ROAR!, 2018, Daytona in February, Rearview

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PRESENTED BY THE BFGOODRICH® RUGGED TERRAIN T/A® TIRE

A DREAM FOR AUSTIN DILLON One of NASCAR’s up-and-coming stars drives the iconic No. 3 to victory in the Daytona 500

Bubba’s Emotions i Blaney’s Promise i NASCAR Photos Dale Jr.’s Role I Aric Almirola’s Class I Dillon Crossed a Line

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nascar defined

THE ACE IN THE HOLE. Austin Dillon won NASCAR’s most prestigious race, driving the No. 3 to victory lane 20 years after Dale Earnhardt Sr. captured his lone Daytona 500 title in the same car. Dillon drives for grandfather Richard Childress, who was the team owner for Earnhardt during six of his record-tying seven Cup Series championships. GETTY IMAGES

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5 lessons learned

Bubba Wallace Wears His Emotions On His Sleeve By jared turner

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fter finishing second in his first Daytona 500, Darrell Wallace Jr. was overcome with emotion during his post-race press conference, where the sobbing Richard Petty Motorsports driver talked about how much it meant to have his family’s support. Wallace, the first AfricanAmerican driver to compete full time in NASCAR’s premier series since Wendell Scott in the early ‘70s, endured a major setback in 2017 when his full-time Xfinity Series team at Roush Fenway Racing shuttered operations in the middle of the season. Stranded without a ride, Wallace won in a cameo Truck Series outing at Michigan and was tapped by Richard Petty Motorsports to fill in for injured Aric Almirola in four Monster Energy Series races. Thanks in large part to Wallace’s solid effort as a sub, RPM named him the team’s full-time driver for 2018 after it was announced that Almirola was leaving for Stewart-Haas Racing. daytona 500 rearview: february 19, 2018

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5 lessons learned

Ryan Blaney Had The Car To Beat In The 500

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yan Blaney finished seventh in the Daytona 500, but the result was no true indicator of his performance. Making his first start as a full-time Monster Energy Series driver with Team Penske, Blaney led a race-high 188 of 207 laps and looked to be headed for possible victory when the caution flag waved for a multi-car wreck triggered when he bumped Kurt Busch with just under 10 laps to go. Blaney, who had to check up when Busch spun, lost several positions and never got back to the front. Still, it was a terrific outing for Blaney, a third-generation driver who is being hailed as one of the sport’s brightest and most talent young stars. “It stinks,” Blaney said of his finish. “We led a lot of laps. It just wasn’t meant to be. But it was a good showing.” daytona 500 rearview: february 19, 2018

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5 lessons learned

Drivers Are Willing To Risk Wrecking For Stage Points

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id you see the chaos that erupted on the final lap of the first Daytona 500 stage? With everyone jockeying for position in hopes of earning stage points – not to mention the playoff point that comes with winning a stage – carnage ensued in the form of a multi-car wreck before everyone could get back to the start-finish line. Caught up in the mess were the cars of Jimmie Johnson, William Byron, Ty Dillon, Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez. “It’s just too early for those types of aggressive moves,” four-time Monster Energy Series champion and three-time Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon said from the FOX Sports broadcast booth. “I know stage points are important, but the Daytona 500 is the most important.” Fellow announcer Darrell Waltrip echoed Gordon’s sentiment. “What’s wrong with these people?” said Waltrip, a three-time premier series champion and former Daytona 500 winner. “Can they think big picture?” daytona 500 rearview: february 19, 2018

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5 lessons learned

Dale Jr. Isn’t Going To Just Hang In The Background

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xtremely active on Twitter and highly visible throughout Daytona Speedweeks was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who hung up his driving helmet at the end of 2017 but remains one of the sport’s most beloved figures. Earnhardt, NASCAR’s most popular driver in each of the past 15 seasons, went to Victory Lane as the winning team owner in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, gave a highly impassioned Command to Start The Engines for the Daytona 500, and sat atop his former team’s pit box for most of The Great American Race. Of course, Daytona Speedweeks is hardly the only time Earnhardt is going to be around the track this season. Come July 1, when NBC kicks off its race coverage for the season’s second half, he’ll be in the broadcast booth every weekend through the season finale at Homestead. The bottom line?

Just because Junior isn’t racing, it doesn’t mean he’s going away. daytona 500 rearview: february 19, 2018

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5 lessons learned

Aric Almirola Is a Class Act

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ooking for grace in the face of adversity? Look no further than Aric Almirola, who suffered a painful defeat in the Daytona 500.

Leading with just half a lap to go, Almirola’s No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford broke loose and slammed the wall at the entrance to Turn 3 after a bump from Austin Dillon, who then went on to win the race.

