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JR Motorsports — NXS Daytona Preview

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Official Release
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JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
TRACK: Daytona International Speedway
RACE: Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 (120 laps / 300 miles)
DATE: Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021

Broadcast Information – TV: 5 p.m. ET on FS1 / Radio: 4:30 p.m. ET on MRN and Sirius XM Ch. 90

Michael Annett
No. 1 Pilot Flying J / American Heart Association
• Michael Annett returns to Daytona International Speedway with a new crew chief, as Mike Bumgarner will be atop the pit box for the 2021 season.
• On Saturday, Annett’s No. 1 Pilot Flying J/American Heart Association Chevrolet Camaro will carry a special paint scheme in honor of American Heart Month. Sponsor Pilot Flying J is supporting the AHA’s “Life Is Why™” awareness campaign.
• Daytona is the site of Annett’s first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, having earned the win in this event in 2019.
• In 2020, Annett posted a career-high 22 top-10 finishes in 33 races on the way to making the NXS Playoffs.

Josh Berry
No. 8 FilterTime Chevrolet
• Josh Berry makes his NXS return in the No. 8 FilterTime Chevrolet for JRM this weekend in Daytona.
• In seven career starts in the NXS, including five for JRM, Berry has earned two top 10s and a best finish of seventh.
• Berry is also the defending NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Touring Series National Champion, having won an astounding 27 Late Model races en route to the championship.
• Ahead of Daytona, new customers who sign up for FilterTime’s subscription-based custom air-filter service can get 20 percent off their first order by using the discount code JRM when visiting FilterTime.com/JRM.

Noah Gragson
No. 9 Bass Pro Shops / TrueTimber / Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet
• Noah Gragson returns to Daytona as the defending winner of the season-opening event, a victory which was his first career NXS win and secured a berth in the 2020 Playoffs.
• At tracks that are 2 miles or larger, Gragson has an average finish of 11.2, including one win, five top fives, seven top 10s and 68 laps led.
• Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/Black Rifle Coffee return as coprimary partners for the No. 9 in all 33 NXS events in 2021.
• Gragson will also attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 in the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Camaro ZL1 1LE. The 22- year-old will battle for one of four open positions for unchartered teams.

Justin Allgaier
No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
• Veteran driver Justin Allgaier returns for his sixth season with JRM in the No. 7 BRANDT Camaro.
• In 20 NXS starts at Daytona, the Illinois native has four top fives and eight top 10s. He’s twice finished in the runnerup position, most recently in the 2019 season opener behind teammate Michael Annett.
• Last year in this event, Allgaier won the second stage and led 23 laps on the day, but was ultimately caught up in a multi-car incident that ended his day just shy of the finish.
• In 31 career NXS starts on restrictor-plate tracks, the 34- year-old driver has seven top fives, 14 top 10s and has led a total of 133 laps.

Driver Quotes

“I’m really excited to get to Daytona and get 2021 off on the right foot. We have a new crew chief in Mike Bumgarner, and he’s a great guy to have on the pit box. My engineers (Kevin Walter and Eric Long) are the same, and they know what I like in the car. We finished off 2020 with a strong run (fourth at Phoenix Raceway) and we’ve got a good car for this weekend. JRM is always strong at Daytona, and we get to the front and help each other when we can. It’s fun when you know you have a shot at it every time you come to Daytona.” – Michael Annett

“Daytona is one of those places where you can have a strong car and have great pit stops and strategy, but end up being in the wrong place at the wrong time and it ruins your day. That happened to our BRANDT Professional Agriculture team last year. We led a lot of laps and won a stage, but got caught up in a wreck and didn’t make it to the end of the race. This year, I’m hoping our luck is different and we can get this season started off strong. Our teammates have been fortunate enough to win this event in the past and this weekend we’re going to give it all we’ve got to make it our turn to end up in Victory Lane.” – Justin Allgaier

“I’m really looking forward to getting to Daytona this weekend with our FilterTime Chevrolet and I can’t thank everyone at JR Motorsports enough for this opportunity. Getting to compete here at the next level is something that means a lot to me and hopefully we can carry over that same success we’ve had in the Late Models and come away with a strong finish. I can’t wait to get down there and see what we can do.” – Josh Berry

“We are riding a lot of momentum through the offseason as we head into Daytona after our run through the playoffs last year and we are returning with the same crew. I am really looking forward to getting back to the site of my first Xfinity Series win and I know we can do it again with a similar strategy as last year. I’m going to go out, be aggressive and we will be there at the end contending for the win.” – Noah Gragson

