Author: Mike Haag

By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – In a wild race that ended more than 21 hours after it started, William Byron won his second NASCAR XFINITY Series event in seven days, taking the checkered flag in overtime in Saturday’s weather-delayed Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Byron took the lead from Joey Logano on Lap 98 of a scheduled 100, when off-center contact from Byron’s front bumper sent Logano’s No. 22 Ford plowing through the infield grass below the backstretch. “I was just trying to push him to make it a two-man race,” Byron said…

Courtesy of Daytona International Speedway Media Relations DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Saturday’s Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway concluded more than 21 hours after it started. For rookie William Byron, the wait was well worth it. Only 11 of the scheduled 100 laps were run on Friday night before rain brought a halt to the race. Even today, it necessitated “NASCAR Overtime” to decide the race, which was extended to 104 laps, where Byron held off JR Motorsports teammate Elliott Sadler on the final restart. For Byron, driver of the No. 9 AXALTA/Vorteg Chevrolet, it was…

Courtesy of NASCAR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Next Race: Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola The Place: Daytona International Speedway The Date: Saturday, July 1 The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET TV: NBC, 7:30 p.m. ET, NASCAR America Saturday, NBCSN, 5 p.m. Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 400 miles (160 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 40), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on lap 160) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Parity Party: 11 Different Winners In First 16 Races Heading into Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola (7:30 p.m. on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM…

DAYTONA – A photographic look at Dale Earnhardt Jr. through the years at Daytona International Speedway. All photos provided courtesy of NASCAR and Getty Images.

Courtesy of Team Chevrolet Racing and NASCAR DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET SS, met with media at Daytona International Raceway and discussed racing at Daytona, the emotions of racing, his favorite wins, his future hopes & plans, and more. Full Transcript and audio below photo: YOU LAUNCHED THE JUNIOR NATION APPRECIATION TOUR THIS WEEK. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND YOUR CONNECTION WITH THE FANS AS YOU START THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON: “I was a little bit concerned about what we were going to do, and how to wrap all of this…

Courtesy of Daytona International Speedway and NASCAR DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole position on Friday for the 59th annual Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola set for Saturday night, his final Daytona International Speedway race in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition. Winning the pole gives Earnhardt a berth in the 2018 Advance Auto Parts Clash, a non-points event held each February at DIS and only minutes after qualifying was complete on Friday, he hinted that he would consider returning for the Clash. He had already said earlier this season that if he won a pole,…

Courtesy of Daytona International Speedway DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Navy Band Southeast will perform the National Anthem for the 59th annual Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola, the Independence Day holiday weekend classic scheduled for Saturday night, July 1 at Daytona International Speedway (TV – NBC; Radio – MRN Radio, SiriusXM). Established in 1995, Navy Band Southeast is one of 11 official U.S. Navy Bands. Proudly representing the Commander, Navy Region Southeast, the band consists of trained professional musicians dedicated to the highest levels of musical performance. Inspiring pride and patriotism through music, the band performs more than 350 engagements annually…

Courtesy of Daytona International Speedway DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. will make his final Daytona International Speedway start in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition on July 1, in the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola. No matter the result, Earnhardt has already created a high-banked legacy certain to endure, with a career total of 17 victories at the “World Center of Racing.” That overall total is third-best all-time, trailing only his father Dale Earnhardt’s 34 victories and Tony Stewart’s 19. Among those 17 triumphs are two victories apiece in the Coke Zero 400 and the DAYTONA 500.…

Courtesy of Team Chevrolet Racing INDIANAPOLIS – NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon will drive the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Pace Car to lead the field to the start of the 24th annual Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 23 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Gordon will return in the Pace Car to the historic, 2.5-mile oval at IMS, where he is the only driver to win the Brickyard 400 five times (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2014). California native Gordon, who grew up in nearby Pittsboro, Indiana, has served as a NASCAR analyst for FOX Sports since retiring…

Courtesy of Daytona International Speedway DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Retired United States Army General Wesley Clark will serve as the Grand Marshal for the 59th annual Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola, the Independence Day holiday weekend classic scheduled for Saturday night, July 1 at Daytona International Speedway. The Coke Zero 400, one of the most exciting night races on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule, will begin at 7:30 p.m. (TV – NBC; Radio – MRN Radio, SiriusXM) following Clark delivering the famous “Drivers, start your engines” command to the 40-car field. In addition to giving the command,…