Afterward, instead of taking issue with Dillon’s aggressive driving, an admittedly “devastated” Almirola took the high road and chose not to cast stones at the driver of the No. 3 car. “He’s not driving too aggressively; he’s trying to win the Daytona 500 just like I was,” Almirola said. “I saw him come with the momentum and I pulled up to block and did exactly what I needed to do to try to win the Daytona 500. I wasn’t gonna just let him have it.” daytona 500 rearview: february 19, 2018

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I’M JUST SAYIN’ Austin Dillon’s move to pass Aric Almirola on the final lap was too risky. GETTY IMAGES

Austin Dillon’s Move On Aric Almirola Crossed The Line

By Jared Turner

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pinions varied greatly after Sunday’s Daytona 500 about whether race winner Austin Dillon was justified in knocking race leader Aric Almirola out of the way and into the wall on the final lap. One school of thought suggests that Dillon simply did what he had to do to win the sport’s biggest race, and that virtually any other driver would have done the same thing if put in a similar position. Others, especially fans on social media, took extreme umbrage with Dillon’s tactic, which thankfully

didn’t result in Almirola suffering injury to anything but his car.

Speaking moments after the race, Dillon was unapologetic about his controversial move, while Almirola refused to even remotely criticize the race winner. So, was Dillon really OK to dump Almirola if it meant the difference between winning and losing? Sure, maybe if they had been racing at Bristol or, better yet, Martinsville. But at Daytona – where endof-straightaway speeds are often in excess of 200 mph – it’s completely asinine for any driver to think it’s acceptable to wreck another competitor. What if, let’s say, Almirola had been seriously injured or even killed in the wreck?

Thankfully, neither happened, but who’s to say that a similar scenario in the future couldn’t result in a far worse outcome?

Heck, if anyone should be cognizant of this, it’s Dillon – whose victory in the iconic No. 3 car came 17 years to the day that Dale Earnhardt, the driver who made the No. 3 famous, perished in a last-lap crash on this same track. It’s time for NASCAR to institute a zero tolerance policy for one driver wrecking another driver at such a high rate of speed, because the risk of inflicting death or injury on a competitor should always outweigh the potential reward of winning a race – including the Daytona 500.

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2018 nascar series standings monster energy nascar cup series no. driver

1 Austin Dillon 2 Darrell Wallace Jr. 3 Denny Hamlin 4 Joey Logano 5 Chris Buescher 6 Paul Menard 7 Ryan Blaney 8 Ryan Newman 9 Michael McDowell 10 AJ Allmendinger 11 Aric Almirola 12 Trevor Bayne 13 Clint Bowyer 14 Jamie McMurray 15 Alex Bowman 16 Martin Truex Jr. 17 Kyle Larson

18 Gray Gaulding 19 Jeffrey Earnhardt 20 Mark Thompson 21 William Byron 22 D.J. Kennington 23 Kyle Busch

24 Kurt Busch

25 Matt DiBenedetto 26 Brendan Gaughan 27 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 28 David Ragan 29 Kevin Harvick 30 Brad Keselowski 31 Chase Elliott 32 Kasey Kahne 33 Danica Patrick 34 Erik Jones 35 Daniel Suarez 36 Jimmie Johnson 37 Ty Dillon 38 Corey LaJoie

pts.

40 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 1 1 1

nascar xfinity series no. driver

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Tyler Reddick Elliott Sadler Spencer Gallagher Ryan Truex

Ryan Reed

Kaz Grala Garrett Smithley Ross Chastain Brandon Jones Jeff Green

Caesar Bacarella Cole Custer

Stephen Leicht Jeremy Clements David Starr

J.J. Yeley Matt Tifft Daniel Hemric Vinnie Miller Ryan Sieg Josh Williams Justin Allgaier Alex Labbe

Spencer Boyd Dylan Lupton Chad Finchum Ryan Ellis Michael Annett Joey Gase Brandon Brown Christopher Bell Austin Cindric

pts.

50 41 39 35 34 33 32 28 27 26 24 24 22 21 20 19 18 18 17 16 15 15 13 12 10 9 7 5 4 1 1 1

nascar camping world truck series no. driver

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Johnny Sauter Justin Haley

Grant Enfinger Dalton Sargeant Joe Nemechek David Gilliland Ben Rhodes

Spencer Davis Jordan Anderson Cody Coughlin Justin Fontaine Matt Crafton Austin Hill Wendell Chavous Norm Benning Korbin Forrister Robby Lyons Scott Stenzel Clay Greenfield Bryan Dauzat Stewart Friesen Austin Self

Myatt Snider Noah Gragson Parker Kligerman Brett Moffitt Chris Fontaine Bo Le Mastus Jennifer Cobb Travis Kvapil

pts.

59 40 37 37 34 34 33 31 28 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 19 19 17 17 16 13 11 8 7 6 5

ORANGE BLOCKED OUT AREAs SHOW EACH of nascar SERIES TOP CONTENDERS

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nascar defined

LIVING THE LEGACY. Austin Dillon drove the iconic car number made famous by Dale Earnhardt to the win 17 years to the day the Hall of Famer was killed in an accident on the final lap of the Daytona 500. The win also comes during the 20th anniversary celebration of Earnhardt’s only victory in “The Great American Race.”

