As a sports activity that attracts strong fan response and entertaining race car events, motorsport has not been left behind in using social media as a marketing strategy. Social networks in motorsport promotional campaigns have expanded how teams, drivers, and brands interact with fans. This article reviews the important role that social media occupies in motorsports promotion and provides guidelines for its effective use.
How Are Social Media and Motorsports Related to Marketing?
Previously, motorsport marketing relied heavily on TV, radio, and magazine advertising. These were effective, but of course, these channels did not allow for real-time interaction with the audience. Now, thanks to social media, everything has changed. Brands, teams, and drivers can communicate directly with fans, who can follow races, comment on what is happening, discuss events in real time, and even interact with their favorite drivers. This creates a more intimate connection and strengthens fan loyalty.
For example, Formula 1 uses social media platforms to expand its global audience. In 2021, F1’s official social media channels had over 50 million followers, and millions of people watched race highlights on these platforms. This level of engagement and audience reach would have been unimaginable using traditional marketing methods.
How to Fund Motorsport Marketing
To successfully promote themselves in motorsports, teams need significant financial resources. From social media advertising to major sponsorship campaigns, it all requires investment. Fortunately, there are several structured financing solutions:
Personal loans. Independent drivers and smaller teams often use personal loans to cover marketing costs. They allow you to borrow a fixed amount and repay it in equal monthly payments. This is useful, for example, for launching social media advertising campaigns or organizing small branding events.
Business loans. Companies can use a business loan for larger marketing initiatives, such as event sponsorships or branded merchandise. These loans are usually issued as a lump sum with subsequent payments, allowing you to plan your budget wisely.
Credit cards. Many banks offer the option of splitting large purchases into equal payments, which can be a convenient way to fund one-off marketing costs.
Teams exploring structured finance solutions may benefit from learning about installment loans, as they provide flexibility in managing large marketing budgets while maintaining financial stability.
In addition to loans, motorsport teams also use other methods to raise funds:
Sponsorship: One of the main sources of income in motorsports. Brands finance the team in exchange for logos on the car, equipment, and digital materials.
Selling merchandise: Selling branded clothing, accessories, or even custom coasters generates income and strengthens the connection with fans. The proceeds can be reinvested in marketing.
Investors: Private investors can invest in the team and expect a share of future profits. This approach is especially relevant for ambitious teams looking to reach the next level.
Crowdfunding: Platforms like Kickstarter or Patreon allow fans to support the team directly. In return, they receive bonuses, ranging from exclusive content to behind-the-scenes access.
Motorsport teams can confidently promote themselves, attract new partners, and expand their audience using the right combination of credit solutions, sponsorship, and alternative funding sources.
Top Social Networks Motorsport
It has been seen that various social media platforms play different roles in motorsport marketing. Selecting the right channel is key to higher audience engagement and coverage.
Facebook
Facebook is a powerful tool for promoting events, broadcasts, and reaching new audiences. Motorsports teams use the platform extensively to keep fans updated and promote their websites.
Instagram
Instagram is all about visuals, making it ideal for sharing photos and videos of racing, cars, and behind-the-scenes moments. Features like Stories and Reels are great for creating and sharing engaging content, but it’s important to understand what works best for growing your Instagram presence. Each feature serves a purpose, and knowing when and how to use them can help increase your visibility and connection with fans.
Twitter
Twitter is ideal for breaking news and real-time communication. Motorsports teams use it to share race updates and announcements quickly and stay in touch with fans.
YouTube
YouTube is a great platform for posting racing highlights, interviews, and documentaries. It also offers monetization opportunities that help teams and content creators earn extra income.
Social Media Marketing: Content Plans for Motorsports
In motorsports, the content must be interesting and timely to help promote social media as an effective marketing tool. Here are some effective content strategies:
Behind-the-Scenes Content
People are excited to see what goes on behind the scenes of the team they like. The audiences would appreciate seeing some of the preparation that goes into the races and the discussions that the teams themselves have.
Highlight Reels and Recaps
Sharing race highlights and recaps lets fans catch up on what they missed and learn more about the event. For example, RFK Racing’s strong performance at the Daytona 500, where they showed speed and determination, made for great content that fans were excited to share. This type of content is easy to share and can help attract new followers, keeping fans engaged even after the race ends.
User Generated Content
Encouraging fans to share their motorsport content is a great way to increase engagement. Running contests and sharing fan-generated content helps build community and brand trust.
Interactive Materials
Polls, contests, and live Q&As are not only fun ways to engage with fans, but also a chance to learn what they really like. These activities make the fan experience more dynamic and interesting.
Building a Social Media Strategy
Many businesses are confused about what social media posts to post and how they can help them achieve their marketing goals. Here are some simple steps to creating an effective strategy:
Create a Content Calendar
A content calendar helps you organize your posts on a schedule related to race schedules and promotions. It also helps you deliver timely and relevant content. To effectively manage your content calendar, you can use tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to help automate your posts and analyze your audience’s response.
Define Goals
Determine the goals of using social media for social marketing. Whether the objective is to enhance brand recognition, increase ticket sales, or interact with fans, goals will dictate content and strategies.
Know Your Audience
Demographic information, preferences, and behaviors of the audience need to be known. This will make the content you provide more relevant and engaging for the readers.
Monitor Analytics
Measuring engagement rates and followers’ growth helps determine which strategies are effective. Such information makes it much easier to fine-tune strategies and enhance results.
Other Financial Considerations
In addition to understanding installment loans, motorsport teams and sponsors can explore various funding options to support their marketing efforts. Platforms likethe Small Business Administration (SBA) offer resources and guidance on securing loans and grants for small businesses. These can be particularly useful for smaller teams and startups in the motorsport industry.
Measuring the Success of Social Media Campaigns
Evaluating the effectiveness of social media campaigns is crucial for understanding their impact and making informed decisions.
Engagement Metrics
Metrics like likes, shares, comments, and views indicate how well the content resonates with the audience. High engagement suggests that the content is compelling and relevant.
Reach and Impressions
These metrics show the number of people exposed to the content and how often it has been displayed. A broad reach can enhance brand visibility and attract new fans.
Conversion Rates
Monitoring conversion rates is essential for campaigns that drive specific actions, such as ticket sales or merchandise purchases. This measures the success of turning viewers into customers.
Return on Investment (ROI)
Calculating the ROI helps assess the overall profitability of social media marketing efforts. Comparing the revenue generated to the investment provided a clear picture of campaign effectiveness.
Conclusion
Social media has become integral to motorsport marketing, opening up new opportunities to connect with fans, build a brand, and increase revenue. With the right platforms, engaging content, and insights, brands can leverage social media to grow and connect with fans around the world. Additionally, knowing the financial tools and using them wisely can enhance a marketing strategy, helping to achieve business goals.
The video game industry is growing in sales, popularity, and more. And players are constantly questioning whether the video games are helpful. There is a lot of controversy surrounding video games, especially those in the action and horror genre. And some of them are so exciting that they can even be addictive.
Still, video games, especially fast-paced ones, can also benefit gamers. Researchers say that games directly and indirectly affect players’ cognitive behavior. For example, fast video games improve concentration. Continuous play helps players focus on essential issues that must be solved quickly. Thus, players concentrate as much as possible.
Coordination also improves. Do not think that the gamer just sits motionless in his chair during the game. A lot is happening on the screen that stimulates the mind. What is happening requires serious coordination, both physical and auditory. As the player becomes immersed in the game world, his or her coordination skills improve. The brain, which needs to solve the tasks, quickly learns to multitask.
Talking about the benefits of fast games, we shouldn’t forget about gambling entertainment. In this segment, there are also many games that offer instant winnings. For example, one of the most popular is JetX, which belongs to the category of crash games. Its gameplay is built around increasing odds, and the user must choose the right moment to withdraw the bet. There are even special bonuses for the game: you can explore all available promotional offers at jet-x-game.com bonuses. There are other similar resources, but this website is the most trusted and visited.
Similar games also improve problem-solving skills. These are manifested because the player is involved in many situations that require critical thinking. Players often have to make decisions instantly, positively impacting their problem-solving skills. The choices they make directly affect their progression through the levels.
Consuming any new material is good for the brain. Quick video games are a great learning opportunity. Gamers are individuals who are open to new tactics and new knowledge; they are constantly learning.
In addition, playing games helps to improve brain speed. Gamers must spend no more than a fraction of a second deciding. Consequently, their brains work faster and more correctly simultaneously. The brain speed of gamers increases dramatically. They also have an improved memory. The fact is that to play computer games well, you need to memorize a lot. These are essential details of the game, combinations of keys on the keyboard, and tricks that help to pass challenging levels. So computer games improve memory, both short-term and long-term.
One year after fending off the field to achieve the biggest victory of his career, William Byron doubled down with grit, determination and a pair of good fortune and natural instincts to navigate his way through a series of late carnages, including one on the final lap that enabled him to win the 67th annual running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 16.
The reigning Daytona 500 champion from Charlotte, North Carolina, led five times for 10 of 201 over-scheduled laps in an event where he qualified in fifth place and assumed the lead early, beginning on the eighth lap just before the event was placed in a three-hour rain delay. Opting to pit just before the event was placed in a second rain delay period before proceeding in primetime Sunday night, Byron would spend the remainder of the event dueling amongst his fellow competitors who were stacked in multiple lanes through every corner and straightaway.