JRM Team Updates
• JRM at Daytona: In 84 NXS starts at Daytona International Speedway, JR Motorsports has scored seven wins (an organizational best), 24 top fives and 37 top 10s. The organization is not only the defending race winner with Noah Gragson, taking the checkered flag out of the gate last year, but JRM has also driven into Victory Lane at Daytona once every season for the last five years, including in the last three season-opening events with drivers Tyler Reddick and Michael Annett accompanying Gragson.
• What’s inside your fridge?: Hellmann’s is trying to tackle the challenge of food waste in a new commercial starring comedian Amy Schumer that debuted during last week’s Super Bowl. Guess what’s inside your fridge? Endless possibilities. Schumer is here to help Hellmann’s end food waste by opening America’s pantries and making snack magic – sad solitary ingredients will now join a delicious, creamy group hug. Ready to explore your kitchen?
• Valentine’s Day with Black Rifle Coffee: Flowers and chocolates are nice, but what better way to show your love this Valentine’s Day than by sharing a cup of Black Rifle Coffee in the morning? Click here and show your love with Black Rifle Coffee and get 20 percent off Valentine’s Day gifting bundles.
• Celebrating American Heart Month: The No. 1 Chevrolet is running a special paint scheme this week and at both the road course at Daytona and Homestead-Miami Speedway in honor of American Heart Month. Pilot Flying J is proud to support the American Heart Association’s “Life is Why™” campaign. To find nearby locations to donate, download the Pilot Flying J app and to learn more about the “Life Is Why™” campaign.

GMS Racing – Jack Wood – ARCA Daytona Preview

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Official Release
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Jack Wood, No. 21 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet
Daytona International Speedway Stats
– No prior starts at Daytona International Speedway

2020 Stats – ARCA Menards Series West
– Starts: 8, Top 5s: 1, Top 10s: 6

Notes:

– Jack Wood joins GMS Racing for the 2021 season. Wood will make his first start at Daytona International Speedway and his first start in the ARCA Menards Series.

– Wood previously competed part-time for a family-run team in the ARCA West Series and earned one top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 14 starts throughout the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

– Wood made his first start with GMS on Monday at New Smyrna Speedway where he qualified fourth, but a cut left rear tire ended his night early, relegating him to a 13th-place finish.

Quote:

“It’s exciting to go to a track with so much history. It’s definitely a dream come true to race at Daytona. the GMS crew has done a great job of giving me a car that’s capable of competing for wins. We will have to keep our eyes up during the race and hope we can be there at the end.”

ABOUT GMS RACING

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Sheldon Creed, Zane Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Chase Purdy and Raphael Lessard. The team also competes in the ARCA Racing Series with Jack Wood. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 and 2020 Camping World Trucks Championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championship and 2020 Sioux Chief Showdown Championship. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://www.gmsracing.net/

SOCIAL MEDIA

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow GMS Racing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

JASON WHITE RACING BACK TO DAYTONA

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Official Release
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Photo Credit: Rubbings Racing-Corey Grapevine

February 10, 2020. Sun Peaks, BC racer Jason White has worked long and hard to be able to get back racing in 2021. While adhering to strict Covid-19 safety protocols Jason is set to resume his quest for success at Daytona International Speedway. This year he will compete in three events in the coming weeks, the first two races in the Camping World Truck Series, the season opener on the famed oval and a week later on the road course. White will also contest the ARCA series events during Speedweeks.

With a couple of previous races experience White believes this year presents his greatest opportunity for success. “Having connected with Reaume Brothers racing a couple of years ago for the event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) and run a few races here I am so much better prepared” explained White. “Understanding how the aerodynamics work, how to use the draft, having a base of knowledge now I feel really good about our chances” he stated.

The top-flight equipment he’ll be driving also has White feeling confident. “The Reaume Brothers Racing #33 Powder Ventures/YOURGMCTruckstore.com truck I’ll be running has been completely rebuilt, front to back, top to bottom. I spent some time in the shop seeing the work that’s gone into preparing it for Daytona and I’m super pumped”.

“And the #10 Powder Ventures/YourGMCTruckstore.com ARCA car is a brand-new Superspeedway car that Andy Hillenburg and his group built during the off season” said White. “They’ve taken all that they’ve learned and applied it to this new car and we’re pretty anxious to get out on track to see what we can do” he added.