GETTY IMAGES

CRASH COURSE. Austin Dillon took the checkered flag in overtime when race leader Aric Almirola crashed after being pushed by Dillon while taking the white flag. The final lap was the only one Dillon led the entire race. GETTY IMAGES

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nascar defined

ONLY THE START. “I did what I had to do at the end; I hated for the 10 (Almirola’s Stewart-Haas Racing) guys,” Dillon said immediately after performing a series of burnouts. “It’s so awesome to take the 3 car back to victory lane 20 years after Earnhardt did it. “This is for Dale Sr. and all those Earnhardt fans. We’re going to keep kicking butt the rest of the year.” GETTY IMAGES

A FAILURE TO REPEAT. Defending Daytona 500 champion Kurt Busch tried to pass race leader Hamlin with two laps to go but contact from behind by Ryan Blaney turned Busch, leading to a huge multi-car crash. Alex Bowman, Brendan Gaughan, Matt DiBenedetto and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were also invovled. The race then headed to overtime with Hamlin and Aric Almirola on the front row. GETTY IMAGES

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nascar defined

GLITZ AND GLAMOUR. Danica Patrick looked to be fully focused on the task at hand as she was introduced for the final NASCAR race of her career and the first half of the “Danica Double.” She is expected to get a ride in the Indianapolis 500 in May. Patrick was dressed in her familiar green Go-Daddy driving suit and tweeted “Ready to go!!!!!!” a few hours before the race at Daytona International Speedway. GETTY IMAGES

START TO FINISH. Tyler Reddick celebrated with the trophy after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series PowerShares QQQ 300 along with JR Motorsports team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt, the most popular driver in NASCAR for the last 15 years, was the grand marshal, and gave the order, “Drivers, start your engines.” GETTY IMAGES

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nascar defined

THE TRUCK STOPS HERE. Johnny Sauter kicked off the 2018 Camping World Truck Series season with this third win in the season opener. Sauter powered to the lead with eight of 100 laps remaining and fended off several challengers to claim the victory in the NextEra 250 at Daytona International Speedway. GETTY IMAGES

THE REPLACEMENTS. Alex Bowman’s debut as the new driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet got off to a strong start when he won the pole for the Daytona 500. It was a record-tying fourth consecutive year a Hendrick car won the Daytona 500 pole. GETTY IMAGES

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nascar defined

THE CHALK. Brad Keselowski entered the The 60th Daytona 500 with the best odds to take the checkered flag. He finished 32nd. GETTY IMAGES

THIS IS A FAMILY AFFAIR. Jimmie Johnson stood on the grid with his daughter, Lydia, prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona. GETTY IMAGES

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nascar defined

THE FIRST FLYOVER. The Thunderbirds performed a flyover prior to the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona. GETTY IMAGES

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trackside sampling contest winners

trackside sampling. Live from daytona!

By dan guttenplan

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ASCAR Pole Position and ROAR! hosted a sampling tent before the Daytona 500, and more than 5,000 fans visited to learn more about the products offered by ROAR!’s partners. ROAR! provided fans with the opportunities to win more than 40 give-aways, including two Duromax Generators.

Other prizes included Glacier Coolers, Raneri’s Gourmet Sauce, Drymate RPM Oil Spill Mats, Hangover Joe’s Hangover Recovery Shots, Wholesale Car Covers, and a NASCAR Pole Position Cooler. The sampling tent was open for NASCAR fans for two days, and provided many enjoyable moments. daytona 500 rearview: february 19, 2018

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trackside sampling contest winners

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trackside sampling contest winners

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trackside sampling contest winners

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For more information, visit turkeyrun.com or call 386-255-7355. daytona 500 rearview: february 19, 2018

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D ayton a I nte r n ation a l S p e e dway This aerial panorama of Daytona International Speedway® was taken by James Blakeway and features a twilight view during a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ race. The 480-acre motorsports complex, which opened in 1959, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe, featuring everything from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to go-karts and superbikes. The Speedway is also home to “The Great American Race ®,” the DAYTONA 500®. The 2.5-mile long tri-oval track features 31-degree banked turns and a huge infield area, where campers can be seen enjoying the many events. Featured in the infield is Lake Lloyd, where water skiers can be seen carving up the water under the Florida sun on race days.

D ayton a I nte r n ation a l S p e e dway This aerial panorama, photographed by James Blakeway, captures the kickoff of the NASCAR® season and the most famous event of the year, the DAYTONA 500® - the “The Great American Race®.” It also includes the historic three year, $400 million renovation that completely revamped NASCAR’s flagship track. The redevelopment of the facility included wider, more comfortable seats, upgraded amenities such as plentiful concessions and restrooms and massive technological upgrades with over 1,400 televisions screens and free Wi-Fi. In addition, the Speedway now features over 60 luxury suites with track side views and a completely revamped hospitality experience for corporate guests.

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spotlight presented by

The Oliva family tobacco business started in Cuba in 1886. Courtesy Photo

OLIVA MEANS QUALITY

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hat began as a tobacco growing business in Cuba over 130 years ago, today has evolved into one of the world’s best cigar manufacturers. Melanio Oliva began growing tobacco in the fertile Pinar del Rio of Cuba in 1886.

