Category: Racing

NASCAR at Daytona: Starting lineup for 2024 Daytona 500 and paint schemes for all 40 cars

Get a look at every paint scheme in starting order for the 2024 Daytona 500.

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season officially kicks off Sunday with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, Fox), and for the first time in his career, Joey Logano will start on the pole after posting a 181.947-mile-per-hour lap at the 2.5-mile track.

The 2018 and 2022 Cup Series champ and driver of the No. 22 Ford — whose Daytona 500 pole is also a first for Team Penske — will start alongside 2021 Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell in the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford on the front row.

MORE NASCAR: Q&A: Kevin Harvick on wanting to be the John Madden of NASCAR broadcasts and reuniting with Clint Bowyer

It’s a bit of a surprise to have two Fords on the front row considering Chevrolets have won the previous 11 Daytona 500 poles with Hendrick Motorsports drivers winning eight of the last nine. But so much can change in a chaotic race like this, and often, the pole winner doesn’t finish first.

So ahead of the 2023 Daytona 500, here’s a look at the starting lineup, including all 40 paint schemes for the first race of the season.

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Jeff Gordon tells Dale Earnhardt Jr. why he’s a bit surprised Jimmie Johnson is still racing in NASCAR

When so many of Jimmie Johnson’s contemporaries have left NASCAR racing for good, the 48-year-old driver still going.

Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson was just inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame last month. He’s 48 years old and retired from full-time NASCAR racing after the 2020 season, then trying out other styles of racing, including the Indianapolis 500.

He obviously has nothing to prove. But Sunday, he’ll start 23rd in the 2024 Daytona 500 — a race Johnson won in 2006 and 2013.

Johnson competed in last year’s Daytona 500, along with two other Cup Series races, and he has a nine-race schedule planned with the team he co-owns, Legacy Motor Club, behind the wheel of the No. 84 Toyota.

But when so many of his contemporaries have left the cockpit for good, Johnson’s still going. And his former Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., are a little surprised Johnson is still racing.

But not entirely.

Recently, Gordon — currently the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports — was a guest on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, and he explained to Earnhardt about Johnson:

“I am surprised he’s driving, I’ll be honest. You know, like, again, I admire what he did in IndyCar. I’m like, ‘Man, phew!’ I went and did one sports-car race and got my butt kicked. And it was the hardest I’ve ever had to work in a race car in a long time. And it made me think a lot about Jimmie and that commitment that he made to go run IndyCar. Whether you could say it was successful or not successful, just taking that step and committing to it is what I admired so much about it.

“It just goes to show you, I think, his mindset, his talent, his ability. So on one hand, I’m surprised he’s gonna run in the Cup Series, especially with the Next Gen car right and how different this car is. But at the same time, I’m not because I’ve seen him take on big challenges throughout his whole life.”

Johnson weighed in on this recently as well. He told Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass that the nine races he has planned for 2024 are because he truly wants to race in them and running this schedule still allows him to balance his family life and business ventures, along with more racing.

More from Johnson, via Fox Sports:

“I know my friends that have all retired are like, “Why in the world would you want to go back to a plate race?” But this is Daytona. I just can’t see not racing in this race. I’ve always been after the marquee events. Sure, this is a plate race. But, man, having a shot to win another Daytona 500 is really something I want to experience.”

For Sunday’s Daytona 500, Johnson had to race his way into the 40-car field on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, and he made it but just barely.

And this is exactly where he wants to be, telling Fox Sports:

“I am in race cars now because it’s truly what I love to do and want to do. … The desire to win, the desire to increase the win total number, to experience the thrill of victory — that’s always there. And that’s a given. So, one, I’m just going to continue to chase that. I love that aspect of it. But what will make me stop? There isn’t some number I’m trying to achieve and say, ‘OK now that’s enough.’ It’s probably going to be when my wife grabs him by the ear and says, ‘Look, you don’t need to be out there anymore. If you’ve been doing this long enough.'”

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Q&A: Kevin Harvick on wanting to be the John Madden of NASCAR broadcasts and reuniting with Clint Bowyer

“It’s as relaxed as I’ve ever been coming into the first race of the season,” Kevin Harvick told For The Win.

LOS ANGELES — Kevin Harvick retired from NASCAR at the end of the 2023 Cup Series season after 23 years at the sport’s highest level. But he didn’t go far.

After gaining some on-and-off broadcasting experience with Fox Sports since 2015, the 48-year-old former driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford joined Fox’s booth full time as an analyst, working alongside Mike Joy and fellow former NASCAR driver and teammate Clint Bowyer. And he’s pumped about his new day job.

