TC Daily Pit Stop: Logano, Almirola Secure Duel Victories, Daly Secures Miracle Spot in 2023 Daytona 500, and MORE from Thursday at Daytona
TC Daily Pit Stop: Logano, Almirola Secure Duel Victories, Daly Secures Miracle Spot in 2023 Daytona 500, and MORE from Thursday at Daytona
TC Daily Pit Stop: Friday, February 17th, 2023
Joey Logano Holds Off Christopher Bell for Duel #1 Victory, Zane Smith Locks Into Daytona 500
PHOTO CREDIT: Craig White, TobyChristie.com
After winning the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series championship, Joey Logano hasn’t missed a beat at all, capturing the victory in Bluegreen Vacations Duel #1 at Daytona International Speedway.
Logano, who led a race-high 33 laps in the first of two Duel races, was able to hold back advances from Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, and several others over the course of the final laps, to capture his third Duel race victory in the last five years.
Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, and Michael McDowell completed the top-five in the event.
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Aric Almirola Powers to Victory in Second Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona
PHOTO CREDIT: Craig White, TobyChristie.com
Aric Almirola wasn’t even supposed to be competing in the Daytona 500, after announcing his retirement at the beginning of last season, effective at the conclusion of November’s event at Phoenix Raceway. But, I’m sure that capturing the victory in the second Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona will help him forget about that small detail.
Coming to the white flag, Almirola made a move outside of Todd Gilliland, putting himself in position to streak away when the Front Row Motorsports bobbled on the bottom of the track in the first turn.
From that point, the proper help couldn’t materialize from behind, allowing the Smithfield-sponsored driver to waltz into victory lane at Daytona International Speedway.
Austin Cindric, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, and Corey LaJoie completed the top-five.
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After Horrendous Start to Speedweeks, Conor Daly Set for Miracle Appearance in 2023 Daytona 500
PHOTO CREDIT: Craig White, TobyChristie.com
Conor Daly’s attempt to qualify for the 2023 Daytona 500 with TMT Racing can be summarized in two words: emotional whiplash.
The NTT IndyCar Series driver was plagued with just about every issue imaginable, and it all started before he got the opportunity to make a single lap around the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
On Wednesday, mere hours before the scheduled start of qualifying, an electrical short burned a hole in the oil line of Daly’s No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro, forcing the second-year team to forfeit its opportunity to lock into the Daytona 500 via qualifying.
“We had a very one-in-a-million type thing [happen],” Daly told FOX Sports during Qualifying on Wednesday. “The oil heater – important for qualifying – just shorted out and made the oil line explode. We apparently didn’t have another one of those, and a lot of other teams, their spares are on their backup cars, so it was tough.”
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Rajah Caruth Leads Chevrolet-Dominated Truck Practice from Daytona
PHOTO CREDIT: Craig White, TobyChristie.com
That’s a fitting way to start your rookie campaign in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
In the sole practice session for the NASCAR Truck Series at Daytona International Speedway, Rajah Caruth put his No. 24 Wendell Scott Foundation Chevrolet Silverado at the top of the speed charts Thursday.
While making laps in a multi-truck pack, Caruth was able to post a quick time of 47.760s (188.442mph) to lead the 50-minute session, over fellow Chevrolet drivers Christian Eckes, who steered the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care entry to second place.
Jack Wood, Parker Kligerman, Chase Purdy, and Nick Sanchez completed a Chevrolet stranglehold on the top-six positions in the session. Matt Crafton was the highest-placed Ford F-150 in practice in seventh, while Stewart Friesen’s Toyota placed eighth.
Corey LaJoie, who will do double-duty in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, placed his No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado in ninth place.
Completing the top-10, in what was likely the biggest surprise of the session, was Norm Benning, who laid down the 10th-fastest lap in the No. 46 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for G2G Racing.
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Trackhouse Racing has Reached “Long-Term” Multiyear Extension with Ross Chastain
PHOTO CREDIT: Craig White, TobyChristie.com
There was a time in his career that Ross Chastain had no idea what was next. He won’t have those questions for a while, now, as Trackhouse Racing announced that the organization has reached a long-term multiyear contract extension.
According to Trackhouse team owner Justin Marks, the deal will keep Chastain in the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro for years to come. While specific contract details were not shared, Ty Norris joked that the deal would go until Chastain had gray hair in his beard.
“What we’re trying to do in this sport is to establish ourselves as a consistent year-in and year-out competitor and ultimately building an organization that can win championships, that can be a great destination for our partners and for the people that work here,” Marks said. “And that starts with making sure that the two guys holding the steering wheel feel like they have a home here and feel like they have a future here. And I think everything trickles back from there.”
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