During an overtime shootout, where he restarted in 10th place after he had dodged two earlier multi-car wrecks, Byron was racing on the outside lane and within the top-10 mark before the leaders started to get tangled up through the backstretch. Using his instincts, Byron remained on the outside lane and accelerated his entry to avoid a spinning Denny Hamlin to storm to the lead. With the lead in his possession, the Charlotte native fended off Tyler Reddick to cruise to his second consecutive victory in the Great American Race and to win the first event of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
The starting lineup for this year’s Great American Race was determined through a single-car qualifying session comprising two rounds that occurred on Wednesday, February 12, followed by a pair of Duels on Thursday, February 13.
At the conclusion of Wednesday’s qualifying session, Chase Briscoe notched his first Daytona 500 pole position with a pole-winning lap at 182.745 mph in 49.249 seconds. Austin Cindric rounded out the front row after he posted his best qualifying lap at 182.463 mph in 49.325 seconds.
During Thursday’s Duel events, Cindric doubled down by edging Erik Jones at the moment of caution to win the second Duel event while Bubba Wallace won the first Duel event. In the aftermath of both events, Wallace claimed the third-place starting spot for the Daytona 500 while Jones was awarded the fourth-place starting spot due to Cindric having already claimed a front-row starting spot.
Meanwhile, nine competitors (Anthony Alfredo, Justin Allgaier, Helio Castroneves, Jimmie Johnson, Corey LaJoie, BJ McLeod, Chandler Smith, Martin Truex Jr. and JJ Yeley) contested against one another for Daytona 500 spots in non-chartered entries. At the conclusion of both the single-car qualifying session and the Duels, the following names that included Allgaier, Castroneves, Johnson, LaJoie and Truex transferred while the remaining names including Alfredo, McLeod, Smith and Yeley failed to qualify.
Prior to the commencement of this year’s Daytona 500, the following names included Alex Bowman, Ty Gibbs, rookie Shane van Gisbergen, Justin Haley, rookie Riley Herbst, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson and Daniel Suarez dropped to the rear of the field in backup cars after all wrecked their primary cars during their respective Duel events. Helio Castroneves also dropped to the rear of the field due to an engine change along with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., the latter of whom was due to his car failing the pre-race inspection process twice and resulting in his engineer being ejected for the event.
When the green flag waved and the 2025 Cup Series season commenced, Chase Briscoe gained an early advantage from the inside lane with drafting help from Bubba Wallace. Briscoe proceeded to lead ahead of the field through the first two turns before Austin Cindric drew even with Briscoe from the outside lane through the backstretch. Briscoe, however, regained his momentum through Turns 3 and 4, which allowed him to motor his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE entry ahead and lead the first lap.
Over the next three laps, Briscoe retained the lead in front of Wallace, Cindric and two-stacked lanes through every turn and straightaway. Then prior to the fifth lap, William Byron, the reigning Daytona 500 champion, made his move beneath Briscoe through the first two turns and the backstretch, which moved the No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet entry into the lead. Shortly after, however, Byron moved up the track to block Briscoe, which allowed Ty Dillon to make his move beneath Byron as both dueled for the lead. In the midst of the battles at the front, Carson Hocevar lost the draft and was dropping pace due to a fuel pressure issue.
By the sixth lap, the field fanned out to three-stacked lanes as Cindric charged to the front in a third-drafting lane while being drafted by teammate Joey Logano through the frontstretch. With Cindric getting stalled in ninth place despite leading a drafted lane towards the outside wall, Ty Dillon retained a narrow lead over Byron as Briscoe, Ross Chastain, Wallace and Tyler Reddick followed suit within the top-six mark.
Then on the eighth lap, the event’s first caution flew due to precipitation being reported around the superspeedway venue. At the moment of caution, Byron had fended off Cindric, Ty Dillon and the rest of the field that was stacked up to three lanes to emerge as the leader. By the 11th lap, the field would be directed to park their respective pit stalls and the event was placed in a red flag period.
More than three hours later, the field returned to the track that was dried under caution. During the caution period, nearly the entire field led by Byron pitted, primarily for fuel, while the rest led by Michael McDowell and including Cole Custer, Ryan Blaney, Cody Ware, Zane Smith and rookie Riley Herbst remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Joey Logano exited pit road first as he was followed by Byron, Cindric, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Briscoe, Ross Chastain, Ty Dillon, Wallace, Kyle Busch and John Hunter Nemechek, respectively.
As the field continued to pace around the superspeedway venue under caution, select names that included McDowell and Alex Bowman would pit to top off their respective entries with fuel prior to a restart. With McDowell pitting, Ryan Blaney cycled into the lead. The field, however, would return to pit road and be placed in a second red flag period due to sprinkles falling on the venue.
Twenty minutes later, the field returned to the track at a cautious pace. During the caution period, some led by Blaney and including Zane Smith, Herbst, Jimmie Johnson and Nemechek pitted while the rest led by Logano remained on the track.
When the Daytona 500 resumed under green flag conditions under the lights on Lap 23, Logano and Byron dueled in front of the field through the first two turns until Logano muscled ahead from the outside lane. Through the backstretch, Cindric and Briscoe attempted to draft ahead of the pack behind Logano until Byron muscled back alongside Cindric from the inside lane through Turns 3 and 4. Logano would proceed to lead the following lap as the stacked field fanned out to three lanes. With Shane van Gisbergen leading a third drafting lane towards the outside lane, Logano led the Lap 25 mark in front of two stacked lanes that were led by Byron and Cindric.
Through the first 30 scheduled laps, Logano was leading ahead of Byron and three-stacked lanes through the frontstretch. Shortly after, Logano moved up the racetrack to block Kyle Busch. This allowed Byron to draw even with Logano from the inside lane through the first two turns. Then through the backstretch, Logano blocked Busch, which placed both in the middle of a three-wide packed action towards the front as Chase Elliott led a third lane with drafting help from Cindric. Back at the front, Byron led the Lap 31 mark as he was followed by Ty Dillon and Corey LaJoie. LaJoie would then receive a draft from Logano through the backstretch to overtake Byron as he led the following lap.
At the Lap 40 mark, all 41 starters were separated by under three seconds while the top-28 competitors were separated by within a second of one another. By then, Logano, who reassumed the lead on Lap 35, was edged by Chase Elliott as Kyle Busch, Cindric, LaJoie, Wallace, Byron, Briscoe, Stenhouse and Ty Dillon were jostling in the top 10 amid the draft. Meanwhile, Reddick, Chastain, Austin Dillon, AJ Allmendinger, van Gisbergen, Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher, Denny Hamlin, Erik Jones and Kyle Larson were all racing in the top 20, respectively, while Ryan Blaney, Ty Gibbs, Herbst, Todd Gilliland, Josh Berry, Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Martin Truex Jr., Christopher Bell and Alex Bowman followed suit in the top 30, respectively. In addition, notable names that included Helio Castroneves, Jimmie Johnson and Daniel Suarez were mired in 33rd, 38th and 40th, respectively.
Two laps later, Busch, who dueled with Elliott for the lead during the previous lap, made a bold three-wide move beneath Logano and Elliott through the first two turns. Busch’s move briefly drew him even with Logano before the latter received a draft from Elliott to muscle back ahead from the outside lane. As Logano moved in front of Busch entering the frontstretch, Busch veered his No. 8 zone Chevrolet entry right and tried to draw even with Logano, but he had no drafting help as Logano retained the lead with drafting help from Byron, LaJoie and Reddick. Meanwhile, AJ Allmendinger had fallen off the pace due to a mechanical issue to his No. 16 Celsius Chevrolet entry.
By Lap 50, the top four competitors were racing in a single-line formation towards the inside lane and ahead of the rest of the field that was still fanned out to multiple lanes. By then, Logano, who has been leading since Lap 42, was leading ahead of Byron, Hamlin, and Busch, respectively. Not long after, Keselowski, LaJoie, and Blaney overtook fifth-place Wallace during the following lap. Then after briefly settling in the single-line formation on the inside lane, Keselowski transitioned his No. 6 Kroger Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry back to the outside lane and boosted himself up alongside Byron with drafting help from Blaney. Logano would be placed on defensive mode as he blocked Keselowski through the frontstretch and maintained the lead by Lap 53.
Just past the Lap 55 mark, Logano remained in front of Keselowski with the lead amid the draft. Logano kept Keselowski drafting him through every straightaway and corner over the next five laps as Blaney, Stenhouse, Bell, Bowman, Suarez, Jones, Reddick and Todd Gilliland all followed suit in the top 10. By then, a majority of the field migrated towards the outside lane in a draft while Gilliland was leading a small drafting group from the inside lane.
Then on Lap 62, the event’s first caution not related to weather flew when Denny Hamlin, who was racing in the middle of the pack, got hit in the rear end by Zane Smith amid a brief stack-up that occurred in front of the former in Turn 2. As a result, Hamlin briefly got sideways as he steered his No. 11 National Debt Relief Toyota Camry XSE entry below the apron and kept his car racing straight. In the process, however, Smith, who was trying to avoid Hamlin, went up the track and briefly clipped Cindric, which got Smith spinning towards the apron before he went back up the track and was hit by an oncoming Josh Berry towards the backstretch’s outside wall. The incident left Berry with a damaged left-front fender to his No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry and Smith with a broken toe link to his No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry. Meanwhile, Hamlin did not sustain any significant damage and proceeded on the lead lap.
