DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 13, 2025) – On Thursday evening, the NASCAR Cup Series participated in the Duels at Daytona to set the starting grid for the 67th running of the DAYTONA 500. The LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entries of Erik Jones, John Hunter Nemechek, and Jimmie Johnson lined up together in the second Duel race of the night. In a race known for high stakes, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB led laps and had a strong showing. Most importantly, the CLUB finished the race unscathed and proud of the performance.
Below is a look at how the LEGACY MC entries fared during the Duel qualifying race:
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK NO. 42 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE DUEL RECAP: During the second Duel at Daytona qualifying race that sets the lineup for Sunday’s DAYTONA 500, the No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek started deep in the field in the 19th position. The 22-car field took a conservative approach on the 60-lap race, with the field logging laps. Nemechek was content feeling out his Toyota Camry XSE early on but that would eventually change as he picked his way forward. Just shy of the halfway mark of the race, the North Carolina native cracked the top 10. On Lap 44, the field ducked down pit road for green-flag pit stops. While Nemechek was exiting pit road, he was over the 55-mph speed limit, resulting in a pass-through penalty. As the No. 42 team served the penalty, a yellow flag slowed the field. The No. 42 Dollar Tree team took the opportunity to come back down pit road to bolt on four Goodyear tires and make an air-pressure adjustment to help with the tight on exit. With seven laps to go, Nemechek lined up 16th for the restart and once again made his way towards the front of the field. Spotter Hayden Reeves helped Nemechek avoid a big crash on the front stretch on the final lap and bring the No. 42 Dollar Tree team home with a clean race car in ninth place.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTABLE (ON DUEL RACE):
“Wish we would have finished a little bit better. We have a little bit of work to do. It’s a new group this year, so there are some things I need different, things that they need different. Tonight was a good test. Overall, I guess it’s a solid night. I would have liked to have finished a little bit better, but we have to start somewhere. A great night for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, showing some speed. Looking forward to Sunday.”
ERIK JONES NO. 43 ADVENTHEALTH TOYOTA CAMRY XSE DUEL RECAP: The No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE started Duel 2 in the 18th position after yesterday’s qualifying efforts. Jones decided early on to race hard and created a third lane on Lap 15. This decision came with great reward as the No. 43 pushed forward to lead the pack. The AdventHealth branded Toyota led 15 laps before the halfway mark. After a pit stop for fuel, the No. 43 battled back up to stay within the top 10. Getting antsy on the last lap, the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entry pushed hard and made a move to the outside lane to take the lead. The AdventHealth Toyota was battling back and forth with the No. 2 for the first position on the last lap. With a wild finish, a caution flag was thrown before the top 2 made it to the start finish line. The No. 43 was initially deemed the winner of Duel 2, but after a review from NASCAR officials, the caution flag was thrown as the No. 2 was in the lead, resulting in a second-place finish for Jones. He will start fourth in The Great American Race.
ERIK JONES QUOTABLE (ON DUEL RACE):
“The race was good. We kind of went on a different strategy just to get up front and put ourselves in a good spot after the pit stop. After the restart, I was just trying to get to the top, and it finally kind of opened up there on the final lap – I felt like I put myself in a good spot and set myself to try to beat him to the line and did, but unfortunately, the yellow came out before. I haven’t seen it. It is a bummer – you think you win the race, and I’ve never had that happen, so I feel for all of the others in that spot – it’s not fun. Either way, we will go make it up on Sunday.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON NO. 84 CARVANA TOYOTA CAMRY XSE DUEL RECAP: It didn’t take long for Jimmie Johnson to move to the front in the Duel qualifier event at Daytona. After starting 14th, he soon found teammate Erik Jones and they pushed to the lead. Johnson ran second at the front of the field with Jones through the first half of the event.
On Lap 25 Johnson felt as though the No. 84 Carvana Toyota Camry XSE was running out of fuel and he pitted for a full tank of gas on Lap 26. With 22 laps to go the field passed Johnson by, since he lost momentum and the draft.
Johnson stayed on the track while the rest of the field pitted on Lap 45 – getting his lap back as the race wore down. A late race caution showed Johnson to pit road again with eight to go, for four tires and fuel.
After the pit stop, Crew chief Chad Johnston told Johnson ‘be careful, as this is when things will start to happen,’ and Johnson was ready for action behind the wheel. A last lap melee happened in front of Johnson and he avoided involvement coming to the checkered flag, eventually finishing 19th. Johnson will unofficially start 40th in the 67th running of The Great American Race on Sunday.
JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTABLE Can you talk about your feelings in this moment? “Definitely a good performance for us. Unfortunately, we had some kind of fuel pump issue or a fueling issue and cost us a chance to really race for it, but Erik (Jones) did a phenomenal job. I’m a little bummed for him to not have that AdventHealth Camry in victory lane, but we saw the video and it is clear – the caution came out, he is about six inches behind the 2 (Austin Cindric) car. Roller coaster thinking of it being our first win as an organization and then let down that came behind that. But good things ahead for us.”
What are you looking forward to for Sunday? “Just running more laps – getting a good feel for the Carvana Camry. A strong performance. We are eager to get off to a quick start and we know for our full-time cars that a good finish in these first four or five weeks really sets you up for a strong season and a nice look at the Playoffs. So of course, we want to win the Daytona 500, but we are also very focused on the long game this year.”
NO. 42 JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA: 18TH NO. 43 ERIK JONES ADVENTHEALTH TOYOTA: 4TH NO. 84 JIMMIE JOHNSON CARVANA TOYOTA: 40TH
UP NEXT: Daytona Speedweek continues on Friday at 5:35 p.m. for a 50-minute practice session for the NASCAR Cup Series. The practice will be broadcast on FOX SPORTS 1, MRN Radio, and SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio, CH. 90.
ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: (LEGACY MC) is a premier auto racing organization co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Gazoo Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.
Photo - Daytona Duel by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.
After missing the 2024 Playoffs despite achieving his best season statistical-wise to date, Bubba Wallace struck first. He claimed a dominant victory in the first of two Duels at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, February 13.
The 31-year-old Wallace from Mobile, Alabama, led five times for a race-high 21 of 60-scheduled laps in the first Duel event. Wallace started in 15th place and navigated his way to the front for the first time on Lap 31,
He then overtook William Byron entering the frontstretch. With drafting help primarily from his 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick, Wallace remained towards the front for the remainder of the Duel’s second half, including the final restart period with 14 laps remaining.
Despite briefly losing his momentum after nearly getting sideways with nearly five laps remaining, Wallace fought back and muscled ahead of Ty Dillon, William Byron, and the rest of the field prior to the final lap. Once out in front during the final lap, Wallace fended off the field that had fanned out to three-packed lanes to win a Daytona Duel event for the first time in his career.
Chase Briscoe, the 2025 Daytona 500 pole winner, started on the pole. He shared the front row with Ryan Preece, who posted the third-fastest qualifying lap during Wednesday’s single-car qualifying session.
During the pace laps, Chase Elliott, Preece and Ross Chastain pitted to address mechanical issues with their respective entries.
When the green flag waved and the first Duel event commenced, Briscoe and Preece dueled against one another for the lead in front of two-stacked lanes. As the field cycled around Daytona International Speedway for a full lap, Preece used the draft from the outside lane to muscle ahead and lead the first lap over Briscoe.
Just past the second lap, the event’s first caution flew when Zane Smith, who was the third competitor in line from the outside lane behind Preece and Austin Dillon, blew a right-front tire and hit the outside wall entering the first two turns, though he managed to limp his No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry back to his pit stall. At the moment of caution, Briscoe, who led the previous lap, was scored the leader over Preece.
During the first Duel’s first caution period, a bevy of competitors led by Briscoe pitted their respective entries, primarily for fuel, while Justin Allgaier, who was initially pitting for only fuel, instead pitted for four fresh tires due to sliding his No. 40 Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet entry into his pit box. Amid the pit stops, Josh Berry cycled into the lead and he shared the front row with Briscoe prior to the first Duel’s first restart period on the seventh lap.
The start of the ensuing restart featured Berry and Briscoe dueling for the lead in front of the field through the first two turns until Berry gained a strong draft form Austin Dillon and Elliott to muscle ahead of Briscoe through the backstretch. Berry would then fend off Dillon entering the frontstretch to retain the lead on the eighth lap before he stalled a run by Elliott as Michael McDowell muscled his way into the top-three mark.
Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Elliott navigated his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet entry into the lead. He was followed by McDowell, AJ Allmendinger and Austin Dillon while Berry fell back to fifth place. Meanwhile, Briscoe, Justin Haley, Kyle Busch, Chandler Smith and Ty Gibbs were jostling inside the top 10 while Ty Dillon, Helio Castroneves, Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick, Preece, Ross Chastain, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and JJ Yeley were scored in the top 20.
Three laps later, the first Duel’s second caution flew when Chandler Smith, who was scored in third place, made contact with Justin Haley while trying to move in front of him entering the first two turns. The contact sent Smith’s No. 66 Quick Tie Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry head-on into the outside wall as Ty Gibbs, who was trying to dodge Smith, was hit by Castroneves as he clipped and sent Haley head-on into the wall. In the process, Castroneves also hit the wall on the right side of his No. 91 Wendy’s Chevrolet entry and he would eventually hit the outside wall again due to hitting the apron as he tried to nurse his damaged car back to pit road. Bubba Wallace, JJ Yeley, Tyler Reddick and Kyle Busch would all sustain damage to their respective entries while trying to avoid the carnage.
The damage to their respective entries was enough to knock both Chandler Smith and Helio Castroneves out of contention to finish the first Duel event. While Smith’s hopes of making the 67th running of the Daytona 500 with Garage 66 evaporated, Castroneves was guaranteed a starting spot for the event through NASCAR’s “Open Provisional Exemption.”
Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.
During the caution period, a bevy of competitors led by Elliott pitted for enough fuel to complete the first Duel’s scheduled distance while the rest led by McDowell remained on the track. Shortly after, McDowell along with Truex, Briscoe and Carson Hocevar pitted their entries, which allowed Elliott to cycle back into the lead.
When the first Duel restarted under green on Lap 19, Elliott and Berry dueled for the lead in front of Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain through the first two turns. As the rest of the field regained the momentum through the backstretch, Berry rocketed ahead from the outside lane as both he and Chastain had extra drafting help from William Byron, Bubba Wallace, McDowell and Truex. Amid the battles on the track, McDowell was assessed a drive-through penalty for improper lineup prior to the restart. Earlier, Ty Dillon was also penalized for speeding while exiting his pit stall.
Three laps later, Elliott received a draft from Austin Dillon from the inside lane to muscle ahead of Berry and reassume the lead through the frontstretch. Berry would then get shoved out of the draft entering the first two turns as he drifted to the rear of the field. With Berry falling back, Elliott was left to block Chastain for the lead as Austin Dillon, Byron, Allmendinger, Wallace, Reddick, Truex, Preece, Ty Gibbs, Allgaier, Kyle Busch, Stenhouse, Yeley and Ty Dillon were all mingling in a draft towards the front.
