Daytona 500

Rob Gronkowski Gets Awkward At Daytona 500, Tries To Get Woman To Say '69' On Tv

... stage for Sunday, and what might go down as the greatest Gronk interview of all-time, and that’s mainly because Gronk was the one asking the questions. Gronk at Daytona 500 __link__/1 q S 7 Fo Mi 7 P. — Ⓜarcus D 2.0 (@_Marcus D 2_) February 26, 2017. The Patriots tight end was talking to several Monster Energy girls at the Daytona 500 when he had a very important question for one of them. “Ashley, what’s your favorite speed limit out there?,” Gronk asked, before trying to nudge her toward a certain answer. “I hope it’s somewhere around 70 or something.”. Either, Ashley doesn’t know Gronk’s favorite number or she didn’t care, but she didn’t give him the answer he wanted. Well, OK, she kind of did. “I am a hardcore. I like to go as fast as possible,” Ashley said. Gronk’s response. “Ohhh. I like that answer.”. This Gronk stuff at the 500 is awkward. 'what's your favorite speed limit, I'm hoping its around. 70?' 'I like ...

Daytona 500 An Eventful One For Cassill, Gase

... just 14 laps after the first, and sandwiched a second multicar incident — and that was the blow that slowed his car enough to remove him from contention. He said, “it was too damaged” to keep with the pack and that “I’m just glad we even made it to the end for a race like that.”. He almost didn’t get the chance to keep going due to the new five-minute crash damage fix rule that forces teams to complete their work on pit road in five minutes during a given caution period, and then the car must meet minimum speed when the race resumes. NASCAR initially declared the No. 34 team had exceeded that limit in the second big wreck, while crew chief Donnie Wingo objected. Cassill was eventually cleared — as the field was coming to the restart — and he was able to finish the race. “It’s a little frustrating because I knew we should not have been DQd. Like, no question. So it’s very tough to negotiate with NASCAR during the race because they have so many other things going on in the tower,” Cassill said. “I was glad they took the time and looked at that with one to go because ...

Kurt Busch Earns First Win At The Great American Race

... 2017 Daytona 500 champion. After not leading a lap all day, the 38-year-old jumped in front of the pack down the back stretch, getting past Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, who ran out of fuel. It was Busch’s 29 th career win in the Monster Energy Cup Series. Busch had come up just short at Daytona before, tallying five top-fives, including two second-place finishes. But after starting eighth and floating around the field all day, Busch found himself in contention on the final lap and took full advantage. “The more that becomes unpredictable about Daytona, the more it becomes predictable to predict unpredictably. I mean this car was completely thrashed, not a straight panel on it,” Busch said after the race. “The strategy today, who knew what, to pit when. Everybody’s wrecking as soon as we’re done with the second segment. The more that I’ve run this race, the more that I’ve thrown caution to the wind and just let it ...

Daytona 500, Demolition Derby And All, Is Again Like No Other Sporting Spectacle

... compared to the $75 million Sprint was paying. Thus, NASCAR did everything it could during the off-season to make its sport more appealing to television viewers and race sponsors. Numerous changes were implemented, including splitting the races into multiple segments to increase the competition. Mission accomplished. The Daytona drivers on Sunday lived up to NASCAR’s new advertising campaign called “Ready. Set. Race.” In fact, they were racing so hard that the slogan should have been changed to “Ready. Set. Wreck.”. In the end, Kurt Busch, the bad boy of racing who has had issues with team members, sponsors, media members and a former girlfriend who he claimed was a trained assassin, led just one lap — the last one. Photos from the Daytona 500 on Feb. 26, 2017. He won his first Daytona 500 even though his rearview mirror fell off with 30 laps to go. He won with a crew chief — Tony Gibson — who was born right across the street at Halifax Hospital. He won  driving for another former bad boy —  Stewart -Haas co-owner Tony Stewart, the iconic driver who retired after last season without ever winning a ...

Rob Gronkowski, Waka Flocka Flame And A Bunch Of Random Celebs Unite Over Daytona 500

... Keanu Reeves is also taking notes, but his learning serves a bigger purpose. The actor is starring in the movie “Rally Car,” which is centered on a fictional NASCAR making a comeback. Because it’s his first race, he’s can’t wait to see it up close in person. “[It’s cool] coming to a race that has so much history and legacy for the sport and the culture,” Reeves said. “It’s the beginning of the season, and they’ve got a new format going on. … I think it’s really the stories too, and for me, I’m really trying to learn some of the stories of all the different drivers.”. Among the many celebrities and athletes attending the Great American Race on Sunday, some are just along for the ride. Wearing a Monster Energy t-shirt, Gronkowski weighed in on the Monster Energy Girls controversy that set the internet ablaze last week. When asked if he likes the drink or the girls more, Gronk said, “I’m a fan of both of them. I got my own drink, too. I make the girls make my own drink so I get the benefit of both.”. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images. “Being part of the monster crew, them ...