The incident involving Berry, Hamlin and Smith was enough for the first stage period scheduled to conclude on Lap 65 to officially conclude under caution as Logano, the reigning three-time Cup Series champion, captured the first stage victory of the 2025 season. Keselowski settled in second while Blaney, Stenhouse, Bell, Suarez, Bowman, Reddick, Jones and Byron were scored in the top 10, respectively.
Under the stage break, a majority of the lead lap field led by Logano pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Logano exited pit road first ahead of teammate Blaney, Suarez, Bowman, Stenhouse, Wallace, Reddick, Elliott, Byron and Keselowski, respectively. Amid the pit stops, Allgaier and Busch were penalized due to having crew members jumping over the pit wall too soon prior to pit services.
The second stage period which started on Lap 70 and was led by both Logano and Bowman did not last long. Just as Bowman was drafted to the lead by Wallace from the inside lane, the caution quickly returned when Logano caused a major stack-up to the competitors racing behind him on the outside lane through the first two turns. As a result, Nemechek, who was racing in the middle of the pack, made contact with Chastain and sent the latter up the track and into Helio Castroneves in Turn 1. Castroneves then spun back into the path of Nemechek as both wrecked against one another, including Cody Ware as Chastain was hit by Truex while sideways. More names including Herbst, Briscoe and Kyle Busch also wrecked amid the stack-up while the rest of the competitors racing in the mid-pack region scattered. The wreck would take Castroneves, Chastain and Truex out of contention for the remainder of the event.
During the caution period, Logano pitted and the hood of his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry was lifted as his pit crew addressed a potential mechanical issue. With the pit crew changing out the ECU, Logano would lose a lap to the leaders. Soon after, some led by Bowman pitted while the rest led by Blaney remained on the track.
As the event restarted under green on Lap 76, teammates Blaney and Cindric dueled for the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch. They would remain dead even in front of Buescher, Preece and the rest of the field as Cindric led the following lap. By then, Buescher moved up the track to block Elliott as he led a third drafting lane. Preece would also move up in front of Buescher and he led the outside lane while Blaney was pinned in the middle. Amid the drafts, Cindric retained the lead from the inside lane for the following lap as he was in front of Noah Gragson.
Just past the Lap 80 mark, a three-wide action for the lead ensued as Preece led the outside lane and Cindric led the middle lane while Gragson led the inside lane. All three competitors would duel against one another in front of three-stacked lanes as Cindric, who briefly got loose while being drafted by Michael McDowell from the middle lane, was pinned in between Gragson and Preece. As the three-wide intensity at the front continued to ensue, the caution would then return on Lap 82 due to debris reported on the track in Turn 1. The caution would serve as a big break for Logano, who received the free pass to return to the lead lap category due to being the first competitor a lap down.
During the caution period, a majority of the field led by Cindric returned to pit road for service, primarily for fuel, while the rest led by Wallace remained on the track. Not long after, Wallace would lead the next wave of competitors to pit road for service, which allowed Cindric to reassume the lead.
The start of the next restart on Lap 86 featured Cindric and Elliott dueling for the lead in front of two-stacked lanes through the first two turns and backstretch while McDowell tried to mount a charge from the third drafting lane towards the outside lane. With McDowell drawing close to the front with drafting help from Gilliland, Cindric and Elliott were dead even at the start/finish line during the next lap before McDowell drew even with both entering the first two turns.
The field would remain fanned out in three-stacked lanes by the Lap 90 mark as Cindric retained a narrow lead over both McDowell and Elliott. Over the next five laps, McDowell, Cindric and Gragson would duel dead even against one another in three-wide formation and in front of three-stacked lanes through every straightaway and corner. By then, Gragson was being drafted by Preece from the inside lane and Cindric was being drafted by Elliott and Blaney from the middle lane while McDowell was being drafted by Gilliland and Ty Dillon up on the outside lane.
At the halfway mark on Lap 100, the top 34 competitors that were scored on the lead lap were separated by less than two seconds of one another while the top 30 competitors were separated by under a second. By then, Preece, who led the inside lane, transitioned up to the outside lane as he was leading ahead of Gragson, Bowman, Cindric and McDowell, respectively, while Buescher, Elliott, Gilliland, Bell and Blaney followed suit in the top 10.
Ten laps later, Cindric, who led the previous four laps, was leading ahead of Elliott, Blaney, Bowman and Suarez as Buescher, Reddick, Austin Dillon, Bell, LaJoie, Byron and Larson were all jostling inside the top 12. Meanwhile, Logano, who had recovered from his early engine issues, was dueling with Hamlin for 13th place. By then, a majority of the front-runners scaled back down to two-wide formation amid a stacked-up competition while Cindric maintained a narrow lead from the outside lane.
Another five laps later, Cindric and Bowman dueled for the lead as the field began to fan out to three-stacked lanes. By then, Gilliland was leading a third drafting lane towards the outside lane as he started to charge to the front before Elliott and Blaney moved up in front of Gilliland to ignite their charges. This placed Cindric in defensive mode as Bowman, who reported a potential mechanical issue to his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet entry, led Lap 116 from the inside lane.
By Lap 120, Cindric led a five-car breakaway from the field that was still stacked up to three lanes as the leader was led by teammate Blaney, Elliott, Gilliland and Herbst, respectively. Behind, Erik Jones muscled up to sixth place while Busch, Bowman, Allgaier, Buescher, Wallace, Hamlin, Logano, Stenhouse, Gibbs, Bell, Redick, Suarez, LaJoie and Keselowski were all jostling inside the top 20. Over the next eight laps, Cindric and Bowman would fiercely duel between one another for the lead in front of two-stacked lanes. By then, Cindric kept teammate Blaney drafting him from the outside lane while Bowman had Buescher and Logano drafting him from the inside lane.
During the final lap of the second stage period, Bowman mounted a charge from the inside lane through the final two turns, but the outside lane remained as the preferred line in the straightaways as Cindric muscled his No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry back ahead while being drafted by Blaney. Then entering the frontstretch, Cindric broke away from the field with no drafting help. This allowed Blaney to migrate his No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry to the outside lane, where he then received a late draft from Elliott to overtake Cindric and claim the second-stage victory on Lap 130. With Blaney winning the stage, Cindric settled in second ahead of Elliott, Bowman and Gilliland while Buescher, Jones, Logano, Wallace and Busch were scored in the top 10, respectively.
During the stage break, Logano pitted when pit road was closed to have his air box changed, which dropped him to the rear of the field. Soon after, a majority of the lead lap field led by Blaney pitted for service that included fresh tires and a full tank of fuel while the rest led by Carson Hocevar remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Blaney exited pit road first as he was followed by Wallace, Cindric, Busch, and Elliott, respectively. The remaining competitors that did not pit, including Hocevar, would pit not long after, which allowed Blaney to cycle back into the lead.
With 63 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Blaney and Busch occupied the front row in front of Wallace, Larson, Cindric and Buescher. At the start, Blaney and Busch dueled in front of the field through the first two turns before Wallace gave Blaney a draft that allowed the latter to muscle ahead of the former through the backstretch.
As the field fanned out exiting Turn 4, Blaney motored ahead to lead the next lap. Blaney would then get pinned and shoved out amid a three-wide action as Wallace made his move to the lead over Busch. After receiving a bump from Elliott through the backstretch, Wallace gained a slight advantage through Turns 3 and 4 before Blaney surged back to the front to duel with Wallace. Wallace, Blaney and Busch would all proceed to battle for the lead against one another and in front of three-stacked lanes with 60 laps remaining.
Down to the final 50 laps of the event, the top 26 competitors were separated by less than a second of one another as a three-wide action for the lead between Wallace, Byron and Blaney ensued. By then, Wallace led the outside lane and Blaney was mired in the middle lane while Byron moved in front of Busch to lead the inside lane. In addition to the three-wide action for the lead, a majority of the front-runners were racing deep in three-packed lanes.
Ten laps later, the trio of Wallace, Blaney and Byron continued to duel dead even against one another through three lanes and in front of three-stacked lanes. A lap later, however, the caution flew due to debris being reported on the track. During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Wallace pitted, with some pitting for only fuel while others pitted for tires. Following the pit stops, Cindric exited pit road first as he was followed by Wallace, Blaney, Byron, Elliott, Busch, Austin Dillon, Nemechek, Buescher and Briscoe, respectively. During the pit stops, Jimmie Johnson, who was racing toward the front prior to the caution period, lost a bevy of spots due to getting blocked on pit road.
As the event restarted under green with 35 laps remaining, Cindric and Wallace battled dead even for the lead through the first two turns before Wallace received a draft from Byron that muscled Wallace’s No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry XSE entry out in front. With the field starting to fan out to three lanes, Wallace fended off both Cindric and Byron to lead the next lap before Cindric drew even with Wallace. By then, Cindric had teammate Blaney drafting him from the inside lane while Byron blocked teammate Elliott as the latter tried to start a third drafting line towards the outside lane. As the outside lane led by Wallace was trying to gather back into formation, Cindric broke ahead along with Blaney and Busch while Nemechek tried to mount a charge from the middle lane.