On Lap 24, the first Duel’s third caution flew due to debris reported in Turn 4. During the caution period, Briscoe steered his Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE entry into the garage and voluntarily retired to preserve his pole-winning car for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
As the first Duel restarted under green on Lap 28, Elliott dueled with Chastain for the lead through the first two turns until Chastain received a strong push from Byron to muscle his No. 1 Busch Light Chevrolet entry ahead through the backstretch. Chastain and Byron would then transition from both the inside and outside lane to defend runs from both Elliott and Wallace during the following lap before Byron steered his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet entry to the outside lane to challenge Chastain for the lead. With drafting help from Wallace on the outside lane, Byron would lead the first Duel’s halfway mark on Lap 30 over Chastain.
Not long after, Wallace steered his No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry XSE entry to the outside of Byron entering the frontstretch to assume the lead. By then, he had teammate Reddick and Preece drafting him while Byron transitioned back to the inside lane and in front of Chevrolet teammates Chastain, Elliott and Austin Dillon. With Preece trying to navigate his way back to the front, Wallace was left to duel against Byron in front of two stacked lanes for the lead.
With 25 laps remaining, Byron and Wallace, both of whom were dueling against one another for the lead through every corner and straightaway, continued to battle dead even for the lead. By then, Wallace, who was leading the outside lane, had drafting help from Preece and Reddick while Byron, who led the inside lane, remained in front of Chastain. A lap later, however, Preece transitioned to the inside lane and used drafts from Byron to challenge Wallace for the lead. Both Preece and Wallace would proceed to battle against one another for the lead over the next three laps.
Down to the final 20 laps of the event, Wallace was shoved to a narrow lead by teammate Reddick over Byron as Chastain, Ty Dillon, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Allgaier and Allmendinger were scored in the top 10. By then, Preece, who was racing at the front, had drifted back to within the top-15 mark after he got split by the front-runners and had no drafting help through the first two turns. As Preece fell back, Wallace went into defensive mode as he transitioned between the outside and inside lane to keep Byron drafting him.
A few laps later, the caution returned due to debris reported on the backstretch. During the caution period, select names that included Truex, Berry and Hocevar pitted while the rest led by Wallace remained on the track.
The start of the ensuing restart with 14 laps remaining featured Wallace dueling with Byron for the lead through the first two turns. With the field stacked up entering the backstretch, Wallace had teammate Reddick drafting him from the outside lane while Byron received a push from Chastain that enabled him to continue to duel with Wallace for the lead. Wallace and Byron would remain dead even through the frontstretch during the following lap until Wallace received another strong draft from Reddick through the backstretch to clear Byron and have both lanes to his control.
Down to the final 12 laps of the event, the field slowly started to fan out to three lanes as Wallace retained a steady lead over teammate Reddick. With the field scattering and trying to regain formation amid the pack, Ty Dillon muscled his way to the front along with Elliott while Byron, who briefly fell back, was trying to regain his momentum from fifth place. As Ty Dillon started to gain momentum as the lead competitor from the inside lane, Wallace continued to lead with 10 laps remaining.
With five laps remaining, Ty Dillon, who had dueled against Wallace for the lead over the previous four laps, was leading and had both lanes under his control after Wallace briefly got loose exiting the backstretch, which allowed Byron to battle him for second as Chastain, Reddick and Austin Dillon were in the mix within the top-six mark. By then, Yeley, who was trying to race into the top-10 mark, was also trying to fend off Allgaier and Truex to claim a transfer berth into the Daytona 500 in a non-chartered entry.
Despite nearly getting sideways exiting the backstretch, Wallace managed to regain his momentum from the outside lane and re-challenge Ty Dillon for the lead in front of the field. By then, Wallace continued to have drafting help from Reddick while Byron settled behind Dillon on the inside lane. Despite Dillon’s attempt to muscle ahead through the turns, Wallace used the straightaways from the outside lane to fight back and duel with Dillon for the lead.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Wallace, who had muscled ahead of the field entering the frontstretch, was leading ahead of Ty Dillon, Reddick and Allmendinger as the field fanned out to three lanes. Through the first two turns and the early portions of the backstretch, Wallace fended off Dillon to maintain the top spot.
Then as Allmendinger started to surge towards the front with a draft near the outside wall, teammate Dillon tried to move up to pick up the momentum. Allmendinger gave Dillon a hard bump in the rear end that resulted in Dillon hitting the wall. Despite the impact, Dillon kept his No. 10 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevrolet entry racing straight. Both Byron and Reddick went three-wide on him entering Turns 3 and 4. As the rest of the field fanned out to three lanes entering the frontstretch, Wallace motored away to claim the checkered flag and win the first Duel event.
With the victory, Wallace, whose previous best result in the Duels was second in 2021, notched his first Daytona Duel victory of his career, his first trip to a Cup Series’ Victory Lane center since he won at Kansas Speedway in September 2022 and a second consecutive Daytona Duel victory for 23XI Racing after his teammate Tyler Reddick won the first Duel event a year ago. Wallace was also awarded 10 championship points and the third-place starting spot for this year’s 67th running of the Daytona 500.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to mark Wallace’s eighth as a full-time competitor in the series as he will also make his eighth bid for his first Daytona 500 victory this upcoming weekend.
“Man, what a night,” Wallace said on the frontstretch on FS1. “Man, thanks to Tyler [Reddick]. That was awesome to see two team cars work together that well and learn a lot for Sunday. [Reddick] Did a great job pushing me. Man, I’ve wanted one of these Duel wins for so long. All my buddies got them, Tyler got one last year and I’m pissed off. [I] Got me one now. I’m good. It’s definitely a makeup for last night and the speed that we had, but we always know like Toyotas will race really well in [the main event], so all in all, good night.”
