All three of NASCAR’s national series are on track this weekend at Daytona International Speedway for their season opener races. Weekend storylines follow… Logano Looks To Capture Second Straight Daytona 500 Victory With a visit to Victory Lane in Sunday’s Daytona 500 (1 p.m. on FOX), Joey Logano would become only the fourth driver to win The Great American Race in consecutive seasons. The three drivers who have taken the checkered flag in the Daytona 500 two years in a row are Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84) and Sterling Marlin (1994-95). Logano catalyzed the momentum from his Daytona 500 triumph into a career season in 2015. The No. 22 Ford driver led the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with a career-best six wins and six poles. His 28 top 10s tied Kevin Harvick for the series lead, while his 22 top fives were the second most in the NSCS. Busch Begins Title Defense At Daytona Last season, Kyle Busch captured that elusive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title. The defending champ also boasts victories in the Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. The next marquee accolade Busch wants to ink on his resume – Daytona 500 winner. Busch owns the series’ highest driver rating at Daytona International Speedway (94.4), but only has a summer 2008 victory to show for it. He owns two runner-up finishes at Daytona, but they were both in the summer. Rowdy’s best Daytona 500 finish is a fourth-place showing from 2008. He placed 19th in his last Daytona 500 run in 2014 (he missed last year’s edition after sustaining injuries in a crash during last year’s Daytona NASCAR XFINITY Series race). In 21 starts at DIS, Busch claims one win, five top fives, six top 10s and an average finish of 19.0. Only five drivers have ever followed a championship with a Daytona 500 win – Lee Petty (1958 championship, 1959 Daytona 500); Richard Petty (1972 championship; 1973 Daytona 500); Cale Yarborough (1976 championship, 1977 Daytona 500); Jeff Gordon (1998 championship, 1999 Daytona 500); and Dale Jarrett (1999 championship, 2000 Daytona 500). All are in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, except for Gordon who is essentially a first-ballot lock. Dale-tona: Earnhardt Goes For Third Daytona 500 Title/Second Consecutive Daytona Victory Dale Earnhardt Jr. will attempt to join elite company when he goes for his third Daytona 500 victory in Sunday’s 58th running of The Great American Race. Only five drivers are part of the club with three or more Daytona 500 wins: Richard Petty (seven), Cale Yarborough (four), Bobby Allison (three), Dale Jarrett (three) and Jeff Gordon (three). The 13-time most popular driver has finished third or better in the last four Daytona 500s. His four Daytona 500 runner-ups are the most among active drivers. Earnhardt won the summer race at Daytona last year from the pole and will attempt to become the ninth driver to capture consecutive checkered flags at Daytona. Cale Yarborough, Jeff Gordon and Bobby Allison have each won consecutive races at Daytona twice Business Is Boomin’ For Young Chase Elliott Chase Elliott showed no signs of feeling any pressure from replacing Jeff Gordon in Sunday’s Daytona 500 Pole Qualifying. At 20 years, two months, 17 days, the new No. 24 Chevrolet driver turned a lap at 196.314 MPH in the final round of qualifying to become the youngest winner of the Coors Light ’21 Means 21 Pole’ Award. Elliott will be the third Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate in the last four years to lead the field to start the Daytona 500. The others were Danica Patrick (2013) and Austin Dillon (2014). Elliott’s No. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS machine sported the same chassis Jeff Gordon used when he won the Coors Light Pole Award at Daytona last season. Previous Daytona Champions Who Can Win Again At The Birthplace Of Speed Nine drivers on Sunday’s entry list have won the Daytona 500 previously: Joey Logano (2015), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2004, ’14), Jimmie Johnson (2006, ’13), Matt Kenseth (2009, ’12), Trevor Bayne (2011), Jamie McMurray (2010), Ryan Newman (2008), Kevin Harvick (2007) and Michael Waltrip (2001, ’13). Earnhardt leads all active drivers with four Daytona 500 runner ups. Among active full-time drivers, Tony Stewart (17), Kurt Busch (14) and Greg Biffle (13) have made the most Daytona 500 starts without a win. Season Indicator: How The Daytona 500 Winner Fares Overall Last year’s Daytona 500 winner, Joey Logano, turned the momentum from his season-opening triumph into a career-best season. He led the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with six wins and six poles, while his 28 top 10s ranked tied for first in the series. The 25-year-old Ford driver