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By 2005, Oliva was being honored by Cigar Aficionado in its top 10 cigars of the year with the Oliva Serie O Classic scoring a 91. The following year, the Oliva Serie G Cameroon made the list of best cigars of the year with a 91. That same year,

Oliva released its Serie V to great acclaim and in 2007 it was rated 4th best cigar with a 93 rating.

Oliva cigars continually ranks as one of the best cigars of the year. In 2012, the family released a new Serie V the Melanio edition to honor the man who started it all. Two years later in 2014, the Serie V Melanio would be named the Cigar of the Year with a 96 rating! Near perfection. Just this year, the Serie V rated a 95 and

was the number 3 cigar of the year for 2017.

In addition, to the highly rated Serie cigars, Oliva also makes the Nub, which also makes the year’s best cigar list. In fact, Oliva cigars have remained on Cigar Aficionado’s top 25 cigars of the year for 12 years straight.

On top of that, Oliva believes in keeping prices in check.

The company’s cigars start at under $4 and go up to about $15. The highly rated Serie V belicoso is just over $8.00 depending on local taxes.

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on the road presented by

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spoltight presented by

TM

“What I love about racing is being able to push the limits of the impossible to the edge, and nudge it.”

– Dr. Jason Cormier, Motorsports Safety Group

Motorsports safety group makes racing safer

By Dan Guttenplan

A

cknowledged as one of the country’s leading neurosurgeons, Dr. Jason Cormier has helped MSG provide a comprehensive, grassroots marketing campaign focused on preventative health care education and wellness

training.

With an emphasis to educate and engage race fans in their growing role as health care consumers, the objective is to influence behavioral changes and to provide racing’s brandloyal audience with the medical knowledge to make informed, preventative decisions that directly affect the wellness of their families.

Dr. Cormier is particularly qualified to speak to the relationship between racing and safety since he races

shifter karts professionally.

He’s been interested in the sport for as long as he can remember.

“With any racer, it probably starts outside the car,” Cormier said. “I can recall doing things as silly as racing to see who gets to the door first. I was racing on lawn mowers with my brothers at the age of 6.”

Cormier now races go-karts at top speeds of up to 130 mph. He has established relationships with multiple racing organizations, such as ARCA, NASCAR, Formula One, USAC and NHRA. “What I love about racing is being able to push the limits of the impossible to the edge, and nudge it,” Cormier said.

“There’s an adrenaline rush that comes with it that is indescribable. Racers will say it’s the body and soul’s way of breathing, but being able to push that machine and your

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spoltight skill set to the limit engages an unbridled adrenalin rush more than anything.”

As an internationally recognized brain surgeon, Cormier has been able to engage companies to establish new technologies to diagnose and rehabilitate head injuries. He is now augmenting his current efforts on prevention.

“Motorsports Safety Group is excited that we’ve come this far in such a short time,” Cormier said. “We owe a great deal to both the drivers and the racing organizations for embracing our insight.”

Cormier has found that his racing background gives him more credibility when talking with race teams.

“I am able speak to and understand the lingo – whether it’s regarding G forces, drafting, tire grading, steering pull, tire/ shocks ratios, etc.,” Cormier explained, “and on the other side, implications and educating from a medical

prevention and intervention standpoint.

“I’m not just a doctor who comes in saying, ‘We’re trying to get you out of this car,’” Cormier said. “My approach is to try to prepare them appropriately so they can enjoy the sport longer and walk away from the sport with their faculties, to better enjoy retirement and most importantly, to remember it!.”

Through Cormier’s work with race car drivers, he has found that very few have the desire to alter their racing styles, so preventative measures are best taken before the racing begins.

“It would be difficult to say to someone, ‘You’re pushing the limits a bit too much,’” Cormier said. “The racerathletes will continue to defy the odds and challenge the physics of what they believe should happen. To stymie that progression and excitement they bring to themselves and the

public, it would render them unrecognizable to both the public and to themselves.

“My role is to educate them as to how they can be safer and MSG is excited about the technology that we hope will help prevent or reduce concussions, and so far there are very promising results that will help mitigate those causational vectors of force.”

For the specifics on that new technology, race fans will have to stay tuned.

“Our team has put real thought into who we’ve engaged and the racing organizations that we’ve engaged,” Cormier said.

“We hope to introduce new technology in 2018 with a plan to build 300 to 400 percent of what we did in 2017. There are many more exciting things to come.

We thank all of you for embracing our insight and we encourage you to follow us on social media and speak to us when you see us on the track.”

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spotlight

Ricky Benton Racing/Black’s Tire and Service Auto and David Gilliland team up to seek prestigious Daytona 500 crown

By Joseph Wolkin

T

here are countless stories of unlikely heroes chasing dreams most consider impossible.

Winning the Daytona 500 is that dream for anyone who has been involved as a driver or owner of a stock car. That includes Ricky Benton.

But unlike most, Benton and

his Ricky Benton Racing (RBR) team has the opportunity to chase that dream in this year’s 60th running of the “Great American Race.” Racing out of a small shop in Cerro Gordo, N.C. (population 199), Benton has teamed up with NASCAR veteran David Gilliland for a start in this year’s Monster

Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) Daytona 500.

