I don’t even know what they have captured. I am excited to see it next week and I think it will turn out really good and I hope all the fans will really enjoy it.”

HOW WAS TIME AWAY FROM THE TRACK WITH THE FAMILY?

“We always go to Disney in February and I have been gone so much and away from the family so much the last couple of months that I wanted to spend some time with them. I forgot how hot Florida is this time of year, so I think we were all dying yesterday. But I was happy that qualifying got rained out so I could stay there and spend more time with them. Had a really fun time but not sure I will go back ever again in August, but I look forward to getting back in February.”

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE RACE WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE FOR OTHER DRIVERS?

“I am not sure. The only way for those guys to make it in the playoffs that aren’t currently in the playoffs is to win. So, with that, I think the first couple of stages could be pretty tame. Just because a lot of those drivers are just trying to get to the end of the race to have a shot. But then it could be crazy and wild all race long. So, I am not really sure what to expect. No matter how it is, I hope we are in front of the craziness. I know at the end of the race, as it always does, whether it’s the cutoff race or not…..at Daytona or Talladega it always gets wild. We will see and it will be kind of interesting to follow along and see what guys are fast and if there are going to be a couple of big crashes to wipe out guys that could shake things up a lot. We will see.”

DO YOU TAKE A SPECIFIC APPROACH TO IT?

“Yeah, I think for us and in my position….we are second in the regular season points right now and I think there are maybe four of us that are really close to finishing second. Because of that, I feel like we need to go after stage points to do our part to finish second. Our plan is to race the whole time and just stay up front and get some points.”

IF YOU END UP NOT RACING TONIGHT AND YOU RACE TOMORROW AFTERNOON, HOW DOES IT CHANGE THE STYLE OF THIS RACE IF AT ALL?

“Yeah, good question, I am not sure. This place, the handling will be more of a factor for sure during the day than at night. I mean just the whole track is slicker, but I feel like turn four gets really tight. So, I don’t know and I don’t remember us being on track earlier this year with the sun out. In Talladega, handling is not a big deal there. The cars drove really good there gripped up. So, yeah, I am sure it will play a factor as it always does. As far as the race, I am not really sure.”

NOW THAT YOU HAVE HAD FOUR SUPERSPEEDWAY RACES WITH THIS CAR, WHAT KIND OF UNDERSTANDING DO YOU BRING HERE TONIGHT?

“I don’t know. I am not sure. I don’t think it feels way different than the other stuff. You have to hit your marks on stuff like green flag cycles getting on pit road and getting off pit road even more than the other car. When you are in a big pack, it is not as easy to lose the pack, but as soon as you get to shaking things up with green flag stops its kind of strung out for a lap or two and it seems really easy to lose the draft in that sense. You need to be on your game for that type of thing. Other than that, I don’t think it races way different.”

CAN YOU DESCRIBE A LAP AROUND DAYTONA AS FAR AS BEING IN THE PACK OR BEING IN OPEN AIR?

“Well, in open air, any of you could do it. In the middle of the pack it gets really hectic and your car doesn’t necessarily do its own thing, but you can feel the air more. The disturbance of the air. You can feel runs and you feel runs stall out a lot. When you get out to the lead you feel like you are going really slow, even though you are going just as fast as the guys behind you. When you are in the middle pack, you feel like you are going fast. It’s a lot quieter out front, but its just when you get out front your car obviously handles a lot better with clean air on it. You are not really looking out the windshield as much and you are looking in the rear view mirror a lot of the time. I haven’t seen the lead on a superspeedway very often but its definitely a little quieter and less going on out front and like I said, your car handles better.”

HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AS FAR AS BALANCING FOCUS AND EMOTION IN THE PLAYOFF SEASON?

“For a superspeedway race…..I don’t really get too emotional anyway, so that’s not a problem for me. Staying focused sometimes and making sure you are trying to make the right moves is tough to do a lot of times because runs are happening quick. The gaps are really small that you are trying to get into. Trying to stay focused on risk versus reward but also trying to position yourself for the end of the race is important. I mean a little bit of that goes into each race and race by race. Especially in the playoffs in putting yourself in the right spot at the right time and weighing risk versus reward. Just trying to maximize your day and trying to get as many points as you can like you would at any other speedway race.”

AT THIS POINT LAST YEAR YOU HAD ALREADY HAD FIVE WINS AND IT WAS A DOMINANT SEASON, THIS YEAR YOU HAVE TWO. DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT TO THE NEXT GEN CAR AND MORE PARITY?

“I think definitely a little bit of parity, but you still see a lot of the same good guys running up front. With us, its really just been a lack of execution I would say most weekends. We have really only had a few, like less than five, really clean races where nothing happened and we finished where we deserved. Whether it be just bad restarts or bad pit stops or a missed call for strategy…..something that we just haven’t executed the best. Last year we had a fast car and that makes everything execution wise a lot easier with pit calls, pits stops, and restarts and all that. Yeah, the parity probably pays a big role in it but just us as a team, until recently, haven’t done the best jobs a lot of time. And that is an area where we have tried really hard all season long. Its just hard to do sometimes. But like I said, I feel like lately we have been getting out stuff together. Last week was a great week to get a win and roll on into the playoffs with some momentum hopefully.”

WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO HAVE A BETTER PERFORMANCE AT DARLINGTON THIS TIME AROUND?

“Yeah, we had a really fast car last time before we blew up. So the first round has a lot of really good tracks for us. I think it is Darlington, Kansas and Bristol maybe. So those are honestly three of my best racetracks. I really like that round and hopefully we can do well in it and get some wins and get some bonus points would be nice. I have always run really well at Darlington, but have not gotten a win there yet. I finished second three times in a row before we blew up this year, so would love to be one spot better there and finally get that Darlington win that I have been close to getting.”

TALLADEGA IN THE SPRING WAS A REALLY CLEAN RACE FOR YOU. DOES ANYTHING STAND OUT FROM THE RACE IN THE SPRING THAT YOU CAN USE HERE?

“Not really anything happened. We had great track position the whole race and I never once left the bottom lane. I think that if there is anything that I learned is that you can’t go into any superspeedway race with the mindset and say you are going to be patient, but with us being up front the whole time at Talladega, I stayed patient the whole time. And I literally did not move off the bottom the whole time until I did and that is what lost me the race. So yes, I guess I have that same mindset in going into tonight’s race, but like I said it could be way different. This track is narrower, the importance of this race for a lot of other drivers is way different compared to Talladega earlier this year. You can’t show up to every race with the same mindset and have the same results throughout the whole race. But I will say, since it worked last time, that is my mindset right now. But it could change early on.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Toyota NCS Daytona Quotes — Kyle Busch 8.27.22

By
Official Release
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Toyota Racing – Kyle Busch
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 26, 2022) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch was made available to media prior to the Daytona International Speedway race this Saturday:

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

“Hold on, first I have an announcement to make. Everybody ready? Ok, there is no announcement. Good? We all good, we clear? Moving on.”

