Denny Hamlin went to the 2.5-mile speedway as a favorite to win. A three-time winner of the 500, a fourth win would have put him alongside Cale Yarborough on the all-time winners list. However, the #11 driver would not find his way to the lead of the pack until the final stage. Not long after he did, he became entangled in the Big One that involved 18 cars on the field with less than 10 laps to go. He ultimately ended the day in 19th position, having led 10 laps.

There’s trouble at the front of the field! #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/6wVECKKWY1

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 20, 2024

Martin Truex Jr. was last year’s regular season champ. He started the race from 27th position and climbed up the ladder expertly. He finished Stage 1 at 9th position behind Hamlin who ran 7th at the time. He followed that up with a 14th-place finish in Stage 2. The final stage saw him be a part of the same wreck that caught Hamlin. He ended the race 15th and took home 24 points.

Ty Gibbs was the worst performer of the day for Joe Gibbs Racing. He began his run from 15th on the grid and dropped down as the race progressed. Trailing his teammates for most of the race he finished the day at 17th place ahead of Hamlin. He led no laps and cashed in 20 points for his efforts.

Christopher Bell continues being the face of Joe Gibbs Racing

The #20 Toyota Camry driver started the Daytona 500 from 4th on the grid. He pretty much led his teammates for much of the race but fell back multiple positions towards the end of Stage 2. The two wrecks that engulfed the field helped him find his way to the top during the final stage. End of the day, only Joey Logano led more laps (45) than Bell. The JGR driver’s Camry was one of the cars that were left unaffected by the final stage’s Big One and helped him to the checkered flag.

Results from this year’s #DAYTONA500

P3 – @CBellRacing
P15 – @MartinTruex_Jr
P17 – @TyGibbs
P19 – @dennyhamlin pic.twitter.com/mDvKKDUOV6

— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) February 20, 2024

Despite the top-five finish, Bell doesn’t see things as ideal. He said in his post-race interview, “We showed a lot of pace between the Duel and the early part of the race. When we had track position, we were fast. But I don’t know. Didn’t go our way and we need to study it.” Bell and his team will have their next shot at the victory lane on February 25 in Atlanta.

The post At a Glance: How the Daytona 500 Went Down for Joe Gibbs Racing appeared first on The SportsRush.

“It’s changed drastically, as you could imagine,” he says of the time between now and his debut. At the time of his maiden Daytona 500, he’d been a driver for Chance 2 Motorsports in the Xfinity Series. Thanks to the common roots of Chance 2 and DEI, his progression had been a natural one. But what surprised him the most when he moved to the higher tiers was how little he had to do with race preparation.

He continues, “I just remember I didn’t have to work on the car. I didn’t have to do anything but show up and drive it. It didn’t make any sense. So that’s how much has changed. It’s crazy.” Now heading to his 20th Daytona 500, all he wants to do is win. Through all the years since his first race, he has been a Cup Series champion and earned many other achievements.

But the Harley J. Earl trophy has always eluded him. The closest he came to winning it was in 2016 when Denny Hamlin beat him by 0.01 seconds. He will be looking to set that scale in balance in the upcoming race.

The stability that Martin Truex Jr. has found 19 years after his debut Daytona 500

Three of the four major teams Truex Jr. raced for in his career no longer exist. DEI disappeared after bracing tough storms and merging with Chip Ganassi. Furniture Row Racing shut its doors due to financial issues. Michael Waltrip Racing did the same on the back of a race manipulation scandal. Despite his many other accomplishments, Truex Jr. feels that he ought to have a few more races at least with DEI.

He has raced for Joe Gibbs Racing the longest in his Cup Series career (5 seasons). 2024 will be the 6th full-time year he wears these colors and he can’t be more satisfied with where he is. Taking an affinity with being wanted at JGR and standing atop some stability in his turbulent career, he concludes, “It’s a lot different than the way it used to be. It’s nice not having to worry about that.”

The post Incredible Story Behind Martin Truex Jr.’s First Daytona 500 With Dale Earnhardt Inc. appeared first on The SportsRush.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has a clear idea of how he wants his legacy to be remembered and it is not through his wins. The only thing he wants future generations to know is that he tried to do things the right way. He opened up to NASCAR in a recent interview, “I always try to treat people with respect, the way I would want to get treated and do things the right way on the race track, and just be a good teammate, be a good part of a team and be someone that’s fun to be around.”