RBR and Black’s Tire and Auto Service (the company Benton owns) are no strangers to racing. Since 1990, the team and its owner have passionately chased checkered flags across the country in latemodel stock cars, ARCA and the Hooter’s Pro Cup series.

RBR won a NASCAR Winston Racing Series Mid-Atlantic championship in 1997 and a Pro Cup championship in 2002.

For the last eight seasons, with no more than three or four fulltime team members, RBR has competed against the regular and established teams of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (CWTS).

Benton is looking to leverage the success his team has had in the CWTS at the “World Center of Racing” into this

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spotlight

Daytona 500 effort. The team has two third-place and two sixth-place finishes (one of those with Gilliland in 2015) in six truck starts at Daytona.

For his part, Gilliland has one pole and a third-place finish at Daytona and a MENCS careerhigh second at NASCAR’s other restrictor-place track, Talladega.

Despite the odds, Benton, Gilliland and crew chief Mike Hester are optimistic about having a strong run in the No. 92 Black’s Tire and Auto Service/Carquest Ford.

“It’s a very exciting race,

and it’s like no other for sure,” said Gilliland, who has not raced full-time in MENCS since 2015. “There is nothing else like it. When you’re in the Daytona 500, you look up in the stands and see all of the people and the atmosphere.

It’s super exciting. We’ve taken the last two years off to grow our company here at David Gilliland Racing [DGR] and to work with my son Todd’s budding NASCAR career.

“To get back behind the wheel is something I’m really looking forward to.”

With Gilliland’s

superspeedway experience, Benton is enthusiastic about his team’s ability to shock some people in the 500.

“It’s kind of big when you have a bucket list, and you just want to take a chance to see how we can do,” Benton said.

“There is no denying that we are an underdog when you look at the teams we are up against, but the draft is the great equalizer, and David has proven he is a great plate racer.”

“We have two really good cars that are going to be racy in the draft,” said Hester. “The guys have worked night and day for the last few months to get these cars ready to come down here and compete, and we are getting awesome power from our Roush-Yates engine package.

“Everyone will know we were here when it is all said and done on Sunday.”

Currently, RBR has only three full-time employees, and the organization will be bringing 11 crewmembers

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spotlight to Daytona. While there was brief discussion of competing in both the Cup and CWTS NextEra Energy Resources 250, Benton opted to skip Friday’s truck race to focus on qualifying for the Great American Race.

“Some might say this is foolish, like fighting at windmills [racing in MENCS],” Benton said. “But fortune favors the bold. That’s something I learned from my mentor and former Black’s Tire owner W. Crowell Black, who formed Black’s Tire in 1929.”

Since taking the reins of the company from Black, Benton, his wife Dianne, their family and the entire team at the company, Black’s Tire and Auto Service has grown from a single store in Whiteville, N.C. to nearly 50 – plus a wholesale business, Black’s Tire Service (BTS, which has served as the primary sponsor for many of RBR’s truck events) and a tire retread operation, Carolina Retreads. In total, the Black’s

Tire companies employs nearly 800 people.

Building the company is not the only part of Crowell Black’s legacy the Bentons have continued. Black was an advocate of supporting community organizations working to improve the lives of people in Southeastern North Carolina and the South Carolina upstate. Black began service to the organization now known as the Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina

(BGHNC) in the early 1950s.

The organization’s mission was to provide a safe place for children displaced by the loss of parents or other issues.

The Bentons picked up his mantle in support of the BGHNC. Since 2002, they have spearheaded efforts to raise money for the homes through a growing golf tournament.

With their time and financial resources, they have raised more than $1 million for the BGHNC.

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spotlight When RBR’s crew and Gilliland came together at Daytona, they were backed by the hundreds of BTS team members (an important distinction for Benton, who never uses the word “employee” to refer to those who work for Black’s) and their families, their business partners including Carquest, Valvoline Goodyear, BB&T, Highland Construction, and the support of the numerous other business partners who Benton considers part of the Black’s Tire “family.”

“We have a great group of supporters,” Benton said. “It is the hard work of people within our company and our amazing business partners that make this possible.

Racing in the Daytona 500 is the pinnacle of our sport, and we wouldn’t be in the 60th running with them. It truly is an unbelievable feeling knowing we will go down in history as having run the Great American Race at Daytona.”

Benton and Gilliland have no illusions about the challenge their underdog group faces against the NASCAR’s largest and most well-funded teams. But they know that once the green flag drops, anything can happen.

“It’s one hell of an opportunity for us to go out and show the world that the little guy still have a place in NASCAR,” Benton said. “We are

doing this for all those Friday and Saturday night racers who have dreams of making it to the top, because that’s what we are at heart.”

For more information visit www.blackstire.com, https:// www.davidgillilandracing. com, http://www.boysandgirlshomes.org, or https://www. facebook.com/rickybentonracing.

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seal the deal

Kurt Busch led exactly one lap at the 2017 Daytona 500 – the last one.

GETTY IMAGES

Never Give Up Busch Beat Adversity to Win at Daytona

By Ben White

T

he 2017 Daytona 500 was typical in nature with close door-to-door racing and tight packs of cars battling for position. In the end, Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, emerged unscathed and collected his first-career victory in NASCAR’s most prestigious event and 29th of his career.