“I’m super happy with the way that everything has worked out,” Harvick — a future NASCAR Hall of Famer with the 2014 Cup championship, the 2007 Daytona 500 trophy and 60 Cup wins — recently told For The Win. “And for me, it’s as relaxed as I’ve ever been coming into the first race of the season and not having to worry about that competitive mindset.”

For the first time in more than two decades, he doesn’t have to worry about how fast his car is or being collateral damage in someone else’s wreck. And with his new gig, he’s at ease with a 24-year Fox veteran like Joy alongside him and running the booth.

“It’s hard to have somebody talking in your ear, talking about what you’re talking about on the screen and make sure everything’s going in the in the right direction,” Harvick said. “So having Mike be able to steer the ship and keep us all under control definitely takes a lot of pressure off.”

Ahead of NASCAR’s 2024 season-opening Daytona 500 — which is set for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on Fox — For The Win caught up with Harvick to discuss how he’ll approach broadcasting, Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain taking over his iconic Busch Light paint scheme and why he’ll still always be a vocal advocate for drivers.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals his 2024 NASCAR playoff picks and championship prediction

Here’s who Dale Earnhardt Jr. is picking to win the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

A new NASCAR season officially began on Wednesday night with qualifying for the Daytona 500, as Joey Logano secured the pole position and Michael McDowell locked in a front-row spot. Cars will return to the track on Thursday night for the Duels, where the remainder of the starting positions will be determined for Sunday’s must-watch race.

We’re 36 races away from crowning a champion in Phoenix, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his early playoff predictions on his podcast, the Dale Jr. Download. Dale Jr. has a shocker among his predictions, as a three-time race winner in 2023 is not in his top 16.

So who did Dale Jr. pick? He’s backing Ryan Blaney to win back-to-back titles – something that has never occurred in the era of the championship four – but also believes Christopher Bell has a good chance to win his first title. Dale Jr. explained that either Blaney or Bell will win the championship, but that he expects Bell could have some bad luck that keeps him out of the championship race.

Dale Jr. also expects Corey LaJoie to win a regular-season race in 2024, locking himself into the playoffs, which will knock Chris Buescher out of the top 16.

Dale Jr’s championship four:

1. Ryan Blaney
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Kyle Larson
4. Joey Logano

Round of 8

5. William Byron
6. Martin Truex Jr.
7. Tyler Reddick
8. Chase Elliott

Round of 12

9. Ty Gibbs
10. Alex Bowman
11. Ross Chastain
12. Christopher Bell

Round of 16

13. Brad Keselowski
14. Kyle Busch
15. Bubba Wallace
16. Corey LaJoie

Netflix’s new NASCAR docuseries trailer has fans hyped for the Drive to Survive treatment

Hopefully, this delivers for NASCAR fans.

NASCAR is finally getting a little Formula 1: Drive to Survive treatment from Netflix, which is something fans have been hungry for over the years.

Wednesday, a trailer dropped for the new docuseries, NASCAR: Full Speed, which will focus on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs and the race for last seasons championship. The show will premiere on Netflix on January 30, and it’s broken into five 45-minute episodes, per NASCAR.

While highlighting the playoff hunt and the 16 drivers who competed in the 10-race postseason, the show will specifically follow 2023 champion Ryan Blaney, along with William Byron, Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick, The Athletic‘s Jeff Gluck reported.

Check out the trailer:

This is a series NASCAR fans have been begging for, especially after the disaster that was the Kevin James series, The Crew. Hopefully, NASCAR: Full Speed delivers in a better way for fans.

Tony Stewart is taking over his wife Leah Pruett’s Top Fuel car for a beautiful reason

There’s a good reason for this.

Tony Stewart and NHRA racer Leah Pruett had an announcement on Thursday that might surprise people: He’s taking over her Top Fuel car driven by his wife for 2024.

The reason? The couple are looking into starting a family.

Per a post from Stewart on X (formerly Twitter): “When your wife wants to try to start a family & wants you to drive her car, what are you going to say? I’m proud of [Pruett] & excited we’re going to focus on starting a family in 2024. I’m humbled Leah & Neal Strausbaugh felt I was the driver to fill in for her.”

Pruett also released a statement: “This decision did not happen overnight, and I feel that stepping out of the seat right now is what’s best for myself and Tony to start a family. This has been one of the most difficult decisions to make because of what we have collectively created at TSR, a highly successful program and enjoyable operation. I’m excited about how competitive this team is, and to be able to have Tony compete in a very safe, vetted, well-performing car with an established team.”

