NASCAR
NASCAR: Ty Gibbs Wins Xfinity Series Race and Ben Rhodes Wins Camping World Truck Series Race At Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs passed Jeb Burton following a late restart to win in Saturday NASCAR Xfinity Series Super Start Batteries 188 in double overtime on the road course at Daytona International Speedway.
The victory was the first career Xfinity Series victory for the 18-year-old Gibbs, who’s grandfather owns the team.
“I can’t thank everybody enough, this is like a dream come true to me,” said Gibbs. “Family is everything to me and they do so much for me. I didn’t think I had it there but I fought back and won.”
Grandpa said after the race the storybook win was one of the biggest of his entire career, which includes the NFL and NASCAR.
“When it’s your grandson like that, it’s like a dream come true,” said Joe Gibbs.
Team Penske’s Austin Cindric had built up a 3-second lead when the caution flag came out with two laps to go due to debris on the racing surface from a tire that came apart.
Cindric and Gibbs came to pit road for fresh tires but several drivers stayed out on old tires in order to get track position.
The green flag waved in overtime but was quickly followed by another caution flag when several cars spun and a few went off the racing surface into the grass in the infield prompting another restart.
On the final restart Gibbs and Cindric were lined up 5th and 7th on the inside row and once Gibbs passed the start finish line he cut low underneath and passed Andy Lally for third. Gibbs then went through the grass approaching the first turn and was in second place by the time the cars raced into the infield portion of the track.
Gibbs stalked Burton on the infield part of the course and passed him for the lead with Cindric close behind.
Cindric couldn’t catch the youngster and was happy to salvage the finish considering the circumstance.
“Congratulations to Ty and his family,” said Cindric, who rallied from early damage that dropped him to 33rd place at one point in the race. “We salvaged a great day out of it. P2 we’ll take it.”
The NASCAR Xfinity Series next race is the Contender Boats 250 next Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Ben Rhodes Wins Camping World NASCAR Truck Series Race
Ben Rhodes made it two-for-two in 2021 after winning Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Brakebest Brake Pads 159 in triple-overtime on the road course at Daytona International Speedway.
Rhodes, 23, crossed the finish line .320-seconds ahead of 2020 Series Champion Sheldon Creed.
“Unbelievable, I don’t even have words for it,” said Rhodes. “I don’t even know what to say, this is so cool. I just have to thank my team. The Bombardier Tundra was fast all day. ThorSport Racing gave me a truck that handled this year and we were fast.”
John Hunter Nemechek finished third. Todd Gilliland, who started 31st, fought his way to a fourth-place finish and Riley Herbst rounded out the top five.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series next race is March 5 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
FONTANA, CA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – The pairing of Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing is paying dividends as two races into their partnership, they were celebrating victory at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Busch beat Hendrick Motorsports Chase Elliott by ?.?-seconds to pick up his ??-career Cup Series victory and the ?? of his NASCAR career.
“I felt like there was going to be a little bit of a learning experience, a little bit of a growth pattern, but also on the flipside of that, I always just kind of looked back and watched some of their results and success that they had last year with Austin,” explained Busch. “He ran second here last year, and Reddick was super, super fast. They were fast at the Clash before they broke, the 8 car was.”
Busch said the transition to a new team has been good.
“It’s just been really, really cool, and it’s been a great piece of — we’re making history, right, but a great piece of opportunity to go out there and continue to win races at a new team with RCR, so I can’t say enough about Austin giving me a call, first and foremost, but then Richard and Judy giving me this opportunity to go out here and race for wins.”
Elliott was happy for his manufacturer teammate and former Champ and to get a finish after getting crashed out of the Daytona 500.
“Congratulations to Kyle,” said Elliott. “For him to leave and then to go get the job done like that is pretty cool. He’s always been really good to me, so happy for them. Obviously I think we still have some work to do, but it was really nice to just see a lot of that hard work pay off and have the car driving like we were wanting it to do. So that’s always a good thing. Appreciate everybody on our NAPA team, Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet for just sticking with it and sticking with each other. Looking forward to getting to Vegas and hopefully competing for some more wins.”
Ross Chastain, who led a race high 92-laps, finished third in the No. 1 Kubota Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing.
“Our balance was building loose most of the day, so I thought we did everything right,” said Chatain. “We kept up with it. It would just feel pretty loose late in the runs, and at times it was enough, and at times they got way better.”
The NASCAR Cup Series moves on to Las Vegas for the Pennzoil 400 March 5th.
DAYTONA, FL (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Ricky Stenhouse Jr was leading NASCAR Cup Series Champion Joey Logano when a spinning Kyle Larson brought out the final caution of the day, giving Stenhouse the Daytona 500 win in double-overtime.
Stenhouse and Logano were battling for the lead on Lap 212 when contact from Aric Almirola’s Ford started Travis Pastrana’s Toyota spinning in Turn 2. Pastrana’s Camry clipped Larson Chevrolet and set it rocketing into the outside wall. NASCAR officials reviewed the timing and scoring loops to verify Stenhouse was the winner.
“The 22 had a huge run,” explained Stenhouse. “Got to my outside. Kyle had a huge run and he kind of shipped the middle, and then I looked in my mirror and here comes Christopher and gave me a big shot down the short chute there into 1 caution and got out front enough for when the caution came out.
So everything played out perfectly for us at the end of that.”
“Second is the worst, man,” lamented Logano. “You’re so close. Leading the white flag lap there, I was up front. Kyle gave me a good push and, yeah, you’re watching in the mirror and you’re three wide across there. I felt like the three wide was going a hurt a lane; looked like Kyle was getting pushed ahead, and then Ricky started getting pushed ahead.”
“If you would have told me pre-race I was going to run third, I would have jumped up and down and been smiling ear to ear, which I am very happy and very, very thankful that I could get this Rheem and DeWalt Camry a good solid finish,” said Bell. “But man, just so close to a crown jewel. I feel like if it would have stayed green I would have been on offense, and obviously who knows. But very proud and thankful to be here and Joe Gibbs Racing, and happy for Ricky. That’s really cool. Very, very happy for Ricky.”
The next NASCAR Cup Series race is Sunday, February 26 at Auto Club Raceway in Fontana, California.
DAYTONA, FL (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Austin Hill won his second-straight NASCAR Xfinity Series season-opening race on Saturday, narrowly beating John Hunter Nemechek and Justin Allgaier after NASCAR officials reviewed the tape following Sam Mayer’s caution.
“As soon as the caution lights came on, I thought I had it, but it was so close,” said Hill. “To get back-to-back here at Daytona, it’s really special. That’s three wins for me now, two in the Xfinity, one in the truck here. We came from the back two different times. I hope everyone enjoyed it. It was such a blast. I had so much fun.”
“I’ve been short my whole life, so I guess it’s just fitting,” joked Allgaier. “But really proud of everybody at JR Motorsports. Our Chevy Camaros tonight were absolutely blazing fast. Obviously, I’m glad Sam is OK. He had a heck of a run there at the end.”
Macri Masters BAPS
Dietz Does It
Rico Races to Outlaws Win
Heartbreak for Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing at 12-Hours of Sebring
Racing Notebook: MSR Penalized; Taylor to sub for Elliott and more
Mayor Makes it Two in a Row, Stake Scores Also
Marcus Ericsson wins the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
$90K up for grabs in ’23 Western PA Sprint Speedweek
Rahmer and Howard Take Lincoln Loot
