Where I Think Matty D Could Be in 2020

Could we see Matt DiBenedetto in a top Truck Series ride in 2020? (PixelatedSPEED composite photo)

PENSACOLA, Florida (August 23, 2019) -- Alright, Matt DiBenedetto has arrived… almost. After “betting on himself” by leaving GoFas Racing following the 2018 season, Matty D landed at Levine Family Racing for 2019 driving Toyotas in a partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing.

As everyone is well aware, the same JGR tie-in is the same source of DiBenedetto’s upcoming departure from LFR once the 2019 season concludes.

DiBenedetto made the news officially official last week that he indeed would not be returning to the 95 car next season. He then followed that announcement with a stellar performance at Bristol Motor Speedway.

After leading the most laps in Bristol, and coming within only a handful of a breakthrough win, the big question going into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series off weekend is, “Where will Matty D go in 2020?”

The most obvious answer is the Xfinity Series program at JGR. With Chirstopher Bell (presumably) moving on to Cup in Bob Levine’s 95 car, the 20 car… which has amassed five wins so far in 2019… opens up, providing an excellent opportunity for DiBenedetto.

The prevailing theory with this move is to have DiBenedetto run Xfinity in 2020, then possibly move back to Cup in a second LFR car in 2021… just in time for the debut of the new Gen 7 Cup car.

A less likely, yet still possible, solution comes with JGR partner iK9 and their Xtreme Concepts Racing team. Xtreme Concepts have run a handful of races with driver Jeffery Earnhardt in 2019, and that partnership has carried over to the Joe Gibbs Racing program. In mid-August, Earnhardt announced that he and iK9 had parted company, opening up opportunities for not only Xtreme Concepts scheduled events, but iK9 sponsored opportunities at JGR as well.

That combined partnership has led to Matty D driving in an iK9 sponsored car for JGR at Road Atlanta this coming weekend.

Throughout this entire ordeal, DiBenedetto has been nothing but gracious and thankful for all the opportunities that have been afforded to him, even amid the news of his release. Not burning those bridges could pay off in the long run if the 20 car is presented to him, or if Xtreme Concepts puts together a full time effort next season, possibly putting DiBenedetto in the seat.

Beyond the Xfinity Series, Matty D could find himself in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Here’s the logic.

The iconic 51 truck is locked up with up to five races for Kyle Busch himself. Beyond that, Chandler Smith is likely to return, and other “all-star” drivers could take turns at that seat.

KBM’s other two trucks, however, are questionable, and could become opportunities for DiBenedetto.

Between drivers Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland, it seems very likely that Gilliland’s seat is the most likely to be vacated in 2020. Gilliland’s performance in that truck has been lackluster when compared to the pedigree established by his predecessors.

Should Gilliland leave the 4 truck, it’s not a far stretch to fathom DiBenedetto running for a truck series championship in that ride.

However, should no doors at JGR or KBM open up, there is still yet another very strong spot for the driver from Grass Valley, California.

Matty D could fit well behind the wheel of the 54 DGR-Crossley truck.

Natalie Decker has by all accounts had a very disappointing rookie season. Her teammates have far exceeded her in performance, with Tyler Ankrum making the playoffs after a convincing win at Kentucky, while Anthony Alfredo has been consistent and solid all year long.

Decker’s cavalcade of circumstance mixed with inexperience and quite frankly lack of talent (mostly due, in my opinion, to being promoted to the truck series too soon) have resulted in a mirriad of unfavorable highlight reels that could see her out come next season.

Should Decker say so long, a very capable seat backed by a solid team with respectable equipment could be a strong fit for DiBenedetto.

In the end, one thing is certain, and that’s that nothing is certain. What seems like the most logical solutions often times finds a way to be completely muddled with the complexities of sponsorships, and the politics behind the scenes of the sport.

One thing is certain in the eyes of the NASCAR fan base, and that is that Matt Dibenedetto is a star that has won over the hearts of many. His Cinderella story is sure to have a fairy tale ending, it just may take a little more time to get there.

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

RACING WIVES: EARLY THOUGHTS

Racing Wives is a new reality series airing on CMT beginning in August 2019. (Racing Wives/BPG Agency)

By: Daniel Vining, Twitter: @danielvining

PENSACOLA, Florida (August 3, 2019) -- Racing Wives, a reality show revolving around the wives of the Busch brothers, Austin Dillon’s wife, and her best friend, debuted on Friday night on CMT.

The show features Samantha Busch, Kyle’s wife, Ashley Busch, Kurt’s wife, Whitney Ward Dillon, Austin’s wife, and Mariel Lane, fiance’ to Paul Swan who is a pit crew member on Dillon’s Cup Series team.

Trying to not have any expectations, I couldn’t help but wish for a show that is more in line with another NASCAR family-based reality show, NASCAR Drivers 360, which aired in the mid-2000s.

Instead, viewers are presented with a show more in tune with Keeping Up with the Kardashians. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, I’m just not sure if it’s a NASCAR thing.

Amber Balcaen is also featured as a potential driver candidate to drive for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Spoiler, she so far has driven in two races for KBM in 2019, the first at Hickory Motor Speedway and the second at Motor Mile Speedway. Both races were in KBM prepared late models.

I highly doubt that this show will truly engage with the core NASCAR audience, but I don’t think that was the intention. NASCAR is merely the gimmick, while the storylines and personalities of the featured participants are the hook.

The glitz, glamour, pomp and circumstance surrounding these larger than life characters is sure to draw an audience of a certain demographic more in tune with the current MTV generation… which is not centered around music.

All that being said, I don’t see any harm being done here. For those that are in to this type of TV show, I’m sure it will have it’s enjoyable moments.

Overall, however, I see this show being panned by the majority of NASCAR fandom, and if it cannot stand on its own without that “built-in” viewer base, the show will not last.