Jason White is excited to be back on track at the high banks of Daytona and also looking forward to the road course event the following week. “We ran top-ten in both the Speedway races last year, finished sixth in the ARCA race. With all the work that’s gone into both programs, we should be able to take another step” stated the driver.

“Having started with Reaume Brothers Racing at the road course at CTMP, we feel that we have a understanding of what kind of set up we’ll need and believe that we can have some success”

“I also have to thank Rob Zimmer and Zimmer Group at YourGMCTruckstore.com for their help and returning with us this year to make the Daytona triple possible” added White.

Schedule
Truck Series Oval, Feb 11, Practice 5:35-6:35PM. Feb 12, Qualifying 3:10PM, Race, 7:30PM Stages 20/40/100 laps = 250 miles
ARCA Series, Feb 12, Practice 1-2PM. Feb 13, Qualifying 8:30AM, Race 1:45PM (80 laps)

Truck Series Road Course, Race, Feb 19, 7:30PM Stages 12/25/44 laps
To keep up with the latest news about Jason White and the team follow Jason on twitter @racinjasonwhite and on his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RacinJasonWhite

It’s Busch in the Busch Clash! Kyle Wins on DAYTONA Road Course After Elliott, Blaney Collide Coming to Checkered Flag

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Official Release
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NASCAR Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2021) – Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch may carry the nickname “Rowdy” but it was a couple of his competitors acting that way that allowed him to move into the lead out of the final turn and earn his second career Busch Clash victory Tuesday night.

Busch’s No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led only the length of a football field en route to the checkered flag – the only time he was out front all night at the exciting 14-turn Daytona International Speedway Road Course. But it was enough – earning the former champion his first victory with new crew chief, Ben Beshore, in the annual non-points exhibition that kicks off Daytona Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth.

Race runner-up Chase Elliott had been fighting with then-race leader Ryan Blaney for the lead as the cars went into the final sequence of turns – called the bus stop. They collided. Blaney’s pole-sitting No. 12 Ford hit the wall. Elliott was able to recover enough to head to the finish line but Busch had already gotten around them both to take a .765-second victory.

Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and William Byron rounded out the top five. Denny Hamlin, who led a race best 21 of the 35 laps, finished sixth, unable to make his way back to the front after a late race pit stop. Alex Bowman, Erik Jones, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Matt DiBenedetto rounded out the top 10.

“I kinda felt like there was an interesting opportunity that was developing there,” Busch said of the Blaney-Elliott situation, adding “When that started happening I was hoping they would wreck long enough I could get up there and get by them and win the thing. It’s never over until it’s over in these kind of things.”

Both Elliott, who won the last four NASCAR Cup Series road course events, and Blaney spoke about “going for the win” on that final series of turns. They are close friends off track and said that won’t change despite the competitive run for Tuesday’s trophy.

They had a conversation on pit road after climbing out of their cars and then came to the infield media center at the same time as well for post-race interviews.

Blaney said he was surprised Elliott was able to even make the race as close as it was, considering Blaney’s Ford had fresher tires.

“I hate it happened too, it didn’t work out for either of us,” said Blaney, who started from the pole position and ultimately ended up 13th. “We were just racing hard and I had a little bit fresher tires there. We saved a set [of tires] and got back to second there. His car was really good, I had to use up a lot to get to him. I tried to protect and drove into that last corner really deep to make sure I didn’t get dive-bombed like that. But we just came together.”

“Of course he didn’t mean to wreck me, but I ended up wrecked,” Blaney said later, in the post-race media conference. “I told him if you’re going to make a move like that, at least win the race.”

Elliott, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion, was apologetic for the hard contact – especially because it cost them both a victory. But he said he would do it again to win a race.

“Neither one of us won, that’s the big one,” Elliott said. “I was close enough to drive it in there. I feel like I’d be mad at myself for not at least trying. Obviously, I don’t mean to wreck anybody, especially him – some guys I wouldn’t mind, but he’s not one of them. Hopefully he’s not too mad at me. I feel like you have to go for it in an event like this.

“I can’t be sorry about going for the win, but certainly didn’t mean to wreck him.”