Byron, who radioed motor concerns in the closing laps, muscled his way to a second-place finish as Ty Dillon settled in a strong third place. Chastain and Reddick finished in the top five while Allmendinger, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Justin Allgaier and Kyle Busch completed the top 10 on the track.
Meanwhile and amid Wallace’s Duel victory, Allgaier was also left victorious on pit road after he emerged as the highest non-chartered competitor in the final results by finishing in ninth place. The result allowed the reigning Xfinity Series champion from Riverton, Illinois, to claim a starting berth into the Daytona 500 for the third time in his career and his first since 2015. Above all, Allgaier awarded JR Motorsports, the reigning four-time Xfinity Series championship-winning team, its first-ever entrance to a Cup Series race, where they will contend in the Great American Race.
Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“The emotions right now are really just because of how much everybody [at JR Motorsports] has wanted it,” Allgaier, who was emotional on pit road, said. “[Dale Jr.’s] lip was quivering and his hands were shaking before the race. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that out of Dale Jr. He told me before the race, he said, ‘Man, I’m nervous. I don’t want to make you nervous, but I’m really nervous.
It’s the truth. This means a lot to our team, this little team at JR Motorsports. You could tell how much [Dale Jr.] wanted this and our whole shop wanted this. There were so many faces on this car that have worked to make this car happen that this is their first-ever real experience in the Cup Series. We get to go race the Daytona 500. It’s pretty special. This one means more than I can ever imagine. It’s gonna be really fun.”
Like Allgaier, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. was left both emotional and jubilant as he will witness his newly formed Cup Series entry from JR Motorsports participate in NASCAR’s premier series for the first time to commence the 2025 racing season.
“I’m so proud of Justin,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “He put the whole team on his back those last couple of laps. I’m gonna tell you, man, this sport’s amazing, everything about it. I’ve seen it through so many different lenses. I love the challenges. I wouldn’t want it any other way. This was hard emotionally, but I can’t believe that we get to race on Sunday. I just can’t believe it!”
With Allgaier transferring into this year’s Daytona 500 based on being the highest non-chartered competitor in the final running order, Martin Truex Jr., who finished 15th, will fall back on his qualifying trials from Wednesday night to make the main event. As previously mentioned, Helio Castroneves, who ended up in 22nd place with a wrecked race car, will also qualify for the Daytona 500 through NASCAR’s “Open Provisional Exemption.”
Meanwhile, JJ Yeley and Chandler Smith were the two competitors from the first Duel event that did not qualify for this year’s Daytona 500.
There were 20 lead changes for 10 different leaders. The event featured four cautions for 15 laps. In addition, 18 of 23 starters finished on the lead lap.
Results:
1. Bubba Wallace, 21 laps led
2. William Byron, four laps led
3. Ty Dillon, four laps led
4. Ross Chastain, one lap led
5. Tyler Reddick
6. AJ Allmendinger
7. Austin Dillon
8. Chase Elliott, 15 laps led
9. Justin Allgaier
10. Kyle Busch
11. Ty Gibbs, one lap led
12. Michael McDowell, two laps led
13. Ryan Preece, three laps led
14. Josh Berry, six laps led
15. Martin Truex Jr.
16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
17. JJ Yeley
18. Carson Hocevar
19. Chase Briscoe – OUT, Radiator, three laps led
20. Chandler Smith – OUT, Accident
21. Justin Haley – OUT, Accident
22. Helio Castroneves – OUT, Accident
23. Zane Smith – OUT, Suspension
The second Duel event at Daytona International Speedway is scheduled to follow suit as the event is also being aired on FS1.
Duel Races at DAYTONA – Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Fla. – February 13, 2025
AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD MUSTANG
START: 1ST FINISH: 1ST
RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric, the 2022 DAYTONA 500 champion, emerged victorious Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway, winning Duel 2 in the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang as the anticipation builds for Sunday’s 67th running of the Great American Race. Cindric started from the pole position after a stout qualifying effort Wednesday night that saw him secure a front-row starting spot. The 60-lap event unfolded calmly for the most part, until the first caution flew on Lap 49. Cindric maintained his stance among the frontrunners over the final sprint, ultimately finding himself in victory lane as a chaotic final lap played out.
CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “Obviously a great race for us and a fast Discount Tire Ford Mustang, but I would say a bit of a surprise there. I thought it was super close. Sitting from my perspective, I thought I got it, but I think [Erik Jones] beat me to the line, but the caution light came out a little earlier, so obviously it was a great result and glad my guys let me race this one tonight to see what we had. Now we can tune on this thing for the 500.”
RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/PEAK FORD MUSTANG
START: 10TH FINISH: 8TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney came away with an eighth-place finish in the second duel race Thursday night, leading five laps in the 150-mile event. With 28 laps to go, Blaney powered the No. 12 Menards/Peak Ford Mustang to the top lane and brought his Team Penske teammates along with him to the front of the field before hitting pit road for fuel only with 16 laps remaining. Following a caution on the backstretch with 13 to go, Blaney took the green flag from the outside of row three and held his line in the top lane to the checkered flag as a multi-car incident unraveled behind him.
JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG
START: 2ND FINISH: 5TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano returned behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Sunday night in the inaugural Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, turning in a fourth-place effort in the 200-lap exhibition race. After taking the green flag from seventh, Logano suffered contact to the right front in the opening laps that resulted in a tight-handling condition for the duration of the first run. Logano managed to hold his standing in the top-10 before the scheduled caution on lap 100 when the No. 22 team addressed an issue with the right front toe link prior to the final run of the night. The Shell-Pennzoil Ford responded by working its way into the top-five with 44 laps to go before Logano battled the No. 23 for several laps, eventually taking over the fourth spot with 19 laps remaining where eventually took the checkered flag from.