But that’s just my two cents. What are yours? Leave your comments, but please be respectful to each other.

Also, if you enjoyed this content, smash the LIKE button and SHARE this post… it really does help a ton.

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

PixelatedRESULTS: Kyle Busch Scores Win 199 at Phoenix in Dominant Fashion

Kyle Busch leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series TicketGuardian 500 with 98 laps to go. (Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)

By: Daniel Vining, Twitter: @danielvining

AVONDALE, Arizona (March 10, 2019) -- Kyle Busch gave fans another episode of the “Kyle Busch Show”, dominating the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visit to ISM Raceway in Phoenix. Busch made the pass late on Ryan Blaney, then cruised to the win, beating Martin Truex Jr.

With 16 laps to go, Kyle Busch got to the inside of Blaney in Turns three and four. The pair battled side-by-side for the race lead for a full lap before Busch cleared Blaney with 15 to go.

As Busch sped off to his victory, Blaney was forced to heavily saved gas, ultimately having to give away second place to Martin Truex Jr. in the process.

For Busch, this marked his 52nd career Cup Series victory. With the 93 in Xfinity and 51 in Trucks, that brings his total NASCAR wins to 199.

Busch racked up another sweep after winning Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, his 198th win… but was even more bummed not to have achieved the three-peat last week in Las Vegas.

"You've got to go race hard first and worry about fuel afterwards,” siad Busch “God this makes last week feel so much stupider, I wish we could've swept last week, too, we could've started the year with two weekend sweeps."

When asked about the hype in the race to 200 wins, he said that it wasn’t for him to decide, saying instead that’s it something for everyone else to debate and argue over.

"It doesn't matter what kind of noise they're making ... as long as they're making noise,” he said.

Now that he is within one win of 200, Jeff Gordon asked him what his goal for the Cup Series would be.

To that, Busch responded that 100 seemed like a good number that would put him up there with the other greats of the sport. He added that doing so would be a tall challenge because winning ten, a dozen or 13 races a year is hard to come by in today’s NASCAR. Busch won eight times in 2018.

Pole Sitter Ryan Blaney led the field to green, leading the race’s first 36 laps before giving way to Busch. Blaney reemerged as a contender after the final yellow flag period, one of nine on the day, setup a 74 lap run to the finish. That meant the race would come down to saving fuel, and staying ahead of Busch after only changing two tires on their final stop.

"Honestly, we hung on better there on two tires than I thought we would,” said Blaney. “I was riding, trying to save tires and gas, we were really close. I think he was riding back there, I think he knew the situation I was in there.”

"When we lost the lead we were just in fuel-save mode,” he added.

PixelatedPICK: Harvick finished ninth, but never led a lap.

Kevin Harvick was attempting to score his tenth win at Phoenix, and ran solidly in the top ten for the majority of the race.

Following a restart on lap 232, Harvick made slight contact with Jimmie Johnson. Harvick fell out the top ten and then he pitted for four tires and fuel on lap 236. He restarted in 21st, and simply ran out of time, yet still managed to salvage a ninth place finish.

STICKIN’ WITH: Jimmie Johnson

After a solid qualifying effort, Jimmie Johnson showed signs of being competitive, running in the top ten throughout the day, finishing a respectable eighth place.

Johnson to Bob Pockrass on difficulty of passing today: "It's been really hard for me to pass anyone for the last year and a half, two years. I know other guys that are standing here are complaining more but ... that is the best I've run in a while."

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

PixelatedPICK: Kevin Harvick Shooting for Tenth Phoenix Win, Plus… Stickin’ With Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson and # Kevin Harvick, during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 17, 2019 in Daytona International Speedway. (Matthew T. Thacker/NKP/LAT Images)

By: Daniel Vining, Twitter: @danielvining

AVONDALE, Arizona (March 10, 2019) -- The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Phoenix this week and is back to the 750hp configuration for its aero package. Kevin Harvick has an astounding nine wins in Phoenix, and looks to chalk up his tenth victory on Sunday.

“When we go to Phoenix, we are always going for the win,” Harvick told Racer Magazine. “That’s been a great racetrack for me,personally, and since I’ve been at SHR, it’s become statistically one of our best racetracks as far as win counts go. It’s definitely a racetrack that we circle every year where we think we should have an opportunity to win.”

To get to that tenth win, Harvick will have to get past another NASCAR great in Kyle Busch… who is looking to add to his total of 198 wins across NASCAR’s top three national series.

“As rough as our relationship was to start things off, there’s a mutual respect that we have found over the past several years that have created a healthy competitiveness instead of an unhealthy competitiveness,” Harvick told NASCAR.com Friday at ISM Raceway, site of Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“Look, Kyle’s a great race car driver. Kyle and I have really not much in common off the race track, but I have an extreme amount of respect for what he does in the race car and the things that happen on the race track. There isn’t a guy in the garage that I want to beat more than Kyle just because of the fact that if you’ve beat him on the race track, you’ve had a really good day. Racing with him head-to-head is something that I enjoy. Definitely, he wants to beat me, I want to beat him, but I feel like I have a good relationship with Kyle.”

Should Harvick pull off the feat, he will become only the sixth driver in Cup Series history to win 10 or more races at one racetrack.

STICKIN’ WITH: Jimmie Johnson in Phoenix

After having an exciting, albeit controversial, start to the 2019 season with a win in The Clash at Daytona, Jimmie Johnson’s road to returning to victory lane in the NASCAR Cup Series has proven difficult. Johnson has had mediocre runs at Atlanta and Las Vegas, but at ISM Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona has shown signs of turn to the positive trend, with solid top five times during practice.

“We were very aggressive with the setup of our car,” Johnson said on Friday afternoon at ISM Raceway before qualifying 15th for Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). “I think once we took consistent air off the top of it, it just started bouncing and went haywire. That thing was bouncing all over the place once I got to like 15th or 20th on the track.”

