2024 Daytona 500 qualifying race updates, NASCAR media day schedule

Daytona Beach News - Journal

01 January 0001

2024 Daytona 500 qualifying race updates, NASCAR media day schedule

DAYTONA BEACH — Tonight we learn which two drivers will lead the field to the green flag to start the 66th Daytona 500 Sunday afternoon. And you likely don't even have to miss your Valentine's Day dinner, since qualifying doesn't start until 8:15.

In the earliest days of Daytona International Speedway, winning the Daytona 500 pole position didn't necessarily lead to race-day success.

Bob Welborn was fastest at the first Daytona qualifier, with a lap averaging just over 140 mph in a Chevrolet — a Chevy sponsored by Tuxedo Plumbing and Heating, by the way. His engine lasted just 75 of Sunday's 200 laps and Bob finished 41st in a busy field of 59 cars.

Alex Bowman won last year's pole at 181+ mph, and while his engine held up, he led just one of the final 175 laps and finished fifth.

The supporting manufacturer and sponsors of the pole-winning team appreciate the additional hype and attention that go along with posting the fastest time on a night when every team's driver has the throttle buried on the mat.

Fox Sports 1 will provide qualifying TV coverage.

Prior to NASCAR's first official competition of the 2024 season, all Cup Series drivers will perform Media Day chores, which include interviews with a wide variety of radio and TV stations and networks, as well as print and online media.

Sometimes during these gatherings, news is made. Often not.

Stay tuned here throughout the day for updates.

Kyle Busch approaching historic Dale Earnhardt in Daytona 500 heartbreaks ... and he knows

For all the things two-time Cup Series champ Kyle Busch has done, there's a glaring hole on the resume. And don't worry, he knows.

Last year, Busch was leading on Lap 200 of the Daytona 500. The problem? The race went into overtime and he was collected in a crash, settling for 19th.

That pushed his drought to 0 for 18 in the Great American Race. That's just two short of the 0 for 20 Dale Earnhardt Sr. started with before finally breaking through in 1998.

"Trust me, I'm well aware, thank you very much," Busch said with a grin. "I hope we can talk about some of the same storylines on Sunday, that would be nice."

Does Chris Buescher owe Brad Keselowski a favor? Kind of.

Chris Buescher won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 last summer, thanks in large part to teammate and RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski, who gave him a big push and never left his bumper all the way to the start-finish line.

So, does Buescher owe Keselowski a push come Sunday?

“I’m going to push him, I promise. I’m going to push him all the way until I feel like we’re safe to where I can try to go around. I certainly owe a lot of that win to him and those pushes and staying committed. I think it’s important to us as drivers for our own teams but for RFK as a group to make sure if we find yourself with that opp to not make it worse. If we have the chance to go 1-2 or 1-3, let’s make sure we don’t go out there and wreck each other trying to do something dumb and finish 20 and 21. Let’s make sure we don’t go out there and do something and give up a chance to win the 500 and finish 2 and 5. Situational awareness will be important.

“I’m not going to wreck him for a win but I am going to shove him and I am going to hit him and we are going to push and shove and we’re going to make it a race. And he said the same thing which I was glad to hear, probably a little easier for him as my boss to say that, but we’re going to make a show out of it. Just make sure we’re smart about it.”

Denny Hamlin to take 'selfish' philosophy in pursuit of fourth Daytona 500 win

With the addition of two Legacy Motor Club cars, and possibly three assuming Jimmie Johnson makes Sunday's Daytona 500 field, the Toyota contingent should be increasing in numbers and theoretically, becoming stronger in the draft.

But Denny Hamlin, a three-time winner of the Daytona 500, didn't have much use for teammate talk on Wednesday.

"I think it's probably in my best interest to get back to the basics and that's doing what I feel is best to win the race for myself," Hamlin said. "While having teammates and all is great, I think those are cert assets you can use to win races in cert situations, I think sometimes it's those that are the most selfish, that make moves for themselves are the ones that win the race.

"I feel as though I need to personally go back to the style in which I had a few years ago and we'll see what those results net."

JJ Yeley has hung the 'No Vacancy' sign in No. 44 car's window

The N.Y. Racing Team has handed the keys to its No. 44 Chevolet to veteran racer JJ Yeley.

The No. 44 is one of six teams at Daytona gunning for four available openings in the Daytona 500.

