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Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times/TNS

Josef Newgarden wins IndyCar's Grand Prix of St. Pete (again)

Sports / Auto Racing /

ST. PETERSBURG — At some point last year, Josef Newgarden’s dream job began to feel like work.

Maybe it was toward the end of the IndyCar Series season when he flamed out in three of the final four races. Or maybe it was the way he spread himself too thin across all his responsibilities.

Whatever the reason, it wasn’t fun — or anything...Read more

Alex Slitz/Getty Images North America/TNS

'Everybody roots for him': Why Mexico native Daniel Suarez's NASCAR win at Atlanta is special

Sports / Auto Racing /

HAMPTON, Ga. — Daniel Suarez is just happy he gets to do what he does every weekend.

He’s grown up loving racing. Be it driving go-karts in his hometown, competing in NASCAR’s Mexico Series or chasing the dream in the United States, Suarez had his eyes on being a professional race car driver since he was 13.

The Mexico native’s ...Read more

Alex Slitz/Getty Images North America/TNS

NASCAR at Atlanta: Michael McDowell wins first career pole for Sunday's Cup Series race

Sports / Auto Racing /

HAMPTON, Ga. — Michael McDowell had the fastest car in qualifying, and Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be his first starting on the pole.

The NASCAR Cup Series veteran, a recent Daytona 500 winner, ran the lap in 30.999 seconds after being the last competitor to get on the track during the final round of Saturday’s qualifying...Read more

Matt Baker/Tampa Bay Times/TNS

What Florida sports betting looked like at the Daytona 500

Sports / Auto Racing /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Chuck Floyd had never bet on a sporting event in his life until he walked under a white canopy tent Monday, pulled out his phone and put $10 on fellow Virginian Denny Hamlin to win the Daytona 500.

Floyd’s play would have seemed unthinkable a decade ago but represents another step in the ongoing evolution of Florida ...Read more

Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

Clark County officials decide fate of 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix

Sports / Auto Racing /

LAS VEGAS — Formula One’s Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place as scheduled over the next three years, even as Clark County examines its role in putting on the massive event.

Clark County spokeswoman Jennifer Cooper told the Las Vegas Review-Journal Wednesday that the second Las Vegas Grand Prix will happen this November and in the two ...Read more

Chris Graythen/Getty Images North America/TNS

Scott Fowler: William Byron grew up in Charlotte. Now he has won NASCAR's biggest race, the Daytona 500.

Sports / Auto Racing /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A long time ago in Charlotte, well before William Byron became the 2024 Daytona 500 champion, he was just a kid who went trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Since he knew where NASCAR star Jimmie Johnson lived in Charlotte, Byron went with some friends to knock on Johnson’s door. Johnson turned out to be there. He invited ...Read more

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images North America/TNS

William Byron wins Daytona 500 after late NASCAR wrecks

Sports / Auto Racing /

William Byron withstood a pair of late wrecks to win Monday’s Daytona 500.

Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman finished second, and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell was third.

The field for the NASCAR Cup Series’ season opener couldn’t even make it five full laps without a wreck as the angst started earlier than usual. A third...Read more

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images North America/TNS

William Byron wins NASCAR's Daytona 500 after The Big One comes late in the race

Sports / Auto Racing /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — William Byron has won the Daytona 500.

Last year’s NASCAR Cup Series wins leader won his first Great American Race. It’s the first Daytona 500 win for Hendrick Motorsports, the legendary NASCAR team celebrating its 40th anniversary, since 2014, and comes on the 40th anniversary of Hendrick running its first NASCAR ...Read more

Adam Glanzman/Getty Images North America/TNS

Daytona 500 postponed until Monday due to rain

Sports / Auto Racing /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Daytona 500 was postponed until 4 p.m. Monday due to inclement weather for just the third time in the illustrious 66-year history of NASCAR’s showcase event.

Sunday morning’s decision signaled that NASCAR officials wanted to avoid fans having to play the waiting game on Florida’s Surf Coast.

Previously, bad ...Read more

Chris Graythen/Getty Images North America/TNS

NASCAR moves Xfinity race at Daytona to Monday, Cup uncertain

Sports / Auto Racing /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR has postponed the Xfinity Series race at Daytona to 11 a.m. Monday.

Rain fell throughout the day on Saturday. The Xfinity race start time was originally bumped 30 minutes from 5 to 4:30 p.m., but that effort to beat the rain turned out to be in vain.

