NASCAR

8:08 AM ET Alyssa RoenigkESPN Close Alyssa Roenigk is a senior writer for ESPN whose assignments have taken her to six continents and caused her to commit countless acts of recklessness. (Follow @alyroe on Twitter). Action sports icon Travis Pastrana is talking with a reporter at the Daytona International Speedway media center on Wednesday afternoon

7:57 PM ET Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Seven-time is officially back. Jimmie Johnson, making his return to stock car racing after a two-year dalliance in IndyCar, topped the first practice session for the Daytona 500 on Friday. The two-time Daytona 500 winner and seven-time Cup Series champion reached a top speed of 194.25

10:16 AM ET With qualifying and the Duels in the books, the NASCAR world is counting down to Sunday’s Daytona 500. Sean Gardner/Getty Images DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It is time for the 65th running of the Daytona 500, NASCAR‘s biggest event on its biggest stage, kicking off what many believe could be one of the

9:13 PM ET Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — IndyCar driver Conor Daly raced Floyd Mayweather Jr. into the Daytona 500 for a second consecutive year by bobbing and weaving his way through myriad issues for the ill-prepared team. Daly’s attempt to make his first Daytona 500 was announced only last week as part of

5:38 PM ET Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Ross Chastain signed a long-term contract extension Thursday as Trackhouse Racing officially shored up its lineup deep into the future. The deal with Chastain is long enough that “his beard will be gray” at the end of the extension, Trackhouse president Ty Norris quipped. Chastain, who

10:26 PM ET Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Alex Bowman admired yet another Daytona 500 pole trophy that he won from mastering the superspeedway over one fast lap ahead of NASCAR’s marquee race. The Hendrick Motorsports driver still wants to add to his Daytona collection. There’s a championship trophy missing. “It may not be

9:45 AM ET Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daniel Suarez has signed a second extension in six months with Trackhouse Racing, getting a multiyear deal done after landing a one-year contract last August. The team announced Suarez’s latest extension Wednesday as NASCAR kicked off Speedweeks with Daytona 500 media day and pole qualifying. The

8:12 AM ET Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Alex Bowman has a new contract as he chases his first Daytona 500 victory. Bowman received a three-year extension from Hendrick Motorsports on Wednesday that will keep the driver – who missed five races last season with a concussion – with the team through the 2026

2:50 PM ET Dale Earnhardt, top, and Dale Jarrett contested one of NASCAR’s all-time-great Daytona 500s in 1993. Bill Frakes /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images The 1993 Daytona 500, run 30 years ago today, is first and foremost a love story. Yes, it was the Dale and Dale Show. Yes, it was the victory that sparked

11:04 AM ET Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Daytona 500 is a sellout for the eighth consecutive year, this one recognizing the 75th anniversary of NASCAR. Daytona International Speedway announced Monday that all remaining tickets had been sold for Sunday’s 65th running of “The Great American Race,” including grandstand seats, infield camping spots,

6:26 PM ET Associated Press MEXICO CITY — Kyle Busch was detained at a Mexican airport late last month when a handgun and ammunition were discovered in his luggage, the NASCAR star acknowledged this week, apologizing for the incident and calling it “a mistake.” Busch was sentenced this month to 3½ years in prison and

12:48 PM ET Martin Truex Jr. won NASCAR’s exhibition race at the LA Coliseum on Sunday, a mouth-watering appetizer ahead of the 2023 season. Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The NASCAR season has arrived. The real season. After the stock car equivalent to a department-store soft opening at the LA Coliseum on Sunday night, the

9:51 AM ET Associated Press IndyCar driver Conor Daly will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 with the NASCAR team owned by Floyd Mayweather. The Money Team Racing raced its way into the Daytona 500 last year with driver Kaz Grala; Daly made his Cup Series debut for the team in October on The

11:23 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Martin Truex Jr. won NASCAR’s return to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for its season-opening exhibition race — a sloppy Sunday night extravaganza in which the Wiz Khalifa halftime show might have been the most entertaining part of the event. Truex took the lead with 25 laps

7:41 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Kevin Harvick won’t spend a single day in retirement when his NASCAR driving days are over: Fox said Sunday it has hired Harvick for its broadcast booth next season. Harvick announced last month that he will retire from NASCAR competition at the end of the 2023 season.

6:09 PM ET Associated Press IndyCar driver Conor Daly would accept a last-minute Daytona 500 ride if offered the chance to enter “The Great American Race.” Helio Castroneves last week ruled out trying to make NASCAR’s season-opening race because the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner did not believe there was enough time to prepare for the

4:38 PM ET Associated Press NASCAR has essentially banned the “Hail Melon” video-game move driver Ross Chastain used at Martinsville Speedway to race his way into the championship finale. Chastain last year mashed the gas and deliberately smashed into the wall so that the energy would speed his car past his rivals. The move advanced

12:22 PM ET Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller and Jenson Button will drive the special Garage 56 car that will race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR champion, has lobbied hard for a spot in the three-driver lineup for his former team. He’d