NASCAR at Daytona 2020: Odds, TV Schedule, Live Stream and Drivers
Aug 28, 2020
Denny Hamlin (11) during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Dover International Speedway, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Jason Minto)
The NASCAR Cup Series regular season ends with one of the most difficult tasks on the circuit, when the 40-driver field will attempt to conquer Daytona International Speedway under the lights Saturday night.
Thirteen competitors head into the Coke Zero Sugar 400 with a playoff spot assured, while Clint Bowyer is essentially certain of a postseason position.
That leaves four drivers to fight for two positions on a track that is known to produce some unpredictable results.
Most of Saturday's spotlight will be focused on Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron, Jimmie Johnson and Erik Jones in the fight for the final two playoff positions.
DiBenedetto holds a five-point lead over Byron, who owns five more points than Johnson for the 16th and final postseason spot.
Jones has the most work to do of the quartet since he is 46 points back of Johnson in 18th place.
Racing at Daytona, where teammates typically work together to get to the front of the field, will throw a wrench into the playoff hunt.
The teams of Hendrick Motorsports teammates Byron and Johnson have said they are going to try to work together to get both drivers past DiBenedetto in the standings, per The Athletic'sJeff Gluck:
NASCAR media just had an interesting Zoom call with @DanielsCliff. He was honest about the No. 48 team's strategy for Daytona: They need to work with the No. 24 (and other Chevys) all race to give themselves the best shot, rather than trying to do their own strategy.
On Zoom calls with William Byron and Chad Knaus, both echo the sentiment they’re trying to get all the Hendrick cars into the playoffs and knock out the No. 21 team. So that’s why they feel they can work together. It’s not necessarily 48 vs. 24 to them.
Byron and Johnson did not fare well at the Daytona 500, where they finished in the bottom six positions due to accidents.
Byron did come out on top in the second of two qualifying duels, but that was with half the usual field on the track.
A year ago, the No. 24 and No. 48 cars took second and third behind Justin Haley in a weather-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400, which took place during the first weekend of July.
If Byron and Johnson avoid early wrecks and meet up with teammates Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman, they could partner to land in the front of the field.
DiBenedetto and Jones could also benefit from long trains of teammates to go for the victory, or the highest position possible.
DiBenedetto is the lone Wood Brothers Racing driver, but he typically teams with the Team Penske cars at the superspeedways.
Jones can benefit from the push out of Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch in the Joe Gibbs Racing stable.
The No. 20 car driver may be best suited going for the victory, which clinches an automatic playoff spot if the champion is a first-time winner this season.
Hamlin won the Daytona 500 in February and is one of three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers to start in the top 12. Jones will have some work to do to reach them from 20th.
One of the four Joe Gibbs Toyotas could be in the best position to win since the team owns three of the last four victories on the Daytona oval.
Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and the top drivers in the series should be in the mix at the front, but they do not have as good of a recent history as the Joe Gibbs cars.
Harvick has not won on the Daytona oval since 2010, Keselowski has a four-year win drought at the track, and Blaney has a pair of top-five finishes in 10 races there.
NASCAR at Daytona 2020 Results: Erik Jones Outlasts Austin Dillon in The Clash
Feb 9, 2020
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 08: Erik Jones, driver of the #20 DEWALT Toyota, practices for the NASCAR Cup Series 62nd Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 08, 2020 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
It was anything but pretty, but Erik Jones captured the checkered flag at the 2020 Busch Clash at Daytona on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.
Jones prevailed after three overtime attempts thanks to the constant crashing near the end of the race. By the time he crossed the finish line, there were only six remaining cars in the 18-car field. Jones' car did not escape the carnage, with NASCAR on NBC calling it a win "with one of the most damaged cars you'll ever see."
Still, he crossed the line first with some help from Denny Hamlin and took home the win at the exhibition race in something of a tuneup for next week's Daytona 500.