Speedweeks continues Tuesday evening with DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented By Kroger at 7:00 p.m., which can be seen on FS1 and heard on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Tickets for Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth events, excluding the DAYTONA 500, are still available as children 12 and under are FREE in the 100 level seating and $10 in all other reserved seating. Tickets start at $49 for adults for Thursday’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel At DAYTONA, Friday’s Nextera Energy 250 and Saturday’s doubleheader featuring the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. ® 300 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire for the ARCA Menards Series.

For information and a complete schedule of all racing events as part of Speedweeks, log onto www.DAYTONA500.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP. Tickets are also available for the track’s tripleheader weekend on the DAYTONA Road course (Feb. 19-21), featuring NASCAR’s top three national series.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest speedway news.

About 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.

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – The Clash

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Official Release
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Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
Track: Daytona Road Course
Race: Clash at Daytona Road Course
Date: February 9, 2020
____________________________________

No. 2 MoneyLion Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 4th
Finish: 17th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 35/35
Laps Led: 1
Point Standings (behind first): N/A

Notes:

Brad Keselowski’s chances to win the Clash at Daytona were derailed when he spun in the bus stop with three laps to go. The driver of the MoneyLion Ford Mustang recovered and was credited with an 17th-place finish.

Keselowski started fourth and was running sixth at the time of the first caution on lap 8. He pitted for four tires on lap 9 during the first caution. He restarted eighth when the race went green on lap 10. He grabbed the lead on lap 12 before settling into third-place at the time of the competition caution on lap 17. Keselowski said the balance on the MoneyLion Ford was free everywhere and crew chief Jeremy Bullins made the call pit during the yellow for four tires and a wedge adjustment. He restarted fourth when the race went green on lap 18.

Keselowski stayed in the top-five during the next green flag run. He was fourth when the third caution slowed the pace on lap 23. Bullins chose not to pit during the yellow. Keselowski was shuffled back to seventh on restart and was running eighth at the time of the fourth and final caution on lap 29. This time Keselowski pitted for four tires and adjustments and lined up eleventh when the race went green on lap 30.

On lap 32 Keselowski’s chances for a good finish evaporated. The driver of the No. 2 Ford Mustang was running eighth when he spun in the bus stop after trying a different approach to the corner. He recovered and was credited with a 17th-place finish in the final rundown.

Quotes: “Not the finish we wanted tonight in our MoneyLion Ford. I tried something a little different in the bus stop and it didn’t work. We’ll learn from it and get ready for the Daytona 500.”

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No. 12 Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 1st
Finish: 13th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 35/35
Laps Led: 4

Ryan Blaney came up one corner short of winning the Clash at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday night. The driver of the Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford Mustang took the lead with two laps to go, but unfortunately was spun in the final corner of the last lap relegating him to a 13th-place finish.

Qualifying was set per a blind-draw with crew chief Todd Gordon picking the pole position for the 35-lap event, which was held on the road-course for the first time in the race’s history. Blaney would settle into the second place in the opening laps behind Denny Hamlin. The event’s first caution would waive on lap 9 for debris and Gordon would opt to keep Blaney on-track.

Blaney would lead on the restart on lap 11 when he ran wide going into turn 1. He would fall as low as 18th but would come to pit road on lap 15 for routine service. The subsequent competition caution would allow Blaney to regain his track position. He would take the lead back on lap 27 and would make his final stop of the night on lap 29.
Restarting inside the top-five with less than five laps to go, Blaney would charge to the lead with two laps to go. Unfortunately coming the final corner Blaney and Elliott would make contact sending the Menards Ford into the outside wall relegating him to a 13th-place finish.

Quote: “We were just racing hard and I had a little bit fresher tires there. We saved a set and got back to second there and his car was good. I had to use up a lot to get to him (Chase Elliott) and I kind of tried to protect and I drove into the last corner deep to try to make sure I didn’t get dive bombed like that, but we just came together there. I appreciate the Penske boys and what they do. I missed Turn 1 over there leading earlier and they were able to recover from that. Thanks to Great Lakes Flooring and Menards and Ford. I think we learned something for next week. I’m excited to get the 500 going this weekend.”

_______________________________________________

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang
Start: 10th
Finish: 3rd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 35/35
Laps Led: 0

Joey Logano started 10th and finished third in a wild Busch Clash on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course Tuesday night, rallying back from early damage and a mid-race pit road penalty to bring home the top-five result in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Logano spent time inside the top-five and at the back of the pack during the action filled event, narrowly missing a late race spin by the two race leaders to bring home the podium result.
After starting 10th, Logano ran as high as the seventh position before pitting on lap 6 for overheating due to mud packing the grill, the driver of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Mustang also took significant left front damage on the opening lap of the race when he was pinched into the curbing on the front chicane. The team would pit again to work on repairs under a lap 9 caution flag.