While he is unsure if being such a character matters, he is sure that he hasn’t finished writing his story on the track. But not surprisingly, many including the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Executive Director Winston Kelley believe that he has already done enough in his car to warrant being honored with an induction to the hall.

Martin Truex Jr.’s candidacy for a Hall of Fame induction

The Hall of Fame is filled with the absolute best of drivers who graced stock car racing and helped grow it to the level of success that it currently enjoys. Several with achievements that wane in comparison to Truex Jr.’s have made the list. And that makes him a strong candidate even at his current stature.

He revealed to NASCAR that Kelley always brought the topic up whenever they met and encouraged his candidacy. He said, “But I try not to get too caught up in it, and I’m still writing my history. So I’d like to add some more things to it to hopefully get in there on the first try.” To realize his wish of making it into the hall on his first try, he believes he needs to time his retirement right.

Martin Truex Jr. said he doesn’t know if not having a Daytona 500 win would feel like a void on his resume. He hopes to never find out. His outlook as he tries to earn his first Daytona 500 victory: pic.twitter.com/2jvIfyBaNZ

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 9, 2024

He added, “I figure I dodged a big bullet with Harvick going already, so he’ll get in his first try, right? So I would imagine that I just have to make sure me and Denny don’t retire at the same time. It’s crazy to think about. It’s wild.” Truex Jr. will soon be racing in the 2024 Daytona 500 to get his first Harley J. Earl trophy. Winning the event can’t but help make his first-try induction come true.

The post Is Martin Truex Jr. Already a NASCAR Hall of Famer? JGR Veteran Gives Honest Take on Legacy appeared first on The SportsRush.

Topping the list is 3-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. The icon has made 17 starts in the Daytona 500 and never visited victory lane. The closest he ever came to it was in 2004 when he finished second next to Dale Earnhardt Jr. Though he is one of the best to grace NASCAR, the Daytona 500 checkbox is one that he couldn’t tick off.

Mark Martin is widely regarded as the greatest driver to never win a championship. However, a championship isn’t the only thing that Martin did not win. The Hall of Famer ran in the Daytona 500 29 times and failed to make it to the victory lane on all tries. The closest he came to a win was in 2007 when he finished runner-up behind Kevin Harvick.

Some of the other big names that never won the event but are past the stage of competing in it anymore are Bobby Labonte, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, and Rusty Wallace. Coming to the drivers who are active in the competition for honors in the 2024 Daytona 500, six names stand out from the rest.

The greatest active drivers who can still win the Daytona 500

Joe Gibbs Racing star Martin Truex Jr. has the most number (19) of Daytona 500 starts in the current field. His closest finish to glory was in 2016 when Denny Hamlin beat him over a margin of 0.01 seconds. The driver with the second most starts is 2X Cup Series champion Kyle Busch (18). Heading into his second season in the colors of Richard Childress, he will be wanting to do better than his runner-up finish in 2019.

RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski will have the chance to beat his best finish of third (2014) this Sunday. The icing on the cake, he will also be ending his 92-race win drought should he win. Clearing space at the bottom of the line are Hendrick Motorsports stars, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. The former’s best finish was second in 2021, while Larson’s was seventh in 2016 and 2019. All these drivers are at the prime of their careers and will no doubt love getting a taste of victory this weekend.

The post Best NASCAR Drivers to Never Win the Daytona 500 Ft. Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Others appeared first on The SportsRush.

“The Daytona 500 feels like a race that you don’t win, you get chosen to win,” Keselowski said in a recent interview. “All you can really do is put yourself in a position and hope you’re chosen. You can go back and watch the end of races and people win this race and you kind of scratch your head and go, ‘How did they win this race?’ There wasn’t a move that won it for them. It just fell in their lap, and that part gets super frustrating.”

Keselowski claimed how in the last few years, he has put himself in a position to win the Great American Race but it fell apart in ways where he felt he wasn’t chosen to win it. “I feel like there’s a divine power in it,” the 2012 Cup champion added.

