DAN GELSTON
Denny Hamlin wins the second stage ahead of Kevin Harvick during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Hamlin finishes 5th in bid for 3rd straight Daytona 500 win

By Dan Gelston Feb. 15, 2021 01:46 AM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Denny Hamlin's run at a Daytona 500 three-peat —

Bubba Wallace gets into his car after a weather delay during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Wallace becomes 1st Black driver to lead lap at Daytona 500

By Dan Gelston Feb. 15, 2021 12:43 AM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Bubba Wallace ran into trouble early and late in his

FILE - In this May 22, 2010, file photo, Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan practices waving the green flag before a NASCAR All-Star auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. NASCAR needs to roll out the red carpet when the Daytona 500 opens the season Sunday. Michael Jordan and the rapper Pitbull, racing’s newest team owners, are expected to attend. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)
Jordan set to make NASCAR debut with Wallace at Daytona 500

By Dan Gelston Feb. 13, 2021 04:16 PM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Bubba Wallace was more of a fan of Michael Jordan

Kurt Busch, left, and Kaz Grala, talk on pit road before the second of two qualifying NASCAR auto races for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Ready to retire? Kurt Busch leaves NASCAR fans guessing

By Dan Gelston Feb. 13, 2021 02:02 PM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Kurt Busch dropped a cinematic short two days before

Anthony Alfredo (38), David Ragan (36), Kaz Grala (16), Garrett Smithley (13), and Chase Briscoe (14) crash during the second NASCAR Daytona 500 duel qualifying auto race Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Party in a pandemic: NASCAR fans power through at Daytona

By Dan Gelston Feb. 13, 2021 02:48 AM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Sam Maxwell and his band of Cleveland bros packed up

Bubba Wallace makes a pit stop during the second of two qualifying auto races for the NASCAR Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Fla. Wallace finished in second place. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Hall of Famer Jordan set for biggest leap yet into NASCAR

By Dan Gelston Feb. 12, 2021 04:56 PM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Michael Jordan may take his biggest leap yet -- and

Austin Dillon (3) crosses the finish line in front of Bubba Wallace (23) to win the second of two qualifying auto races for the NASCAR Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, early Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Ty Dillon suffers heartbreak at Duels, misses Daytona 500

By Dan Gelston Feb. 11, 2021 09:54 PM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Trying to make a splash with his new team, Ty Dillon

Hailie Deegan gets ready to go out during practice for the NASCAR Trucks series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Deegan ready to move on from slur and shine in NASCAR

By Dan Gelston Feb. 11, 2021 02:30 AM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Hailie Deegan’s Instagram posts for her 939,000

FILE - Reed Sorenson races in a casr showing Fake Steak signage during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., in this Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, file photo. Kevin James stars as crew chief Kevin Gibson in Netflix’s new comedy series, “The Crew,” the latest in a line of NASCAR-themed TV shows and movies where the source material traditionally bordered on good ol’ boys satire or sensationalism rather than grounded in reality. The team fields the No. 74 Fake Steak-sponsored car. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
Blart Your Engines: James stars in new Netflix NASCAR comedy

By Dan Gelston Feb. 10, 2021 02:10 PM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Kevin James fancies himself an everyman in his

Bubba Wallace leaves his garage after a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race practice session at Daytona International Speedway, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Wallace sends Jordan to top of scoring pylon at Daytona 500

By Dan Gelston Feb. 10, 2021 01:17 PM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Bubba Wallace and Michael Jordan are feeling bullish

Martin Truex Jr. greets fans during a NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019. Truex Jr. signed a multi-year agreement to stay at Joe Gibbs Racing, where the 2017 champion has won eight races in his two years with the team. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
2017 NASCAR champion Truex signs extension with Joe Gibbs

By Dan Gelston Feb. 10, 2021 11:53 AM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Martin Truex Jr. has signed a multi-year agreement

FILE - Derrike Cope looks over pit road before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C., in this Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018, file photo. Cope is best known for winning the 1990 Daytona 500. At 62, Cope is back to give the Daytona 500 another try. ( AP Photo/Terry Renna, File)
Age-old question: Can 62-year-old Cope win again at Daytona?

By Dan Gelston Feb. 09, 2021 01:46 PM EST
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Derrike Cope heard it all when he scored the most

Urban Youth Racing School founder Anthony Martin, left, and his wife Michelle Martin pose for a photo at the school, Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, in Philadelphia. The school has made it its mission to introduce inner-city youngsters, most of them black, to the motorsports world. (AP Photo/Dan Gelston)
Racing school for minorities extends olive branch to Larson

By Dan Gelston Nov. 04, 2020 11:18 AM EST
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jysir Fisher was whisked into victory lane at Dover for a

Kevin Harvick celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Dover International Speedway, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Jason Minto)
Harvick dominates at Dover for 7th Cup victory of the season

By Dan Gelston Aug. 23, 2020 08:48 PM EDT
DOVER, Del. (AP) — Kevin Harvick views his NASCAR championship chase as him

Chase Briscoe (98) during a NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race at Dover International Speedway, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Jason Minto)
Briscoe calls shot at Dover to win Xfinity Series race

By Dan Gelston Aug. 23, 2020 03:29 PM EDT
DOVER, Del. (AP) — Chase Briscoe called his shot at Dover International

Denny Hamlin (11) leads during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Dover International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Jason Minto)
Hamlin holds off JGR teammate Truex for 1st Dover victory

By Dan Gelston Aug. 22, 2020 07:09 PM EDT
DOVER, Del (AP) — Denny Hamlin zipped past teammate Martin Truex Jr. with less

Justin Allgaier (7) wins the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Dover International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020, in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Jason Minto)
Allgaier holds off Cindric to win Xfinity race at Dover

By Dan Gelston Aug. 22, 2020 03:30 PM EDT
DOVER, Del (AP) — Justin Allgaier had a tiff with a fellow driver last week

FILE - In this Friday, May 18, 2018, file photo, Marco Andretti prepares to drive during a practice session for the IndyCar Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis. Ice-T says there is no one he’s rooting for in Sunday’s, Aug. 23, 2020, Indianapolis 500 like pole sitter Marco Andretti. The unlikely friends have been tight for close to a decade. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
Ice loves Marco: Ice-T tops celebrities rooting for Andretti

By Dan Gelston Aug. 20, 2020 05:03 PM EDT
Ice-T might be on the set of “Law & Order” when he takes a call to jet off

In this July 7, 2020 photo provided by NASCAR, Rajah Caruth competes in the Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. The sport has renewed optimism that its diversity program can field a bumper crop of promising prospects. Caruth might the one who can help lead the way. (NASCAR photo via (AP)
NASCAR banks on minority drivers to broaden sport's exposure

By Dan Gelston Jul. 28, 2020 02:06 AM EDT
Rajah Caruth liked the animated autos of “Cars” as a kid, got hooked on the

FILE - In this June 22, 2020, file photo, team owner Richard Petty, right, stands next to driver Bubba Wallace during the national anthem prior to the start of the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. NASCAR is ready to embrace all genders, ethnicities and backgrounds as moves ahead in its push for racial diversity. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
'Yes we exist' - Black fans eye NASCAR's work to diversify

By Dan Gelston Jul. 17, 2020 02:20 AM EDT
Kevin Johnson became enamored with NASCAR as a kid, decades before billion