Contact between William Byron and Ryan Newman led to a multicar crash that involved Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson and eventual second-place finisher Austin Dillon, among others.
That led to arestart orderfor overtime of Hamlin, Aric Almirola, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott, and it appeared as if Hamlin and Almirola would jockey for the victory in the final push.
The race was anything but according to script, though.
Hamlin tried to hold off Elliott from taking the lead and spun out, which led to another multicar wreck and a red flag.Jeff Gluckof The Athletic explained teams were allowed to work on their cars during the red flag for this exhibition race given the special rules, but there were only six cars on the lead lap at the ensuing restart.
That's when Elliott and Larson made contact with each other and caused yet another wreck and restart before Jones eventually won.
The drama wasn't limited to the final few laps and multiple overtime attempts.
Brad Keselowski, who started in second place behind Newman's pole position, was leading for much of the race until he saw his chance at victory disappear when Joey Logano tried to hold off Kyle Busch. That led to a crash that collected Keselowski and created the caution right before the end of regulation.
The first crash of the 2020 @NASCAR Cup Series season.
It was a frustrating race for most involved, but Jones will look to parlay the momentum from his victory into an impressive showing when the stakes are raised next time at Daytona International Speedway.
NASCAR at Darlington 2019 Results: Erik Jones Wins, Kyle Larson Finishes 2nd
Sep 2, 2019
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 02: Erik Jones, driver of the #20 Sport Clips Throwback Toyota, celebrates after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 02, 2019 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Erik Jones won the rain-delayed Bojangles' Southern 500 in the early hours of Monday morning at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina in what was his 100th NASCAR Cup Series start.
Kyle Larson finished second, while a third-place finish for Jones' Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch was enough for him to secure the regular-season championship for the second year running, with one race remaining.
Motorsport.com's Nick DeGroot shared the results from the race:
Kurt Busch was the Stage 1 winner of the 367-lap race, but by that time his brother, Kyle, had already climbed up to P4 having started from the back of the grid.
Kyle eventually took the lead off the pit road and led the field for 118 laps, taking the victory in Stage 2.
Behind the lead, a multi-car crash on Lap 275 that swept up Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Michael McDowell, William Byron and Jimmie Johnson prompted the caution flag to emerge:
When the green flag was issued 10 minutes later, Larson took advantage of the situation to wrestle the lead from Busch, who dropped back to fourth with Jones and Alex Bowman separating him from top spot.
Jones wasted little time in taking P1 from Larson, while Busch moved up to P2 to set up a thrilling final 50 laps.
With two laps remaining, Busch hit a wall, allowing Larson to take P2 ahead of him and Jones to cruise to victory.
The Cup Series win was his first of the season and the second of his career. His previous victory came in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona Speedway last year.
The regular season will conclude next Sunday with the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
NASCAR at Pocono 2019 Results: Denny Hamlin Holds Off Erik Jones in OT for Win
Jul 28, 2019
LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 28: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Gander RV 400 at Pocono Raceway on July 28, 2019 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Denny Hamlin held off Erik Jones in overtime as the 2019 Daytona 500 winner took down the Gander RV 400 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
The victory marked Hamlin's third win of the 2019 Monster Energy Cup Series season and the 34th of his career.
Hamlin overtook Jones and Martin Truex Jr. in the final stage and never relinquished the lead during the race's closing stretch, which included two caution flags and overtime. Jones and Truex took second and third, respectively.
Kyle Busch, who is second in the Monster Energy Cup Series standings and won the Pocono 400 earlier this season, won the first stage but finished ninth in the 160-lap race on the 2.5-mile track. Jimmie Johnson won the second stage and finished 15th overall.
Here's a look at the Gander RV 400 standings, the most notable highlights and some reaction.
As Jeff Gluck of The Athletic wrote, the decision to stretch the No. 11 car's fuel proved to be a winning one. That was a crucial choice for Hamlin, who is now fourth in the Monster Energy Series standings.