Under the final 30 laps, the top-five competitors were racing in single-line formation as Cindric was leading ahead of Blaney, Busch, Austin Dillon and Bell. Behind, Herbst and Nemechek dueled for sixth place in front of Hamlin, Gragson and Reddick while Wallace was trying to draft his way back to the front from a third drafting lane towards the outside wall. With a majority of the field remaining stacked amid three drafting lanes, the top eight competitors were racing in single-line formation on the inside lane with 25 laps remaining. By then, Cindric continued to lead in front of Blaney, Busch, Austin Dillon, Bell, Herbst, Gragson and Bowman, respectively, while Hamlin was trying to blend in a lane to charge to the front.
With 20 laps remaining, Cindric maintained the lead in front of a 10-car breakaway from the stacked field through every corner and straightaway. By then, both LaJoie and Stenhouse were trying to mount charges with their respective lanes.
Then five laps later, the caution flew when Logano, who was mired in sixth place and mounting a charge to the front amid the draft, turned Stenhouse while trying to squeeze beneath his No. 47 SunnyD Chevrolet entry through the backstretch. The contact resulted in Stenhouse getting turned and clipping Blaney. In the process, Stenhouse rammed into Kyle Busch and sent the latter for a spin towards the backstretch’s infield while Logano got turned by Gragson as they collided into Gilliland towards the outside wall. Elliott and Custer would also crash while the rest of the field scattered to avoid the carnage. The incident spoiled Busch’s opportunity to win his first elusive Daytona 500 event in his 20th attempt while Logano, who led 43 laps, was also taken out of contention. Meanwhile, LaJoie had taken the lead from Cindric.
The start of the next restart with eight laps remaining featured LaJoie and Cindric dueling as the former launched ahead from the inside lane with drafting help from Nemechek. LaJoie then moved up the track in front of Cindric through the first two turns as Hamlin came mounting up to draft both. Through the backstretch, Cindric overtook LaJoie with drafting help from Hamlin. Despite leading the next lap, Cindric would be placed in defensive mode as Hamlin kept drafting Cindric through the frontstretch.
Then through the backstretch with seven laps remaining, Hamlin moved to the outside of Cindric and he was drafted into the lead by teammate Bell. Hamlin proceeded to lead the next lap while keeping Cindric behind him, which allowed Bell to mount a charge while leading the outside lane through the first two turns. Bell would duel with Hamlin as the former was being drafted by Custer from the backstretch to the frontstretch in front of two-stacked lanes.
Entering the backstretch, the caution returned due to a wild accident that started when Bell got turned into the outside wall head-on by Custer. As most of the field zipped by Bell’s wrecked car, the latter then came back across the track and was collided into by Preece, which got the front end of Preece’s No. 60 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry airborne. With Preece being pinned next to Erik Jones’ entry, Preece’s entry then rolled over and flipped on its roof before it shot back up the Turn 3 degree banking and hit the outside wall while flipping back over on all four wheels. More names including Keselowski, Larson, Suarez and Wallace would also be involved in the incident as the event was placed in a red flag period for more than six minutes to have the carnage cleared.
Preece’s incident marked the second time in three years that he was involved in a rollover accident at Daytona in the closing laps. Despite enduring the wild ride, Preece emerged uninjured. After being released from the infield care center, however, Preece issued a concerning message to prevent race cars from going airborne and placing drivers at risk.
Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“I don’t know if it’s the diffuser or what that makes these cars like a sheet of plywood when you walk out on a windy day,” Preece said in the infield care center. “When the car took off like that, it got really quiet. All I thought about was my daughter, so I’m lucky to walk away, but we’re getting really close to somebody not being able to. It’s frustrating when you end your day like this.”
With the event restarting in overtime, Hamlin received a draft from his 23XI Racing teammate Riley Herbst to launch ahead of Cindric, where the former then quickly moved up the track to block Cindric. As Hamlin transitioned back to the inside lane, Cindric received a draft from Custer to storm back into the lead entering the backstretch. With Custer and Bowman following suit to Cindric, Hamlin came storming back from the inside lane as he was pushed by Herbst and LaJoie entering Turns 3 and 4.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Cindric darted left and right to block runs by both Custer and Hamlin as Herbst got bumped and sent for a mini slide through the tri-oval. Herbst managed to keep his car racing straight without hitting the wall as the race remained under green flag conditions. By then, Cindric was still blocking Hamlin as both were being closely pursued by three-stacked rows of competitors.
Then in the backstretch, contact between Custer and Briscoe triggered a multi-car wreck that resulted in LaJoie spinning towards the infield while the leader Hamlin was sent spinning in the middle of the straightaway while being latched onto Custer’s entry. Hamlin and Custer would then slide up into the backstretch’s wall and into the path of Alex Bowman before Ty Gibbs clipped Cody Ware and sent Ware into the left side of Hamlin while Gibbs was hit by Justin Haley.
Amid the carnage and with the race remaining under green-flag conditions, Byron, who remained towards the outside wall, escaped with the lead as he was followed by Reddick. Through Turns 3 and 4, Reddick was unable to gain any draft nor momentum to draw even with Byron. As a result, Byron was able to steer his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet entry back to the tri-oval and claim the checkered flag to win the Daytona 500 for a second consecutive year.
With the victory, Byron, who won his first Daytona 500 event in 2024 after leading only the final four laps, became the first competitor to win the Daytona 500 in back-to-back seasons since Denny Hamlin made the previous accomplishment between 2019 and 2020. The Charlotte native also became the 13th competitor overall to win the Great American Race multiple times as he racked up his 14th career win in the Cup Series division and his third at Daytona International Speedway.
As added bonuses, Byron rewarded the 27th Daytona 500 victory for the Chevrolet nameplate, the fifth for the No. 24 entry and the 10th for Hendrick Motorsports (HMS), which made the organization the winningest Daytona 500 team.
Photo by Mike Biskupski for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“Obviously, [I had] some good fortune, but [I] just trusted my instinct on the last lap there,” Byron said on the frontstretch on FOX. “I felt like [the leaders] were getting squirreling on the bottom [lane]. I was honestly gonna go third lane, regardless, because I was, probably, sixth coming down the [backstretch]. [I was] Just, obviously, fortunate that it worked out in our favor. Just really proud of this team. [They] Worked super hard all week and [I] had an amazing car. [I] Just had a really hard time with the fuel savings and staying towards the front. I can’t, honestly, believe that, but we’re here, so proud of it.”
“[Winning the Daytona 500]’s, obviously, really special,” Byron added. “It’s an amazing race. [There was] Obviously, a lot of crazy racing out there tonight and just a lot of pushing and shoving, but just really proud of our team. I can’t stress that enough. I’m just super thankful for this group and everything that they do in the off-season to get prepared. We plan on trying to win a lot of races this year, so we’re not going to stop here. We’re going to continue to push forward and try to get to Phoenix [in November].”
Amid the final-lap incident that resulted in Byron winning, Tyler Reddick, who barely got hit by his owner Hamlin and managed to keep his No. 45 Nasty Beast Toyota Camry XSE entry racing straight, followed Byron across the finish line to finish in second place. The runner-up result marked Reddick’s career-best result in the Great American Race after his previous best result was 27th, which occurred in 2019 and 2021.
“When [the leaders] started to spin on the dogleg, I jumped out of line thinking that was going to be it,” Reddick said. “We just kept going. I knew that me and [Byron] had a good run and they were throwing big blocks. When they started spinning on the inside, I had a run on [Byron]. I thought, ‘Man, if I could just snake through and [Hamlin] not scrub my speed [while he was spinning], I would have, at least, had an opportunity to do something. All in all, I never really finished the race here unless it was 40 laps down, so I’ll take second. We wanted to get a good start to the year and we scored a lot of points today. I’m really happy with everyone’s effort on this No. 45 Nasty Beast Toyota Camry.”
Meanwhile, Jimmie Johnson, who was racing in the middle of the pack, managed to weave his way through the carnage to steer his No. 84 Carvana Toyota Camry XSE entry in third place. The result marked both his first top-three result and his best overall result as a driver/owner of Legacy Motor Club (LMC). Johnson’s prior top-three result occurred at Dover Motor Speedway in August 2020. The result was also one that left Johnson beaming in his 699th career start in NASCAR’s premier series.
“This feels incredible,” Johnson said. “I have emotions that I didn’t expect to have. I’ve never been in this position as an owner. It’s really opened up a different set of emotions. The pride that I have in this result and the pride that I have in this company and all that we’re trying to achieve and the journey we’re on. I am so satisfied, so happy right now. It’s just been [an] interesting couple of years and to have the cars come out and be this strong, this Toyota was rocket ship fast. I’m just smiling inside now.”
Chase Briscoe, the pole-sitter, barely weaved his way through the final-lap incident to finish in fourth place while John Hunter Nemechek, Johnson’s teammate and driver at LMC, came home in fifth place, which marked the first time two LMC entries finished in the top five in a single event.
Alex Bowman and Ryan Blaney settled in sixth and seventh, respectively, while Austin Cindric, who led a race-high 59 laps, fell back to eighth place after he was involved in the final-lap wreck. Justin Allgaier muscled his way to a ninth-place finish in JR Motorsports’ first Cup event while Chris Buescher completed the top 10 in the final running order.