ended up finishing sixth in series points. Five drivers have won the Daytona 500 and the NSCS championship in the same season (a total of nine times): Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2013), Jeff Gordon (1997), Richard Petty (1964, 1971, 1974, 1979), Cale Yarborough (1977) and Lee Petty (1959). During the Chase era (2004 – present) Daytona 500 winners have logged an average points finish of only 8.5: Logano (2015, sixth in final points), Earnhardt (2014, eighth; 2004, fifth), Johnson (2013, first; 2006, first), Kenseth (2012, seventh; 2009, 14th), Trevor Bayne (2011, ineligible for points) Jamie McMurray (2010, 14), Ryan Newman (2008, 17) Kevin Harvick (2007, 10), Jeff Gordon (2005, 11). Rookie Rumble: Four Full-Time Drivers Prepare To Duke It Out For Sunoco Rookie of the Year The last Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate to win a race was Joey Logano in 2009. Some of the members in this year’s rookie class – one of the most promising in recent history – looks like it can buck the recent losing trend: Chase Elliott (20 years old, No. 24 Chevrolet) – The 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion owns five NASCAR national series wins. An alumnus of the NASCAR Next program he finished runner-up in his sophomore XFINITY Series season. Elliott has made five career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts with a best start and finish of 16th at Richmond-1 last season. After winning the Coors Light ’21 Means 21’ Pole Award on Sunday, Elliott will lead the field to green in the Daytona 500. Ryan Blaney (22 years old, No. 21 Ford) – Blaney has helped Team Penske’s No. 22 team win the last three NASCAR XFINITY Series owner’s championships. The NASCAR next alumnus has eight national series wins to his credit and finished runner-up in the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings. Blaney has made 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts with a high finish of fourth at Talladega-1 last year. Chris Buescher (23 years old, No. 34 Ford) – Buescher knocked off Elliott to win the 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series title. The 2012 ARCA champion has three national series wins. He made six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts last season, posting a high finish of 20th at Auto Club. Brian Scott (28 years old, No. 9 Ford) – Scott has registered five top-10 championship finishes the last five years in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. He boasts two national series wins and won the Coors Light Pole Award in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series spring race at Talladega in 2014. Scott has made 17 NSCS starts. His best finish was a 13th-place showing at Las Vegas in 2015. How To Qualify For The Daytona 500 Thirty-six Charter teams will be assigned a starting position Four Open teams are eligible for starting positions The highest finishing Open team in each Can-Am Duel race earns a starting position The final two starting positions are awarded to Open teams based on Coors Light Pole Qualifying if not already a top finisher in a Duel race Qualifying sets the front row for the Daytona 500 and the starting lineup for the Can-Am Duel fields, with the number of Charter team and Open team cars split evenly throughout both races If the second Can-Am Duel race is cancelled due to weather, the highest finishing Open team from the first race earns a starting position, with the other three Open teams determined by qualifying If both Can-Am Duel races are cancelled due to weather, qualifying determines all four Open teams * Non-charter drivers Ryan Blaney (No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford) and Matt DiBenedetto (No. 93 BK Racing Toyota) guaranteed themselves spots in the Daytona 500 via their performances in last Sunday’s Coors Light Pole Qualifying. Can-Am Duels Set For Thursday Night On Thursday night (7 p.m. on FS1), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers will compete in the Can-Am Duels to set the rest of the field for the Daytona 500. Sunday’s qualifying set the front row, with Chase Elliott on the pole and Matt Kenseth starting second, but the Can-Am Duels will lock in spots three through 40 for the Daytona 500. The first duel consists of the even numbered qualifiers, while the second duel consists of the odd numbered qualifiers. The order of finishers in each duel (minus Elliott and Kenseth) will set the odd and even positions for the Daytona 500. Last season’s Duel races were won by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson. Dale Earnhardt won his Duel race a record 12 times, double the total of Cale Yarborough (6) who is second on the all-time list. Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads active drivers with 4 Can-Am Duel victories. Seven drivers will go to the back to start the Duels Thursday night, Martin Truex, Jr. for missing Sunday’s qualifying, Kevin Harvick and Brian Vickers after NASCAR officials determined their track bars were not in compliance for qualifying, and Greg Biffle and Trevor Bayne for changing rear gears in their cars post-qualifying. Kyle Larson and Michael Waltrip will go to backup cars after a multi-car crash in Wednesday’s final practice for the Duels, and in so doing forfeit their starting spots. Click here for the starting lineup in the first Can-Am Duel. (pre-changes mentioned above) Click here for the starting lineup in the second Can-Am Duel. (pre-changes mentioned above) Hamlin Wins Sprint Unlimited Denny Hamlin led 39 of 79 laps, including the last 16, on his way to winning the Sprint Unlimited last Saturday. Hamlin’s visit to Victory Lane marked his third Sprint Unlimited win (2006, ’14, ’16). He ranks tied with three other drivers (Kevin Harvick, Dale Jarrett, Tony Stewart) for second all-time in Sprint Unlimited wins behind Dale Earnhardt (6 victories). The Sprint Unlimited victor has gone on to win the Daytona 500 five times – Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1987), Dale Jarrett (1996, 2000), Jeff Gordon (1997). NASCAR Overtime Rules For all three NASCAR national series, a race may be concluded with overtime, consisting of a new procedure for a green-white-checkered flag finish featuring an “overtime line.” The location of the overtime line will vary by track. After taking the green on the overtime restart, if the leader then passes the overtime line on the first lap under green before a caution comes out (a “clean restart”), it will be considered a valid green-white-checkered attempt. However, if a caution comes out before the leader passes the overtime line on the first lap under green, it will not be considered a valid attempt, and a subsequent attempt will be made. If necessary, multiple subsequent attempts will be made until a valid attempt occurs. Once a valid attempt is achieved (clean restart), it will become the only attempt at a green-white-checkered finish. If a caution comes out at any time during the valid green-white-checkered attempt, the field will be frozen and the checkered/yellow or checkered/red displayed to cars at the finish line. Vickers Back In Action After missing nearly the entire 2015 season due health issues, Brian Vickers is back behind the wheel as the driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet for the Daytona 500. Vickers raced twice last season for Michael Waltrip Racing at Las Vegas and Phoenix, finishing 15th and 41st respectively. In 318 career starts, he has posted three wins, 29 tops fives, 77 top 10s and 12 poles. Vickers best Daytona 500 finish was a seventh-place showing in 2006. Daytona Or Hollywood? Celebrities Abound At Daytona 500 A number of celebrities are scheduled to participate in Sunday’s Daytona 500 festivities. Country mainstay Florida Georgia Line will perform the pre-race concert. “London is Fallen” star Gerard Butler will deliver the most famous words in motorsports as the Daytona 500 grand marshal. WWE Superstar/actor John Cena will serve as the honorary pace car driver. The honorary starter is newly elected Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. Gordon Joins FOX NASCAR Broadcast Booth Even more expertise is being added to the FOX NASCAR broadcast booth in 2016. Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon will analyze every NSCS race from Daytona through Sonoma, joining the FOX broadcast team of Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds that begins its 16th season together. “How many other drivers have done SNL and gone through makeup to be a taxi cab driver to freak somebody out in a Pepsi commercial?,” said Eric Shanks, president, COO and producer of FOX Sports. “Everything about (Gordon’s) brand and the way it fits well with what these guys have created, I think it’s going to be very special.” 2016 Season Brings Some Change And Lots Of Excitement With a new season brings tons of excitement and also some great new ideas to the table for the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Much like the successful NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase, the NASCAR XFINITY Series has now adopted a new version of NASCAR’s playoff system. Also the fan and driver adorned Dash 4 Cash program returns for 2016, but this time with a tweak to the process. Below are details to the biggest changes the NASCAR XFINITY Series will see in 2016. NASCAR XFINITY SERIES CHASE The seven-race NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase will begin at Kentucky Speedway on Sept. 24, and feature 12 drivers and two elimination rounds, with four drivers competing