The Shell-Pennzoil team elected to pit on lap 14, just prior to the lap 17 competition caution, taking four tires and make a significant trackbar adjustment. The team would also return to pit road to take fuel only during the competition caution, a strategic move that moved Logano up to sixth position for restart.

After restarting sixth, Logano moved to third on lap 18, chasing race leader Denny Hamlin and teammate Ryan Blaney. Unfortunately, with 12 laps remaining, Logano was assessed a penalty for improperly entering pit road as another competitor elected to pit late, stacking the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang two wide. Logano had worked his way back to the 10th position before a caution was displayed with eight laps remaining.

Logano would rally through the closing laps, ultimately finishing in the third position after the two race leaders tangled on the last lap in the final corner.

Quote: “Perseverance, just keep fighting. It’s a small field so you can always come back. All of the cars ran off the road in the bus stop and got my grille packed full of mud. It’s not even grass back there, it’s just mud so I felt like I was dirt racing again. We got close. I just ran out of tires there at the end and tires ended up passing us.”

Buescher’s Rally Halted by Late Incident in Daytona Clash

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Official Release
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2021) – Chris Buescher drove all the way up to fourth with just a handful of laps remaining in Tuesday night’s Busch Clash race, but his promising run was cut short when he was collected by an incident in the final turns of Daytona’s road course. With damage to his Fastenal Ford Mustang, Buescher was forced to settled for a 17th-place finish in the chaotic exhibition event.

Buescher rolled off the grid in 13th after Monday night’s random draw. With a competition caution set for lap 15, pit strategy came into play when the No. 17 team elected to stay out with an early caution at lap eight. Buescher restarted fifth at lap 10, reporting the No. 17 machine needed more left turn.

When the competition caution waved at lap 15, the driver visited pit road for four tires, fuel, air pressure change and a track bar adjustment. Buescher took advantage of the changes and powered his Mustang up to the eight position in just two laps. Another caution flag waved at lap 22 and Buescher received fresh tires under yellow. Despite reports of some slight left front damage, he maintained track position up until a caution with eight laps to go in the race.

Pit strategy came into play once again during the caution, as the team chose not to pit for service. Buescher restarted ninth and quickly worked his way up to fourth with four laps to go. Just as he was about to finish the last corner of the 31st lap a competitor car got into the back of the driver, spinning him into the wall. Buescher ultimately took the checkered flag 17th.

Daytona Speedweeks continues Thursday with the Duels, which will officially set the field for the Daytona 500. Coverage begins on February 11th, at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Newman Finishes 14th in Clash Event

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Official Release
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 9, 2021) – NASCAR’s season kickoff race looked a little different this year, as the Daytona Road Course played host to the annual Clash event for the first time on Tuesday night. The new format saw a chaotic race from start to finish, with Ryan Newman driving the Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang to a 14th-place finish.

Historically the exhibition event has been held on the oval at Daytona, but NASCAR elected to move the event to the road course in 2021 as a preview of several new road course events on the schedule.

Newman rolled off 11th for the 35-lap event, and worked on the feel of his Ford Mustang early. At the competition caution at lap 15 he maintained his position in 11th, and a quick stop by his crew moved him up to eighth after the first yellow. Just a lap later though, he was tagged on corner exit of one of the many turns on the road course, relegating him nearly to the tail end of the field.

From there, Newman and the Guaranteed Rate team continued working on the handling on the No. 6 and battled back inside the top 15 to finish 14th.

The Daytona focus now shifts to Wednesday night, where Daytona 500 qualifying takes place at 7:30 p.m. ET. The single-car session will set the front row for Sunday’s Daytona 500, while the remainder of the field will set the lineup for Thursday’s Duels, which are set for 7 p.m. on FS1.