Notably, Denny Hamlin, who led six laps and was leading on the final lap prior to his involvement in the multi-car wreck on the backstretch, ended up in 24th place.
Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“I thought we were in a great spot many, many times in the last 10 laps,” Hamlin said. “[Custer] had the run and I chose not to block him. In these races, you got to live to make it off of Turn 4 and we just didn’t. I thought [Custer] steered left and was trying to crowd it. I understand everyone’s trying to go for it and he’s going for it. All of us are, but in those situations, I told him, it was like, we got to get off of [Turn] 4, then we can [go for it], but we just never made it and somebody else won.”
There were 56 lead changes for 15 different leaders. The race featured eight cautions for 47 laps. In addition, 24 of 41 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the first event of the 2025 Cup Series season, Ryan Blaney leads the regular-season standings by a single point over William Byron, three over Austin Cindric, seven over Tyler Reddick, nine over Alex Bowman and 11 over both Chris Buescher and Erik Jones.
Results:
1. William Byron, 10 laps led
2. Tyler Reddick
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Chase Briscoe, four laps led
5. John Hunter Nemechek
6. Alex Bowman, 11 laps led
7. Ryan Blaney, 23 laps led Stage 2 winner
8. Austin Cindric, 59 laps led
9. Justin Allgaier
10. Chris Buescher
11. Michael McDowell, four laps led
12. Erik Jones
13. Daniel Suarez
14. Ty Dillon, three laps led
15. Chase Elliott, two laps led
16. Ty Gibbs
17. Riley Herbst
18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
19. Justin Haley
20. Kyle Larson
21. Cole Custer
22. Corey LaJoie, 10 laps led
23. Austin Dillon
24. Denny Hamlin, six laps led
25. Cody Ware – OUT, Accident
26. Brad Keselowski, one lap down
27. Todd Gilliland, two laps down
28. Noah Gragson, three laps down, two laps led
29. Bubba Wallace – OUT, Accident, 18 laps led
30. Carson Hocevar – OUT, Fuel Pressure, one lap led
With the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season officially underway, the next event on the schedule is Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Ambetter Health 400. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, February 23, and air at 3 p.m. ET on FOX.
RICK WARE RACING 67th Running of the Daytona 500 Date: Feb. 16, 2025 Event: 67th Running of the Daytona 500 (Round 1 of 36) Series: NASCAR Cup Series Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval) Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (65 laps/65 laps/70 laps)
Note: Race extended one lap past its scheduled 200-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) Stage 1 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford) Stage 2 Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
RWR Race Finish:
● Corey LaJoie (Started 12th, Finished 22nd / Running, completed 201 of 201 laps) ● Cody Ware (Started 28th, Finished 25th / Accident, completed 200 of 201 laps)
RWR Points:
● Corey LaJoie (23rd with 15 points) ● Cody Ware (27th with 12 points)
RWR Notes:
● This was LaJoie’s ninth career start in the Daytona 500, but his 17th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Daytona. His best Daytona finish remains fourth, earned in last year’s Daytona 500.
● LaJoie led twice for 10 laps, increasing his laps-led total at Daytona to 19. ● This was Ware’s fifth career start in the Daytona 500, but his eighth career NASCAR Cup Series start at Daytona. His best Daytona finish remains fourth, earned in the series’ prior race at Daytona last August in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Race Notes:
● William Byron won the Daytona 500 to score his 14th career NASCAR Cup Series victory. It was his second consecutive Daytona 500 victory and his third overall Cup Series win at Daytona. He became the fifth driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s and the first since Denny Hamlin (2019-2020). His margin of victory over second-place Tyler Reddick was .113 of a second. ● There were eight caution periods for a total of 47 laps. ● Twenty-four of the 41 drivers in the Daytona 500 finished on the lead lap. ● Ryan Blaney leaves Daytona as the championship leader with a six-point advantage over second-place Alex Bowman.
Sound Bites:
“Here, for what we’re trying to do, it doesn’t matter if you don’t win. Certainly, there is a lot of money involved from potentially finishing third to 22nd or wherever we finished. Nonetheless, I think we had a great showing this week, making it out of the Duel and bringing Take Five and Duramax to the front at Daytona with 10 laps to go was a pretty special experience. I just hate that we couldn’t finish where we should have.” – Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 01 DuraMAX/Take 5 Oil Change® Ford Mustang Dark Horse
“I think we did everything we could. We slipped our way through it and were on the bottom, but just got clipped in the right rear at the last second. So it’s just super frustrating because the RWR cars were fast. I was kind of hanging back and having my normal strategy. The 01 showed pace running up front all day, and so to have two top-fives taken away from us on the last lap of the race is pretty frustrating. We’ll just move on to Atlanta next weekend and move forward. But thankful that we had fast Ford Mustang Dark Horses on the racetrack. And I know we’ll have two more fast cars at Atlanta next weekend.” – Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Jacob Construction/Parts Plus/Pronto Auto Service Center Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, Feb. 23 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race begins at 3 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT FEBRUARY 16, 2025
William Byron, Chevrolet Wins 2025 DAYTONA 500 Chevrolet’s Third-Straight Triumph in ‘Great American Race’
TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS: POS. DRIVER 1st – William Byron 6th – Alex Bowman 9th – Justin Allgaier
William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, is a back-to-back DAYTONA 500 Champion – marking the first time a driver completed the feat since Denny Hamlin in 2019-2020.
The victory is Chevrolet’s 27th all-time triumph in DAYTONA 500, extending its streak to three-straight in the crown jewel event.
The victory is Chevrolet’s 52nd NASCAR Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway, and the manufacturer’s 866th all-time win in NASCAR’s top division – both of which are series-leading feats.
William Byron drove Chevrolet to its 104th win in the NASCAR national ranks at Daytona International Speedway, extending the Bowtie brand’s record as the winningest manufacturer in NASCAR history at the ‘World Center of Racing’.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 16, 2025) – Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron collected his second crown jewel victory in NASCAR’s top division – driving his No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet to the victory in the 67th running of the DAYTONA 500. The feat marks Chevrolet’s third consecutive – and 27th all-time – triumph in the “Great American Race”, further extending Chevrolet’s leading legacy at Daytona International Speedway. The 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native is now a back-to-back DAYTONA 500 Champion – a title last earned in 2019-2020 by Denny Hamlin.
“Congratulations to William Byron, Rudy Fugle and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team on back-to-back Daytona 500 victories,” said Scott Bell, Vice President, Global Chevrolet. “This is one of the most prestigious races in motorsports, and for Chevrolet to have won it for a third consecutive year is an incredible achievement for the entire company. As NASCAR’s winningest manufacturer at Daytona, we are proud to have Byron as a part of our storied history in the Great American Race.”
The victory came in dramatic fashion with Byron sitting in the ninth position as the field approached an overtime attempt. With chaos erupting at the front of the pack, Byron was able to navigate his Hendrick Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet to the top position to take the checkered-flag in the crown jewel event for the second time in his young career. The trip to victory lane also delivered Hendrick Motorsports its 10th DAYTONA 500 triumph – a now record-setting feat.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Atlanta Motor Speedway the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, February 23, at 3 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Post-Race Driver Quotes:
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 1st
William Byron’s entire team is out here, your family just walked out. William, you were ninth with one lap to go. How did you come through the pack and avoid the chaos to make it two in a row at Daytona?
“Yeah, obviously some good fortune, but just trusted my instincts on the last lap there. I felt like they were getting squirrelly on the bottom and I was honestly going to go to the third lane regardless because I was probably sixth coming down the back.
Just obviously fortunate that it worked out in our favor. Just really proud of this No. 24 Axalta Chevy team. They worked super hard all week and we had an amazing car. Just had a really hard time with the fuel saving and kind of staying towards the front.
Crazy. I can’t honestly believe that. But we’re here. So proud of it.”
You won this last year, and you know what a big moment it was. Can you describe what this race does for a driver, especially like yourself, and now to get to do it a second time, what does this race mean?
“Yeah, it’s obviously really special. It’s an amazing race, and obviously a lot of crazy racing out there tonight. Just a lot of pushing and shoving.
But just really proud of our team. I can’t stress that enough. I’m just super thankful for this group and everything that they do in the off-season to get prepared. We plan on trying to win a lot of races this year, so we’re not going to stop here. We’re going to continue to push forward and try to get to Phoenix.”
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 6th
“I hate that I pulled out of line when they crashed underneath me there on the last lap. I probably gave up some spots that way. Congrats to the No. 24 (William Byron) team. We had a pretty solid day; good race car, executed well, got Stage points in both Stages and another almost top-five at least. Seems like the story the last couple of years. We keep putting ourselves in position, and hopefully we can capitalize on it.”
Justin Allgaier, No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 9th
“I think we checked all the boxes. Really proud of JR Motorsports and everybody on this team. We hit all the markers. We had DVP. We had pit stops. We had craziness in picking lines. A lot of uncertainty on my part, just knowing the guys you are around. But all-in-all, it was a solid night. Missing the crash there at the end was cool. I assumed the caution was out and I didn’t know we were racing back to the line. That was cool to race back to the line and get a top-ten.