Hamlin spoke about the topic post-race to NBC Sports (h/t Performance Racing Network).
"I was real worried (about fuel)," Hamlin said. "We just did a great job with the car, once we lost track position there to the 19 and 20...Thanks to Pocono for putting in the PJ1 there in Turn 3."
The win was sweet for Hamlin, who finished second at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last Sunday despite leading 113 laps.
The Gander RV 400 featured two cautions in the final 10 laps, with Josh Bilicki's car stopping on the track with eight laps left and Kurt Busch hitting the wall and blowing a tire with four remaining.
Hamlin didn't relinquish his pre-caution leads, though, holding on in overtime.
Busch was the race leader after Stage 1 despite an early pit stop from third place, but that didn't stop him from winning his eighth stage of the year. Gluck reported that mark tops the Monster Energy Cup Series this season.
The Kyle's are movin'.@KyleBusch has driven his way back into the top 10 after being one of the first cars to hit pit road. pic.twitter.com/wuiDo0bLwm
Johnson took the second stage, though, which Gluck wrote was his first win of the season and second stage victory during his career. It was a nice bounce-back after a close call on pit road earlier in the race:
Elliott, who won at Talladega and finished fourth or fifth in his following four races, has now endured a tough run as Kelly Crandall of RACER reported:
This will be the seventh straight week that Chase Elliott has failed to finish inside the top 10. His best finish in this stretch was an 11th at Chicago, and he has four finishes of 20th or worse #NASCAR
Elliott raced his backup car after a crash during a practice run. On June 30, he had a drill-hose issue that forced him to lose spots on pit road at Chicagoland Speedway. Elliott also encountered tire trouble at Kentucky Speedway.
The 23-year-old was naturally disappointed in a post-race interview Sunday but was focused on pressing onward:
"It's been a rough month."
Chase Elliott hasn't had luck on his side as of late, but says the "stuff that matters is still ahead." pic.twitter.com/zh89HM397r
The Monster Energy Cup series goes to Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York, on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
NASCAR at Daytona 2019: Start Time, Ticket Info, Lineup, TV Schedule and More
Jul 5, 2019
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - JULY 04: William Byron, driver of the #24 Axalta Patriotic Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 04, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Curry/Getty Images)
The 2019 NASCAR season returns to the Daytona International Speedway in Florida for the Independence Day weekend at the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
A full 40-car field will compete in the 160-mile, 400-lap event, the 18th race out of 26 in the regular season.
On Friday, the Xfinity Series will also be in action in the Circle K Firecracker 250, before Saturday's main event in the Cup Series.
Schedule
Friday, July 5
3:35 p.m. ET: Xfinity Series Qualifying
5:05 p.m. ET: Cup Series Qualifying
7:30 p.m. ET: Circle K Firecracker 250 Race
Saturday, July 6
7:30 p.m. ET: Coke Zero Sugar 400 Race
TV Info:NBC (U.S.)
The full list of drivers competing in the racing at Daytona can be found on theNBC Sports website.
Tickets are available to purchase onStubHub and via the circuit's official websitefor the NASCAR event.
Preview
Erik Jones is the defending champion at the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and it's a role he's relishing upon his return, per WESH 2 News' Courtney Jasmin:
Erik Jones is the defending champion of the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Jones, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, earned his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory and a playoff spot in last year’s event. He will try to join the back-to-back club on Saturday pic.twitter.com/HTCYuEnTIN
A successful defence of his title would be a timely boost in a season that has been difficult at times.
While he's finished in the top four on four occasions, he has as many finishes in which he has ended a race in 29th place or lower, and he's yet to win one.
As a result, he finds himself 17th in the drivers' championship, outside the 16 who will advance to the playoffs.
A win would guarantee him a spot in the playoffs. While he's confident he can secure one, he can also qualify with enough points if he can finish the season strongly.