The NASCAR Cup Series hits the track Friday afternoon for the second of three practice sessions this week at Daytona International Speedway. Coverage of the 50-minute session begins at 5:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DUELS AT DAYTONA – #2 TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 13, 2025
TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL FINISHING RESULTS (Duel #2)
POS. DRIVER 11th – Kyle Larson 13th – Anthony Alfredo 14th – Shane van Gisbergen 17th – BJ McLeod 21st – Daniel Suarez 22nd – Alex Bowman
Post-Race Driver Quotes:
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Sidelined by damage sustained on the last-lap caution.
Finished: 14th
“I’m not really sure what happened. We were all getting a bit tight off of turn four. I was just kind of riding and got spun into the fence. I’m not sure if that was my fault with the car placement, but I felt like I was doing it right. I was learning a lot; saved a lot of fuel and jumped up a lot of spots at the start. I’m not sure what happened at the end. It’s not fun when we’re crashing at the end, that’s for sure.”
Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 48.
Finished: 21st
“I thought the No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevy team was doing a good job. Our Chevy felt very good. We actually did too good of a job on pit road in comparison to the people we pitted with. I felt like we were in a good position there. They were about to wreck in front of me and everyone checked up. It was kind of like a chain reaction. The No. 48 (Alex Bowman) pushed me, but the No. 48 was getting pushed by the No. 88 (Shane van Gisbergen) and I think someone else was pushing the No. 88. It was just a bad situation. I hate it for my guys. They’re going to have to work some extra hours, but I’m sure we’re going to be able to build another fast car for Sunday.”
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 48.
Finished: 22nd
“I think I was just on the wrong side of an accordion, really. The No. 48 Ally Chevy team executed our race pretty well. We had an OK pit cycle. We didn’t make any mistakes on the pit cycle, which in the group of cars that we pitted with, there were a bunch of mistakes. We avoided that, but looking at what happened afterwards, I wish we would have sped or something because we would have been in a better spot with track position. The front of the field checked up – it was just an accordion and got spun. Once it locked up, I kept trying to get the wheels to unlock to get it to spin the other way to not hit the inside wall. Unfortunately they never did and hit the inside wall.”
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JONES NEAR INCHES FROM FIRST WIN FOR LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Multi-time Daytona winner Erik Jones starts fourth in the Daytona 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 13, 2025) – Erik Jones made it three Toyota Camry XSE’s in the first two rows in Sunday’s Daytona 500 as he came within mere inches of his first win for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB in the second duel race at Daytona on Thursday evening. When the caution fell, Jones was in second, which gives the Michigan-native the fourth starting spot in Sunday’s Great American Race.
Denny Hamlin (fourth), John Hunter Nemechek (ninth) and Christopher Bell (10th) gave Toyota four Camrys in the top-10.
Toyota Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Daytona International Speedway Duel 2 – 150 miles, 60 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Austin Cindric*
2nd, ERIK JONES
3rd, Chris Buescher*
4th, DENNY HAMLIN
5th, Joey Logano*
9th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
10th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
12th, RILEY HERBST
19th, JIMMIE JOHNSON
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
ERIK JONES, No. 43 AdventHealth Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Finishing Position: 2nd
Can you describe your race tonight?
“It was good. We kind of went on a different strategy just to get up front and put ourselves in a good spot after the pit stop. After the restart, I was just trying to get to the top, and it finally kind of opened up there on the final lap – I felt like I put myself in a good spot and set myself to try to beat him to the line and did, but unfortunately, the yellow came out before. I haven’t seen it. It is a bummer – you think you win the race, and I’ve never had that happen so I feel for all of the others in that spot – it’s not fun. Either way, we will go make it up on Sunday.”
What is your outlook for Sunday after having such a strong race tonight?
“It was good. I thought our speed was good. We obviously kind of leap-frogged the back there when they were saving, but I thought we were able to maintain when the pace picked up. The handling was good, and the speed was good. We led and pushed and did kind of all the different stuff so the Advent Camry’s got some speed and hopefully we can just use it all on Sunday.”
What are your emotions right now?
“A wide range of emotions. It’s a bummer. It’s the rule. If the yellow is out, the race is over and it’s unfortunate but either way I feel like the Advent Camry was really fast. It was fun running upfront, fun leading some laps, fun contending for the win. I did everything I could. It just didn’t work out and hopefully we can be in that same spot again on Sunday.”
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 National Debt Relief Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 4th
How did your Camry work in the draft tonight?
“I thought our Camry was really good. No complaints really from me. I had everything to compete and once we clean it up on Sunday we’ll be in good shape.”
What does it mean for Bubba Wallace to earn that first Duel win tonight?
“It’s awesome. Tyler (Reddick) was able to get a Duel last year and then Bubba (Wallace) this year. The 23 and 45 really controlled that race quite a bit so it was great to see. Even though they didn’t qualify (last night) where we expected, I think obviously the true speed of their Camrys really showed up tonight.”
“Definitely a good performance for us. Unfortunately, we had some kind of fuel pump issue or a fueling issue, and cost us a chance to really race for it, but Erik (Jones) did a phenomenal job. I’m a little bummed for him to not have that AdventHealth Camry in victory lane, but we saw the video and it is clear – the caution came out, he is about six inches behind the 2 (Austin Cindric) car. Roller coaster thinking of it being our first win as an organization, and then let down that came behind that. But good things ahead for us.”
What are you looking forward to for Sunday?
“Just running more laps – getting a good feel for the Carvana Camry. A strong performance. We are eager to get off to a quick start and we know for our full-time cars that a good finish in these first four or five weeks really sets you up for a strong season and a nice look at the Playoffs. So of course, we want to win the Daytona 500, but we are also very focused on the long game this year.”