Jimmie Johnson has the third best driver rating of all active drivers at Phoenix, and with the strong runs in practice, he could find himself with a solid result, and if the strategy plays out just right, a possible return to victory lane is not out of the question. A win on Sunday would be his fourth there.

“Atlanta (a 24th-place result), was pretty rough for us. Vegas we had a lot more speed in the car, but when I lost track position as the race wore on, my car was pretty evil to drive. We are learning each and every step. We have been off to a good start here in Phoenix. I know it’s way different than that other package, but we’re learning as we go, and we just have to do a better job and get better.”

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

Pixelated RESULTS: Logano Wins and Busch Misses Out on Triple Sweep in First look at the New Aero Package in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 03: Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield Ford, leads Paul Menard, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, and Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil Oil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 3, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)

By: Daniel Vining, Twitter: @danielvining

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (March 3, 2019) -- This race debuted the full 2019 aero package for the NASCAR Cup Series, featuring front grille air ducts, a taller spoiler and tapered spacers in the motor. The result is lowered horsepower and a greater dependence on the draft.

Joey Logano used that draft, and an overall strong performing racecar, to capture the Pennzoil 400, his first win at Las Vegas in his 12th try… securing a spot in the playoffs and a run at defending his NASCAR Cup Series Championship.

"We've been so close to winning this race in Vegas for so long... we're proud to be able to deliver,” said Logano.

Logano led the final 20 laps, but had to fend off teammate Brad Keslowski, as he made a last lap charge, coming within a car length of Logano.

“His car kept getting bigger in the end,” he said “If it was a few more laps, he was going to get by me."

Brad Keselowski, “He pulled a slide job and I tried to pull it back and I was just a little too nice to him…  I'd like to have one more lap.”

The overwhelming opinion on social media immediately following the race was, “it sucks.” While it’s easy to come to that conclusion, I think that this race was a step in the right direction and I feel that there were areas to mention, both good and bad, to ponder on.

My early impressions were that cars would be able to get runs. The initial start, and subsequent restarts following stage breaks, showed a chaotic scene with racecars battling hard for the first few laps of the run. Slowly, however, the field would spread out and the familiar look of racing on intermediate race tracks surfaced… with one notable exception. The leader didn’t just drive away. Kevin Harvick amassed a four second lead briefly at the end of stage one, but aside from that, the leader remained within striking distance of second place throughout the entire event. This, in a race that saw zero “natural cautions”, with the yellow flag flying only for the stage breaks. That’s the first time that’s happened since October 2002.

Kyle Busch was the Pixelated PICK for this race, and looked to be in a position to capture his third triple sweep, after winning Friday’s Truck race, and Saturday’s Xfinity race. His hopes for that feat fell apart after a pit road speeding penalty put him a lap down, and it took the remainder of the race to work up to third by race’s end.

"If we didn't have the speeding penalty, we would have won this race,” said Busch.

"I was running 31-flats, but once I got within the vicinity of them (the leaders), I was running 31.4's.”

"The cars don't have any speed. You're just trying to draft off another car... They just don't maneuver…  I think we passed the most cars today but we don't have the trophy."

NASCAR executive Steve O’Donnell gave straight shooter answers to the media following the race. He said that the race was decent, but NASCAR is not satisfied with the racing, which he said is a season-long work in progress. He did say that he was relieved that stages two and three were better racing than stage one.

During stages two and three, there was a clear uptick in how racy the leaders were able to be. Much like the start of the race, the restarts were rather chaotic. There was plenty of movement throughout the field. At the start of the second stage, Aric Almirola jumped from 12th to 6th in no time, for example.

As the stages wore on, there was plenty of dancing for position among the leaders. Kevin Harvick and Busch were all over the Penske cars of Keselowski and Logano for the lead.

Aggressive moves by Kyle Busch prior to his pit road penalty racing Joey Logano for the lead put on a great show. Busch used traffic to get to Logano in traffic, and the two swapped the lead several times during that span. It was a fun battle to watch.

In the end, however, the field always managed to spread out and without the aid of cautions to reset them, we were left watching a familiar, and unpopular train.

While there are still plenty of flaws in this areo package, I believe more than anything that no matter what you do to the racecars, this is the kind of racing you will get at these, 1.5 mile, intermediate race tracks.

For what is was, I thought it was a decent race. I’m not going to cry, “it sucked.” Instead, I will continue to encourage everyone to keep a more positive attitude and maintain patience. Next week in Phoenix we will see yet another example of this new package has to offer. In time, and as needed, NASCAR will make adjustments. It’s just going to take time. I’m very confident that the sanctioning body is moving in a forward direction, and look forward to the next race.

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

PixelatedSPEED is a part of the Gravel Network. Copyright - 2018, 2019

PixelatedPICK: Going for the Sweep in Vegas

With an astounding 197 wins across NASCAR national series competition, Kyle Busch is looking to achieve yet another triple win weekend, this time in Las Vegas. (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

By: Daniel Vining, Twitter @danielvining

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (March 3, 2019) -- When you combine the raw talent, overall success, the new aero package, and the pure results over the last few seasons, this week's PixelatedPICK is almost a given.

In my mind, and the minds of many bookies in Las Vegas, Kyle Busch is the odds on favorite to win the Pennzoil 400 on Sunday.

Last week, Busch scored a record setting victory at Atlanta, becoming the all time wins leader in the NASCAR Truck Series after securing his 52nd career win. On Friday, Busch continued to add to that total with a dominant performance at Las Vegas, sweeping both stages en route to winning the Strat 200, his 53rd career Truck Series victory.

“It’s cool to win here in your hometown, being in Las Vegas, starting off a triple weekend,” said Busch. Hopefully, we can keep it going.”