How was your experience to be part of this new NASCAR documentary and what do you hope is the result of the piece coming out?

“Yeah, I mean, to me, I feel like it’s just another level of humanizing us. Athletes, drivers, families, things like that of what we do outside the sport. Obviously, there’s a lot to be filmed and a lot of things that go on behind the scenes and the things that aren’t on broadcast television each and every week. And so, to kind of showcase a little bit of that, obviously, there’s a storyline, a huge development of lives and situations that are outside of just the broadcast. And so I feel like they’re trying to do the best they can and showcase some of that and get some of those storylines out there. You know, one with us is just our family life and racing and Brexton racing and that sort of stuff, where how hectic it kind of is and what we do, outside of just being here every Saturday and Sunday.”

At any point in contract negotiations, did Joe Gibbs Racing offer you a contract that you turned down?

“What did I just say? I said there was no update. This is not the place to start airing any dirty laundry. Just trust me, in time things will work out. And what happens, happens. Again, answering that question could either be positive for me or detrimental for me. So it’s fair to say I cannot answer those sorts of questions in your apologize. Or I don’t, not sure which.”

Is there any one thing you hope people take away about Kyle Busch from the documentary?

“Yeah, I mean, to me, I guess the humanizing the villian, let’s say, okay, so I’d like to be known by a heck of a lot more than just what is on broadcast television each weekend or not on broadcast television, but to me, you know, I’m a husband, I’m a father, I’m a racer. And that’s all I’ve really known. I’ve grown up doing that. I’ve come from a blue collar family from Las Vegas where my dad was a Mac Tool, man and didn’t come up from a lot but obviously trying to instill those same traits into my kids and how we go about what we do each and every week to go to the race track. So, for me, I would like to think that just, you know, again, showing the human side, humanizing myself and what is important to me, not just at the race track, but away from the race track.”

What do you expect from tonight’s race?

“So yes, if somebody wins to knock themselves in, right, so that to me is where the storyline is so you’re going to have legit, you know, the rest of the guys that want to go race for a win as well too. All of us we want to go race for a win and with the unknown predictability of Daytona and what all of that is here just lends itself into the perfect storm of opportunity of guys to win and knock themselves in. So you know, I think there’s going to be a big race up front. And, you know, I’d love to be in that. I need bonus points just as the other guys do. I need regular points. You know, we’ve fallen far enough it’d be nice to I think we have a legit shot for getting one or two spots back where we’re at right now. So that’s two more Playoff points that we have a shot for. So it’d be nice to not lose those. But you also I do know, at the end of the day, you got to be in it to win it. And so if you’re not there at the end of this race, then you don’t have a shot to win. So you know that that obviously plays a role as well.”

How do you approach this race for yourself?

“Knowing all of that, I don’t know I’m still on the fence about it. I want to go out there and race because you know, when you go out there and race you’re around people at the front of the pack for much of the day, and they get a chance to be around you see how you run see how fast your car is if they can work well with you. But on the flip side of that is if you’re around them and then you’re wiped out or they’re wiped out and you weren’t there in the beginning of the race. There’s new contenders at the end of the race, so yeah, I don’t know. If I could guarantee myself a lead lap spot, stay on the lead lap by being a half a lap down the whole race, I would probably take that. And then what restart do you go on? Do you go on the restart ten to go do you go on the recent the third overtime restart, which one do you go on? I don’t know. And the other thing too is like once you get two wide, it’s going to be hard to make moves and go up the middle and get up towards the front so you kind of need to put yourself in a spot or get yourself worked into a good spot before that final pit stop. So if that answered any questions, I have no idea good luck. That’s how I feel like people are telling me tonight. I don’t know, good luck.”

Have you spoken to Kurt Busch and how is he doing after the news from this week?

“I’m not speaking for Kurt Busch. Same as though I’m not speaking for Kyle Busch either. So, a few of you got that, good work, all right. So yeah, he’s, I mean, he’s down right, like he wants to be here. He wants to go out there. He wants to race he wants to put a helmet on again and he wants to get back in that race car, as I would expect. I’ve been around him for all of my 37 years. And so, you know, he’s a talented and driven individual who wants to go out there and do what he loves to do. So, I respect his decision and his news that he gave earlier this week for relinquishing a Playoff spot. I think that’s mighty strong of him to do and obviously I feel like it’s also — he’s not he’s not sacrificing himself for a spot or taking a spot from the rest of the field. Right. Like he’s relinquishing that spot for others to be able to go out there and race with his unknown status at this time. So I think that was very strong with him. And yeah, I think that’s going to bode well.”

From the family side, are you worried about Kurt’s recovery?

“You’re always worried about your family, right? You know, certainly want the best for him and whatever that is, but obviously his health needs to be first and he’s going through the exercises and the things that he’s told to do in order to make sure that he can please the doctors to get back in that race car. So you know, this Kurt Busch not being in the race car is not Kurt Busch’s decision. It’s someone else’s. So that’s what stinks to but also that’s what keeps us from ourselves and going out there and racing hurt is those around the sport and the doctors in which he has to deal with. Yeah, it’s tough for sure. It’s not easy, but he’s fine. He’s I don’t know how to say this politely. But he’s not knocked himself stupid. He’s, he’s very well aware of the decisions and the repercussions of those that he’s making. So I give him full vote, or full credit for making those.”

How do you try to help your Toyota teammates tonight with the 19 holding a Playoff spot and the 23 trying to get into the Playoffs?

“If I’m coming off a turn four the 23 (Bubba Wallace) and the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.) are side by side in front of me and I’m the next one, I’m lifting. So if I know I can’t win, I am out. Just give me the points. So yeah, that’s kind of how I look at it. Obviously, you don’t necessarily, again, the 13 other car numbers you’ve got to figure out that are in the picture that you don’t want to push to a win if Martin’s the last one on points. You know, same thing like you, you obviously, you know, if there’s the 9 (Chase Elliott) car is on the bottom, and there’s, name one, the 43 (Erik Jones) on the outside, and I’m following the 43 like, the 100% rule comes into effect, right? What do you do? You obviously don’t want to knock a teammate out.”

Do you need give-and-take to win a championship?

“Absolutely. Yes you do, you need give and take to win a championship.”

Will Ross Chastain get benefit of the doubt when it come to the Playoffs with other drivers?

“Absolutely not, no way, no chance. I don’t think people are paying him back yet, they’re waiting for the right time. Denny (Hamlin) got really tight off turn one in Pocono. I know how tight these cars can get.”

Have you had your Toyota meeting yet and have you talked about different scenarios?

“Yes. Just what I said before, if the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.) and the 23 (Bubba Wallace) or side by side I’m out. That’s what I said. You know, like I said, obviously, it’s the 13 other car numbers that you don’t need to be behind pushing to the checkered flag to score a win. If you know the 19 is on the edge. So yeah, I mean all that’s been laid out.”

