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2017 Advance Auto Parts Clash

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2017 Advance Auto Parts Clash
Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Race 1 of 2 exhibition races in the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Date February 19, 2017 (2017-02-19)
Location Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida
Course Permanent racing facility
2.5 mi (4 km)
Distance 75 laps, 187.5 mi (300 km)
Average speed 143.831 mph (231.474 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Team Penske
Most laps led
Driver Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing
Laps 48
Winner
No. 22 Joey Logano Team Penske
Television in the United States
Network FS1
Announcers Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Radio in the United States
Radio MRN
Booth Announcers Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace
Turn Announcers Dave Moody (1 & 2), Mike Bagley (Backstretch) and Kyle Rickey (3 & 4)

The 2017 Advance Auto Parts Clash was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The race was to be held on February 18, 2017 but was postponed to the following day because of rain. Contested over 75 laps, it was the first exhibition race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

Report

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Background

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Daytona International Speedway, where the race was held.

The track, Daytona International Speedway, is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the others being Michigan International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four–turn superspeedway that is 2.5-mile (4.0 km) The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.

Format and eligibility

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The race is 75 laps in length, and is divided into two segments; the first is 25 laps and the second is 50 laps. The race is open to those drivers who won a pole in the 2016 season or had won "The Clash" previously.

The 2017 Clash at Daytona will not be a predetermined number of cars; rather, the field is limited to drivers who meet more exclusive criteria. Only drivers who were 2016 Pole Award winners, former Clash race winners, former Daytona 500 pole winners who competed full–time in 2016 and drivers who qualified for the 2016 Chase are eligible. Daniel Suarez was also allowed to race, as Joe Gibbs Racing already had a car prepared for Carl Edwards who surprisingly retired less than a month before the race.

Entry list

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No. Driver Team Manufacturer
1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
10 Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
19 Daniel Suárez (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
24 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
37 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
41 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota
88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Official entry list

Starting lineup

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Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer
1 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford
2 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
3 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
4 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
5 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota
6 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
7 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
8 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
9 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
10 41 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
11 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
12 10 Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
13 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
14 24 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
15 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
16 19 Daniel Suárez (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
17 37 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Official starting lineup

Practice

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First practice

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Brad Keselowski was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 46.972 and a speed of 191.604 mph (308.357 km/h).[8]

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 46.972 191.604
2 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 47.013 191.436
3 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 47.034 191.351
Official first practice results

Final practice

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Denny Hamlin was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 45.795 and a speed of 196.528 mph (316.281 km/h).[9]

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 45.795 196.528
2 19 Daniel Suárez (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 45.853 196.279
3 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 45.860 196.249
Official final practice results

Race

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Segment 1

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Brad Keselowski led the field to the green flag at 11:35 a.m. under mostly sunny skies, after it was postponed from the night before.[10] The field wasted little time packing together to form multiple lines of three-wide racing. Chris Buescher found himself out to dry as he lost the draft early on. Denny Hamlin drove to the outside of Keselowski in Turn 1 to challenge for the lead on the eighth lap. Keselowski powered back ahead, but Hamlin worked his way to the lead on lap 10. Martin Truex Jr. brushed the wall exiting Turn 4 on lap 11. The first caution of the race flew on lap 17 for a single-car wreck on the frontstretch. Exiting Turn 4, Jimmie Johnson's car broke loose, turned down and hooked the right-rear of Kurt Busch's car into the outside wall and the tri-oval grass.[11] Busch said he was keeping to his "own business in the low groove and we got tagged in the right-rear. It's kind of a shame — all of the hard work and the effort everybody puts into the off-season — Doug Yates and his engines and everybody from Ford and everybody at Stewart-Haas, all of the effort put towards building a car and we didn't even make it to the first pit stop, so it's kind of a bummer.”[12] He was credited with finishing last.[13] Kyle Busch exited pit road with the race lead. Alex Bowman (speeding) and Keselowski (too many pit boxes) restarted from the tail-end of the field.