in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. A win in the first 26 races all but guarantees a driver entry into the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase, provided the driver is in the top 30 in points and has attempted to qualify for each race. Drivers who win two Dash 4 Cash bonuses are also all but guaranteed a Chase berth. The first round, called the Round of 12, consists of the races at Kentucky, Dover and Charlotte. All drivers will start with their points adjusted to 2,000, with three additional bonus points added to their total for each win in the first 26 races. If a driver wins a race in the Round of 12, the driver automatically advances to the next round. The remaining available positions (1-8) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points. Each driver who advances to the Round of 8 (Kansas, Texas, Phoenix) then will have their points reset to 3,000. Drivers who win a race in the Round of 8 automatically advance to the Championship 4. The remaining available positions (1-4) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points. The four drivers who advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead will have their points reset to 4,000. The highest finishing Championship 4 driver will be crowned the NASCAR XFINITY Series champion. NASCAR XFINITY SERIES DASH 4 CASH The NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash will be comprised of Two Heats and a Main at four tracks: Bristol Motor Speedway (April 16), Richmond International Raceway (April 23), Dover International Speedway (May 14) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 23). Qualifying for each Dash 4 Cash event will set the 40-car field and the starting positions for the Two Heats with the fastest qualifier awarded the Coors Light Pole Award. Odd-numbered qualifiers (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.) will start in the first Heat in respective order, while even-numbered qualifiers (2nd, 4th, 6th, etc.) will start the second Heat in respective order. The Two Heats will set the starting positions for the Main with the top two NASCAR XFINITY Series regulars in each Heat becoming eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus. The highest finishing driver among the four Dash 4 Cash eligible drivers will be awarded a $100,000 bonus. If any driver wins two of the four Dash 4 Cash bonuses available, he/she is all but guaranteed a spot in the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase. In short, two Dash 4 Cash bonuses are equivalent to one race win in the new NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase format. Drivers must have declared to earn NASCAR XFINITY Series points in order to be eligible for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash bonus. Championship Or Bust For Dillon Ty Dillon has one goal on his mind for the 2016 – a NASCAR XFINITY Series title. “It’s winning races or bust for me,” Dillon said. “I know with that will come a championship opportunity. So we get locked in that Chase, you have to win the races, just like they have in the Sprint Cup Series.” The No. 3 Richard Childress racing driver placed third in the series last year on the strength of 12 top fives and 25 top 10s. In 2014, he finished fifth in the final standings with one win, seven top fives and 24 top 10s. He begins his title quest in Saturday’s PowerShares QQQ 300 at Daytona International Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET). Dillon placed third in the same race last season and has an average finish of 14.8 in five XFINITY Series starts at DIS. Ryan Reed Looks To Kick 2016 Off Like Last Year… With A Win As the NASCAR XFINITY Series field roared down the Superstretch and towards Turn 3 on the final lap at Daytona last season, Ryan Reed faked going into the turn high and dove his No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford to the bottom of the track and locked it to the double yellow line as he flew into the lead passing Brad Keselowski. Reed was then able to hold off the remaining ensuing efforts at his position as he glided his Ford across the start/finish line and into Victory Lane. It was Reed’s sole win of 2015, but he returns to Daytona looking to become the fifth driver in series history to win back-to-back season-opening races, joining Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip. Reed has made four career NASCAR XFINITY Series starts at Daytona, posting one win (2015), two top fives and an average finish of 9.0. Moving On Up: Erik Jones Takes Truck Championship And Graduates To XFINITY Series Most pundits will agree Erik Jones is the next big thing rising through the ranks of NASCAR. After claiming the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title last season, the 19-year-old Michigan native has turned his full