Having said that, Keselowski mentioned that in retrospect, there’s not much he would do differently from what he did.

Martin Truex Jr. said he doesn’t know if not having a Daytona 500 win would feel like a void on his resume. He hopes to never find out. His outlook as he tries to earn his first Daytona 500 victory: pic.twitter.com/2jvIfyBaNZ

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 9, 2024

In Martin Truex Jr.’s case, he too wants to win the Daytona 500. “Obviously, I want it. It’d be great. It’d be amazing,” he said. But Truex also mentioned that if he fails to win the 500, he wouldn’t be “completely disappointed” with his whole career.

“I don’t know if that is a big deal to me or not. I think there’s still a lot of opportunities to get it done. I try not to think about it, but it’d be huge to win, that’s for sure,” he added.

Brad Keselowski fires warning to his NASCAR rivals amid major Ford changes

It won’t be a stretch to say that Brad Keselowski, who is more or less in the final third of his driving career at this point, won’t have many opportunities to win the Daytona 500. In fact, considering the major changes to the Ford Mustang body this year, even this season might not be a big chance for him to win it, right?

“No, not at all,” Keselowski ruled. “I think the Ford car is going to be really, really good at every track. The work that’s been put in is exceptional. The Fords were significantly behind last year with aerodynamics of the car and that pushed us to be better in other areas.”

Brad Keselowski says he looks back at the Daytona 500s that slipped away and doesn’t know what he could have done differently. Keselowski: “The Daytona 500 just feels like a race you don’t win — you get chosen to win.” pic.twitter.com/xqCvnBHqm1

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 9, 2024

The RFK Racing driver-owner added that by fixing the aerodynamics of their Next Gen cars along with the other strengths they’ve build over the last year, the 2024 NASCAR season would be “a big year” for them.

The post How Big Is Winning a Daytona 500? Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. Share Their Takes appeared first on The SportsRush.

It is winning races. As long as Bell is winning races, he doesn’t care if his time under the limelight is cut short. Last year, he earned six poles throughout the year, with three of them coming consecutively in the playoff races at Darlington, Kansas, and Bristol. With a dominant victory at Homestead-Miami over the reigning Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney, he made it to Championship 4. He is the only driver to have made it to the final race of the season every year since the dawn of the Next-Gen era.

However, in NASCAR’s newest five-part docuseries, Bell has been portrayed as a driver who works away from the radar, which often glorifies his teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin. Needless to say, the Toyota icon doesn’t have an issue with that. He said in the documentary, “I’m very quiet, reserved. I keep to myself. I don’t want to be known for social media or known for doing dumb stuff. I want to be known for winning races. I haven’t won enough to be that guy yet. One day, I will.”

Christopher Bell doesn’t believe in a Plan B

Bell finished the 2023 season 4th in overall points. The #20 driver has proved several times that he has the speed that it takes to make it big in NASCAR. The JGR star has won a variety of races held at a variety of tracks ranging from road courses to ovals and back to dirt tracks. For someone of his repertoire, surely, there must have been no alternative plan.

And it is true. Bell’s life is all about cars and racing. He had never wanted to do anything else. “I never had Plan B. There was no Plan B,” admitted the 2017 Truck Series champ. “I was gonna make it happen, whether it was dirt-track racing or NASCAR racing. I didn’t even think it was going to be NASCAR racing. So, I was committed. Ever since I was in my early teens, I just wanted to be a race car driver.”

Unlike many young speedsters today, Bell doesn’t hail from a racing background. His father, David, used to take him to the I-44 Speedway to watch races when the latter was barely 4 years old. After that, Bell’s entire youth was spent racing in dirt tracks in Tulsa, Claremore, Fort Cobb, and other places in Oklahoma. It didn’t take long for Bell to start competing at a national level, thanks to his talent.

The post Christopher Bell Happy to Defer to Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. In NASCAR Pecking Order appeared first on The SportsRush.

A good start makes everything easier; it lays a foundation to build upon. A victory in the Clash does just the same, said the 2023 Clash winner. The JGR driver clearly noticed how different his mentality was in the beginning of 2023 than it was back in 2022, when he finished 15th in the inaugural race. Confidence is the key and more so in a competitive sport like NASCAR. Winning the Clash builds just that.