Busch would keep it going, continuing his push for the weekend sweep by winning the Boyd Gaming 300, his 93rd career win in the Xfinity Series.

Busch had to overcome being a lap down early after a loose wheel sent him to pit road. It took awhile for Busch to get his lap back, and find the top spot. Once in the lead, Busch battled hard with Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick, then had to defend against multiple overtime attempts, before narrowly edging out John Hunter Nemechek to score his 197th NASCAR victory (across all three series)

“I thought this would be the toughest of the three,” Busch said from Victory Lane after Saturday’s Xfinity Series event. “We had a fast race car but we could never get the balance even in the race right there. I was either way too tight or way too loose, I could never find a happy medium. Overall, I feel like the Cup car is pretty good. The M&M’s Chocolate Bar Camry got some speed to it as well and we ran a lot out there in traffic and the pack. So it will be interesting tomorrow.”

The new aero package being used in the NASCAR Cup Series has produced what looks to be a combination of the styles of racing seen in both the Truck Series and Xfinity Series. On throttle time has increased, and the draft plays a greater role than ever before on intermediate race tracks. I think this style of racing really suits Kyle Busch’s style and will play a huge factor in his journey to sweeping the weekend.

Sweeping races in NASCAR weekends is nothing new. Busch won all three races at Bristol, twice… in 2010 and 2017, and has done the double sweep on several occasions, winning a combo of Truck/Xfinity, Truck/Cup, Xfinity/Cup. Now, Busch has the opportunity to pick up his third triple-sweep, this time at his hometrack, Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Overall, I feel like our Cup car is pretty good. The car has some speed. We ran a lot out there in the pack and in traffic, and it’s going to be an interesting race (on Sunday). Make sure everybody tunes in.”

The PixelatedPICK is a featured column of PixelatedSPEED showcasing the pick to win the race of the week. Usually centered on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the PixelatedPICK may also feature special events throughout the racing world. Readers are encouraged to share who they think will will the race in the comments section!

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

PixelatedSPEED is a part of the Gravel Network. Copyright - 2018, 2019

PixelatedRESULTS: In a Wild Race, Denny Hamlin Wins Second Daytona 500; Honors JD Gibbs

Denny celebrates after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 61st Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 17, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

By: Daniel Vining, Twitter: @danielvining DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 17, 2019) -- Denny Hamlin has won the 61st Annual Daytona 500 in a 1-2-3 finish by Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin held off teammate Kyle Busch on the race’s final restart, during overtime. This was Hamlin’s second Daytona 500 victory, and the only the second time a team has achieved a 1-2-3 finish; the first in 1997 when Hendrick Motorsports pulled off the feat. While Hamlin was on his cool down lap, TV caught up with team owner Joe Gibbs, who’s emotion was very visible as this race proved to be the perfect tribute to his son J.D. whom died in January after complications stemming from a neurological disorder. "What happened right here. J.D.'s name is on that car, that' his No. 11 on the car,” said Gibbs. “He found Denny. What happened here is emotional for all of us. Denny racing like he did right there was unbelievable. I'm emotionally shot."

RELATED: Joe Gibbs Oldest Son, J.D. Gibbs Passes Away During his frontstretch interview, Hamlin was proud to have J.D. over his door, and ready to celebrate. "I'm just going to enjoy it more,” he said. “I think I was just so dumbfounded about everything that happened with the first one, but I think this one will let me soak it all in. I'll have a hell of a hangover tomorrow." "Just a great day overall for our race team. We have a rookie race team for me, a lot of these guys are brand new." "I don't want to tear this one [car] up, I want to put this in my house." Second place Kyle Busch led many laps late, along with Hamlin, but was understandably disappointed in coming up short. "First and foremost we were trying to get one of us to victory lane and second you try to race for the win,” he said. "It wasn't meant to be today. I was trying to work on a run on the 11, can't trust anyone behind us." He added, "Overall, certainly bittersweet. It's awesome to see a JGR car in victory for Joe and J.D. but it's very bittersweet for M&M's, Interstate Batteries, Skittles and everything that sponsors us." Pole sitter William Byron led the field to green, leading the first lap. On lap 11, the JGR teams held up banners emblazoned with a special J.D. Gibbs logo. Joe Gibbs was seen in the 11 team’s pit, eyes closed, taking a moment of reflection and prayer during the lap. It was very emotional. JGR alliance teammate Matt DiBenedetto led the lap. Speaking of DeBenedetto, the driver of the number 95 car for Levine Family Racing put on a show, leading the most laps in the race and remaining in contention until lap 191. PixelatedPICK Paul Menard hooked DeBenedetto while both were racing in the top five going down the backstretch. The crash, affectionately known as, the “Big One” took out 21 cars and brought the race to a 25 minute red flag. Menard on the radio, “I just bumped him a little too hard.”