attention to the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Jones has been tapped to drive the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with crew chief Chris Gabehart in 2016. Jones is no stranger to the NASCAR XFINITY Series. He has already made 26 starts over the last two seasons posting two wins (Texas and Chicago), 13 top fives, 20 top 10s and average finish of 8.9. The young JGR prodigy has made two series starts at Daytona, posting one top 10 and an average finish of 13.0. Super Sophomores: Suárez, Wallace Go For Championship In Second XFINITY Series Season A year after battling for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award, Daniel Suárez and Darrell Wallace Jr. are both back ready to compete for the championship. Suárez, who ended up taking home the rookie honors, finished fifth in the final standings, posted eight top fives, 18 top 10s and three Coors Light Pole Awards last season. He had an average start of 8.1 and an average finish of 11.7. He won the pole in last year’s Daytona summer race. Last season, Wallace finished seventh in the series standings on the strength of three top fives and 14 top 10s. He recorded an average start of 12.7 and an average finish of 11.8. Wallace has a high finish of seventh at Daytona International Speedway. Suárez and Wallace are alumni of both NASCAR Next and NASCAR Drive for Diversity. Former Series Champions Are No Slouches In Daytona 500 Qualifying Last Sunday, 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott added his name to a prestigious list of former series champions who have gone on to win the pole for the Daytona 500. Elliott is the ninth driver in NASCAR History to win the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship and go on to start on the pole for the Daytona 500, joining Austin Dillon, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Greg Biffle, Jeff Green and Bobby Labonte. Elliott is just the sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie to win the pole for the Daytona 500 joining Austin Dillon, Danica Patrick, Jimmie Johnson, Loy Allen Jr and Mike Skinner. Familiar Faces – New Teams In 2016 Don’t be too surprised seeing several drivers wheeling for new teams in 2016. The front offices of several of the race teams were definitely busy during the off-season with roster management. Below is a look at a few drivers who will be competing for a new team in 2016. Former series champion, Bobby Labonte (1991) will be driving part-time in the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing this season. Labonte will have a full-schedule this weekend as he will be running Saturday with Joe Gibbs Racing before jumping in a car for Go Fas Racing and running his 24th career Daytona 500 on Sunday. Labonte has made eight series starts at Daytona, posting two top 10s and an average finish of 20.9. JR Motorsports will be welcoming a whole new cast of drivers. Elliott Sadler will now be in the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Returning to the series this season is Justin Allgaier in the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Sadler has made 13 series starts at Daytona, posting four top fives, six top 10s and an average finish of 15.3. Sadler finished second in the July race at Daytona last season. Allgaier, on the other hand, hasn’t driven an NASCAR XFINITY Series car since 2013, but when he did, he made 10 starts at Daytona, posting five top 10s. Sunoco Rookies to Watch In 2016 Everyone knows the awkward feeling of your first day of school. You don’t know your way around anywhere, and you don’t know very many people, but the excitement of the next stage in your life gets you through it. Many of the 2016 Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates will likely feel like that this weekend as they embark on their first season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. As of this week, there are four drivers entered as Sunoco Rookies for 2016: Brandon Jones (Richard Childress Racing), Brennan Poole (Chip Ganassi Racing), Ryan Preece (JD Motorsports) and Erik Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing). Brandon Jones is from Atlanta, Georgia and turns 19 on Thursday, Feb. 18. He has one top five and two top 10s in five career XFINITY Series starts. Poole, from The Woodlands, Texas is 24 years old. Poole made 17 XFINITY Series starts last season, logging two top 10s. Preece is a graduate of the NASCAR Next program. He hails from Berlin, Connecticut is 25 years old. Preece mad three XFINITY Series starts from 2013-14. Erik Jones, 19, calls Byron, Michigan home. The NASCAR Next alum has made 26 starts over the last two seasons, posting two wins (Texas and Chicago), 13 top fives, 20 top 10s and average finish of 8.9. Stacked Trucks Field Forecasts Ultra-Competitive