"I think for us our goal is 30 points a race," he said, per Motorsport.com's Jim Utter. "That's about a seventh-place finish. If we can do that every week, we will easily point our way in without a win. We know we can win a race."
Jones has looked promising in practice, and he was among the quickest in the final practice session behind only Martin Truex Jr., who came second last year, and Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, per NBC Sports' Dustin Long:
The drivers' championship leader is Joey Logano, who finished third last time out at the Chicagoland Speedway.
He opened up an 18-point gap on his closest rival Kyle Busch, who came 22nd.
The 29-year-old will hope to increase his lead further on Saturday, but Busch has also been strong in practice after going fastest in the first session.
Logano has crashed out of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in each of the last two years. If he suffers the same fate this time around, he could let his rivals back in.
NASCAR at Richmond 2019 Qualifying Results: Kevin Harvick Wins Pole Position
Apr 12, 2019
RICHMOND, VA - APRIL 12: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Mobil 1 Ford, drives during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on April 12, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
Kevin Harvick won the pole for the 2019 Toyota Owners 400 after posting the best qualifying time at Richmond Raceway on Friday.
Erik Jones will join Harvickin the front row, with Kurt Busch, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch rounding out the top five.
Below is a look at the latest action from Richmond, Virginia.
After recording his lowest finish (13th at Bristol) since the first week of the season at Daytona, Harvick is in prime position to bounce back this week.
His time of 21.722seconds edged out Jones by 0.038.
Retweet to congratulate Kevin Harvick on his NASCAR Cup Series POLE in Richmond! Will SHR stop the JGR/Penske streak? pic.twitter.com/cOrfiJePby
It marks Harvick's 27th career pole and his third at Richmond. It is also the second pole of the season for the No. 4 Ford, which recorded the top qualifying time at Las Vegas for the Pennzoil 400 during the first weekend of March.
While Harvick has not finished higher than fourth in a race this season, he recorded six consecutive top-10 placements entering last week. The Stewart Haas Racing driver's last win came at the AAA Texas 500 in November 2018.
Defending Toyota Owners 400 champion Kyle Busch will be able to put the pressure on Harvick and the rest of the field right away as he starts in fifth. Last year, he had to work his way up from a 32nd-place start to take home the checkered flag.
Busch sits atop NASCAR's points standings, owning a 27-point lead over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, who will start in 18th. Busch has won three of the last six races, including last week's Food City 500.
Truex, another JGR driver, will start in sixth one year after winning the pole. He is still seeking his first short-track victory.
The 2019 Toyota Owners 400 will get underway Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
NASCAR at Bristol 2019 Qualifying Results: Chase Elliott Wins 1st Pole of Season
Apr 5, 2019
Chase Elliott won the pole for the 2019 Food City 500 after posting the best qualifying time at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday.
William Byron will start alongside Elliottup front, with Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones and Denny Hamlin rounding out the top five.
Below is a look at the qualifying action from Bristol.
Starting in front will give Elliott a golden opportunity to try to capture his first career Food City 500 title. It also carries over some recent momentum he has built, as he finished second at the STP 500 on March 24.
Meanwhile, it marks the second straight race the No. 24 car will start in the front row. Byron finished second behind Jimmie Johnson during last week's O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 qualifying. He wound up finishing sixth.
And although he didn't win the pole, Blaney did make some history at Bristol Motor Speedway during the second round of qualifying:
His 132.076 mph in the second round set the track record, but ultimately, he wasn't able to hold off Elliott in the final round.
That allowed Elliott to exact some revenge against Blaney, as the No. 9 car finished second to the No. 12 car during TicketGuardian 500 qualifying last month.
Last year's pole winner and Food City 500 winner Kyle Busch will start 17th after failing to reach the final round on Friday. Busch is currently the NASCAR points leader.
Action will get underway at Bristol Motor Speedway at 2 p.m. ET.