How important was winning the Clash last year to start the season in a positive direction for the No. 19 team?

“I think it was definitely a huge part. It builds confidence and particularly in the decision-making process. We went to the Clash in 2022 and we were absolutely awful.… pic.twitter.com/qiJMxRw0ym

— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) February 2, 2024

“You always want to start the season strong, exhibition race or not,” said the Toyota driver. “You want to go out there and win and get your confidence going. That just kicked things off for us and we knew we were back. We knew we could do it but, until you actually do it, you always have that question in the back of your mind. That weekend answered the question that we could still win races.”

The Clash did serve its purpose, says renowned rapper

The motive behind hosting the first edition of the Clash was simple. In the words of Bill France Jr., “We were trying to build some excitement for the Daytona 500 and that year was the first time that CBS was covering the 500 flag to flag. They wanted something to help promote that, and also their TV crew needed a dress rehearsal.”

Besides building up for the famed Daytona 500, the Clash serves another purpose for the sport as a whole. And that is attracting new fans from around the country. And it seemed to work well for Grammy winning rap artist, Armando Christian Pérez AKA Pitbull.

“I cannot tell you how many of my friends hit me up after 2022 asking, ‘Yo, man. What was that?'” he admitted. “Two weeks later a bunch of them were at Daytona to see it for themselves. Now they come out to see what’s up at the Coliseum every February. I know for a fact that the Clash is why they watch now. They know fun and this is fun.”

Mr. Worldwide, who is also the co-owner of Trackhouse Racing, had performed at the Clash in 2022. That year was quite special because it was also the first year that this season-opening race was not held at the Daytona International since its inception in 1979.

The post NASCAR Clash at the Coliseum 2024: Martin Truex Jr. On the Importance of the Busch Light Clash appeared first on The SportsRush.

For most people, Denny Hamlin tops the list. Currently 43 years old, Hamlin has entered the playoffs every season since the elimination format was introduced in 2014. 28 of his 48 wins come in this elimination era, during which he also has consecutive seasons with at least 6 wins.

He has mastered the crown jewel races with wins in the Daytona 500 (3), the Southern 500 (3), and the Coca-Cola 600 (1). He enters 2024 as the winningest active driver behind only Kyle Busch. His presence in the 2024 Busch Light Clash was a doubt for a certain period owing to his right shoulder surgery in the offseason but he is expected to be a part of the exhibition event on February 4.

An up-close photo of the new 2024 Toyota Camry XSE at @phoenixraceway. #NASCAR https://t.co/sJVFzM75Cu pic.twitter.com/2HrrYyRrCF

— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) December 6, 2023

Despite his increasing age, Hamlin will continue firing for the title that has eluded him for the last two decades. In the process, he stands as the favorite to give Toyota its fourth manufacturer championship.

Can Christopher Bell and Martin Truex Jr. jump past their teammate in 2024?

Championship 4 contender Christopher Bell comes runner-up on the Power Rankings. The 29-year-old was the 2017 Truck Series champion and has won 17 Xfinity Series races for Toyota. Since moving to the top tier in 2020, he has won 6 races and found himself in the Championship 4 race twice, both in the Next Gen car. His average finish rate has also been going up every season.

Third on the list is the 2017 Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. with 32 wins for Toyota in the last 19 seasons. Truex Jr. had a love-hate relationship with his #19 car last year. Though it aided him finish out the regular season as the points leader, it let him down with constant issues in the playoffs. A blown engine at the Homestead-Miami race in October closed the shutters on his season with disappointment.

Both these drivers have a good shot at running the show for Toyota ahead of Hamlin. However, it is no secret that all three JGR teammates could use some favorable winds heading into the season, for misfortune was their biggest enemy in 2023.

The post Is Denny Hamlin the Best Toyota Driver Heading Into 2024 Ahead of Martin Truex Jr. And Christopher Bell? appeared first on The SportsRush.

Last year, the Joe Gibbs Racing star won the race by taking the lead early and not giving it up amidst all the close-quarter pushing and shoving. His performance has led him to be the favorite for the race with an odd of +800.