Since roughly 3 p.m., rain fell steadily. The Xfinity drivers ...Read more

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America/TNS

Kyle Larson hoping to get the jump on weather and rivals in the Daytona 500

Sports / Auto Racing /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Trying to figure out who is going to win this year's Daytona 500 is the second-most asked question behind a bigger more prescient one. When will the Daytona 500 be run?

There seems to be little chance the biggest race in NASCAR will go at its scheduled flag drop of 12:11 p.m. PST Sunday because of a persistent and ...Read more

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images North America/TNS

Is NASCAR's true 'home' in Charlotte or in Daytona? It depends on how you look at it.

Sports / Auto Racing /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — On Feb. 15, 1948, following a famous meeting at the Streamline Hotel rooftop bar with founder Bill France Sr., NASCAR staged its first official race — the inaugural stock car race on Daytona Beach.

But those were modified cars, and races among those cars evolved into what is now known as NASCAR’s Whelen Modified Tour...Read more

Sean Gardner/Getty Images North America/TNS

Nick Sanchez opens 2024 NASCAR season with wreck-filled win in Truck Series at Daytona

Sports / Auto Racing /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Nick Sanchez is the first NASCAR race winner of 2024.

The Craftsman Truck Series picked up right where it left off. The race was stopped for cautions 12 times, the most in series history at Daytona International Speedway.

The final carnage came in overtime, while Sanchez was holding a healthy lead on the last lap. ...Read more

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images North America/TNS

Will weather disrupt the Daytona 500? Here are NASCAR's options if it rains all weekend.

Sports / Auto Racing /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Rain is anticipated this weekend at Daytona.

Accuweather calls for more than a 90% chance of rain both Saturday and Sunday. There are expected to be periods of rain, some heavy, on Sunday afternoon. The 66th running of the Daytona 500, the first official Cup Series points race of the season, is scheduled to begin at 2:30...Read more

James Gilbert/Getty Images North America/TNS

Qualifying for Daytona 500 is special for 24-year-old driver and his small racing team

Sports / Auto Racing /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Qualifying into the Daytona 500 made Anthony Alfredo shed a tear.

The 24-year-old driver sat in the grandstands of Daytona International Speedway countless times as a kid, when he had dreams of just having the ability to drive a race car.

On Wednesday night, Alfredo accomplished what he considers a dream come true, ...Read more

Sean Gardner/Getty Images North America/TNS

Chase Elliott hopes to turn things around after winless NASCAR season

Sports / Auto Racing /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Elliott name in NASCAR is not just royalty but even better than that, it's beloved by the people who buy the tickets, the merchandise and watch every week until the checkered flag drops.

William Clyde Elliott Sr., known more as "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" and William Clyde Elliott II, known as Chase, have won the...Read more

Sean Gardner/Getty Images North America/TNS

How sports analytics will shape NASCAR's Daytona 500

Sports / Auto Racing /

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The traditional view of the Daytona 500 is that it’s a crash-filled crapshoot that comes down to being in the right place at the right time — or not being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“That certainly is an element,” NASCAR veteran David Ragan said, “but I don’t believe that to be 100% true.”

...Read more

Brian Cleary/Getty Images North America/TNS

After watching Bubba Wallace, Lavar Scott ecstatic to begin full-time NASCAR career

Sports / Auto Racing /

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Lavar Scott has always been around racing.

It started with his grandfather, an automotive shop owner who was always enamored with race cars. That passion led Scott’s mother to become a drag racer, and his older brother was driving quarter midgets before Scott climbed into his first race car.

Now 20 years old and a member ...Read more

James Gilbert/Getty Images North America/TNS

Winning at Daytona presents long odds. But so does making it as a NASCAR driver.

Sports / Auto Racing /

If all goes according to plan, Torrance Jackson expects an earthquake. An infield set ablaze. Maybe the frontstretch fence will be toppled over by spectators — their cold hands and cowboy booted feet climbing in a collective I-can’t-believe-we-saw-that high.

Jackson isn’t alone in these predictions of mayhem.

“I said, ‘Tim,’” —...Read more

James Gilbert/Getty Images North America/TNS

How the Daytona 500 lineup is set. Event schedule as 'Great American Race' week begins.

Sports / Auto Racing /

Unlike any other race in motorsports, the qualifying procedure that sets the Daytona 500 starting lineup will be finished before the weekend.

So, you won’t have to wait until the green flag waves for the 66th running of the “Great American Race” at 2:30 p.m. Sunday to see the NASCAR Cup Series in action.

How is the Daytona 500 lineup set...Read more