Season Seven returning full-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers accounted for 14 wins in 23 of the circuit’s races last season – Matt Crafton (6), Tyler Reddick (2), Timothy Peters (2), Cole Custer, John Wes Townley, Christopher Bell and John Hunter Nemechek. Custer, Bell and Nemechek hope to visit Victory Lane even more in their first full-time seasons this year. Adding to the competition are returning full-timers Cameron Hayley, Daniel Hemric, Ben Kennedy and Johnny Sauter, as well as up-and-comers Rico Abreu, William Byron and Ben Rhodes. The Truck Series will showcase much of NASCAR’s top young talent with seven NASCAR Next members/alumni running full-time schedules – Custer, Byron, Kennedy, Hayley, Rhodes, Abreu and Nemechek. “Killer Bs” Lead Kyle Busch Motorsports In 2016 The “Killer Bs,” 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion William Byron, 18, and 2015 Eldora Speedway Mud Summer Classic winner Christopher Bell, 21, launch their first full-time NASCAR national series seasons in Friday’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on FS1). The two youngsters will attempt to bring Kyle Busch Motorsports its third consecutive NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner’s title and second straight driver’s championship. Bell made seven series starts for KBM last year, registering one win, two top fives, three top 10s and an average finish of 11.9. Byron wrecked out of his lone NCWTS start on the sixth lap last season, finishing 31st at Phoneix. In 14 NKNPSE starts, Byron registered four wins, five top fives and 11 top 10s. Brad Keselowski Racing Eyes First Driver Championship Tyler Reddick produced a breakout season in 2015, finishing second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final standings on the strength of two wins, 14 top fives and 19 top 10s in 23 starts. The 20-year-old Californian will take another shot at capturing Brad Keselowski Racing its first NCWTS championship this season beginning in Friday’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Reddick is the defending race winner and owns three top-five finishes in four career starts at restrictor-plate tracks. Daniel Hemric will also attempt to capture a championship for BKR. He finished seventh in the final NCWTS standings last season, competing for now-defunct NTS Motorsports. In 26 career NCWTS starts, Hemric has four top fives and 13 top 10s. His BKR equipment is by far the best he’s raced in at the NASCAR national series level. Next Meets Best: ThorSport Boasts Former Series Champ And Three NASCAR Next Members/Alumni ThorSport Racing employs the odds-on favorite to win this season’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship – Matt Crafton. Although he came up short of his third consecutive NCWTS title last season, Crafton won a career-best six races and four poles, which powered him to a third-place finish in the final standings. Joining Crafton at ThorSport are NASCAR Next alumni Cameron Hayley and Ben Rhodes, and current NASCAR Next member Rico Abreu. Hayley ran a full schedule for ThorSport in 2015, placing sixth in the final NCWTS standings on the strength of four top fives and 13 top 10s. Rhodes, the 2014 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion, claims one top five and three top 10s in four career truck series starts. He primarily raced in the NASCAR XFINITY Series last season, logging two top-10 finishes in 10 starts piloting the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Abreu, who has won the last two Chilli Bowl Nationals sprint car competitions, raced stock cars for the first time last year in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He logged one win, four top fives and eight top 10s in 14 starts. Abreu ran the last two NCWTS races of the season, posting a high finish of 13th at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Young King Cole Embarks On First Full-Time Season Cole Custer – the youngest NASCAR national series race and pole winner – finally gets to showcase his talents over a full season. The 18-year-old Californian will run a full schedule in the No. 00 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, beginning with Friday’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway. In 19 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, Custer owns two wins, four top fives, four top 10s and three poles. For the past two years, he has been a member NASCAR Next, an industry-wide initiative that showcases and develops the sport’s future stars. Family Affair At Daytona For The Nemecheks John Hunter Nemechek will be running a truck at Daytona for the first time. The younger Nemechek finished 11th in his lone restrictor-plate race at Talladega in 2015. John Hunter established himself as one of NASCAR’s top