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 Duel Qualifying Race 2 | Wednesday, February 12, 2025
AUSTIN CINDRIC WINS SECOND DUEL RACE
Team Penske’s Austin Cindric won the second Duel Qualifying race tonight.
Ford has now won at least one Duel race in seven of the last eight years.
Corey LaJoie raced his way into the Daytona 500 as an Open car.
FORD FINISHING RESULTS:
1st – Austin Cindric
3rd – Chris Buescher
5th – Joey Logano
6th – Corey LaJoie
7th – Todd Gilliland
8th – Ryan Blaney
15th – Cody Ware
16th – Cole Custer
18th – Noah Gragson
20th – Brad Keselowski
AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW: YOU JUST HAD A LONG WALK LOOKING FOR THE CHECKERED FLAG. HOW DOES THAT FEEL? “It’s great to get the points and obviously have a fast car and get to practice a good bit of execution – a good teammate and good teamwork with most of the Fords, so I’m proud of that effort. The guys did a really great job and I’m happy I was able to race tonight.”
FRONT ROW IN QUALIFYING AND YOU WIN THE DUEL. THIS HAS GONE ABOUT AS GOOD AS IT CAN SO FAR. “It’s a long week ahead. There’s still a lot to go.”
YOU”RE THE WINNER. HOW WAS THE RACE? “Obviously a great race for us and a fast Discount Tire Ford Mustang, but I would say a bit of a surprise there. I thought it was super close. Sitting from my perspective, I thought I got it, but I think the 43 beat me to the line, but the caution light came out a little earlier, so obviously it was a great result and glad my guys let me race this one tonight to see what we had. Now we can tune on this thing for the 500.”
YOU HAVE A FAST CAR FOR ONE LAP AND A FAST CAR FOR 60 LAPS. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FOR SUNDAY? “I think I learned quite a bit. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can apply. Maybe we can work on it a little bit in these two practice sessions we have coming up. It’s still a long week ahead. We pretty much have to do three more of those Duels with a lot more cars and some really competitive cars and some tough competition and a lot of room for error. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
COREY LAJOIE, No. 01 Take 5 Oil Change/DuraMax Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Driving through this you have one eye out the windshield and one on the mirror to make sure whoever you are racing, you want to keep behind. I knew we blended well. Our pit road sequence there [on the pit stop], we had a good cadence. We came in with the Penske cars, we were able to have some good track position there for the last restart. I felt good about our chances there. I wanted to make sure I didn’t push the [number] 17 there in a bad way, get him in a bad spot. Once you know you are in a good spot you are just trying to get it home. I can’t say enough about the RWR guys and Take 5 and DuraMax for coming on last minute. I fronted the money to Rick Ware in January to make sure nobody else got this car because I believe that much in him and this group. Luckily for me, DuraMax and Take 5 came in and took me off the financial hook. When you have to race your way in, you appreciate the event. You appreciate how hard it is. You appreciate the attention it gets. To earn one of those four open spots is really special. You take it for granted when you show up and you know you are racing. It is a different feeling for me driving my motorhome down here with eight hours of windshield time wondering when I am going to be driving the motorhome back, Friday morning or Monday morning? I was never planning for it to be Friday.”
CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “This Fastenal Mustang is really good. I’m really happy with that. The pit cycle got a little messier than we wanted. It seems to happen here and there at the end I had some really good help from Corey from behind us. We were able to make some really good momentum from our lane and ultimately the bottom just tightened up a little bit better there and I need to work a little harder to keep lanes better, but I’m pretty happy with this hot rod.”
NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DUELS AT DAYTONA – #1 TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES FEBRUARY 13, 2025
Byron Leads Chevrolet with Runner-Up Finish in Duel One; Allgaier Secures Spot in DAYTONA 500
TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 FINISHERS (Duel #1) POS. DRIVER
2nd – William Byron
3rd – Ty Dillon
4th – Ross Chastain
6th – AJ Allmendinger
7th – Austin Dillon
8th – Chase Elliott
9th – Justin Allgaier
10th – Kyle Busch
Post-Race Driver Quotes:
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet:
Finished: 2nd
“I felt like our No. 24 Axalta Chevy was pretty fast. We were just kind of struggling with handling a little bit. I felt like I could be more comfortable than I was. We just needed to get the back of the car a little bit more stable. But overall, I was able to work with Ty (Dillon) really well. Ross (Chastain) and I were kind of connected for awhile, and then we just kind of got spread apart, disconnected and that’s what ultimately got the bottom line back. Wish we could have been closer at the end, but still a good result.”
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet:
Finished: 3rd
“The raw speed of our Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevy has been quite obvious all weekend already, so that’s a great thing and a great start for our team. Our goal is to let everyone know we are here early in the season and we’re happy about that finish. I think if we had been running in the back, we probably would have made a couple different moves to be a little bit smoother at the end. This is the first time working with the team here at Kaulig Racing and I’m really proud of what we accomplished tonight. We’ll go back, get in the notebook and get a little bit better. You can’t ask for a better start to the season. Our team is determined and focused, and in the second race of the year to get a top three is nice. We’ll go to the 500 and have some fun. The biggest thing on Sunday is to make it to the end and get our year started on the right track.”
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet:
Finished: 4th
“The No. 1 Busch Light Chevy was really good in the draft, but we had some throttle issues with it sticking under caution. We pitted early before the race started trying to see what was wrong. It fixed itself, and then it came back. Then it fixed itself, and then it came back. The car drafted great; handled better than most I saw around me and handle the bumps better. It’s definitely a strong start there knowing this is probably the worst it’s going to drive from qualifying to now. We will get the throttle fixed, and I can push and get pushed with the best of them.”