The Las Vegas native sealed the deal by being out front for only the final lap to log the 37th lead change of the 200-lap race. He avoided trouble that brought out six caution periods

covering 40 laps and was out front when the checkered flag fell.

Experience taught him to expect anything; he overcame his share of problems in the closing laps.

“My mirror fell off with 30 laps to go and I couldn’t even see out the back,” Busch said that day. “I thought that was an omen. Throw caution to the wind. Then I almost forgot to drive the line I was supposed to drive because I was shutting off all my switches, going to reserve fuel and saying a Hail Mary.

“There is nothing predictable about this race anymore. The more years that had gone by that I didn’t win, I kept trying to go back to patterns that I had seen in the past. It all turned out. Here we are in Victory Lane. I can’t believe it.”

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spotlight presented by

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spotlight the cost of a KFC family meal? Well there is, with K-Seal Multi-Purpose Permanent Coolant Leak Repair. Made in the USA, K-Seal is a global bestselling cooling system leak sealer with over 6 million bottles sold. It’s a favorite with professional technicians and here’s what a few of them had to say about it recently: “It’s like magic. If it was the 17th century those who make it would be burned at the stake.”

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spotlight presented by

Work Hard, Play Hard Drivers Focus on Strength and Conditioning

T

o have power on the race track, it’s a good idea for NASCAR drivers to engage in some powerful strength-and-conditioning efforts. Success on the track and dedication to physical fitness seem to go hand in hand. Here’s what seventime Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie

Johnson and five other drivers do to stay in shape: JIMMIE JOHNSON: Good luck finding a driver more committed to physical fitness and power activities than Johnson. An avid cyclist, runner and swimmer, Johnson has competed in numerous half marathons and triathlons, including a Half Iron Man where he placed 15th overall. Johnson is also an avid snow skier.

“I’ve always had a focus on

endurance-based workouts, but maybe been a little more strength focused the last few years,” he said. “Staying active is key and very, very important. It takes time and commitment to get it all done, but it’s been great for me. I think it’s very important for my profession, and certainly to add longevity and stay healthy long term.”

TY DILLON: Last season, Dillon entered a combined 66 races among NASCAR’s three major series. On 27 weekends, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie pulled double duty by also running the Xfinity Series race. That’s a busy schedule, to be certain, and one not survived without some powerful conditioning.

“I work out pretty hard in the offseason and do a lot of mountain biking to try and keep up my conditioning,” Dillon said. “The biggest thing [with doing double duty at a place like Bristol]

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spotlight is to come in properly hydrated and prepare to be in the car for almost three days, all day long.”

DENNY HAMLIN: Hamlin dropped close to 40 pounds between his rookie Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season of 2006 and 2010. He’s since managed to keep the weight off. Hamlin’s secret? Pilates.

“I spend a lot of time doing Pilates – twice a week at least. I’ll go to the Pilates studio and do an hour or so there – and then strength training in between,” Hamlin said. “Usually, if I’m at home during the week, I’ll go the gym. I never really miss a day. Never take any rest days off other than when I’m on the race track on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”

AUSTIN DILLON: When Dillon joined the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2014, the young driver stepped up

his fitness regimen since Monster Energy Series races are considerably longer than the races he’d entered at NASCAR’s lower levels. The decision proved wise.

“If I did anything better, it was just eating right leading up to the race and getting stronger all around,” Dillon noted. “I have done cardio stuff, but I think strength is one of the biggest things. And I lift weights now quite a bit, but it’s just a combination of the two of them that allows your body to withstand a long race.”

KASEY KAHNE: “Early in the season I seem to work out a good bit more than the last half of the season or the middle part of the year when it’s the hottest outside,” Kahne explained. “After a long Sunday race on a 95-degree day, I’m pretty dehydrated, so I would say I back it down a little bit in the mid-part of the

summer. Other than that, I’ll work out five or six times a week. I maybe run one mile, do 50 push-ups, sit-ups, pullups, squats or something like that. And then run another mile and do three to four sets of that.”

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2018 schedule results

monster energy nascar cup series date location

2/18/18 2/25/18 3/4/18 3/11/18 3/18/18 3/25/18 4/8/18 4/15/18 4/21/18 4/29/18 5/6/18 5/12/18 5/19/18 5/27/18 6/3/18 6/10/18 6/24/18 7/1/18 7/7/18 7/14/18 7/22/18 7/29/18 8/5/18 8/12/18 8/18/18 9/2/18 6/6/18 9/16/18 9/22/18 9/30/18 10/7/18 10/14/18 10/21/18 10/28/18 11/4/18 11/11/18 11/18/18