prospects by producing one win, nine top fives and 10 top 10s in 18 NCWTS starts last season. He finished the year strong, registering three runner-ups in the final four races. His father, Joe, will be running Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona . Red Horse Racing Hopes To Carry Late Season Success Into 2016 If drivers Timothy Peters and Ben Kennedy can carry their late-season performance from last year into 2016, Red Horse Racing will be a force to be reckoned with. Peters finished sixth or better in the final eight races of 2015 and posted two wins (Talladega, Phoenix) over that stretch. Kennedy, the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year, finished fourth in the season-finale at Homestead to cap off a late season run of three finishes of fourth or better in the final nine races. Red Horse Racing owner Tom DeLoach has logged 15 wins over the course of 11 seasons fielding a truck. Sauter Leads GMS Racing In 2016 One of the most notable off-track headlines of the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season was Johnny Sauter’s decision to leave ThorSport Racing for GMS Racing. The 37-year-old Wisconsin native now leads the GMS organization, which also features full-time drivers Spencer Gallagher and Grant Enfinger. A 15-year NASCAR veteran, Sauter owns 10 NCWTS victories, 63 top fives and 102 top 10s in 175 starts. He has placed fourth in the final NCWTS standings the last three seasons. Gallagher placed 10th in the final NCWTS standings last season, producing one top five and six top 10s in 23 starts for GMS. Also joining GMS is Grant Enfinger, who made six Truck Series starts from 2010-12. Enfinger has competed primarily in ARCA the last two seasons, winning six races in each campaign. GMS earned its first-ever NCWTS victory last season behind the efforts of Austin Dillon in the series’ 500th race (New Hampshire). NASCAR Implements Caution Clock For Camping World Truck Series Debuting in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season is The Caution Clock. The Caution Clock will be utilized in each NCWTS event except for the one held at Eldora Speedway. The clock will be set to 20 minutes and triggered at the start of each green-flag run during race events. When the clock counts down to zero, a caution flag then will be displayed and no beneficiary will be awarded. A caution occurring before time expires resets the clock when the subsequent green flag is displayed and the first truck a lap down will be the beneficiary. The Caution Clock will be turned off with 20 laps to go at all events in the series, with the exception of the races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Pocono Raceway, where the clock will be turned off with 10 laps remaining. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will have its own Chase format beginning this season. The NCWTS Chase, beginning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 24 will feature eight drivers and two eliminations rounds with four drivers competing in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. A win in the first 16 races all but guarantees a driver entry into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase, provided that the driver is in the Top 30 in points and has attempted to qualify for each race. The first round, called the Round of 8, consists of the races at New Hampshire, Las Vegas, and Talladega. All drivers will have their points adjusted to 2,000, with three additional bonus points added to their total for each win in the first 16 races. If a driver wins a race in the Round of 8, the driver automatically advances to the next roun. The remaining available positions (1-6) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points. Each driver who advances to the Round of 6 (Martinsville, Texas, Phoenix) then will have their points reset to 3,000. Drivers who win a race in the Round of 6 automatically advance to the Championship 4. The remaining available positions (1-4) that have not been filled by wins will be filled on points. The four drivers who advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead will have their points reset to 4,000. The highest finishing Championship 4 driver will win the championship. All rules outlined above also apply to both series’ owner championship structure. Daytona Truck Race Has International Flavor Friday’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway will feature a handful of international competitors. France native Michel Disdier will pilot the No. 07 for SS-Green Light Racing. Mexican driver/owner Carlos Contreras (No. 71 BellatorMMA Chevrolet and Mexican Daniel Suárez are also set to race. Hattori Racing Enterprises owner Shigeaki Hattori of Japan, will field the No. 81 Toyota for Ryan Truex. source – NASCAR communications