The race restarted on lap 23. Coming to the end of the segment, a few cars – including race leader (Kyle) Busch – short-pitted the end of the segment. This handed the lead to Joey Logano as the second caution flew on lap 26 for the end of the first segment. When Logano pitted under the caution, the lead cycled to Hamlin. Busch restarted the race from the tail-end of the field for speeding.

Segment 2

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The race restarted on lap 30. Contrary to the two runs in the first segment, this run featured a three-car breakaway in the lead (Hamlin, Daniel Suárez and Matt Kenseth) that became a seven-car breakaway (joined by Logano, Jamie McMurray, Truex and Austin Dillon). The third caution flew on lap 50 for a single-car wreck on the frontstretch. Exiting Turn 4, Johnson broke loose a second time, slid down the track and slammed the inside wall head-on.[14] He described both incidents as "bizarre because it drove really good everywhere else, then off of (Turn) 4 the first time I had a handling problem was when it broke free and I got into the No. 41 (Kurt Busch) and then after that, it was really loose. After that caution and the last long stretch before I crashed again, just off of Turn 4, the Sun certainly sits on that edge of the track a little bit harder than anywhere else."[15]

The race restarted with 21 laps to go. The first five cars – consisting of Hamlin, Suárez, Kenseth, Busch and Dillon – broke away from the field. Heading down the backstretch with 17 to go, Truex was drafting with Kevin Harvick until Truex cut down across Kyle Larson, got turned and collected the wall in Turn 3, bringing out the fourth caution.

The race restarted with 11 to go. The Gibbs Toyotas controlled the lead, a viable outside line wasn't forming and the field was virtually single-file with five to go. With five to go, however, Keselowski, Logano and Harvick pulled out of line and made their way to the front. Busch split Harvick from the Penske teammates, but found himself split from his teammates as well. Using side-drafting, Keselowski and Logano split Kenseth and Suárez from Hamlin in the closing laps.[16] With one lap to go, Hamlin was a sitting duck and the Penske teammates made their final push. Rounding Turn 1, Keselowski dove to the bottom line to pass Hamlin.[17] Hamlin made a poorly-timed move down to block, caught himself on Keselowski's nose and got turned sideways.[18] Logano drove to the high-side of the spin in Turn 2 and drove on to score the victory.[19]

Post-race

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Driver comments

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Logano said in victory lane that the Toyotas worked so well for most of the race because they're "selfless" and "they do such a good job working together and think of one car winning. We had to think the same way as Ford and with the Stewart-Haas and Penske cars. We were able to get a good enough run to work together enough to break them up and make the passes, and then there at the end, it was kind of a mess. I could see the block was coming way too late and it wasn't going to work. It was pretty plain what was going to happen -- I knew they were going to crash -- so I just headed to the top. Everything was going on, and I was just in the right place at the right time."[20]

Keselowski said of his final lap move that he pulled up "beside Denny. Everything happens so fast here, he probably thought he was clear, I don’t know. We made a little contact there and I feel bad for everybody. It is the Clash, it’s not the (Daytona) 500 and I guarantee he knows and everyone else who is watching today (knows) that I’m going to make that move again. I had to make the move. I know all the other drivers are back watching and they know not to make that block on me again.”[21]

Asked what he'd do different if given the chance to redo those last laps, Hamlin said there wasn't "much I can do differently at the end. Perhaps staying in the middle lane there through one and two and trying to side draft. He (Keselowski) had help from the 22. I was in a bad spot there. He was just coming so much faster than what I was. There's not much that I could have done to defend. We lined up so well as Toyota teammates throughout the race that once those guys started breaking that up and leap frogging, he (Keselowski) had commitment from the 22 and the 4 and when they were able to back up there that really put us at a speed differential.”[22]

Race results

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Pos Grid No Driver Team Manufacturer Laps
1 9 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 75
2 13 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75
3 8 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75
4 12 10 Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 75
5 7 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 75
6 1 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 75
7 14 24 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75
8 16 19 Daniel Suárez (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75
9 17 37 Chris Buescher JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 75
10 3 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 75
11 15 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75
12 4 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 75
13 2 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 74
14 11 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 61
15 5 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 60
16 6 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 48
17 10 41 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 17
Race results

Media

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FS1 covered the race on the television side, Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Gordon handled the call in the booth for the race, Matt Yocum, Jamie Little, Chris Neville and Vince Welch handled pit road for the television side. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was a guest analyst in the FS1 booth.