Martin Truex Jr. is followed by Hendrick Motorsports star driver, Kyle Larson (+850). Larson finished each of the last two clashes in 5th place. He will be hoping to give his team its first clash win since 2019.

it’s looking like RACE WEEK!#BuschLightClash pic.twitter.com/BO9nh6htex

— Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum (@nascarclash) January 29, 2024

Kyle Larson’s teammate and 2023 breakthrough performer William Byron stands as 3rd favorite for the win at +900. Byron clinched 6 victories last season and was one of the surprising favorites for the championship. 2X Busch Light Clash Winner, Kyle Busch, stands tied with Byron at +900.

They’re followed by the Team Penske stars Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, each at +1000. Logano, too, has won the race twice, in 2017 and 2022. Denny Hamlin stands alongside Roger Penske’s men with a +1000 for himself. Hamlin has won the event on three occasions (2006, 2014, and 2016).

What to expect in the 2024 Busch Light Clash on February 4?

The overall field size for the Clash has been reduced from 27 to 23 this year. This is anticipated to make the heat races much more interesting than it was last year. The main reason for the reduction though is the complaints from drivers about the high number of cautions owing to the number of cars racing in the tight circuit.

The four heat races that will decide the majority of the grid for the Clash will go down on February 3rd. Five top drivers from each of the heat races and the top two drivers from the single Last Chance Qualifier will form the grid. The 23rd spot will go to the driver who has the most points in the 2023 standings and is yet to get through for the Clash.

The Clash will be preceded by the NASCAR Mexico race, King Taco La Batalla en El Coliseo, on February 4. Reports also suggest that NASCAR will be providing a glimpse of its first all-electric race car at the event. Though the promotion is far from adopting it for regular races, a demonstration is expected to take place on the day.

The post Martin Truex Jr. Leads Kyle Larson and Others as the Favorite for NASCAR Clash appeared first on The SportsRush.

On that note, Toyota Racing Development’s president David Wilson spoke to SiriusXM NASCAR radio and while doing so, he didn’t pull any punches mouthing his expectations from the winningest Toyota team in NASCAR. “Four cars in the playoffs, two cars all the way to Phoenix. Anything less will be disappointing,” he stated bluntly.

“4 cars in the playoffs, 2 cars all the way to Phoenix. Anything less will be disappointing.”@DavidWilsonTRD didn’t mince words when laying out his expectations for @JoeGibbsRacing in the Cup Series this upcoming season.

Do you agree with him? pic.twitter.com/GobCDiGQwS

— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) January 25, 2024

When Kyle Busch left Joe Gibbs Racing, Ty Gibbs had not even completed a year at the Cup level. Indeed, there were other drivers like Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., and Christopher Bell to hold the reins. But now that Gibbs has completed a year of driving in the Cup Series, he is perhaps more experienced and capable of contending for the win. No wonder why Wilson thinks that the #54 driver will go on to win races this year.

But when it came to the #11 driver, Wilson’s confidence seemed to know no bounds. Despite acknowledging Hamlin’s playoff failure, Wilson said “Denny’s going on his 18th season, I believe… Denny has proven to all of us, that being a team owner wasn’t going to take away his talent and capability behind the wheel.”

“I think he’s done some things in the off season to help stabilise him in many respects. Think that’s only going to make him that much more of a danger,” he concluded.

Toyota’s ambition this year is on another level

Just like Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota is fairly new to the NASCAR Cup Series. Toyota joined forces with Joe Gibbs Racing just in 2007 and since then, they have just two championship titles to their credit, thanks to Kyle Busch. Although, Toyota has a third manufacturer’s title as well but that was with Martin Truex Jr. during his Front Row Motorsport days back in 2017.

To be square and clear, the Toyota teams will have to rev up their engines as soon and as hard as possible. As Wilson stated, he wants all four cars in the playoffs. From then on, he would love to see at least two of his cars in the Championship 4.

Needless to say, JGR will get the priority as it is a top team. Nevertheless, 23XI Racing too, is a team to look out for. Not to mention, Legacy Motorclub, who’s looking forward to its first season after having switched to Toyota.

The post “Anything Less Will Be Disappointing”: Toyota Executive’s Stern Pointer to Joe Gibbs Racing for 2024 appeared first on The SportsRush.