How will aggression with this new race car in the Playoffs impact the racing when everyone gets to Darlington?

“Yeah, I think the biggest thing with this car is people are seeing it take little hits a bit more racing hits, you know, knocking each other out of the way pushing on each other a little bit leaning on the bodies. The bodies are way, for sure, more durable in that aspect, but the chassis components still have a tick of weakness to them, you know, you can bump on the fence or somebody else and bend a front or rear tow rod. And so those are the things that that you’re cautious of or more cautious of is those wheel hits. But the body stuff, yeah, everybody’s taking full advantage of that and leaning on everybody a little bit more, which I think we all kind of saw was going to be an opportunity with this car with the composite body we see an opportunity a little bit. And you know, as you said the parity plays a piece in that too because these cars are more similar to the same speed. I mean, you look at Martinsville tests, they ran 300 and some laps and the whole field was within three tenths you know, so yeah, like passing at a road course. You know, you have to bomb it off in there and you know, you’re not going to make the corner you know, you’re going to lean on the guy and push him out of the groove in order to make a pass like that’s how it’s done now, just because there is, I don’t have any better breaks than the next guy because they’re all bought from the same place.”

Does it change how the 19 is viewed in the Playoffs if he can only compete for the driver’s championship and not the owner’s championship within the Joe Gibbs Racing organization?

“No, I don’t think it changes anything. I think Joe (Gibbs) looks at it as if it’s in. I don’t think there’s any difference, any separation in that. You want to talk about contracts, let’s talk about contracts. I don’t know what’s in his contract with Toyota and TRD or his sponsors if the car isn’t what the driver is, or if it’s even in there and spelled out, I don’t know. Mine would say that if I’m in, I get what I’m supposed to get, you know what I mean? So I don’t know how that works otherwise, but I probably gave you guys a whole other topic to go down the rabbit hole on. I’m sorry, Joe. So anyway, they won’t look any different than 19 car will still be a normal player for us as the Playoffs progress.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 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 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 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 the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Clements captures thrilling, overtime Xfinity victory at Daytona

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

From a three-hour rain delay to three overtime attempts amid a series of late carnages that eliminated numerous top contenders, Jeremy Clements thrusted himself into the main spotlight in an unexpected turn of events by winning the Wawa 250 at Daytona International Speedway between August 26-27.

The 37-year-old Clements from Spartanburg, South Carolina, led the final three of 118 over-scheduled laps after placing himself in prime position of contending for the win in the third and final overtime attempt, where he restarted alongside rookie Austin Hill on the front row. When Hill fell out of contention due to electrical issues prior to the restart, Clements found himself in the lead with drafting help from Sage Karam. Despite being challenged by AJ Allmendinger prior to the final lap, Clements was able to retain the lead and start the final lap when the event’s 10th and final caution flew as Riley Herbst spun in the frontstretch. With the event concluding under caution, Clements emerged as the upset winner of a wild event that commenced late Friday evening before concluding early Saturday morning. Clements’ first Xfinity victory in five seasons was also one that guaranteed him and his family-owned organization a spot in the 2022 Xfinity Series Playoffs.

With on-track qualifying that would have determined the starting lineup scheduled for Friday but canceled due to rain, AJ Allmendinger was awarded the pole position based on a metric formula per NASCAR’s rulebook. Joining him on the front row was Noah Gragson.

Prior to the event, Josh Williams dropped to the rear of the field as a result of a driver change, where he replaced Patrick Emerling in the No. 5 BJ McLeod Motorsports entry. Jesse Iwuji, Daniel Hemric and Justin Haley also dropped to the rear of the field following unapproved adjustments made to their respective entries.

When the green flag waved and the race started following a three-hour delay due to rain, Allmendinger received a push from Sam Mayer to launch ahead with an early lead through the first turn. He then moved from the outside to inside lane while fending off Mayer and Noah Gragson while Sammy Smith, who started fourth, was getting shuffled out of the lead draft.

Following the completion of the first lap, Allmendinger, who led the first lap, was ahead of Gragson and Mayer while Josh Berry was in fourth followed by rookie Sheldon Creed, Riley Herbst and the field fanning out to two tight-packed lanes.

On the fifth lap, Gragson overtook both Allmendinger and teammate Mayer in a three-wide move across the start/finish line to lead for the first time. With Gragson moving to the lead, Allmendinger found himself getting shuffled out of the lead and toward the bottom half of the top 10 while Gragson’s teammates, Mayer and Berry, moved into the top three.

Through the first 10 scheduled laps and with the field fanning out in a tight side-by-side pack towards the front, Gragson was leading ahead of teammates Berry and Mayer while Herbst and Ty Gibbs were in the top five. Creed was in sixth ahead of Brandon Jones, Myatt Snider, Allmendinger and Ryan Sieg while Brandon Brown, Landon Cassill, John Hunter Nemechek, Justin Haley and Daniel Hemric were in the top 15. By then, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Sammy Smith, Blaine Perkins, rookie Austin Hill and Jeb Burton occupied the top 20.

Five laps later and with Gragson continuing to lead, the first caution of the event flew. Sammy Smith, who was trying to carve his way back to the front after getting shuffled out early, spun and pounded the infield wall in Turn 4 as his first NASCAR national touring series event at Daytona came to an early end. During the caution period, some of the drivers, led by Gragson, pitted, while the rest, led by Berry, remained on the track.

As the race restarted on Lap 19 with Berry and Herbst occupying the front row, Herbst launched ahead with the lead following a push from the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Supra piloted by Ty Gibbs. Herbst then moved to the outside lane through the backstretch, which allowed Gibbs to rocket to the lead with a push from Creed as the field fanned out.

A lap later, the caution returned due to debris coming off of Kyle Sieg’s car. During the caution period, names like Jeb Burton, Berry, Haley, Sage Karam, JJ Yeley and Joe Graf Jr. pitted while the rest, led by Gibbs, remained on the track.

With six laps remaining in the first stage, the race proceeded under green. At the start, the Monster Energy competitors of Gibbs and Herbst dueled for the lead through the first two turns until Herbst received a push from Landon Cassill’s No. 10 Voyager Chevrolet Camaro to move ahead. With Gibbs fighting back on the inside lane, Herbst managed to lead the following lap before both Monster competitors dueled again for the lead.

During the following lap, Gibbs received a push from teammate Brandon Jones and Allmendinger to pull away from the field while Herbst was getting shuffled towards the rear of the top 10.

When the first stage concluded on Lap 30, Gibbs fended off the field over the previous five laps to claim his fourth stage victory of the 2022 season. Hill carved his way to the runner-up spot while Creed, Allmendinger, Berry, Brandon Jones, Justin Allgaier, Mayer, Haley and Ryan Sieg were scored in the top 10.