SEE ALSO: PixelatedPICK: 61st Annual Daytona 500 After being released from the infield care center Menard added, "It was go time and I was pushing the 95 and I was trying to get to the outside and barely hooked him. Yeah, we wrecked a lot of cars. That's my bad. Feel bad about that." Matt DiBenedetto, “Just a racing deal. Just racing hard...he just barely got to my right rear...It's the most fun speedway event I've ever had in my life.” He added, “All these guys, LFR, we proved what we're here to do. Very, very heartbroken but appreciative to be here. Just the beginning." DiBenedetto led twice for a total of 49 laps. The end of the race marred what up to lap 191 was a fairly exciting, action-packed affair. The race up to that point featured a healthy mix of varying styles of draft racing. There was the traditional pack racing that fans have been clamoring for this week, and single file drafting in both the top AND bottom lanes. After lap 191, however, things went south. The aforementioned “Big One” needed 25 minutes to clean up. Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin led the field on the restart with six laps remaining. On lap 194, Ricky Stenhouse dove for a hole that didn’t exist on the backstretch, turning Kyle Larson and collecting several others. With two laps remaining, Busch and Hamlin again led at the restart, and again chaos ensued on the backstretch. This time, Michael McDowell turned Clint Bowyer into William Byron and also again, collecting multiple other drivers. Bowyer had made a threewide move, but wasn’t quite clear when moving up in front of McDowell. “I was going for it,” Bowyer said on the radio. This caused another red flag, for 15 minutes and setup NASCAR overtime. Hamlin was able to hold off his teammate in Busch, and in the scrum behind them, Erik Jones… with damage from one of the earlier incidents, was able to sneak into a third place finish. Other notes: Jimmie Johnson, going for his third Daytona 500 win, fell victim to an accident coming onto pit road with 42 laps to go in Stage 2. Cody Ware and BJ Mcleod made contact, with Ware sliding hard into the back of Tyler Reddick, who then slammed into the back of Jimmie Johnson, destroying the back of both cars, while Mcleod slid through the frontstretch grass. Johnson was then served a two lap penalty for improper fueling procedures while repairing the damage. Johnson had just enough breaks fall his way and somehow managed to take his mangled machine to a ninth place finish.

REFERENCE: Stickn' With Jimmie Johnson as He Attempts to Win His 3rd Daytona 500 Other surprises in the top ten included Michael McDowell (5th), Ty Dillon (6th), Ryan Preece (8th) and Ross Chastain (10th). Jamie McMurray, in most likely his last race, ran solidly despite heavy damage incurred after a crash on lap 49, even making it back to the lead midway through Stage 2. McMurray ultimately finished 22nd, a victim of the “Big One.”

Stickin With: Jimmie Johnson as He Attempts to Win His 3rd Daytona 500

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway on February 10, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

By: Daniel Vining, Twitter: @danielvining

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 17, 2019) -- After scoring his first win at California Speedway in 2002, his rookie season, 2018 was Jimmie Johnson’s first winless season in 16 years. In the off season, it was announced that the dynamic duo of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus would be splitting up, ending the longest driver/crew chief pairing in NASCAR Cup Series history.

Johnson would be paired up with Kevin Mendeering, who had been Elliott Sadler’s crew chief at Jr Motorsports previously, while Knaus would move over to the number 24 car and crew chief for young William Byron.

Those new pairings would begin producing success right off the bat in 2019.

Knaus struck first with Byron, as the new pairing claimed the pole position for the 61st Annual Daytona 500.

Johnson made his way back into victory lane just a few hours later, albeit through controversy. Johnson attempted a side draft on leader Paul Menard, but in that attempt, the two made contact, triggering a 16 car crash. Johnson remained out front and was proclaimed the winner after rain ended the event early.

Johnson again found himself in hot water a few days later after contact with Kyle Busch in the Duel at Daytona sent Busch spinning down the backstretch.

While there has been a bit of a black cloud hovering over Johnson this week, he is in the mix and proving to be very competitive. It’s like he is having a surge of momentum and is eager, perhaps over eager in some respects, to capitalize on the new opportunity.

“When I look at last year and the struggles we had, sure there’s some obvious things to try to rectify and try to get redemption on,” Johnson said, “but I don’t want to over-emphasize that because it’s not what motivates me. Sure I want to get back to Victory Lane, sure I want to win another championship and all those other obvious things that are out there, but that’s not what keeps up at night and gets me excited.”

The monkey he has been carrying since his last points paying victory is ready to jump off after the exhibition win in the Clash, and the Daytona 500 is a great place to get that win.

Johnson has won the “Great American Race” twice, in 2006 and 2013. In 34 starts at Daytona International Speedway, Johnson as completed 80% of the laps he has run (not counting the Clash, a race that he is historically terrible in) and led 299 of those laps. He as three wins, having won the 2013 July race in addition to his two Daytona 500s, and has an average finish of 18th.

While Johnson is not my out right pick to win this Daytona 500, I feel as though he will be a strong contender; this could be the week the monkey jumps. So, for all those reasons, I’m #StickinWith Jimmie Johnson.

SEE ALSO: PixeatedPICK: 61st Annual Daytona 500

Stickin With is a feature of PixelatedSPEED that follows and showcases a driver that hasn’t won in a while. I “stick with” the featured driver until that driver cracks into victory lane. This means I may stick with a given driver for one week… or the entire season. Either way, you’ll get insight and perspective along the way.

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

PixelatedSPEED is a part of the Gravel Network. Copyright - 2018, 2019

PixeatedPICK: 61st Annual Daytona 500

Official 2019 hero portrait for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Paul Menard. (Chris Graythen/ Getty Images)

By: Daniel Vining, Twitter: @danielvining

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 17, 2019) -- Once again the time has come to begin another Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. Once again the motorsports world will place it’s focus on the “World’s Center of Racing,” the Daytona International Speedway. Also once again, I will place my pick to win the Super Bowl of stock car racing.

Going into Speedweeks I had only one word entering my head when the thought of a pick came to mind: Penske.

Over the past few seasons, Team Penske has been a very competitive force at Daytona. Leading laps and consistently putting themselves in a position for victory, it’s a real wonder as to how there have only been three wins by Penske drivers at Daytona.

In 2019, Team Penske got off to great start with a strong showing in the Advance Auto Parts Clash.

Joey Logano was poised for an excellent result but was relegated to third place after rain brought the race to a premature end. Logano is the highest rated driver at Daytona currently, with a driver rating of 84.4. He won the 2015 Daytona 500 and 2017 Clash at Daytona.

On Thursday, Logano won Duel number two after a dramatic pass on race leader Clint Bowyer on the last lap. Statistically, Logano should be the pick, but I’m not going with Logano this week.