Just want to thank everybody at Travellers Whiskey, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelly Earnhardt Miller, and everybody that let me be a part of this. Thank you to everybody at Team Chevy and the Hendrick Engine Shop. This is a big moment for JR Motorsports, and we are excited about what the future holds for our company.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 13th
“It was an okay day for the No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevy team. We didn’t have as much speed as I thought we were going to have. We didn’t have a great, clean day.”
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 14th
“Our Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevy was really strong, and our car was very fast. We were able to lead laps early in the race and the car wanted to be up front most of the time. In the middle of the race, you kind of get stuck in the pack, so we tried to play it smart. Our first goal of the day after having a successful Duel and finishing third, getting some points there, was to finish the race. We played it smart through the first couple of stages and we had planned to race pretty hard in the final stage, we had a loose wheel that put us a couple of laps down. We fought really hard and got those laps back, stayed out of the crashes and were able to get a good finish. To leave the Daytona 500 with a top 15 is a conundrum because you want to do well, you can see the pie in the sky is right in front of you, it’s the biggest race of our year. To leave with a top 15, leading laps, scoring points in the Duel, starting our year off on the right foot – that was a major goal of ours. I am very proud of our team and our resilience of fighting through the day.”
Helio Castroneves, No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 70.
Finished: 39th
Castroneves on the accident that ultimately ended the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevy team’s day early:
“I tried stopping it and Martin Truex Jr. came really hard and hit me, but I don’t think that was the issue. I think the issue was that I guess someone on the bottom hit me from the side and it broke the axle. Disappointed, of course. I was learning so much. It’s incredible when you have more laps in it and how you understand the air flow and what the guys are doing, like saving fuel. There were some sketchy moments, but what a shame. I wish I was still out there because there’s still more to understand and more to learn. I was starting to get a little more comfortable with the whole process, but it is what it is.
I just have to thank NASCAR, as well, to be able to put together this type of a show. Now let’s go for the Indianapolis 500!”
How did this compare to the Indianapolis 500?
“It’s such a different show. You know, this has an incredible feeling and incredible energy. Both events are incredible. That’s why I decided to do this, and that’s why I want to do the Indianapolis 500, as well.”
Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 70.
Finished: 40th
It looked like a major stack-up and check-up there. Is there anything you could have done differently?
“If I would have made some better moves in our No. 1 Busch Light Chevy like 30 laps earlier, I wouldn’t have been back there in the first place. I thought the middle and the top would be a little more dominant and that I could save more fuel in that run and stay upfront. Slowly over the whole first stage, I worked my way from third all the way to basically the back of the field. I just made some bad decisions there and that put us back there with the accordion coming back. I didn’t see the hit coming to the right-rear, and then of course, I take out my teammate (Helio Castroneves) on my way to the wall. I hate that for Helio and the No. 91 Chevy team. Our Busch Light Chevy drove good. We made some progress on handling here this weekend. I’m excited for the future and we’ll move onto Atlanta (Motor Speedway).”
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.
FOUR TOYOTAS IN THE TOP-FIVE FINISHERS AT DAYTONA Camry drivers crossed the line in positions two through five in the season opener
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 16, 2025) – Tyler Reddick (second), Jimmie Johnson (third), Chase Briscoe (fourth) and John Hunter Nemechek (fifth) gave Toyota four of the top-five finishers in the rain delayed season-opening Daytona 500 on Sunday evening.
Denny Hamlin nearly added to his incredible history at Daytona International Speedway as the Virginia-native was leading on the final lap, when he was taken out battling for his fourth Daytona 500 win.
For Reddick, last season’s Championship 4 finalist, it matches his best Daytona finish and his best-ever Daytona 500 result. Johnson scored his best finish in the Next Gen car, and his best finish since the fall Dover race in 2020. Briscoe, who earned Toyota their first ever Daytona 500 pole earlier in the week, earned his second Daytona 500 top-five in his official Joe Gibbs Racing debut, while Nemechek earned his first Cup Series top-five finish. With Johnson and Nemechek both earning top-five runs, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB placed two Camrys in the top-five for the first time.
Toyota Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Daytona International Speedway Race 1 of 36 – 500 miles, 200 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, William Byron*
2nd, TYLER REDDICK
3rd, JIMMIE JOHNSON
4th, CHASE BRISCOE
5th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
12th, ERIK JONES
16th, TY GIBBS
17th, RILEY HERBST
24th, DENNY HAMLIN
29th, BUBBA WALLACE
31st, CHRISTOPHER BELL
38th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Nasty Beast Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 2nd
How were you able to finish second?
“Yeah, with that restart with 15 to go, we kind of checked up in the middle and ended up further back than we wanted to be. We didn’t really want to, but we ducked out of it hoping for the caution and we got it. But we were still lined up 16th there on the green-white-checkered. When they started to spin on the dogleg, I kind of jumped out of line thinking that was going to be it, and we just kept going. I knew that me and the 24 (William Byron) had a good run and they were throwing big blocks, and when they started spinning on the inside and I had a run on the 24, I thought, man, if I can just make it through on the 11 (Denny Hamlin) and not scrub my speed, I would have had at least an opportunity to do something. All in all, I never really finished a race here unless it was 40 laps down, so I’ll take second. We wanted to get a good start to the year, and we scored a lot of points today. So, I’m really happy with everyone’s effort on this No. 45 Nasty Beast Toyota Camry.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, No. 84 Carvana Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Finishing Position: 3rd
How were you able to get up to the front?
“What an experience. We tried to play it smart. Chad (Johnston, crew chief) had a great strategy for the third segment. Unfortunately, on one of the pit stops we got blocked in and lost our track position. Still had a good car and a straight car and there at the end I was able to make my way through the crash in the back. I was in a good position and here we are. This is great.”
What does it mean to get two LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Camrys in the top five?
“Yeah, two in the top five. I hate it that Erik (Jones) had some trouble. Shaq, I hope you’re listening. We got your car on the podium. Just an incredible experience. Thank you to Carvana, Toyota, Dollar Tree, AdventHealth. There are so many partners part of this program that are helping us grow as an organization and I thought we had a good night.”
How good does this one feel for you?
“This feels incredible. I have emotions that I didn’t expect to have. I’ve never been in this position as an owner, and it’s really opened up a different set of emotions, and the pride that I have in this result and the pride that I have in this company, now that we’re trying to achieve and the journey we’re on – I am so satisfied, so happy right now. Excited that we have two cars in the top five. I hope Shaq is watching. Thank you, buddy. We got your car in the top-three. A big thanks to Carvana and their continued support, Mobil 1, AdventHealth, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree. It’s been an interesting couple of years and to have our cars come out and be this strong, this Toyota was rocket ship fast. I’m just smiling inside and out.”
CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 4th
Can you take us through that final restart?
“Man, it was crazy. We restarted I think eighth and the seas kind of just kept parting for me. Everything honestly went my way up until the very end there down the back straightaway. They all split off kind of three-wide and the 11 (Denny Hamlin) car was just sitting there for me, and I was like, ‘I’m going to push Denny to the win. JGR is going to win with my first race here. When I hit him, we all came together – I haven’t seen it yet – and somehow I was able to keep it straight and obviously move forward. A great way for us to start the year. Obviously, would’ve loved to win the race, but for us to come here and run in the top five is really cool for our first race. Hopefully this is what we’ll be doing all year long.”
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Finishing Position: 5th
Can you describe the chaos in the final laps?
“It’s a green-white-checkered at Daytona. I wouldn’t really expect anything less. I don’t really know what happened on the back straightaway there. I know everyone was pushing hard and the next thing I knew there was smoke. I got hit in the left side door, right side door and managed to keep it straight. Jimmie (Johnson) blew my doors off. I don’t think he ever lifted for it. Strong run by LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. Erik (Jones) in the Duels and then up front for the majority of the day. Then, Jimmie came home third and myself fifth so a solid day. A solid week I would say and Speedweeks for the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB group. Excited to see what this year has. We already know that we’re better than last year, it’s just how much better is unknown.”
How big is it to get off to this start?
“Well, Daytona really won’t make your season – unless you win it – but I feel like coming out of Daytona wrecked and in a hole, isn’t very good either, so that definitely sucks, when you are deep in a hole like that and you have to crawl your way out of a points deal, but having a solid run like we did, coming home fifth was a really solid day, a really solid effort, really solid Speedweeks from the whole LEGACY MOTOR CLUB group. Excited to see where 2025 goes – we already know we are better than 2024, just how much is the question. We hired a lot of good people in the offseason, so looking forward to seeing what all of the hard work, processes, procedures, personnel, everything that went into the offseason – see what it does for us in 2025.”
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 National Debt Relief Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 24th
What were your thoughts on what transpired there?
“Yeah, I thought we were in a great spot many times in the last 10 laps. Appreciate National Debt Relief coming on our Toyota and we gave them a great ride. We had the caution on the front straightaway spin – I measured up the 2 (Austin Cindric), and got a run on him. I stayed with him long enough where I could kind of control which side I wanted to pass him on, and then we had pulled away from the pack slightly so I knew a run was going to come. The 41 (Cole Custer) had a run, and I chose not to block him because these races, you have to live to make it off of turn four, and we just didn’t. I thought the 41 came down. I’m pushing the 2 down as low as I can to give him all of the space, and not stopping his run, and I thought he, not hung a left, but steered left and was trying to crowd it. I understand what he was trying to go for – he’s going for it – all of us are, but you know, in those situations, you’ve gotta do it off of (turn) four – then we can we do this, but we never made it – and someone else won. I don’t even know where he was running.”