Originally, Greg Biffle was listed as the team's driver, but Biffle declined and put out a statement saying he wouldn't entertain an offer from that team "due to unfulfilled contract obligations from 2022," the last year the team fielded a Cup car.

Yeley, 47, was a highly decorated USAC short-track champion before moving to NASCAR 20 years ago. He's run six previous Daytona 500s, with a best finish of 10th in 2014.

Ryan Blaney addresses new middle name

You won't likely find it on officially licensed merchandise, or above the driver's-side door of his No. 12 Ford.

But thanks to the recent Netflix docuseries, with a special assist from fiance´ Gianna Tulio, Ryan Blaney has a new nickname.

"Remember, be Ryan (bleeping Blaney," Gianna told Blaney before the start of a playoff race last fall.

"She was mortified when that was caught on the microphone," Blaney said Wednesday morning.

Netflix didn't just catch the comment and leave it in the episode from its "NASCAR: Full Speed" series, but as Blaney said Wednesday morning, "They even had it in the trailer!"

Blaney admits it'll take some clever marketing language to capitalize on the new name through merchandise, but also says his team may still find a way. With that in mind, GIanna's discomfort has subsided.

"She’s gotten over her embarrassment," Blaney said.

Ryan Blaney says Daytona 500 the next box to check after 2023 title

Ryan Blaney broke through for his first Cup Series championship in 2023, checking off a major box in his racing career.

But though he has four wins on superspeedways, Blaney has yet to win the Great American Race despite five top-10 finishes in nine starts.

"That's the dream, you win the championship and turn right around and win the 500," Blaney said. "You just try to learn from experiences from previous races here.

"We'll see. Just try to be rolling at the end of it and hopefully you're there. But I'm excited for it."

Daytona 500 best bets

A reminder that Florida residents can now bet on the Daytona 500 from their phones!

Hard Rock Bet offers several betting options on its app including winner, top 5, top 10 and winning manufacturer among others.

Noah Gragson gives a comment on Ross Chastain scuffle

One of the most infamous moments from the 2023 season was undoubtedly a short, physical altercation between Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson at Kansas.

Chastain landed a short right cross before a security guard separated the two.

Gragson appeared in the media room on Wednesday morning and rehashed the moment. He said the two quickly put the incident behind them, adding that they tested together the next day. But a post-race phone call wasn't quite so friendly.

"I called him after the race and said, 'Nice shot but if that security guard wasn't there I was coming and I wasn't stopping, I want you to know that," Gragson said.

AJ Allmendinger happy and ready to go in the Xfinity Series

AJ Allmendinger will get the start in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in Sunday's Daytona 500, but his role in the Cup Series this year will be a part-time one.

After a full season in NASCAR's premier circuit last year, Allmendinger is back full time at the Xfinity level and while that could seem like a demotion, it's something he's happy to do as he stays committed to improving the organization.

"It’s just super hard in the cup series to go win races," Allmendinger said. "The Xfinity program is where they make their living off of in the sense of what makes Kaulig Racing. So, for me, they wanted me to come back and try to get the program in the right direction. There’s gains that they made last year but there’s a lot more we have to do to run with Joe Gibbs and Stewart-Haas and even JR Motorsports and teams like that."

Daniel Hemric will be Kaulig's lone full-time Cup Series entrant in the No. 31 car this year.

Michael McDowell doesn't believe in racing gods, or Daytona 500 luck

Michael McDowell, the 2021 Daytona 500 champion, was asked about the role luck plays in the Daytona 500 during media day on Wednesday morning and replied with this gem:

"When it comes to racing gods, I must be an atheist because I don't believe in them."

He didn't stop there, going on to handicap a few of his competitors when it comes to superspeedway tendencies.

"Accidents happen, but I can usually tell you who those accidents are going to happen around ... that's not luck either," McDowell said. "For instance, there was a lot of opportunity for me in 2021 to pass Brad Keselowski and be sitting second coming to the white flag. I rode in third for a reason. I wouldn't want to be in between those two (Joey Logano was leading).

"Jamie McMurray and Jimmie Johnson. Obviously, they've won a lot of races. If those two are together, I don't want to be anywhere near where they're at. There's going to be a crash there.

"If Joey Logano is leading the end of the Daytona 500, there will be a crash. Why? Because he's going to block ... If Brad Keselowski is running second and Joey Logano is running first, there will be a crash. Brad isn't going to lift. Joey is going to block. I can go through the entire field and tell you who's going to do what and how they're going to do it."