RCR Post Race Report – Busch Clash

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Official Release
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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team Show Speed and Tenacity in Busch Clash Exhibition Race

Finish: 11th
Start: 19th
Points: N/A

“We learned some things tonight in the No.3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. We used the beginning of the race to work on picking up overall speed. We got into our groove and it was good to race up front and battle in the top-five. It was wild out there tonight. The whole exit to the chicane was filled with dirt from cars going off course and sliding around the track. On that last restart we all went three-wide and I got punted and shut out. We ended up finishing 11th, but we definitely learned a lot that we can use next week when we race on the road course again. We’ve come a long way from where we were a year ago.” -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 I Am Second Team Lead Laps and Finish Fourth in First Clash Start

Finish: 4th
Start: 6th
Points: N/A

“Tonight was all about shaking the rust off and learning as much as we could in our No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for next week’s race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. We had a fast car tonight, and I learned a lot about what I need. It was great to lead laps and be up front, but there is definitely still work to be done. Pit road was one of the most challenging parts of the NASCAR Cup Series last year, and I’m still working hard to be better at it this year. We were also a touch tight all around, but we’ll regroup and see what we can change before we return. Overall, it was a good night for us. I had fun, and I think we learned some valuable things for the points-paying Daytona Road Course race in a week.” -Tyler Reddick

CHEVY NCS AT DAYTONA: Busch Clash Post-Race Notes and Quotes

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
BUSCH CLASH AT DAYTONA
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
FEBRUARY 9, 2021

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
2nd CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1 1LE
4th TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 I AM SECOND CAMARO ZL1 1LE
5th WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE
7th ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
8th ERIK JONES, NO. 43 RP FUNDING CAMARO ZL1 1LE

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Kyle Busch (Toyota)
2nd Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
3rd Joey Logano (Ford)
4th Tyler Reddick (Chevrolet)
5th William Byron (Chevrolet)

The NASCAR Cup Series season officially kicks off this weekend at Daytona International Speedway with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 14, at 2:30 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES:

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 LLUMAR CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 2nd
YOU LED FOUR LAPS TONIGHT AND CAME FROM THE BACK. IT WAS A FUN SHOW. WE KNOW YOU AND RYAN BLANEY ARE GOOD BUDDIES, BUT HE’S GOT THE WRECKED RACE CAR. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT TOGETHER?
“Yeah, and neither one of us won. That’s the big one. I was close enough to drive it in there and I feel like I’d be mad at myself for not at least trying. Obviously, I don’t mean to wreck anybody, especially him. Some guys I wouldn’t mind. But he’s not one of them. Hopefully he’s not too mad at me. I feel like you’ve got to go for it here in an event like this in any situation. I can’t be sorry about going for the win, but I certainly didn’t mean to wreck him. I drove in there and, just that corner gets so tight and I didn’t want to just completely jump the curb to the right. But I feel like I tried to get over there as far as I could. And at that point we were coming together at the same time. I hate it. We had a fast Llumar Chevrolet in a position to have a shot at it. We’ll try again on Sunday.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 I AM SECOND CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 4th
“Tonight was all about shaking the rust off and learning as much as we could in our No. 8 I Am Second Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for next week’s race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. We had a fast car tonight, and I learned a lot about what I need. It was great to lead laps and be up front, but there is definitely still work to be done. Pit road was one of the most challenging parts of the NASCAR Cup Series last year, and I’m still working hard to be better at it this year. We were also a touch tight all around, but we’ll regroup and see what we can change before we return. Overall, it was a good night for us. I had fun, and I think we learned some valuable things for the points-paying Daytona Road Course race in a week.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 5th
“We had an eventful night for sure. We had the pit stop issue that we had to fight back from and were still able to finish fifth. Good job to the team to be able to rally. Rudy (Fugle) made awesome adjustments to make us better. We started off the race surprisingly kind of off and we were able to work on it and make it better. To finish fifth overall is good. We know what we need to work on for when we get back here in a couple weeks.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 7th
“I really think we could have been in contention to win tonight. Those speeding penalties on pit road hurt us a little but this Ally team really helped make adjustments and get the car back toward the front. Even after those penalties, we were still in contention to be up front. We learned a lot that we can bring back for next weekend’s road course race. Now it’s time to get focused on the oval and qualifying tomorrow night.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 11th
“We learned some things tonight in the No.3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. We used the beginning of the race to work on picking up overall speed. We got into our groove and it was good to race up front and battle in the top-five. It was wild out there tonight. The whole exit to the chicane was filled with dirt from cars going off course and sliding around the track. On that last restart we all went three-wide and I got punted and shut out. We ended up finishing 11th, but we definitely learned a lot that we can use next week when we race on the road course again. We’ve come a long way from where we were a year ago.”