Daytona Atlanta Las Vegas phoenix Auto Club Martinsville Texas Bristol Richmond Talladega Dover Kansas Charlotte Charlotte Pocono Michigan Sonoma Chicagoland Daytona Kentucky New Hampshire Pocono Watkins Glen Michigan Bristol Darlington Indianapolis Las Vegas Richmond Charlotte Dover Talladega Kansas Martinsville Texas Motor phoenix Homestead-Miami

track

winner

DAYTONA 500 austin dillon FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500 PENNZOIL 400 TICKETGUARDIAN 500 AUTO CLUB 400 STP 500 O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 500 FOOD CITY 500 TOYOTA OWNERS 400 GEICO 500 AAA 400 DRIVE FOR AUTISM MENCS RACE AT KANSAS MENCS ALL-STAR RACE AT CHARLOTTE COCA-COLA 600 POCONO 400 FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400 TOYOTA/SAVE MART 350 MENCS RACE AT CHICAGOLAND COKE ZERO 400 QUAKER STATE 400 NEW HAMPSHIRE 301 GANDER OUTDOORS 400 GOBOWLING AT THE GLEN MENCS RACE AT MICHIGAN BASS PRO SHOPS NRA NIGHT RACE BOJANGLES’ SOUTHERN 500 BIG MACHINE BRICKYARD 400 SOUTH POINT 400 FEDERATED AUTO PARTS 400 BANK OF AMERICA 500 MENCS AT DOVER ALABAMA 500 HOLLYWOOD CASINO 400 FIRST DATA 500 AAA TEXAS 500 CAN-AM 500 FORD ECOBOOST 400

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The Kurt Busch, name, likeness and signature, are used under license from Kurt Busch, Inc. The Stewart-Haas Racing® logo and the #41 State Water Heaters race car are trademarks of Stewart-Haas Racing and are used under license. © State Industries, LLC.

SHR LOGO USAGE:

Logo to be used for print, digital, and embroidery.

When embroiderd, logo should measure 3.875” wide x 1.225” tall in most instances.

COLORS:

644 Blue (Maderia Thread 1360)

White

Black

State Water Heaters is a proud sponsor of NASCAR® Champions Kurt Busch and the Stewart-Haas Racing team.

S TAT E WAT E R H E AT E R S . C O M

2018 schedule results

xfinity series date location

2/17/18 2/24/18 3/3/18 3/10/18 3/17/18 4/14/18 4/20/18 4/28/18 5/5/18 5/26/18 6/2/18 6/9/18 6/16/18 6/30/18 7/6/18 7/13/18 7/21/18 7/28/18 8/4/18 8/11/18 8/17/18 8/25/18 9/1/18 9/8/18 9/15/18 9/21/18 9/29/18 10/6/18 10/20/18 10/28/18 11/3/18 11/10/18

Daytona Atlanta Las Vegas phoenix Auto Club Bristol Richmond Talladega Dover Charlotte Pocono Michigan Iowa Chicagoland Daytona Kentucky New Hampshire Iowa Watkins Glen Mid-Ohio Bristol Road America Darlington Indianapolis Las Vegas Richmond Charlotte Dover Kansas Martinsville Texas phoenix

track

winner

POWERSHARES QQQ 300 RINNAI 250 BOYD GAMING 300 DC SOLAR 200 XFINITY SERIES RACE AT AUTO CLUB FITZGERALD GLIDER KITS 300 TOYOTACARE 250 SPARKS ENERGY 300 ONEMAIN FINANCIAL 200 HISENSE 4K TV 300 POCONO GREEN 250 LTI PRINTING 250 AMERICAN ETHANOL E15 250 XFINITY SERIES RACE AT CHICAGOLAND COCA-COLA FIRECRACKER 250 ALSCO 300 LAKES REGION 200 U.S. CELLULAR 250 ZIPPO 200 MID-OHIO CHALLENGE FOOD CITY 300 JOHNSONVILLE 180 SPORTS CLIPS HAIRCUTS VFW 200 LILLY DIABETES 250 XFINITY SERIES RACE AT LAS VEGAS GO BOWLING 250 DRIVE FOR THE CURE 300 XFINITY SERIES RACE AT DOVER KANSAS LOTTERY 300 FIRST DATA 500 O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 300 TICKET GALAXY 200

tyler reddick

daytona 500 rearview: february 19, 2018

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2018 schedule results

nascar camping world truck series winner

date location

track

2/16/18 2/24/18 3/2/18 3/24/18 5/4/18 5/11/18 5/18/18 6/8/18 6/16/18 6/23/18 6/29/18 7/12/18 7/18/18 7/28/18 8/11/18 //15/18 8/26/18 9/14/18 10/13/18 10/27/18 11/2/18 11/9/18

NEXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES 250 johnny sauter ACTIVE PEST CONTROL 200 CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES RACE AT LAS VEGAS ALPHA ENERGY SOLUTIONS 250 CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES RACE AT DOVER CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES RACE AT KANSAS NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATION LOTTERY 200 RATTLESNAKE 400 IOWA 200 CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES RACE AT GATEWAY CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES RACE AT CHICAGOLAND CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES RACE AT KENTUCKY ELDORA DIRT DERBY GANDER OUTDOORS 150 CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES RACE AT MICHIGAN UNOH 200 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 250 CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES RACE AT LAS VEGAS FRED’S 250 POWERED BY COCA-COLA TEXAS ROADHOUSE 200 JAG METALS 350 LUCAS OIL 150