Under the stage break, a majority of the field led by Gibbs pitted while the rest led by Berry remained on the track. During the caution period, Hill and Caesar Bacarella made contact on pit road, resulting with Bacarella spinning his No. 45 Clear Cryptos Chevrolet Camaro into his pit box. In addition, Snider lost a fuel can while Stenhouse was penalized for speeding on pit road.

The second stage started on Lap 34 as Berry and Jeb Burton occupied the front row. At the start, Berry and Burton dueled for the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch until Berry received a push from Brandon Brown to retain the top spot while having both lanes to his control. Two laps later, Brown moved his No. 68 Larry’s Lemonade Chevrolet Camaro to the lead before Anthony Alfredo led during the following lap.

By Lap 40 and with the field fanning out through three tight-packed lanes, Alfredo was out in front followed by Allgaier, Gragson, Ryan Sieg and Mason Massey while Creed, Cassill, Brown, Allmendinger and Berry were in the top 10. 

Five laps later, Allgaier, who assumed the lead on Lap 41, was leading ahead of Alfredo, Creed, Berry and Jeb Burton while Gragson, Gibbs, Herbst, Ryan Sieg and Stenhouse were in the top 10. 

At the halfway mark on Lap 50, Alfredo and Allgaier engaged in a side-by-side battle for the lead with the field also fanning out between two and three tight lanes. Shortly after, Daniel Hemric pitted under green to address a flat tire.

Then on the final lap of the second stage, Creed, who was running in third, got turned by Allgaier as he spun his No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro below the backstretch apron. With the race remaining under green and Creed limping back to pit road, Gragson retained the lead ahead of the pack. He was also able to lead the field back to the frontstretch and claim his 11th stage victory of the season after winning the second stage on Lap 60. Alfredo, who led six laps during the second stage compared to Gragson’s 10, settled in second followed by Herbst, Mayer, Berry, Nemechek, Gibbs, Allgaier, Snider and Ryan Sieg.

Under the stage break, the majority of the field led by Allgaier pitted while names like Ryan Vargas, Jesse Iwuji, David Starr, Bayley Currey, Bacarella and Matt Mills remained on the track. Once the competitors who initially remained on track pitted prior to the restart, Gragson, who was the first competitor to exit pit road, was out in front.

With 36 laps remaining, the final stage started as Gragson and Herbst occupied the front row. At the start, Gragson received a push from teammate Allgaier to lead the field through the first two turns. Then through Turns 3 and 4, Gibbs moved into the runner-up spot as he settled behind Gragson’s No. 9 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro while Allgaier, Herbst and Brandon Jones occupied the top five.

With less than 30 laps remaining, Gragson was leading a long line of competitors running on the outside lane followed by Gibbs, Allgaier, Herbst, Nemechek, Allmendinger, Cassill, Brandon Jones, Stenhouse and Haley.

Shortly after, the caution flew when Herbst lost a left-rear tire before slipping sideways and spinning his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang at over 100 mph through the infield backstretch grass. Despite looping his car wildly across the backstretch grass, Herbst managed to keep his car off the wall as he slowly limped his way back to pit road. During the caution period, names like Karam, Clements, Alex Labbe, Bayley Currey, Matt Mills, Bacarella, Joey Gase and Herbst pitted while the rest remained on the track.

Down to the final 24 laps of the event, the race restarted under green, At the start, Gragson and Gibbs battled for the lead through the first two turns until Gragson rocketed clear with the lead followed by teammate Allgaier and Allmendinger. Haley and Jeb Burton then moved into the top five through Turns 3 and 4 while Gibbs fell back to sixth.

With 20 laps remaining, Gragson continued to lead ahead of teammates Allgaier and Mayer while Allmendinger and Daniel Hemric were in the top five while running within a tight side-by-side pack. Scored in the top 10 were Haley, Hill, Gibbs, Creed and John Hunter Nemechek.

Two laps later, the caution flew when Nemechek slipped off the front nose of Brandon Brown through the backstretch as he spun and was hit by Creed, whose No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro slid back across the track and was T-boned by Joe Graf Jr.’s No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro. All three competitors involved in the carnage emerged uninjured.

With 13 laps remaining, the race proceeded under green. At the start, teammates Gragson and Allgaier battled for the lead until Gragson was shoved out in front and clear of the field by Allmendinger through the backstretch. Gragson then moved up the track to stall Allgaier’s momentum on the outside lane as he retained the top spot when the field returned to the frontstretch.

Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Gragson remained as the leader on the outside lane followed by Allmendinger, Allgaier, Mayer and Hemric while Austin Hill was trying to work his way to the front on the inside lane.

Then when the field returned to the frontstretch, the caution returned when Allmendinger got turned by Allgaier as both spun below the apron approaching Turn 1. Their spin triggered a chain reaction wreck as Mayer, Berry and Snider also spun below the apron while everyone else escaped. In the midst of the carnage, Hemric was scored in second behind Gragson while Brown, Sieg and Stenhouse were in the top five.

With four laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Gragson received drafting help from Brown and Hemric received drafting help from Ryan Sieg as all four dueled for the lead. Then through the backstretch, Hemric moved into the lead while Hill made a bold three-wide move on both Gragson and Ryan Sieg as he moved into third place.

During the following lap, Austin Hill assumed the lead as the competitors began to scramble towards the front. Through Turns 3 and 4, Cassill got into the wall after slipping in front of Jeb Burton as he fell off the pace with a flat right-front tire. With the race remaining under green, the caution then returned when Hemric spun while trying to block Gragson as a multi-car wreck erupted in the frontstretch that consumed Brandon Jones, Herbst, David Starr, Alfredo, Allgaier, Jeb Burton and Sage Karam. The multi-car wreck was enough to send the event into overtime.

At the start of the first overtime attempt amid a stacked restart with contact occurring towards the front, Gragson and Hill dueled for the lead. Not long after, the caution flew and the event was sent into a second overtime attempt when Herbst made contact with Brown through the backstretch as Brown spun and clipped Haley as Gibbs and Ryan Sieg were also clipped and sent spinning. This triggered another multi-car wreck that involved Alex Labbe, Bayley Currey, Caesar Bacarella, Josh Williams, Herbst, Jeb Burton, Kyle Sieg, Ryan Vargas and Stenhouse. In the midst of the incident, Allmendinger carved his way back to third behind Hill and Gragson while Timmy Hill, Clements and Karam were in the top six.

During the second overtime attempt, Hill retained the lead and moved up the track through the first two turns to block and stall Gragson’s momentum. Just then, the caution returned when Gragson got bumped and turned off the front nose of Allmendinger as he collided head-on into the outside wall on the backstretch. Gragson was then hit hard by Cassill and Myatt Snider, with Blaine Perkins, Hemric, Gibbs and Matt Mills all wrecking in the backstretch. With Hill leading and Allmendinger occupying the runner-up spot, names like Clements, Timmy Hill, Karam, JJ Yeley, Ryan Vargas, Kyle Sieg, Jesse Iwuji and Herbst were in the top 10.