Brad Keselowski, like Logano, has been very strong in recent years at Daytona. Unlike Logano, hei has found himself on the short end of the stick more times than not, and has not been able to capitalize on his performances. This year at Daytona, Keselowski has suffered from miscommunications on pit road, was a part of the Big One in the Clash, and lost his roof escape hatch in the Xfinity Series race. Keselowski will be strong on Sunday, but I’m not sure he is strong enough to win.

Ryan Blaney has been solid in his Daytona efforts. He ranks 10th statistically among active drivers with a rating of 90.3, but no wins. So far, his role has been that of support for his teammates, although he has led 129 laps, 66 more than Logano.

Ryan Blaney’s 118 laps led last year was the most prolific time out front in the race since Davey Allison led 127 laps en route to the 1992 winner’s trophy. Since then, Blaney is the only driver to lead 100 laps or more since Tony Stewart led 107 laps in 2005. Both Blaney and Stewart finished seventh in those races.

Blaney is sure to be strong in this year’s Daytona 500, but he’s not my pick either.

The pick instead comes from a Team Penske alliance teammate… Paul Menard, driving for Wood Brothers Racing.

Menard has had a stellar effort thus far in Speedweeks. He led the most laps in the Clash before being wiped out by eventual winner Jimmie Johnson.

He again showed tremendous strength by finishing third in the first Duel on Thursday, being edged out by Ricky Stenhouse on the final lap.

Menard has been impressive in the draft, and one of the fastest… topping the leaderboard in the next to last practice session (Menard did not participate in final practice).

Menard is driving for the famed Wood Brothers Racing team, and his carrying the heart of a racing community on his shoulders after the passing of Glenn Wood in late January.

The Wood Brothers, NASCAR’s longest operating team, have five wins in the Daytona 500 - second only to Petty Enterprises. Their latest win came in 2011 with rookie Trevor Bayne, who was the youngest Daytona 500 in history.

Menard moved over to Wood Brothers Racing in 2018, and while he and the team struggled throughout much of the season, they were always strong at the plate tracks.

In 2019, Menard seems to have an added confidence in interviews and demeanor. He has the speed, his team has the resources, and with the alliance, he has partners to draft with that have proven that when they stick together they are a true threat.

For those reasons, my pick to win the 61st Annual Daytona 500 is Wood Brothers Racing’s Paul Menard.

The PixelatedPICK is a featured column of PixelatedSPEED showcasing the pick to win the race of the week. Usually centered on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the PixelatedPICK may also feature special events throughout the racing world. Readers are encouraged to share who they think will will the race in the comments section!

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

PixelatedSPEED is a part of the Gravel Network. Copyright - 2018, 2019

Thoughts: How I’d Change the Clash and Duels at Daytona

Alex Bowman, driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, races Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Chocolate Bar Toyota, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway on February 10, 2019 in Daytona. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

By Daniel Vining, Twitter: @danielvining

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 16, 2019) -- From photo finishes, famous fights, and the dreaded restrictor plate, racing at Daytona International Speedway has always been polarizing. Throughout the course of Speedweeks 2019, the fans have made their thoughts known on the current racing package; they don’t like single-file drafting. The Clash, and Duel at Daytona both were chock full of this follow the leader style, begging the question: Is it time for change? I say yes, and I have some ideas.

Teams wanting to save their cars for the end of the race has resulted in this freight train along the topside. Until the newest aero package debuts at Talladega in April, the racing ball is in the driver’s court. It’s up to them to pull down and race forward and unless more than one or two cars decide to pull down and work the low line, this style of racing will continue.

I’m reserving judgement on any aero changes until I’ve seen the reaction to this latest attempt at amplifying the on track product.

So that leaves the formats for these races, starting with the Clash at Daytona.

Some have suggested that it’s time to eliminate the Clash all together, and idea that I fully reject.

In my mind, the Clash at Daytona serves as the race that “knocks off the rust” from the off season, being the first big NASCAR race of the year and the first time we see all the new teams, cars, drivers, etc. Often, the Clash sets the tone of Speedweeks in the minds of the fan base.

Originally set as an exhibition featuring the previous year’s pole sitters, the Clash eligibility has morphed into a bit of circus, expanding over the years to include previous winners of the event, playoff drivers, previous champions, previous Daytona 500 winners, holders of valid learner's permits, and anyone that can drive a golf cart in the infield.

Okay, the last two are in gest, but the point is that part of the challenge of this race was getting into it. That bar has been lowered, and that is part of the problem.

The first change I would make is to reset the eligibility to only allowing drivers that have won a pole in the previous year, and previous winners of the event. That’s it. No more. If that results in there only being ten cars entered, so be it.

Next is the race format itself. Also seeing various formats over the years, the current setup is a 75 lap race split into two segments; 25 laps, a competition caution, then the final 50 laps.

Knowing there will be a caution at lap 25 retards racing early. I say let’s revert to the race’s original format from 1979; a single twenty-lap (50-mile) green flag sprint with no pit stops required. Caution flag laps would not count.

Making these changes would limit the amount of single file racing because the event is already in “crunch time”.

A twenty lap race with a handful of drivers may not be enough to draw in enough fans and viewers, so I would propose similar events for the Xfinity and Truck Series, and have all three on the same day following pole qualifying for the Daytona 500.

On to the Duel at Daytona, the twin 150 mile qualifying races that set the starting grid for the Daytona 500. The first Duel sets the inside line, the second Duel sets the outside line. Only the front row, first and second place, are locked in from time trials.

The element of “who’s in,” and “who’s out” has had seemingly decreasing importance over the past decade as the amount of cars entered has gone down. Because of the dwindling importance, many are calling for the duels to be scrapped as well.

Has this race run its course? In an era that is seeing smaller fields, do we need qualifying races for the Daytona 500?

Rather than doing away with the only set of heat races in NASCAR’s Cup Series, let’s do some understanding and tweaking instead.