Daytona Atlanta Las Vegas Martinsville Dover Kansas Charlotte Texas Iowa Gateway Chicagoland Kentucky Eldora Pocono Michigan Bristol Canadian Las Vegas Talladega Martinsville Texas phoenix

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2018 schedule results

k&n pro series east Date Track

2/11/18 4/14/18 4/28/18 5/12/18 6/2/18 6/16/18 7/14/18 7/21/18 7/27/18 8/3/18 8/24/18 9/22/18 10/5/18

New Smyrna Bristol Langley South Boston Memphis New Jersey Thompson New Hampshire Iowa Watkins Glen Gateway New Hampshire Dover

Winner

Date Track

todd gilliland

3/15/18 5/5/18 5/19/18 6/9/18 6/23/18 6/30/18 7/15/18 7/27/18 8/11/18 8/24/18 9/13/18 9/29/18 10/13/18 10/27/18

whelen modified Date Track

3/17/18 4/8/18 4/29/18 6/2/18 6/13/18 6/23/18 7/7/18 7/20/18 7/21/18 8/3/18 8/8/18 8/15/18 9/1/18 9/8/18 9/22/18 9/30/18

Myrtle Beach Thompson Stafford Seekonk Thompson Langley Riverhead New Hampshire New Hampshire Stafford Thompson Bristol Oswego Riverhead New Hampshire Stafford

k&n pro series west

Winner

Winner

Kern County Raceway Park Tucson Speedway Orange Show Speedway Colorado National Speedway Sonoma Raceway Douglas County Speedway Spokane County Raceway Iowa Speedway Evergreen Speedway Gateway Motorsports Park Las Vegas Motor Speedway Meridian Speedway All American Speedway Kern County Raceway Park

pinty’s Date Track

5/20/18 6/16/18 6/30/18 7/14/18 7/25/18 7/28/18 8/12/18 8/18/18 8/26/18 9/8/18 9/22/18 9/29/18

Winner

Canadian Jukasa Autodrome Pinty’s toronto Wyant Edmonton Circuit Trois-Rivieres Antigonish, N.S. Canadian St. Eustache, Que. New Hampshire Hamilton, Ont.

daytona 500 rearview: february 19, 2018

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2018 schedules

whelen euro series Date Track

4/13/18 4/14/18 4/15/18 5/18/18 5/19/18 5/20/18 6/9/18 6/10/18 6/30/18 7/1/18 9/14/18 9/15/18 9/16/18 10/19/18 10/20/18 10/21/18

Winner

Valencia, Spain Valencia, Spain Valencia, Spain Franciacorta, Italy Franciacorta, Italy Franciacorta, Italy Brands Hatch, UK Brands Hatch, UK Tours, France Tours, France Hockenheim, Germany Hockenheim, Germany Hockenheim, Germany Zolder, Belgium Zolder, Belgium Zolder, Belgium

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mexico series Date Track

3/25/18 4/22/18 5/20/18 6/10/18 7/8/18 7/29/18 8/19/18 9/9/18 9/30/18 10/21/18 11/11/18 12/2/18

Winner

Autodromo Monterrey Super Ovalo Potosino El Dorado Speedway Triovalo Internacional de Cajititlan Autodromo Miguel E. Abed Autodromo Internacional de Aguascalientes Autodromo del Ecocentro de la Union Ganadera Autodromo Miguel E. Abed Super Ovalo Chiapas Autodromo Internacional de Aguascalientes Triovalo Internacional de Cajititlan Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

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daytona 500 rearview: february 19, 2018 POR-15-NPP-V3RD-NASCAR-Ad.indd 1

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1/25/18 5:49 PM

credits

ROAR! WEEKLY RACE MAGAZINE 11880 28TH ST. N, SUITE 101 ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33716 PHONE: (727) 209-0792 FAX: (727) 209-1776 ROAR! SITE: polepositionMAG.COM CORPORATE: AE-ENGINE.COM EMAIL: ROAR@AE-ENGINE.COM

BUSINESS DEPARTMENT

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EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

ART DIRECTOR: JASON TEDESCHI GRAPHIC DESIGNER: STACEY FOSTER WEB DEVELOPER: NICOLE COOPER MANAGING EDITOR: DAN GUTTENPLAN WRITERS: JARED TURNER, BEN WHITE, JOSEPH WOLKIN SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALISTS: AUSTIN HERSH, VIKASH SINGH, hannah renke,sagar gupta, nicholas Fasano

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A.E. ENGINE SPECIFIES THAT POSTPUBLISHING CHANGES MAY OCCUR TO ANY INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PUBLICATION AND TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOODS OR SERVICES ADVERTISED. SUBSCRIPTIONS: YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS CAN BE ORDERED ONLINE AT POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM. SALES INQUIRIES: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN ROAR! WEEKLY RACE MAGAZINE OR WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A FIELD REPRESENTATIVE, PLEASE CONTACT DAVID WATSON AT (727) 209-0789, OR DKW@AE-ENGINE.COM.

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daytona 500 rearview: february 19, 2018

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