Prior to the third overtime attempt, Allmendinger, who was in second, peeled to pit road after his No. 16 Action Industries Chevrolet Camaro ran out of fuel. In addition, Hill, who remained on the track as the leader, reported electrical issues to his No. 21 United Rentals Chevrolet Camaro as he kept his car running below the apron through the turns and shaking it back and forth to keep it under race pace.

Then at the start of the third overtime attempt, Hill’s electrical issues knocked him out of contention as he was unable to launch on the restart. This allowed Clements to take the lead followed by Karam through the first two turns. Meanwhile, Allmendinger, who emerged in fourth place through the first two turns, began his dash back to the front as he pushed Brown while closing in on both Clements and Karam. Through the backstretch and entering Turns 3 and 4, Karam was shuffled back to fifth while being overtaken by Brown, Allmendinger and Timmy Hill. In addition, Allmendinger overtook Brown for the runner-up spot as he then made his move beneath Clements for the lead.

With the leaders approaching the frontstretch to start the final lap, contact from Karam sent Herbst, who joined the battle, spinning towards the pit road entrance before he came back across the track and was dodged by the field. By then, Clements’ No. 51 One Stop/ASE Chevrolet Camaro managed to fend off Allmendinger as he took the white flag and started the final lap. A few seconds later, the caution flew and the race was deemed official, thus handing Clements the victory.

With the victory, Clements achieved his second career win in the Xfinity Series and his first since claiming his first series win at Road America in August 2017. In addition to becoming the 127th different competitor to win multiple Xfinity events, he became the eighth series regular to win throughout the 2022 Xfinity Series regular-season stretch and secure a spot for the 2022 Xfinity Series Playoffs that will commence in mid-September.

“I’m speechless, man,” Clements said on USA Network. “I don’t even know what to say. That’s incredible, man. We were as fast as Xfinity internet and it feels so good. We survived that big wreck back there somehow. It was like a Days of Thunder wreck. Then I was like, ‘Well, if we can just keep up with these guys, it’ll be a good day.’ Top five and bring this car home in one piece, and that’s a good day. Wow, this is incredible. Thank you, [fans], so much for sticking around. I know it’s late as hell. It’s time to drink a beer!”


“I just, honestly, didn’t have the car to get up there,” Clements added. “I had a car to just stay with the pack. I couldn’t really get in there. I’d have to have somebody pushing me. Just trying to be aggressively cautious and it worked for once. I’ve done a lot of these speedway races and a lot of them haven’t worked out. I guess we finally got one. It’s incredible to win at Day-freaking-tona, man! Holy crap! Wow!”

In the midst of the carnage and unexpected turn of events capped with a surprise winner, Timmy Hill claimed a career-best runner-up result followed by Allmendinger, who maintained his lead in the regular-season standings. Brandon Brown and Sage Karam finished in the top five while Ryan Vargas, Ty Gibbs, Alex Labbe, JJ Yeley and Kyle Sieg completed the top 10 on the track.

There were 19 lead changes for 12 different leaders. The event featured 10 cautions for 41 laps.

With three races remaining in the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season stretch, AJ Allmendinger continues to lead the regular-season standings by 58 points over Ty Gibbs, 80 over Justin Allgaier and 115 over Noah Gragson.

Ty Gibbs, Noah Gragson, Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger, Josh Berry, rookie Austin Hill, Brandon Jones and Jeremy Clements are currently guaranteed spots for the 2022 Xfinity Playoffs based on winning once throughout the regular season stretch while Riley Herbst, Sam Mayer, Daniel Hemric and Landon Cassill occupy the remaining vacant spots to the Playoffs based on points. Ryan Sieg trails the top-12 cutline by 12 points, rookie Sheldon Creed trails by 55, Anthony Alfredo trails by 91 and Brandon Brown trails by 98.

Results.

1. Jeremy Clements, three laps led

2. Timmy Hill 

3. AJ Allmendinger, four laps led

4. Brandon Brown

5. Sage Karam

6. Ryan Vargas, one lap led

7. Ty Gibbs, 11 laps led, Stage 1 winner

8. Alex Labbe

9. JJ Yeley

10. Kyle Sieg

11. Jesse Iwuji

12. Myatt Snider

13. Justin Allgaier, 11 laps led

14. Austin Hill, 18 laps led

15. Riley Herbst, two laps led

16. Joey Gase, two laps down

17. Blaine Perkins, two laps down

18. Josh Berry, three laps down, six laps led

19. Daniel Hemric – OUT, Dvp, one lap led

20. Brandon Jones, four laps down

21. Jeb Burton, five laps down

22. Noah Gragson – OUT, Accident, 52 laps led, Stage 2 winner

23. Landon Cassill – OUT, Accident

24. Matt Mills – OUT, Accident

25. Justin Haley – OUT, Accident

26. Ryan Sieg – OUT, Accident

27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – OUT, Accident

28. Caesar Bacarella – OUT, Accident

29. Josh Williams – OUT, Accident

30. Bayley Currey – OUT, Accident

31. David Starr – OUT, Accident

32. Anthony Alfredo – OUT, Accident, eight laps led

33. Mason Massey – OUT, Engine

34. Sam Mayer – OUT, Accident

35. John Hunter Nemechek – OUT, Accident

36. Sheldon Creed – OUT, Accident

37. Joe Graf Jr. – OUT, Accident

38. Sammy Smith – OUT, Accident

Next on the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the series’ second trip of the season to Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, on Saturday, September 3, during Labor Day weekend. The event is scheduled to occur at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Jeremy Clements Scores Upset Win in Wild Wawa 250 Powered By Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway

By
Official Release
-

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 26, 2022) – Friday night’s bizarre, attrition-filled, rain-delayed NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway produced an appropriately unexpected outcome when Jeremy Clements took the checkered flag under caution at the end of the third attempt at overtime.

Clements’ victory in the Wawa 250, a race that started roughly three hours late and ended shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, was his first at Daytona and the second of his career. Both of Clements’ victories have come on August 27, his first at Road America on Aug. 27, 2017.

“I’m speechless, man—I don’t even know what to say,” said Clements, who grabbed a Playoff spot with the victory and shoved Ryan Sieg into 13th place in the standings, 12 points below the cut line. “We survived that big wreck back there (in the first overtime). It was like a ‘Days of Thunder’ wreck.

“Then I was like, ‘If we can just keep up with these guys, it’ll be a good day—top five and bring this car home in one piece.’ But, wow! This is incredible.”

As race leader Austin Hill lost electrical power and steered his Chevrolet to the apron, Clements got a push from Sage Karam on the third overtime restart on Lap 117 and was out front on the final lap when NASCAR called the 11th caution for Riley Herbst’s spin on the backstretch. Timmy Hill finished second, followed by AJ Allmendinger, Brandon Brown and Karam, who posted his career-best finish.