Elliott Seeks First Win As He Leads Start Of Daytona 500

... Daytona 500, a real possibility considering he’s starting from the pole position, it would mark his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory. The win would come in his 42 nd career Cup start — the same number of starts Gordon needed to win his first. Count Gordon among those high on Elliott’s chances, too, after Elliott won the pole and then the first duel race Thursday night. “The pole was exciting, but seeing what he did in the duel (Thursday) night was incredible,” Gordon said. “When you talk to Chase, there’s been a little bit of hesitancy and doubt in what he’s capable of doing on the restrictor-plate tracks (like Daytona). He gained a lot of knowledge and experience last year and now I see that paying off. He’s a quick study. “What he did (Thursday) night was one of the most impressive things that I’ve seen him do yet.”. Elliott, 21, has long been mentioned as a future face of NASCAR and winning will only help his profile grow more in the sport. Despite zero visits to Victory Lane, Elliott had a ...

What Advice Owen Wilson Got From Vince Vaughn About Being The Daytona 500 Grand Marshal

... actually sent me a text the other day and his big tip was not to watch his You Tube clip of him doing it because why see perfection?” Wilson said with a smile. “That was his thing – remember I’m just competing with myself.”. Kicking off the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the Daytona 500 will officially start at 2:00 p.m. ET (FOX). With many movie stars, musicians and athletes often attending the Daytona 500, Wilson certainly isn’t the first actor to serve as the Grand Marshal. Others who have had the honor include Matthew Mc Conaughey, Ben Affleck and John Travolta. AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images. Keeping the race car theme, Wilson voices the animated car character Lightning Mc Queen in Disney’s “Cars 3” movie, as well as the first two prequels. When asked what his favorite race car is, the actor joked he’s “contractually obligated” to say his Disney character. Wilson also recalled how he first became a fan of racing. “My passion [started] probably growing up in Texas with my brothers just going to the go-cart track and us racing and getting a go-cart one Christmas that my older brother promptly hit a tree with later that day,” Wilson said. “Maybe it exists ...

Nascar Ceo Warns Drivers About Blocking

... Mercer-USA TODAY Sports. In a curious address that had drivers laughing and shaking their heads in confusion afterward, NASCAR CEO and chairman Brian France issued a stern about blocking in the drivers meeting prior to Sunday’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. “What I don’t normally do, and I’m going to do this today, is bring up a competition issue,” France said. “This is for the drivers and what I want you to think about. We realize blocking is part of racing. We understand that. We accept that. “When you block somebody out there, and it’s going to happen today, it causes almost all the big incidents. Do not look for NASCAR. You better hope there’s a Good Samaritan behind you who is going to accept that block, because they have that lane and the right to it. And I don’t often make those statements, but I think it’s important today as we go into our most important event to make that really clear with our competitors.”. The exact intent of France’s message was unclear. As several drivers left the meeting, they ...

All-time Daytona 500 Winners By Year

... start of the 2013 Aaron's 499. Tom Pennington, Getty Images. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and girlfriend Amy Reimann attend the NASCAR Evening Series at Charlie Palmer Steak, part of the Champion's Week events that mark the end of the season. Chris Graythen, Getty Images for NASCAR. Champion's Week in Las Vegas allows drivers to enjoy lighter moments and interact with fans. Earnhardt and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon did just that at After the Lap. Jeff Bottari, Getty Images for NASCAR. Earnhardt participates on stage in a version of the game "Are you Smarter then a Fifth Grader?", part of Champion's Week. Tom Pennington, Getty Images for NASCAR. Earnhardt has exhibited a more mature, public side of his personality in 2012, from making difficult personnel moves at JR Motorsports to enjoying fancy restaurants. Jamie Squire, Getty Images. Earnhardt spoke to students at Piper High School ...

Rex Ryan Meets With Fox Executive, Takes In Daytona 500 With Brother Rob

... the second stage of the race. John David Mercer, USA TODAY Sports. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) gets pushed onto its left-side wheels after colliding with Kyle Busch. Earnhardt was forced to go to the garage and could not continue. Mike Di Novo, USA TODAY Sports. Kyle Busch (18), Erik Jones (77) and Matt Kenseth (20) wreck with a few laps remaining at the end of the second segment. All three Toyota drivers were knocked out of the race with damage. Mike Di Novo, USA TODAY Sports. Michael Waltrip (15), Kyle Larson (42) , Danica Patrick (10) and Michael Waltrip (83) race during the second segment. Waltrip is racing in his 30 th and final Daytona 500. Jasen Vinlove, USA TODAY Sports. Kyle Busch (18), leads Denny Hamlin (11) and Martin Truex Jr. (78) during the first segment. Busch won the opening stage. John David Mercer, USA TODAY Sports. An official waves the green checkered flag to signal the end of the first race segment. John David Mercer, USA TODAY Sports. Chase Elliott, bottom right, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (bottom left, ) lead the ...