Justin Allgaier, No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 9th; Locks into the DAYTONA 500
“This just means so much to Dale (Earnhardt Jr.), Kelley (Earnhardt Miller) and L.W. (Miller) and everyone at JR Motorsports. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to come make this happen, and it seems like no matter what we’ve done, it hasn’t went the way we wanted it to go. We said anything worth having is worth working for and it’s going to be hard. We’ve proven it time and time again, whether it be last fall at Phoenix (Raceway) or here this weekend. Greg (Ives, crew chief) was pretty hard himself last night after qualifying, but this No. 40 Traveller Whiskey Chevy team rallied. This whole group is special. I can’t think everyone at Traveller Whiskey enough for coming onboard; everyone at Chevrolet, the Hendrick Engine Shop and all of our partners.
Dale told me before the race – if it’s meant to be, it will happen, and it did. Just really proud. This might seem like not that big of a deal to a lot of people, but when I think about our small team at JR Motorsports –- as big as it is, it really is a small family team. To see this happen tonight, it takes a lot of weight off my shoulders.”
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 21st
What exactly did you see out there?
“I’ve never ridden a horse before, but I feel like I got bucked off one. I hit pretty hard. But yeah, I just tried to lift when Chandler (Smith) came across my nose there. He (Chandler) said in the infield care center that none of his digital mirrors worked and his spotter cleared him. But yeah, I tried to lift. It’s unfortunate. We’re going to have to go to Chili’s and have a margarita or two; sleep this one off and get ready for the DAYTONA 500.”
“In one of the wrecks, I got hit and ended up hitting the wall in turn two pretty hard and broke a toe link. I should have actually just brought it in slower. We went really fast trying to fix the car, and then obviously when I hit the banking, the car just snapped to the right. It’s disappointing because the No. 91 Wendy’s Chevy was really good. The boys on the PROJECT91 team did an amazing job. They have a little bit of work to do, unfortunately. It wasn’t the night that we wanted, but we’ll take the provisional. So many people have been talking about it, but we will take it and we will learn more for the race.”
Before that, you sounded happy. It sounded like things we were going well. What did you learn?
“There are so many little things that people don’t realize behind the TV and even the grandstands. There’s so much going on. It’s actually incredible. The way the package is, it’s impressive. There was a lot to learn.. no question about it. There was a lot of movement in the car; a lot of air flow and a lot of brake-checking that you need to be aware of. But as long as you hold steady, it’s pretty good. I wish we could have kept it going.”
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.
WALLACE WINS SECOND STRAIGHT DAYTONA DUEL RACE FOR 23XI |Wallace to start third in the Great American Race
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 13, 2025) – The 23XI teammates of Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick worked together perfectly down the stretch of Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday night leading to Wallace claiming the victory and the third starting spot in Sunday’s Daytona 500.
Wallace led 21 of the 60 laps and scored the second straight Daytona Duel win for 23XI after Reddick’s win last season. Toyota has now won the last three Duel races at Daytona.
Toyota Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Daytona International Speedway Duel 1 – 150 miles, 60 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, BUBBA WALLACE
2nd, William Bryon*
3rd, Ty Dillon*
4th, Ross Chastain*
5th, TYLER REDDICK
11th, TY GIBBS
15th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
19th, CHASE BRISCOE
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 1st
Can you describe your emotions right now?
“What a good night. I didn’t know how it was going to play out, and we got the lead there and my McDonald’s Camry just switched like a light switch to a totally different balance from being in the pack. It was a little bit edgy out front, but luckily, I’ve got some years under my belt that people still trust me. I was lucky to have Tyler (Reddick) behind me – he did a great job pushing me. I appreciate that massive 23XI effort to get us this win. But all-in-all – we’ve got McDonald’s back in victory lane at the Duel. It sets us up really good for Sunday. We will enjoy this little moment right now. I told myself I would do more of – enjoy the little stuff. But hats off to these guys here. Hats off to Charles (Denike, crew chief) – first time at Daytona in a Cup car, and we got him a win. I forgot where to go. I forgot where to stop. The best thing is – I cried when I walked out with Becks (Wallace’s son) on pit road for driver intros, and it is really special to have him here. It is awesome.”
TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Nasty Beast Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 5th
What did you take away for Sunday?
“Yeah, early on, I felt like our Nasty Beast Camry was going for a wild ride – thankfully, I was able to hang on to it. Knocked some of the rust off at Bowman Gray. I didn’t know what was going to happen there, but I feel like it worked okay with all of the cars coming back to pit road. Bubba (Wallace) and I were able to get hooked pretty up early on – and worked together a lot there. Gave him a couple of too big of shots at times, but it is a great learning tool to get ready for the 500. All-in-all, the main objective was to get one of us into victory lane, which we accomplished. I just wished we could’ve held on to second – we just kind of got swallowed up there on the last lap.”
CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 19th
It was your first time in the draft with the Camry. What do you feel like you learned heading into Sunday?
“Definitely learned a lot. I would have loved to have more laps. It was hard. I didn’t want to put myself in bad situations and lose the front row. Still ended up getting damage from debris – but I learned a lot. I thought my Bass Pro Shops Camry was honestly a little better in the single car run than it was in the pack. It’s hard because nobody is really pushing like they would at the end of the race either. Definitely some stuff that I can work on for sure – I think some things we can do to make our car better, so we will see how it goes Sunday.”
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.