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 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. 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 www.chevrolet.com.

Toyota Racing NCS Post-Race Recap — Daytona Clash 2.9.21

By
Official Release
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BUSCH STARTS SEASON WITH CLASH WIN
Camry drives to victory in the Clash for the second straight season

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 9, 2021) – Kyle Busch earns his second Clash win at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday evening with a last lap pass. Busch only led the final lap to score the second consecutive Clash win for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR).

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series
Daytona International Speedway Road Course
126.35 miles, 35 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, KYLE BUSCH
2nd, Chase Elliott*
3rd, Joey Logano*
4th, Tyler Reddick*
5th, William Bryon*
6th, DENNY HAMLIN
18th, TY DILLON
21st, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 1st

What did you think when you saw what happened on the last corner there?

“I knew to keep my head down and keep focus ahead and see if I could keep hitting my marks to get close enough to have a shot like that – if something like that were to materialize. Fortunately it did for us. I can’t say enough about Ben Beshore (crew chief) and this whole M&M’s team – this new M&M’s team. I appreciate what they do for me, everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota, TRD. It’s awesome to start off the year with a win a non-points win, but I would love nothing more than to be right here this Sunday.”

First race with Ben Beshore as your Cup crew chief. It seems like a pretty good start there.

“Not too bad. I’ve been through a couple crew chiefs, and it always seems to go well for a little while and then it kind of fizzles out. It is what it is in the sport of racing, but we had a great car here tonight. We worked a lot of time over the wintertime focusing on what we could do for this race to know we needed to get better for race number two in two weeks.”

How would you describe the last set of turns?

“I didn’t know how it was going to play out or what was going to happen there, but I saw those guys go in there two-wide and I was like, I don’t know if they’re going to come out two-wide. Certainly, it was a tough battle between those two. They were really good. The 9 (Chase Elliott) was fast, I don’t know if he was the class of the field, but the 12 (Ryan Blaney) was definitely just fast and made aggressive moves and was doing a good job all night getting himself back up to the front each time. Those two coulda, shoulda, woulda been the two to race it out for the win and maybe the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.). Just interesting how that plays out sometimes and what dynamic will push you into victory lane. Here we are with our M&M’s Toyota. Thanks to TRD, Interstate Batteries and Rowdy Energy Drink and everybody that gets us here. Appreciate Ben Beshore (crew chief) and all my new 18 guys for this year.”

How important is it to get to victory lane and get a good start to the season with a new team?

“It’s nice to have good runs. Obviously, winning cures all. I’m not sure that we’re mature enough or we’re ready enough in order to win as a group, but I feel like this is a good start anyways. Obviously, winning never hurts anything, but there is some stuff for us to get a little bit better on, for us to grow on. This is a good start. Doing the work that we did to prepare for this event and getting us in the right spot to be able to win tonight was what its all about. Good all around.”

Are there things you can apply in two weeks from tonight’s race?

“Yeah, that was definitely the focus on this race. It’s like a test session, it’s like our practice. Definitely, I feel like we have a strong car and I think we have a strong program and balance right here. There’s still some things that could be a little bit better. The 9 (Chase Elliott) was definitely beating me on the brakes, getting into the turns and just being able to out-brake me. I just didn’t quite have enough for that.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 DeWalt Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 21st

What happened out there?

“I just overshot the bus stop a little bit and hit that mud that was there. It was worse than the laps before, so just caught me off guard. I actually slowed down from the lap before going through there and once it got in the bus stop turned back to the right, it was gone. It’s been a tough night with that mud there, but I made a big mistake early on and it cost us the lead and we had to come from the back. Honestly, I beat the car to pieces trying to get there. It was fun; it was a lot of fun getting through the field, just wish we could have closed it out for DeWalt, coming on for the first time.”

Outside of the mud, how were the track conditions?

“The track is awesome. It’s a blast to race on, a blast to drive on with these cars. It’s really tough. They don’t do anything you want them to do, in that you just see guys sliding all over the track and that makes it a lot of fun. The only thing we’ve got to work on if figuring out how to keep the mud off of the track in the chicane. What happens is you get behind somebody real close, and you go in there and you can’t see where you are going, so if they get into the mud, you follow them and if there is four cars in line, everybody’s trying to cut the chicane a little tighter, a little tighter and it just blows mud everywhere. We’ve got to figure that out a little bit, but outside of that – the track is a blast.”

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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 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its 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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