Wrap-Up: Daytona Int'l Speedway

By Anthony Ballantoni

The Daytona International Speedway (DIS) hosted all three season openers for NASCAR’s top series this past week. On Friday night, the Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 was held at the track. On Saturday, the XFINITY Series featured the Powershares QQQ 300. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series opened the 2017 season on Sunday with the Daytona 500. The results and upcoming scheduled events for the ARCA Racing Series and the NASCAR Home Tracks are also shown below.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Time Trials: Chase Elliott (No. 24 NAPA Chevrolet SS) won the Coors Light Pole Award for the Daytona 500 with a lap of 192.872 mph. This is his third pole in 42 MENCS races. It is his second Daytona 500 pole (2016-2017) in three races at DIS. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (qualified second) posted his 23rd top-10 start in 35 races at DIS. Brad Keselowski (third) posted his third top-10 start at DIS. Ty Dillon (12th) was the fastest qualifying rookie. Pole-sitter Chase Elliott led 39 laps and finished the 200-lap race in 14th place.
Did Not Qualify: No. 55 Reed Sorenson and No. 51 Timmy Hill.

Results: Kurt Busch won the Daytona 500, his 29th victory in 577 MENCS races. This is the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford Fusion driver's first victory and 17th top-10 finish in 32 races at DIS. Ryan Blaney (finished second) posted his first top-10 finish in four races at DIS. AJ Allmendinger (third) posted his third top-10 finish in 16 races at DIS. Daniel Suarez (29th) was the highest finishing rookie.

Standings: Kurt Busch leads the point standings by 12 points over Ryan Blaney.

Top 16 - Chase Contenders:
1. Kurt Busch
2. Ryan Blaney
3. Joey Logano
4. Kevin Harvick
5. AJ Allmendinger
6. Aric Almirola
7. Kyle Larson
8. Chase Elliott
9. Denny Hamlin
10. Paul Menard
11. Trevor Bayne
12. Brad Keselowski
13. Kasey Kahne
14. Michael Waltrip
15. Matt DiBenedetto
16. Austin Dillon

Next: Sunday, March 5, Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval in Hampton, GA)
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NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS)
Time Trials: Brandon Jones won the Coors Light 21 Means 21 Pole Award for the Powershares QQQ 300 with a lap of 184.472 mph. This is the No. 33 Nexteer Automotive Chevrolet Camaro driver's first pole in 39 NXS races. It is his first pole in three races at DIS. Ryan Reed (qualified second) posted his fourth top-10 start in seven races at DIS. Brennan Poole (third) posted his second top-10 start at DIS. Daniel Hemric (fourth) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
Pole-sitter Brandon Jones was caught up in the Lap 28 multi-car wreck and was credited with a 29th place DNF.
Did Not Qualify: No. 89 Morgan Shepherd, No. 74 Mike Harmon, No. 97 Stephen Leicht and No. 13 Mark Thompson.

Results: Ryan Reed won the Powershares QQQ 300, his second victory in 106 NXS races. This is the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes Ford Mustang driver's second victory and fourth top-10 finish in seven races at DIS. Kasey Kahne (finished second) posted his 12th top-10 finish in 22 NXS races at DIS. Austin Dillon (third) posted his seventh top-10 finish in nine NXS races at DIS. William Byron (ninth) was the highest finishing rookie.

Standings: Ryan Reed leads the point standings by 9 points over Brendan Gaughan.

Top 12 - Chase Contenders:
1. Ryan Reed
2. Brendan Gaughan
3. Elliott Sadler
4. Scott Lagasse Jr.
5. Matt Tifft
6. Dakoda Armstrong
7. Joey Gase
8. Garrett Smithley
9. Blake Koch
10. William Byron
11. Harrison Rhodes
12. Brandon Hightower

Next: Saturday, March 4, Rinnai 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval in Hampton, GA)
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NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)
Time Trials: Kaz Grala won the Keystone Light 21 Means 21 Pole Award for the NextEra Energy Resources 250 with a lap of 180.676 mph. This is the No. 33 Kiklos Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil Chevrolet Silverado driver's first pole in ten NCWTS races. It is his first pole at DIS. Johnny Sauter (qualified second) posted his sixth top-10 start in nine races at DIS. Spencer Gallagher (third) posted his second top-10 start at DIS. Grala has become the youngest NASCAR national series pole winner at Daytona at the age 18 years, 1 month and 26 days (previous record was held by Dylan Kwasniewski at the age of 18 years, 8 months and 22 days).
Did not qualify: No. 47 Chris Fontaine, No. 6 Norm Benning, No. 44 Brandon Brown, No. 45 TJ Bell, No. 28 Bryan Dauzat, No. 74 Jordan Anderson, No. 1 Timothy Viens, No. 12 Spencer Boyd, No. 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb and No. 75 Parker Kligerman.

Results: Kaz Grala won the NextEra Energy Resources 250, his first victory in ten NCWTS races. This is his first top-10 finish at DIS. Austin Wayne Self (finished second) posted his first top-10 finish in two races at DIS. Chase Briscoe scored a third place finish in his first career NCWTS start. Grala becomes the youngest Daytona winner in NASCAR national series history - previous record was held by Tyler Reddick (19 years, 1 month, 9 days).

Standings: Kaz Grala leads the point standings by 14 points over Johnny Sauter.

Top 8 - Chase Contenders:
1. Kaz Grala
2. Johnny Sauter
3. Chase Briscoe
4. Ben Rhodes
5. Joe Nemechek
6. Austin Wayne Self
7. Timothy Peters
8. John Hunter Nemechek

Next: Saturday, March 4, Active Pest Control 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile oval in Hampton, GA)
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ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards
Feb. 18, Lucas Oil Complete Engine Treatment 200 at Daytona Int’l Speedway
Winner: Austin Theriault   -Pole: Tom Hessert   -Points Leader: Austin Theriault
Next: April 8, Music City 200 at Fairgrounds Speedway (0.596-mile oval in Nashville, TN)
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NASCAR Home Tracks
K&N Pro Series-East
Feb. 19, Jet Tools 150 at New Smyrna Speedway (0.5-mile oval in New Smyrna Beach, FL)
Winner: Ronnie Bassett Jr.     -Pole: Harrison Burton    -Points Leader: Ronnie Bassett Jr.
Next: April 8 at Greenville Pickens Speedway (0.5-mile oval in Easley, SC)

K&N Pro Series-West
Season-opener: March 18, NAPA Auto Parts 150 at Tucson Speedway (0.375-mile oval in AZ)

Pinty’s Series
Season-opener: May 21 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (2.459-mile road course near Bowmanville, Ontario)

Whelen Modified TourSeason-opener: March 18 at Myrtle Beach Speedway (0,538-mile oval in SC)

Peak Mexico Series
Season-opener: March 26 at Autódromo Monterrey (1.0-mile oval in Monterrey, Mexico)