It’s important to understand that aside from the handful of drivers that are actually fighting for a berth into the show, these races merely set the starting grid and do not warrant the intense, high risk racing that the fan base wants to see. Drivers are not going to risk losing their primary car, if possible.

With that understood, I would restore the importance of these races by mandating that the ONLY drivers locked into the Daytona 500 prior to the Duels are the front row. I would also reduce the race lengths back to 125 miles each; no longer requiring the need of a pit stop. I would retain the awarding of championship points, and perhaps offer a monetary bonus for leading at halfway.

Only when drivers have the threat of not making show, will the intensity… and excitement, rise.

What changes would you make to these iconic events? Share your thoughts in the comments.

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

PixelatedSPEED is a part of the Gravel Network. Copyright - 2018, 2019

SAD NEWS: NASCAR Artist Sam Bass Dies at Age 57; PixelatedSPEED to Pay Tribute

One of the many well known creations from Sam Bass were his hand painted Gibson guitars, awarded as trophies as Nashville Super Speedway. Bass holds a guitar for the winner of the Pepsi 300 in April 2006. (Padraic Major/NASCAR)

By: Daniel Vining, Twitter: @danielvining

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (February 16, 2019) -- The NASCAR community has lost its first Officially Licensed Artist of NASCAR, Sam Bass, after a long battle with Type 1 Diabetes and associated kidney complications.

Sam Bass burst onto the NASCAR scene in 1988 with one of the most iconic paint schemes of the era, the number 12 Miller High Life Buick for 1988 Daytona 500 winner Bobby Allison. That set the stage for a career that spanned over 30 years.

Among his countless creations, Bass created the schemes for Jeff Gordon, including the “Rainbow Warrior” and “Dupont Flames” schemes, and was well known for stunning posters, program covers and paintings featuring the legends of the sport throughout the decades.

Bass’ wife, Denise, made the announcement on social media this morning.

“It is with a sad heart that our family shares the news of our loss with the NASCAR community. Sam Bass, a loving husband, father, and inspiration to us all, passed away earlier today. Thank you for your prayers during this very difficult time. God Bless.” - Denise Bass

PR: It is with a sad heart that our family shares the news of our loss with the NASCAR community. Sam Bass, a loving husband, father, and inspiration to us all, passed away earlier today. Thank you for your prayers during this very difficult time. God Bless - Denise Bass

— Sam Bass (@sambassartist) February 16, 2019

EDITOR’s NOTE: As a graphic designer, and someone that has dabbled in racecar paint scheme creation, I have tremendous amount of respect for what Sam Bass accomplished during his legendary career. Sam created some of the sport’s more striking imagery, and blazed the trail for others with his promotional prowess, creating an entire industry within in the sport.

As a tribute to Sam, and his accomplishments, I am announcing the creation of a Sam Bass Tribute Area to the PixelatedSPEED website. I plan on gathering as much as I can in an effort to share and continue the legacy of this talented artist.

Thank you Sam, GoodSpeed.

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

PixelatedSPEED is a part of the Gravel Network. Copyright - 2018, 2019

PixelatedRESULTS: Johnson Wins Rain Shortened 2019 Clash at Daytona After Big One

The "Big One" on lap 55 of the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona on February 10, 2019. (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 10, 2019) -- After what Motorsport.com reporter Jim Utter proclaimed as the longest short race in NASCAR history, the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona has concluded. The race saw three red flag periods for rain, the third resulting in the race being called 17 laps shy of the 75 lap scheduled distance. It wasn’t the rain, however, that will plastor the headlines following this race. It was the move Jimmie Johnson pulled on Paul Menard on the final lap of green flag racing, which led to the “Big One” and resulted in Jimmie Johnson walking into victory lane.

Paul Menard started from the pole, and very quickly he, in his Wood Brothers Racing machine, along with the trio of Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney from Team Penske, found themselves the dominant force in the race, with Menard leading the most laps in the event.

The race itself was a repeating cycle of side by side pack racing for a couple of laps, before the field would find its way into a topside train, running single file along the wall of the Daytona high banks. This would be followed by a shower, a red flag… and another restart.

On lap 55, Paul Menard was leading the freight train that is NASCAR plate racing down the backstretch. Second place Jimmie Johnson, with a feeling of urgency of impending rain, dove low. Both Menard and Johnson slightly drifted toward each other, resulting in contact and initiating the “Big One”.

Only Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, and Ryan Blaney found themselves unscathed in the crash, but Johnson found himself at the front of the field.

Soon thereafter, the skies opened up, and the track was lost -- ending the event.

“It was really just a racing thing,” Johnson said. “I was going down into Turn 1 and it was looking darker and darker. I saw my move and I had to take it.”

He added, “Just really happy about a great day for Hendrick Motorsports, for Chevrolet, for Ally coming on board and qualifying third for the Daytona 500 and then to win The Clash. Kevin Meendering leading this team. I’m extremely excited to win. It’s not a points race, but it’s a good start.

Paul Menard took some of the blame for the multi-car crash, but was not very happy with the level of aggressiveness by Johnson.

“I moved down a little bit and the next thing I knew, I was getting turned in the left rear,” Menard told Fox Sports 1. “We tore up the car for no good reason. … It sucks that aggressive side drafting caused that big crash.”

After the race was called, Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass was the first to inform that Jimmie Johnson had been declared the winner.

“Jimmie’s a seven time champion,” said Menard. “I’ve got a lot of respect for him but we come to these plate tracks and he causes at least one wreck at every plate track. He got in July here last year and that’s unfortunate that he just did it again.”

PixelatedPICK Joey Logano was one of the few drivers to make it through without a scratch. After being shuffled back during the final stint, he was able to miss this chaos, and finished third.