Television

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FS1
Booth announcers Pit reporters
Lap-by-lap: Mike Joy
Color-commentator: Jeff Gordon
Color commentator: Darrell Waltrip
Guest Analyst: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jamie Little
Chris Neville
Vince Welch
Matt Yocum

Radio

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MRN Radio
Booth announcers Turn announcers Pit reporters
Lead announcer: Joe Moore
Announcer: Jeff Striegle
Announcer: Rusty Wallace
Turns 1 & 2: Dave Moody
Backstretch: Mike Bagley
Turns 3 & 4: Kyle Rickey
Alex Hayden
Winston Kelley
Steve Post

References

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  1. ^ "2017 Cup schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. May 5, 2016. Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  2. ^ "Daytona International Speedway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on April 27, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  3. ^ "Entry List". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. February 13, 2017. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  4. ^ "Starting Lineup". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. February 17, 2017. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  5. ^ "First Practice Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. February 17, 2017. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  6. ^ "Final Practice Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. February 17, 2017. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  7. ^ "Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. February 19, 2017. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  8. ^ Spencer, Lee (February 17, 2017). "Keselowski tops first Daytona clash practice". Motorsport.com. Daytona Beach, Florida: Motorsport Network. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  9. ^ Utter, Jim (February 17, 2017). "Denny Hamlin leads Toyota quartet in final Clash practice". Motorsport.com. Daytona Beach, Florida: Motorsport Network. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  10. ^ Tucker, Heather (February 18, 2017). "Rain postpones NASCAR Clash at Daytona until Sunday". USA Today. Daytona Beach, Florida: Gannett Company. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  11. ^ Scott, David (February 19, 2017). "Joey Logano avoids final-lap crash to capture NASCAR's Clash". The Charlotte Observer. Daytona Beach, Florida: The McClatchy Company. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  12. ^ Jones, Yvonne (February 19, 2017). "Kurt Busch starts Monster Energy era, Ford reunion with 'bummer'". KickinTheTires.net. Daytona Beach, Florida: Kickin' The Tires. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  13. ^ Beard, Brock (February 19, 2017). "CUP: Kurt Busch's Monster Energy Ford finishes last in title sponsor's first race". brock.lastcar.info. LASTCAR.info. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  14. ^ Tucker, Heather (February 19, 2017). "Joey Logano wins season-opening NASCAR Clash at Daytona". USA Today. Daytona Beach, Florida: Gannett Company. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  15. ^ White, Tucker (February 19, 2017). "Logano wins 'The Clash' thanks to final lap crash". SpeedwayMedia.com. Speedway Media. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  16. ^ Weaver, Matt (February 19, 2017). "Observations: Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona". Autoweek. Daytona Beach, Florida: Crain Communications. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  17. ^ Albert, Zack (February 19, 2017). "Hamlin, Keselowski clash at Daytona's opening weekend". NASCAR.com. Daytona Beach, Florida: NASCAR Media Group, LLC. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  18. ^ Willis, Ken (February 19, 2017). "Logano wins Clash; Elliott, Earnhardt capture 500 front row". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. GateHouse Media. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  19. ^ Long, Mark (February 19, 2017). "Logano takes advantage of late crash, wins Clash at Daytona". Associated Press. Daytona Beach, Florida: AP Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  20. ^ Oreovicz, John (February 19, 2017). "Joey Logano takes advantage of last-lap wreck to win Clash". ESPN.com. Daytona Beach, Florida: ESPN Inc. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  21. ^ Utter, Jim (February 19, 2017). "Keselowski vows "to make that move again" despite last-lap wreck". Motorsport.com. Daytona Beach, Florida: Motorsport Network. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  22. ^ Whisler, Caleb (February 19, 2017). "Logano Stuns Clash Field". SpeedwayDigest.com. Daytona Beach, Florida: STS Motorsports Inc. Retrieved February 23, 2017.