Eighteen of the 38 cars that started the race were already in the garage when Clements took the checkered flag.

A massive multicar wreck on Lap 98 of a scheduled 100 sent the race to overtime. First, Landon Cassill’s Chevrolet slapped the outside wall and collided with Jeb Burton’s Camaro.

Then, at the front of the field, Daniel Hemric moved down the track and turned off the nose of Noah Gragson Chevrolet, igniting a melee that involved eight cars.

But that was just the appetizer before a feast of crumpled chassis that followed the restart for the first attempt at overtime. On Lap 104, Brown’s Chevrolet got loose on the backstretch in front of Riley Herbst’s Ford.

Brown spun, and 13 cars were damaged in the ensuing chaos. But the hardest hit of the night came on overtime attempt No. 2.

Chain reaction contact between the cars of Clements, Allmendinger and Noah Gragson turned Gragson into the path of Landon Cassill’s Chevrolet. The impact from Cassill’s car spun Gragson around 360 degrees and tore the body off the front clip.

Gragson had led a race-high 54 laps at that point.

A multicar accident on Lap 83 put a dent in Sheldon Creed’s Playoff hopes and destroyed his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 26 Toyota got loose off Turn 2 and spun off the front bumper of Brown’s Chevy.

“All of a sudden, I was looking at the inside wall,” Nemechek said. “I’m not sure what happened, but I felt like I was hooked in the left rear.”

Creed’s Camaro hit Nemechek’s car and spun to the inside and shot back across the track into traffic, demolishing Joe Graf Jr.’s Ford. The wreck kept Creed below the Playoff cut line, 55 points behind Cassill for the last spot, with three races left before the Playoff field is set.

The action continues Saturday night at The World Center of Racing with the Coke Zero Sugar 400, the last race of the regular season of the NASCAR Cup Series that will set the stage for the 10-race, 16-driver Playoffs. There are two open spots that remain, which will be filled after the checkered flag flies. Defending Coke Zero Sugar Champion Ryan Blaney, along with Martin Truex, Jr., is on the Playoff bubble. If either of those two, as well as any other eligible non-winning driver goes to Ruoff Mortgage Victory Lane, that driver will automatically make the Playoffs.

Great tickets remain for the Coke Zero Sugar 400. For information, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com

Fans can also stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – 21st Annual Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
Friday, August 26, 2022

            1. (9)  Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 118.

            2. (37)  Timmy Hill(i), Chevrolet, 118.

            3. (1)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 118.

            4. (25)  Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, 118.

            5. (24)  Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 118.

            6. (36)  Ryan Vargas, Chevrolet, 118.

            7. (8)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 118.

            8. (21)  Alex Labbe, Chevrolet, 118.

            9. (28)  JJ Yeley, Chevrolet, 118.

            10. (32)  Kyle Sieg #, Ford, 118.

            11. (34)  Jesse Iwuji #, Chevrolet, 118.

            12. (22)  Myatt Snider, Chevrolet, 118.

            13. (15)  Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 118.

            14. (14)  Austin Hill #, Chevrolet, 118.

            15. (6)  Riley Herbst, Ford, 118.

            16. (31)  Joey Gase, Ford, 116.

            17. (18)  Blaine Perkins(i), Chevrolet, 116.

            18. (5)  Josh Berry, Chevrolet, 115.

            19. (16)  Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, DVP, 114.

            20. (12)  Brandon Jones, Toyota, 114.

            21. (29)  Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 113.

            22. (2)  Noah Gragson, Chevrolet, Accident, 110.

            23. (10)  Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, Accident, 110.

            24. (33)  Matt Mills(i), Toyota, Accident, 110.

            25. (38)  Justin Haley(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 103.

            26. (11)  Ryan Sieg, Ford, Accident, 103.

            27. (17)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 103.

            28. (30)  Caesar Bacarella, Chevrolet, Accident, 103.

            29. (35)  Josh Williams, Ford, Accident, 103.

            30. (23)  Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, Accident, 103.

            31. (26)  David Starr, Ford, Accident, 98.

            32. (13)  Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 98.

            33. (27)  Mason Massey, Chevrolet, Engine, 97.

            34. (4)  Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, Accident, 91.

            35. (19)  John Hunter Nemechek(i), Toyota, Accident, 82.

            36. (7)  Sheldon Creed #, Chevrolet, Accident, 82.

            37. (20)  Joe Graf Jr, Ford, Accident, 82.

            38. (3)  Sammy Smith, Toyota, Accident, 14.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 113.328 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 36 Mins, 11 Secs. Margin of Victory: Caution Seconds.

Caution Flags: 10 for 41 laps.

Lead Changes: 19 among 12 drivers.

Lap Leaders: A. Allmendinger 1-4;N. Gragson 5-16;J. Berry 17-18;R. Herbst 19;T. Gibbs 20-24;R. Herbst 25;T. Gibbs 26-31;J. Berry 32-35;B. Brown 36;A. Alfredo 37-40;J. Allgaier 41-49;A. Alfredo 50-51;J. Allgaier 52-53;A. Alfredo 54-55;N. Gragson 56-62;R. Vargas 63;N. Gragson 64-96;D. Hemric 97;A. Hill # 98-115;J. Clements 116-118.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Noah Gragson 3 times for 52 laps; Austin Hill # 1 time for 18 laps; Ty Gibbs 2 times for 11 laps; Justin Allgaier 2 times for 11 laps; Anthony Alfredo 3 times for 8 laps; Josh Berry 2 times for 6 laps; AJ Allmendinger 1 time for 4 laps; Jeremy Clements 1 time for 3 laps; Riley Herbst 2 times for 2 laps; Daniel Hemric 1 time for 1 lap; Ryan Vargas 1 time for 1 lap; Brandon Brown 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 54,21,2,16,8,19,7,1,14,39

Stage #2 Top Ten: 9,23,98,1,8,26,54,7,31,39

bout Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training. The iconic venue was the site of a host of motorsports events early in 2022, beginning with AHRMA Classic Motofest and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA in January, and the 64th DAYTONA 500, which debuted the first points race for NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, in February. The tradition-rich 81st Annual Bike Week At DAYTONA returned in March, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200. May saw the “Welcome to Rockville” concert and the Heroes Honor Festival while during July 4th weekend, the track, in association with Torneos, hosted the first annual Daytona Soccer Fest. The NASCAR Cup Series returns for the final race of the regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 27 while Saturday, Aug. 26 will see the Wawa 250 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

RCR NXS Post Race Report: Daytona-2

By
Official Release
-

Sheldon Creed Runs Strong Before Early Exit in Whelen Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway

Finish: 36th
Start: 7th
Points: 13th

“Man, we had a fast Whelen Chevrolet tonight. RCR and ECR brought an amazing car. Not the way we wanted it to end. That was probably one of the hardest hits I’ve taken. I’m not really sure what happened. It was a hard hit. I think the 68 got the 26 and spun him down the track there. I caught him and thought I was going to be okay. And then once I went back up the racetrack, I knew I was in trouble. I’m glad I was able to walk away from that. I do still want to see what happened earlier in the race with the No. 7 car. We spun, but I haven’t been able to see a replay yet. I want to thank my guys. We had a really fast Whelen Chevy. I just wish we could have finished.” -Sheldon Creed

Austin Hill and the No. 21 United Rentals Chevrolet Team Suffer Electrical Issue While Leading Third NASCAR Overtime Attempt at Daytona

Finish: 14th
Start: 14th
Points: 6th

“That one really hurts, we were so close to getting our second win at Daytona this season. We had a really fast United Rentals Chevrolet but it was an up and down day to start. We started 14th because qualifying was canceled and then we had an early incident on pit road that gave us some damage and we had to pit a second time for repairs. That set us back but we were able to make up some ground and make it to the next caution for more repairs. My spotter, Derek Kneeland, helped me navigate through a lot of cautions and we were in the right place at the end. I felt pretty confident during the first two NASCAR Overtime attempts. Unfortunately, during the final attempt, we suffered an electrical issue and I couldn’t keep my lead. Really tough ending to our day but this team never gives up and has worked really hard to bring strong racecars. We’ll regroup and focus on winning at Darlington.” -Austin Hill

Toyota Racing NXS Post-Race Recap — Daytona 8.26.22

By
Official Release
-

CRASH-FILLED DAYTONA RACE ELIMINATES GR SUPRAS FROM CONTENTION
Ty Gibbs Manages Top-10 Finish Following Three Overtime Attempts

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 26, 2022) – In the final laps of the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race at Daytona International Speedway, the GR Supras of Ty Gibbs and Brandon Jones were swept up in late-race accidents removing them from possible race wins. Ultimately, Gibbs would finish seventh and Jones 20th, while fellow Toyota drivers of John Hunter Nemechek (35th) and Sammy Smith (38th) were involved in accidents earlier in the race.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Daytona International Speedway
Race 23 of 33 – 250 miles, 100 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Jeremy Clements*
2nd, Timmy Hill*
3rd, AJ Allmendinger*
4th, Brandon Brown*
5th, Sage Karam*
7th, TY GIBBS
20th, BRANDON JONES
35th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
38th, SAMMY SMITH
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 26 Freedom 13 Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 35th

What happened that took you out of the race?

“I’m not quite sure. All of the sudden I was looking at the inside wall. I haven’t seen a replay, but think I got hooked in the left-rear. Not sure if somebody came off the wall and out of line, but I got hooked and spun. I hate it for Sam Hunt and everyone on this whole team. They brought a decent car tonight. Thank you to Toyota and the Freedom 13 Foundation. It was an honor to carry those 13 lives with us one year to the day.”

SAMMY SMITH, No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 38th

What happened that took you out of the race?

“I was fighting really free from the start of the race. Just when I was trying and got up to people, I got really free and then I felt like I just made a mistake coming off turn four.”

How much did it impact you to not have any practice or qualifying today?

“I’m sure it’s a lot and its tough to come out here and do this, but it’s part of the circumstances. I should have been maybe a little smarter or a little more patient to help myself a little bit.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 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 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 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 the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Do Exhaust Tips Change Sound (2022): All You Need to Know

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SM
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Photo by Matt Boitor on Unsplash

While the job of exhaust in your car is extended to enhance engine performance, drive away the fumes from passengers, and improve engine performance, Do Exhaust tips change the sound? Well! Exhaust tips are only cosmetics. However, specific types of exhaust tips like turndown or oversized exhaust tips may slightly impact engine performance, but this isn’t very important.

An exhaust tip with a resonator can make a difference in the sound.

According to Fundamentals of Automotive Technology, while exhaust tips’ main job is to remove exhaust gases, some aftermarket exhaust tips that come with a built-in resonator can significantly make a difference to the sound. Cleaning exhaust tips can also help with changing the sound. 

So, in this article, let’s find out why people invest in exhaust tips and can any exhaust tip can affect your vehicle’s sound. 

How Exhaust Tips with Resonator Make the Difference?

The main job of the resonator is to ease the muffler’s task. In addition to a muffler, a resonator is responsible for removing high-pitching noises at a particular frequency. But it does not affect the volume. It only helps with smoother exhaust notes. 

Resonator also improves the power and performance of your engine but restricts the exhaust gas flow. 

If you have opted for resonator delete from the exhaust, then using an exhaust tip with a resonator can help control the car’s obnoxious exhaust sound. 

Why Do People Opt for Resonator Delete?

The main job of resonator delete is to make the car’s exhaust sound loud. Deleting the resonator or replacing it with a pipe helps improve your car’s power production. It also helps with more efficiency, higher vehicle performance and fuel mileage. 

Here are some benefits of resonator delete:

1. Makes Your Vehicle Lighter

Once you remove the resonator, the overall weight of your car reduces. It, in turn, increases the towing capacity of your vehicle, resulting in better fuel efficiency. 

2. Gives a Louder Tone to Engine

If you are obsessed with the obnoxiously loud sound of your car, that can only be possible with a resonator delete. Your car truly sounds like a muscle car.

3. Increase the Horsepower and Torque

The presence of a resonator restricts the exhaust gas flow and thus robs some torque and horsepower. Resonator delete helps gain back that horsepower and torque, inducing the exhaust system’s power and performance. 

If you’re not sure about a vehicle’s horsepower or torque, you can find this information using just the VIN on Full Car Checks. For UK-registered vehicles, you can simply enter the registration number to view these details along with a full vehicle history check.

Does the Diameter of Exhaust Tips Make Any Difference?

Yes, the diameter of exhaust tips makes a significant amount of difference. Wider the exhaust tip, the higher the throaty sound your car will produce. A wider exhaust tip allows more fumes to exit and thus helps the engine to make a full sound. 

Hence the restrictive exhaust becomes louder with the larger piping. If your car does not have any restrictive exhaust. The larger diameter helps deepen the tone. 

An exhaust tip with a diameter between 1.5 to 4 inches can create a decent amount of difference in sound.

On the other hand, the small tips help with a more raspy sound. For softer sound, intercooler tips are highly preferred. These are the exhaust tips with cut holes over its body. I also appreciate the stylish looks of your vehicle.

Single Wall Vs. Double Wall: Which Exhaust Tip is Better?

A single wall exhaust tip comes with one piece of metal rounded for tips with a thinner look and cut at each end. The double wall tip has a smooth finish as another metal layer wraps over it. It is more expensive but adds a vibrant look to your car. 

Coming to performance, both of these exhaust tips are identical. Although few people claim that the double-walled exhaust tips may have a fuller sound than the single wall, there is no conclusive evidence. 