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DeWalt/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 31st
What happened in that wreck that took you out of the race?
“Just Superspeedway racing. That’s how it goes. It takes pushes. You’ve got to be pushing otherwise you’re going backwards. I don’t know. I was in position and that’s all you can ask for.”
Did that push you got cause the accident?
“I had my hands full for a while. It’s Daytona. You have to be doing that otherwise you’re not going to be going forward. It’s a product of the racing that we have here.”
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, TRICON Garage
Finishing Position: 38th
Are you disappointed to be out of the Daytona 500 early?
“It’s always disappointing when you don’t finish no matter what situation especially in a race like this when it’s probably our only shot this year. Thanks to Bass Pro, TRICON and everybody that helped us put this together. It was fun while it lasted, but unfortunately, we were just wrong place, wrong time there.”
What happened out there?
“I’m not sure – a big stack up – and by the time they got to me, it was really aggressive – I guess you would call it. Just no time to react and knocked the nose off of the thing. Just unfortunate for all of our guys. We had a fun week down here, making the race. Thank you to Bass Pro, TRICON Garage, Toyota, TRD – everybody that helped us put this together. We were hoping to have a lot more fun than that. We were just biding our time, and just in a bad place on the restart there.”
Are we going to see you again?
“Yeah – just don’t know when or where or what. We will see.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 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 nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 | Sunday, February 16, 2025
FORD FINISHING RESULTS (UNOFFICIAL)
7th – Ryan Blaney
8th – Austin Cindric
10th – Chris Buescher
21st – Cole Custer
22nd – Corey LaJoie
25th – Cody Ware
26th – Brad Keselowski
27th – Todd Gilliland
28th – Noah Gragson
32nd – Ryan Preece
35th – Joey Logano
36th – Zane Smith
37th – Josh Berry
AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 8th) – WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE RESULT? “I’m clearly disappointed. I mean, you take the white and you’re in the lead. I wish we had a better chance to bring that home for everyone at Discount Tire and Team Penske and Ford Performance. It was just an exceptional effort all the way through Speedweeks. There’s definitely a lot to review there, trying to figure out when I need to actually be leading, so just frustrating to be that close.”
FORD AND TEAM PENSKE LED A LOT OF LAPS AND STAYED UP FRONT. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT YOUR SUPERSPEEDWAY PROGRAM? “It says the same things it’s said about our program the last year and a half to two years and it’s a shame we don’t have enough wins to show for it. I feel like there’s an opportunity to make the playoffs for all three of us tonight. I know it’s super early in the season, but it’s super critical and it’s a big race to try and win. To be that close it definitely stinks.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU PROVED TO THE FANS WITH BEING SO CLOSE TO WINNING AGAIN? “That I want to do it again, that’s for sure.”
WHAT ARE THE EMOTIONS RIGHT NOW? “Frustration. You’re taking the white as the leader. I felt like I executed all the restarts the right way and really that whole third stage. I didn’t get wrecked out of the lead this time, so that was cool, but it still doesn’t make it feel any better. Obviously, I don’t even know where we finished, but it was still a decent points weekend and an incredible showing by our team for the entirety of Speedweeks. It’s just a shame we couldn’t get this Discount Tire Ford Mustang in Victory Lane.”
WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FINAL LAP? “I’m not sure. We had one wreck when I took the white and then Denny wanted to take his run right away and I still got a good shot from the 01 and whoever was pushing Denny clearly wrecked him. There was just a ton of momentum with the field getting broken up. I didn’t really know what point of the lap I needed to actually be the leader, it’s just frustrating to be that close.”
RYAN PREECE, No. 60 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 32nd) –“We had a really good car. Honestly, I don’t even know what happened in front of me. I haven’t seen the replay. I was in line, pushing, and when you get down to the end of these races, we are all just really aggressive because you have to be aggressive. It is just the position we are in. We had a really fast BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang, and it is just frustrating when you can’t do anything with it.”
RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Peak Ford Mustang Dark Horse – (Finished 7th)
“Honestly, we did a good job fixing it after we got turned on the backstretch off of Turn 2 there and fixed it the best they could. We rode around and missed the first big wreck and kind of went racing the second one, and I went to the bottom, and kind of got to the apron and was able to miss a lot of that junk and wound up seventh. It was a good recovery. We did a really good job today just got hit in the right rear there and spun around and hurt us a little bit. It was a good finish at least.”
YOU HAD SPEED ALL DAY. IF IT WASN’T FOR THE CHAOS AT THE END DO YOU FEEL YOU AND AUSTIN (CINDRIC) HAD A CHANCE AT THIS THING? “Yeah, I thought Austin and I were in a good position. We had control of the race for awhile. The middle kind of came a little bit but I felt like we were still going to have a shot. It was just people pushing hard at the end of this thing and sometimes it just doesn’t work. Unfortunately we were part of the wreck but fortunate that we didn’t have night-ending damage. Austin and I did a good job. I thought we timed the strategy perfect of he and I being out front together the last run of the race and just lost a couple of us there.”
COREY LAJOIE, No. 01 Take 5 Oil Change/DuraMax Ford Mustang Dark Horse – (Finished 22nd)
“Here, for what we are trying to do, it doesn’t matter if you don’t win. Certainly, there is a lot of money involved from potentially finishing third to 22nd or wherever we finished. Nonetheless, I think we had a great showing this week, making it into the Duels and bringing Take Five and Duramax to the front at Daytona with 10 laps to go was a pretty special experience. I just hate that we couldn’t finish where we should have.”
CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse – (Finished 10th)
“It was just a race that didn’t play out like we needed it to. We practiced a lot of things as a group and got really efficient at it in practice. We had cautions at all the times to where we didn’t have a single green flag stop, which we were prepared for. The cars handled great. We went into a night race with the rain delay. Everybody’s handling was just fine. Everything just kind of piled on top of us, but we had a ton of potential in this race if it would have started the right time and had played out a little bit different. You can’t control that, but we had a ton of potential in the day with our Fastenal Mustang and we didn’t really get to realize it.”
JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 35th) – “From my perspective, I felt like to win the race I had to get to the second row in my line there. I was in third and needed to get to second. I saw the opportunity to drop down and get underneath the [number] 47 and have the [number] 4, another Ford, behind me. Then the 47 threw a late block there. I checked up for it and it looked like he was going to go back up and grab the top lane so I went back in to try and close the gap again but he kept coming down. I am checking up but at that point the checkup has already happened behind me and everybody is all over each other. I can’t get out of it and then we made contact. It is unfortunate. We had a good Shell Pennzoil Mustang. We had a good car but just couldn’t get it done.”
COLE CUSTER, No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 21st) – “Everybody was just pushing hard and side drafting hard. Everybody is going for it. This is the biggest race of our lives here in Daytona. It’s the pinnacle of our sport. I had a huge run on the 11. I wish I waited one more corner, but it was such a big run that I just felt like I had to take it. The 19 went with the 11 and then we were kind of hung out and it just didn’t work out there at the end, but I can’t say enough about our team. To have a shot at the win there it definitely says a lot about our team with how hard they had to work on this car fixing it from the Duels. We’ll move on to Atlanta and see what we can do.”
YOU WERE PUSHING CINDRIC ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT? “There was a lot going on. There was a lot of pushing and a lot of shoving. I wish we could have stayed hooked together with Austin, but just with how it worked out with people blocking and everything, it didn’t work out. Everybody was just going for it.”
CODY WARE, No. 51 Parts Plus/Jacob Construction Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 25th) – “We did everything we could. We slipped our way through it. We were on the bottom and making our way through and just got clipped at the last second. Super frustrating because the RWR cars were fast. I was just hanging back and playing my normal strategy. The 01 also showed pace and was running up front all day. To have two top-fives taken away from us on the last lap is pretty frustrating. Definitely been a long week between issues in qualifying, getting wrecked it the Duels and then wrecking out again today. This is one to reset and move on to Atlanta next weekend. Thankful we had fast Ford Performance Ford Mustang Dark Horses on the race track and know that we will have two more fast cars at Atlanta next weekend.”
The Detroit Supercross delivered thrilling and unpredictable racing to a packed stadium at Ford Field. Both the 450SX and 250SX Class Main Events came down to the final laps with multiple late-race lead changes.
Levi Kitchen Comes Out On Top of 250SX Main Event Shake-Up
Detroit, Mich., (February 15, 2025) Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb grabbed the win in a thrilling Detroit Supercross at Ford Field. Webb’s first win of the season put the two-time champion into a point tie for the title just six races into the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship.
Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen jumped into the lead on the first lap and led the field for most of the 20-minute plus one lap Main Event. He defended several attacks by Webb throughout the race but gave up the top spot in the final minutes. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton got stuck in the starting gate then crashed on the opening lap, but from there he put in blistering laps and passed his way up to a third-place finish. Sexton retains the red plate but now stands in a point tie with Cooper Webb in both the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the SMX World Championship™. In round two of the Eastern Divisional 250SX Class, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen nabbed the win after a late-race re-start tightened up the field.