Formula 1 star Max Verstappen on Las Vegas GP chaos: ‘If I were a fan, I would tear the whole place down’

Max Verstappen empathizes with angry fans over Las Vegas Grand Prix chaos.

Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend hasn’t exactly been a smooth addition to the racing schedule. Actually, it probably couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start, even if the circuit is pretty cool.

For people in attendance, as well as the U.S. audience in general, the practice and race starting times in the middle of the night are less than ideal. And the start times, along with general cold weather in the desert in November, could create tire issues. That’s just baseline stuff.

The first practice Thursday night was a disaster and ended after just eight minutes. It was first delayed and then canceled after a loose drain cover caused major damage to Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.

Investigating the track to figure out the issue seriously delayed the the start of the second practice session Friday morning until 2:30 a.m. local time, and the understandably furious fans who showed up to watch were ultimately removed from the grandstands.

While F1 had previously apologized to the people and city of Las Vegas for the disruptions, especially along the Vegas Strip, the race has caused, organizers still have yet to issue a public apology for all the chaos or offer any refunds.

More via The Athletic:

But you know what F1 did do to demonstrate its regret? As a “thank you for your support,” it graciously issued a $200 voucher to the race’s official store to all single-day pass holders for Thursday.

Yikes.

And it certainly seems like three-time F1 champ Max Verstappen is on the side of the fans. According to Motorsport.com and Autosport, Verstappen’s response to learning about the $200 voucher was very clear:

“If I were a fan, I would tear the whole place down.”

Yeah, fair enough for this disaster.

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This nighttime drone shot of Formula 1’s new Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit is so cool

It’s a beautiful circuit that includes part of the Las Vegas Strip.

Formula 1 is making its long-awaited return in the Nevada desert with the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend, but while racing fans are eager to see what the new street circuit can offer, things aren’t seamless.

The race is get to begin at 10 p.m. local time, which means 1 a.m. ET, and then, aside from the race being in the middle of the night for much of the U.S., there’s also a potential issue with the general temperatures in the desert in November.

But it’s not all bad! Although Formula 1 formally apologized to the city and people of Las Vegas for the massive disruptions because of the race, the street circuit itself looks pretty cool.

And this nighttime drone shot is even cooler, showing off the course with the Vegas strip and lights in the background:

For the Las Vegas GP, drivers will complete 50 laps around the 6.201-kilometer circuit, which includes parts of the Las Vegas Strip. The 17-turn course will take drivers past iconic venues like Caesars Palace, the Bellagio and the Venetian.

F1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix is set for Sunday, Nov. 19 at 12:55 a.m. ET on ESPN.

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See the first stunning F1 Las Vegas track photos as the 2023 race gets closer

The F1 race in Las Vegas looks like it’s going to be unreal.

Formula 1 is coming to Las Vegas, in what’s one of the more anticipated races in American motorsports since … well, F1 came to Miami last year.

It’s a race that will take Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and the other top drivers through the Vegas strip at night under the lights, which means it’s going to be visually stunning and wild with all the hotels and casinos as the backdrop.

We’ve gotten a first look at the track with some unbelievable photos shared on X (formerly Twitter), so of course we had to put them all in one place. Between this, the Raiders’ stadium and the structure known as The Sphere, there’s so much coolness in Vegas right now:

This is also neat:

Q&A: Ryan Blaney on his first NASCAR title and IndyCar teammate Josef Newgarden getting a tattoo of his face

For The Win chatted with 2023 NASCAR champ Ryan Blaney about his title victory, the celebrations and a tattoo deal among friends.

Ryan Blaney didn’t need to win NASCAR’s season finale on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway to win his first Cup Series championship. And he didn’t. He just needed to finish before his other three title contenders, which he did, becoming a first-time NASCAR champ and delivering back-to-back titles to Team Penske.

From a family of racers, the 29 year old drove his No. 12 Team Penske Ford to a second-place finish at the one-mile desert track, coming up short behind race winner Ross Chastain.

But Blaney went home with the championship trophy and his first title in his eight full-time Cup seasons. He finished the season with three wins, including two checkered flags in the playoffs that helped propel him to the Championship 4 contenders.

For The Win spoke with Blaney on Wednesday about his emotional championship moment, the celebrations and the possibility of Josef Newgarden, his Team Penske teammate on the IndyCar side, getting a tattoo of the champ’s face.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.