Way to Change Exhaust Sound

If you focus on changing the exhaust sound, changing the exhaust tip with an aftermarket dual-walled or flared tip may increase the sound output. Consider employing the resonated tips lined with a sound dampening or fiberglass material to reduce the sound output. 

Pro Tip: Roush F-150 Cat-Back Exhaust is the top Sounding Exhaust for F150

Here are some other proven ways to improve the exhaust sound:

Installing a Resonator instead of the catalytic converter

A resonator is responsible for bouncing off the sound waves in chamber walls resulting in the dampening effect of exhaust presence. The net exhaust volume will increase if you replace the catalytic converter with a resonator. Catalytic converter dampens the exhaust sound; thus, removing catalytic converter in many states is not legal. 

Replacing the Muffler

The most critical factor that regulates the exhaust sound is the muffler. It allows all exhaust gases to vent off with little obstruction, producing some audible exhaust presence. Mufflers with multiple chambers allow dampening, leading to mellow sound production. It is because each cylinder fires separately; thus, each one partially balances or cancels out the sound produced by the other. 

Mufflers are responsible for forcing exhaust gases by restricting them. Choose mufflers with linings that can absorb the sound waves leading to dampening sound output.  

Installing Cross Pipes

For dual exhaust systems without any intermingling of gases, using a cross pipe can help. As the pipe allows the intermingling of gases from one exhaust to another, the overall gas production by exhaust at intermittent rates allows the mellowing of total sound. You may choose the cross pipes, y-pipes, X-pipe, or H-pipe options. 

Using Straight Exhaust

A straight exhaust system allows all the gases to pass through the engine to its exhaust tail without any obstruction. Thus these designs reduce the obstruction to sound waves leading to a throaty, growl sound.

Toyota NCS Daytona Quotes — Martin Truex Jr. 8.26.22

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Official Release
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Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 26, 2022) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to media prior to the Daytona International Speedway race this Saturday:

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

What are your thoughts on having a chance to race into the Playoffs tomorrow night?

“Well, yeah, first off, I mean, obviously, we’re all thinking about Kurt (Busch) and wishing him the best and hopefully, he gets better and he can come back and do what he loves to do. He’s been a good teammate this year. First time I’ve worked with him and you know, Toyota that’s been fun. So wish him the best and yeah, for us, we’re not in until it’s over tomorrow night. I don’t really have any feelings either way. We’re here to race and excited and two scenarios, one we get in on points, or we win the race. That will be optimum because of the points situations. But yeah, we’ll see. You know, we just kind of how it all plays out and we can make our own way in there.”

Did you talk to anyone about the possibility of having a chance now to race into the Playoffs?

“I hadn’t talked to anybody about anything. I heard the news just like everybody else. So yeah, I don’t know. I don’t really know what went into the process and for Kurt not being in the Playoffs. He probably didn’t feel right taking the spot. I don’t know that would be different if it was anybody else in that 16th position. I really don’t know. We didn’t have those conversations. So yeah. That’s all I know. But yeah, it’s a good opportunity for us and you know, obviously it’s not been the season we’ve wanted. It would have been nice to be locked in. You never want to come here to Daytona and not be locked in and having to make something happen. So that’s why, you know, we’ll just go race tomorrow night, see what happens and really not thinking about it either way, to be honest with you.”

How do you approach the race tomorrow night with the points gap to Ryan Blaney?

“I think we need to go race and try to stay at the front and try to get stage points. You know, like I said, best case scenario for us would be to go out and win because you know, the owner’s championship points side of things. You know, what, you have to fall back on that last spot. We won’t be in on owner’s points. So it’s not really what you hope to accomplish, right. So we’ll just say like I said, I mean, I think we had a really strong car here in February. Led a ton of laps won two stages. Then we got kind of banged up and then finished kind of tore up so you didn’t have the speed at the end of the race. But I had a really strong day going and Talladega went good as well. So I feel like our car is really fast here. And hopefully we can take advantage of that. Would be a fun way to win one here with everything on the line.”

Does Drew Herring approach spotting with this car at this track differently?

“We haven’t talked specifically about tomorrow night yet. I’m sure we will. Probably tomorrow but or tonight but I think for us it’s kind of just been an evolution process of working together at these types of race tracks and trying to just get better at and working together and you know, kind of just feeling things come quicker and be more aggressive and you know, me not checking my mirror when he says to move. That’s takes a little while, you know, the first couple times you’re like, ‘Yeah, but I’ll check. I know, it’s close, you know?’ And then you get to where you just get more comfortable and you trust that guy. So I feel like we’ve made some really good gaines on the on the speedway’s and this year has been pretty good for us. So hopefully we can continue to, to work on that and get better as the night goes on tomorrow night and be in position to take advantage of it at the end.”

If you do advance into the Playoffs, do you feel confident heading into Darlington?

“I do yeah, we had a strong run there back earlier in the year. We got in some trouble late. Like we ran top five around the top five most of the day. We need to be a little better there than we were the last time. I feel good about it. And I feel like we’ll have a good shot at going there and running well.”

Is it possible for this race to become even more of a wild card?

“You never know what to expect here but you know it’s going to be wild and crazy and there will be a lot of crashes. Rain in the area. Who knows when it could end. Does it even go the full distance? Weather tomorrow looks about like today. So you know, they brought the last regular season race here for a reason. Right? Drama and craziness and that’s what we’re going to see. So that’s why you know, for me, I’m just like, we’re just going to go out there and race and try to put our best race out there and hope that we can get it done, but I don’t have feelings either way, right now, whether we’re going to make it or we’re not. We’re going to go a race and see how it all unfolds. And there’s a lot of things that can happen and we’ll just see what happens and take it from there.”

Could you envision a scenario where you help Ryan Blaney win to ensure you get in on points?

“If he (Ryan Blaney) ended up in front of me at the end, and I wouldn’t have a problem pushing him. I’m not going to push a guy that hasn’t won yet. So I mean, yeah, obviously, I’m going to do what I feel like is the best opportunity for me to win or be in position to win so that would probably be the best scenario. Push Blaney into the lead and pass him coming to the checkers.”

Do you still have a love, hate relationship with Daytona or are you feeling more optimistic?

“I’d say I’m pretty optimistic. You know what we did in February, we can continue that and but yeah, I mean, just you have to stay out of the accidents, right? Because I mean, that’s the hardest thing to do here is you never know where they’re going to happen. You can be running second or third. You can be running 30th and trying to stay out of the mess so in February we led a bunch, like I mentioned, had a little trouble on pit road went back mid pack and coming back through and there’s a crash so you just never know when or where it’s going to happen. But yeah, I mean, as far as our speed goes and the things we’ve been working on between Drew (Herring, spotter) and I and James (Small, crew chief) just feel more confident. This year, I think with this car in general has run well for us and we’re feeling pretty good.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 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 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 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 the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

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