First place 450SX Class
“I really liked where I was by lap three, when I got around Aaron [Plessinger] and was with Kenny. I knew he was riding well today so it was going to be a good pace, and we had some good laps… He felt the pressure and rode well all through the Main Event. I was trying hard, and he picked up on some of my lines. It was a tough Main Event… I’ve been in that position before and it felt great. I’m stoked to get that first win, get the red plate. It just felt awesome.” – Cooper Webb, when asked at what point he felt he had the win.
Second place 450SX Class
“It was a really fun race… I kept my cool the whole time even though he was revving behind me. I didn’t let anything faze me. I know the stigma of when we go to battle and him getting me toward the end, but I just tried to do what I could; it’s honest work… I’m happy with a podium, I really am, even though we only got two points closer [to the points lead], I’m doing whatever I can out there and we’re executing our plans that we have coming into the [racing].” – Ken Roczen
Third place 450SX Class
“I was dead last, and I was like, ‘Well, time to send it!’ I felt like I rode really well; probably the best ride of the season, but it’s obviously not the result we wanted. But I made the most of a bad situation… I was smashing the whoops and that’s more like it for me. I’m looking forward to keeping this season going; that ride was fun.” – Chase Sexton (#4 in photo above)
The 250SX Class created excitement of its own when a red flag came out late in the race. Levi Kitchen, running seven seconds behind the leader in second place, used incredible sprint speed to take over the lead just two laps before the checkered flag came out. Prior to the re-start, last weekend’s winner, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Max Anstie, grabbed the lead early and pulled out a comfortable gap. After several side-by-side racing moments with Kitchen in the final laps, Anstie eventually settled for second. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire fought into third place, even recovering from a fall. Hampshire tried to capitalize on the staggered-start re-start but wasn’t able to better his spot.
Note: The AMA’s re-start procedure after a red flag was updated prior to the 2024 season. The rule states that if the leader has completed at least three laps, and if there is any time remaining on the race clock, the riders line up in a staggered-position on the start straight. A green flag re-starts the race, and the remaining race duration will be, at minimum, three laps.
First place 250SX Class
“Max rode so good in the beginning of that event… then the red flag came out and I was like, ‘It’s time to reset and I can capitalize on this.’ I took a few deep breaths and just treated it like I was doing a two-lap sprint at Sandbox [Training Facility]. I sent it, made a pretty aggressive pass, and was able to get that [triple jump] out of the turn and got a little gap. We’ll take that. I had to bounce back after last weekend… [After the re-start] I knew it was [going to be] green flag, white flag, checkers, so I tried to plan to get a pass and get some room, and that’s what I did.” – Levi Kitchen
Second place 250SX Class
“That red flag threw a bit of a spanner into the plan there. I was in a tough spot, because I knew Levi was fast, and the track was quite open. There were a lot of places to send it down the inside, and I would have done the same thing… I had it in the bag. I was literally cruising around the last two laps, and then the red flag [came out]. It is what it is. Big picture: I’m solid, I feel really good, I’m fast, I’m comfy where I’m at so, yeah, what a bummer.” – Max Anstie
Third place 250SX Class
“We needed a podium so bad after last weekend. There was no one that pulled a worse card than me last weekend [getting the bike stuck on a track marker]… We came up with a pretty good setting for that Main Event and that’s the best I felt all day. We’ll take it. If you noticed, on the re-start I was hanging back a little bit. I didn’t want to throw it away for no reason.” – RJ Hampshire
Bidding has opened for two golf-foursome spots in the 2nd Annual Love Moto Stop Cancer Golf Tournament. Winners will golf with Supercross racers, legends, and industry professionals then receive a VIP treatment experience at the Supercross season Final in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 10th. For information, to bid, and to learn more about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, please go to SupercrossLIVE.com/st-jude.
Nothing beats attending a Monster Energy AMA Supercross in person, but live viewing is also available everywhere across the globe. Each event streams live and on-demand on Peacock. Additionally, select events can be viewed on NBC, CNBC, USA Network, and NBC Sports digital platforms. CNBC airs an encore presentation of each round on the Monday following the race at 1:00p.m. ET. A live Spanish-language presentation is available for every round on Telemundo Deportes’ Facebook and YouTube channels. Live International coverage can be accessed through the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv) in English, Spanish and French language broadcasts. Races can also be heard live on NBC Sports Audio on SiriusXM Channel 85.
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas hosts Round 7 next Saturday night, February 22nd. The Military Appreciation-themed event will bring back the Western Divisional 250SX Class Championship for its fifth round, and both the 450SX and 250SX Class racers will face their second Triple Crown-formatted event of the year. Like each Supercross race, the event will pay championship points toward both the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship as well as the SMX World Championship series. Tickets are available now for the Arlington Supercross and each remaining round of the championships, including FanFest and camping options for the post-season SMX World Championship events. For video highlights, race schedules, results, news, and to purchase tickets please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the SMX World ChampionshipTM. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc. Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.
About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship:
Monster Energy AMA Supercross is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship on the planet. Founded in America and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since 1974. Over 17 weeks, Supercross attracts some of the largest and most impressive crowds inside the most recognizable and prestigious stadiums in North America to race in front of nearly one million live fans and broadcast to millions more worldwide. For more information, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.
About the SMX World Championship:
The SMX World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series in the world that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the SMX World Championship Series combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 28-round regular season that culminates with the season-ending SMX World Championship Playoffs. Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.
About the American Motorcyclist Association:
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Claim Season-Opening Victory at Daytona International Speedway
Finish: 1st Start: 9th Points: 2nd
“I’m at a loss for words. It’s Daytona International Speedway. This place is so special to me and to finally get the red-and-white Whelen Chevrolet in Victory Lane is a dream. There have been so many people who have helped me get to this point. Everyone back in Welcome at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines deserve a ton of credit. I’m not sure what happened to the No. 21, but he (Austin Hill) was really dominant tonight. We are working on changing our culture here at RCR though. We are winners and we know we are. We all want to win a championship for Richard Childress. Sometimes it takes me a little while to get up front in these races. I’m trying to play chess nowadays and not checkers, especially here at Daytona. It all worked out tonight and I couldn’t be prouder of this No. 2 team.” -Jesse Love
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Win Opening Stages Before Mechanical Failure Ends Strong Run at Daytona International Speedway
Finish: 33rd Start: 4th Points: 17th
“Such a bummer. We had a fast Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet tonight at Daytona International Speedway. Everyone at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines did a great job building this race car. We showed that we were the dominant team again by getting both stage wins. I just wish we could have lost this race on our own terms, and it not be a mechanical failure. I almost would rather get turned on the backstretch on the white flag lap than end up like this. This one is going to sting for a little bit, but I feel like we are going to be good at Atlanta Motor Speedway next week and all of 2025 for that matter. Can’t say enough good things about Chad (Haney, crew chief) and our No. 21 team. Everyone is beating themselves up right now, but these things happen. This is why it’s so hard to win at this level. Winning three in a row here is a testament to the hard work that everyone at RCR puts in each and every day, and we had a shot at a fourth. We will hold our heads up and keep digging.” -Austin Hill
Eckes, who raced the first 20 laps of the race in the top 10, sustained nose damage on a restart with five laps remaining in the opening stage. Throughout the second stage, the team utilized cautions to repair the nose of the No. 16 Celsius Chevy, managing to stay on the lead lap. During the final stage, the field began making green-flag pit stops. As Eckes pitted, a timely caution came out, allowing him to pit for fuel only and rejoin the field in ninth place with the track position he needed with 25 laps remaining. An overtime-inducing caution collected Eckes, along with many others, who had nowhere to go. Eckes was able to pit for tires and repairs to restart 22nd for the first overtime attempt. As chaos ensued when the white flag waved, the race was official, and Eckes was scored 12th.
“Not the way we hoped our debut would go. The guys did a great job fixing the nose damage from early in the race, and we finally got some track position back towards the end. Unfortunately we just couldn’t avoid the chaos coming to the line. A lot of fight from the No. 16 team, and I’m excited for what’s to come this season.” – Christian Eckes
Josh Williams’ race was relatively tame up until the closing laps. After the conclusion of Stage 1, he restarted in sixth due to a strategy decision to short pit, and he made his way into the top five before being shuffled to the rear of the lead group. Williams pitted during the second stage break for tires and fuel, restarting in 17th. During an extended run under green, he came down pit road for his final scheduled start before a caution came out mid-cycle, putting the No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevy on the back foot with 33 laps remaining. Williams’ mid-pack restart led to stagnation until the race’s closing laps. He restarted after a late caution in 15th with three laps to go. Williams fired off for overtime from ninth place, but a last-lap melee took away a potential top-five finish from the No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevy.
“I wanted to run the race in a way that put ourselves in position to have a good finish. Sometimes, you just get right-reared, and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s time to go to Atlanta and try it again. I can’t believe we made it that long until the big one. That was impressive.” – Josh Williams
No. 10 Champion Container Chevrolet
Start: 12th Stage 1 Finish: 38th Stage 2 Finish: 38th Finish: 38th During the fifth lap of the race, an early wreck collected Dye with nowhere to go from the top lane. He was relegated to a 38th-place finish
About Kaulig Racing
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.