Horizon Hobby to Partner with Smith at Kansas Speedway and Dover Motor Speedway in 2025
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 13, 2024) – Horizon Hobby, a global leader in RC products, will return to Front Row Motorsports (FRM) in a multi-year, multi-race partnership that will span across the 2025 and 2026 NASCAR Cup Series seasons with Zane Smith and the No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse team. Smith is no stranger to Horizon Hobby and its brands, having partnered with the company through its ARRMA brand in his 2022 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) championship season and in 2023.
The No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse will carry the Horizon Hobby colors when the NASCAR Cup Series visits the Kansas Speedway in May and for the 400-lap event at the Dover Motor Speedway in July. The company will also serve as a season-long associate partner with Smith and the No. 38 team
Smith, an avid RC enthusiast himself, is hoping to repeat the same success he and Horizon Hobby achieved during Smith’s 2022 NCTS Series Championship campaign where the Huntington Beach, California native earned 14 top five,19 top 10’s, and four wins, with one of those wins coming at the Kansas Speedway.
“I’m excited to be back with Horizon Hobby for the next couple of seasons,” said Smith. “I go back with them to my previous time at FRM and they really are a fun partner to have on board and I can’t wait to hit the ground running with them again”
Horizon Hobby and its Losi brand has strategically built its footprint in NASCAR for RC enthusiasts and racing fans alike, becoming the officially licensed maker of NASCAR RC cars. In 2024, Horizon Hobby debuted six NASCAR Cup Series schemes, including the No. 34 Horizon Hobby Ford Mustang Dark Horse. This year, Horizon Hobby is set to unveil two of many RC racecars in the Spring. All current offerings can be found at your local RC dealer or online.
“2025 is going to be a special year at Horizon Hobby as we celebrate our 40th anniversary, said Chris Dickerson, President, Horizon Hobby. “We’re delighted to continue our partnership with the FRM team and NASCAR. It’s a great honor to collaborate with Zane once again and we eagerly anticipate a triumphant season on the track. We are also dedicated to enhancing our bond with NASCAR fans through the upcoming release of the 2025 Losi NASCAR product line.”
Fans can check out the full range of brands and accessories that includes cars, boats, planes, batteries, chargers and more at https://www.horizonhobby.com/nascar/
ABOUT HORIZON HOBBY
Horizon Hobby was founded in 1985. Since then, Horizon Hobby has become the global leader in RC products and accessories. Horizon Hobby is committed to delivering innovative products and providing an exceptional customer experience. By forging strong relationships with RC hobby consumers, retailers, and manufacturers around the world, Horizon Hobby has built the best brands in the industry. Horizon Hobby has locations in the United States, Germany, England, and China. The company is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois.
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 and 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
Daytona Beach, Fla. – Chevrolet introduced its Blazer EV.R NASCAR prototype ahead of this year’s running of the DAYTONA 500. The Blazer EV.R is an example of Chevrolet continuing to test, learn, and explore new technologies that could be applied to both race programs and production cars.
“Motorsports is a test bed for innovation, and a training ground for our engineers — one that allows Chevrolet to try out new technologies in a fast-paced environment against the best competition,” said Eric Warren, executive director, global motorsports competition for General Motors.
The prototype delivers over 1,300 horsepower from three six-phase electric motors that instantly rev up to 15,000 rpm, powered by a 78-kWh liquid-cooled battery.
Exploring new technologies allows Chevrolet to apply learnings for vehicles in the showroom. Customer choice is at the center of Chevrolet’s success in the marketplace, offering one of the broadest lineups of vehicles in the industry, from first cars to supercars and everything in between. It also offers diesel, gasoline, and EV powered vehicles for its customers.
“While we will continue to race our proven and winning V8 technology in NASCAR for years to come, we continually look for ways to improve the combination of power, durability, and efficiency to transfer learnings from the racetrack to the showroom, especially as we bolster Chevy’s consumer EV lineup,” Warren added.
Built on NASCAR’s Next Gen chassis and suspension componentry, the Blazer EV.R puts its power to the pavement via a programable all-wheel drive system and Goodyear Racing Eagle tires. Chevrolet worked closely with NASCAR and other manufacturers on the parameters and technical elements of the prototype.
GM Design worked together with motorsports engineers to give the Blazer EV.R styling features inspired by the Blazer EV SS production vehicle.
“This program was a great opportunity with NASCAR to design a new crossover utility vehicle body and bring forward design elements from our Blazer EV SS,” said Phil Zak, executive director, Chevrolet Global Design. “The EV.R prototype offers lower and wider proportions and was designed with aerodynamics and performance in mind.”
GM engineers were able to take the prototype from concept to reality, then reliably turn laps at race pace during testing last month at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina.
“NASCAR and its manufacturer partners are passionate about emerging technologies, and working to remain on the forefront of innovation,” said Brandon Thomas, NASCAR vice president, vehicle design. “With the Blazer EV.R NASCAR prototype, Chevrolet and its engineers meshed new technologies with the NASCAR Next Gen platform – and the result is a powerful, exciting vehicle that we believe fans will love when they see it at Daytona International Speedway.”
Driving the prototype during testing was Justin Allgaier, Team Chevy driver, 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion.
“There are so many things you don’t think about until you’re in the car actually testing it,” said Allgaier. “I’m used to knowing my speed through gearing and listening to engine revs, so I had to totally change how I judge corner entry speed. With this platform we’re learning how to strategically adjust regenerative braking, which has a big impact on braking sections and cornering balance.”
Chevrolet will also pace the 67th DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 16, 2025 with the Blazer EV SS — a 615 horsepower vehicle that can go 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds1 with Wide Open Watts, making it the quickest SS model Chevrolet has ever produced. As previously announced, the honorary pace car driver is actor Alan Ritchson.
1 On a closed course only. Based on initial vehicle movement.
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.