“We worked our way up into maybe the fourth spot when they started crashing in front of us,” said Logano. “I’m proud that we were able to make the bottom work at least a little bit, but it’s just tough sledding down there.”

He added, “If you can get a few cars to commit with you, you can make it happen. It shows that we’ve got speed in our race cars. That’s a great thing, and then after that it’s a matter of getting people to work with you, which we did. They were our teammates, but I think we showed that we’ve got plenty of speed, which will help us in the 500.”

Unofficial Results - Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona:

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kurt Busch
3. Joey Logano
4. Ryan Blaney
5. Alex Bowman
6. Austin Dillon
7. Chase Elliott
8. Aric Almirola
9. Ryan Newman
10. Daniel Suarez
11. Jamie McMurray
12. Kevin Harvick
13. Paul Menard
14. Kyle Busch
15. Martin Truex Jr.
16. Clint Bowyer
17. Denny Hamlin
18. Brad Keselowski
19. Kyle Larson
20. Erik Jones

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

PixelatedSPEED is a part of the Gravel Network. Copyright - 2018, 2019

PixelatedPICK: The 2019 Clash at Daytona

Team Penske driver Joey Logano during practice for the 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 24, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Chris Graythen/ Getty Images)

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 10, 2019) -- NASCAR racing is back for the 2019 season. To kick off the season, a selection of some of the best in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will take to battle in an exhibition shootout known as The Clash.

Officially the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona, this race serves as the traditional start of the NASCAR racing season. There are no points up for grabs, only cash and prestige. So basically, bragging rights.

The format has varied over the years, however the basic premise it that The Clash is a shootout style race putting the pole winners from the previous year against each other. In recent years, the eligibility rules have been expanded to allow championship contenders to participate, providing a fuller field of competitors.

The 2017-2018 rules were slightly revised ahead of the 2019 Clash, allowing drivers who were 2018 Busch Pole Award winners, former Clash winners who competed full-time in 2018, former Daytona 500 champions who competed full-time in 2018, former Daytona 500 pole winners who competed full-time in 2018, and drivers who qualified for the 2018 Cup Series playoffs full-time to all be eligible to race in the Clash.

For this year’s incarnation, I’m sticking close to the current trends I’m seeing at Daytona. Last year, Brad Keselowski found his way to the top, winning in his Team Penske Ford. Keselowski, and the entire Team Penske ensemble proved to be very competitive throughout Speedweeks, and all four visits to restrictor plate events in the 2018 season.

Keeping it in the Team Penske family, the first PixelatedPICK of the 2019 season goes to 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Joey Logano.

Logano was fast in practice, posting a speed of 196.786 during the first session, topping the chart.

He won this race in 2017 and was runner-up in 2016 and 2017. To say that Logano has been really good in Daytona recently is an understatement. While the Chevy’s from Hendrick Motorsports dominated Daytona 500 qualifying, the new Ford Mustang’s have been very solid all weekend long and look to continue being strong as the start of the season kicks off.

Logano seems very focused on what lays ahead, and does not seem to be encumbered by his recent successes.

“As far as I’m concerned we are past champions now,” said Logano. “It’s cool to be a champion, but now we’re back to zero, just like everyone else. We’re looking to get back to work and have some fun.”

Logano starts seventh in this year’s Clash.

Starting Lineup for the 2019 Clash at Daytona:

1. Paul Menard
2. Kyle Busch
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Ryan Newman
5. Alex Bowman
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Joey Logano
8. Ryan Blaney
9. Austin Dillon
10. Daniel Suarez
11. Jamie McMurray
12. Martin Truex Jr.
13. Jimmie Johnson
14. Kyle Larson
15. Clint Bowyer
16. *Chase Elliott
17. *Denny Hamlin
18. Aric Almirola
19. Kurt Busch
20. Erik Jones

* Will go to the rear of the field in a backup car.

The PixelatedPICK is a featured column of PixelatedSPEED showcasing the pick to win the race of the week. Usually centered on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the PixelatedPICK may also feature special events throughout the racing world. Readers are encouraged to share who they think will will the race in the comments section!

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

PixelatedSPEED is a part of the Gravel Network. Copyright - 2018, 2019

Jayski Bids Farewell After 22 Year Run That Helped Shape Motorsports Journalism Online

BRISTOL, Connecticut (February 10, 2019) -- The motorsports world was shocked with the announcement that the very popular racing news digest site, Jayski.com, would be shutting down effective at the close of the business day on January 28th.

Jay Adamczyk, aka “Jayski” posted only one entry to the website on that day.

“We didn't get to scoop our own news! :-) Thanks for 22+ great years. Today is the final day for http://Jayski.com . We appreciate all your support. It's been an honor to work for ESPN. We aren't sure what's next for us (Jay, Scott -@SLPAGE and, Amanda) but stay tuned.”

Jayski’s NASCAR Silly Season Site was founded in 1996 by Adamczyk, an Air Force veteran and life-long NASCAR fan. Adamczyk got the name Jayski from his colleagues while serving and the moniker has stuck ever since.

The site was initially created because Jayski couldn’t find information on the Melling Racing team, which frustrated the founder. He began sourcing, and posting updates about all the news and rumors he could find across the NASCAR world.

Jayksi.com served as a daily digest of anything and everything related to NASCAR. Jayski sourced material from dozens of outlets across the web and centralized those snippets onto the website, creating a hub of news and information that sometimes saw drivers learning about their fates with teams before finding out from their own teams first.

Having your content featured on the Jayski website was a big deal for many journalists throughout the years, including myself. The thought, “I’ve made it!” popped into my mind the first time that a piece of my content found its way to the front page.

While Jayski.com began in 1996, it wasn’t until 2003 that I discovered the website. In a time before Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, this website quickly became the daily stop where I found my NASCAR news. Not long after finding Jayski, I had decided that I too, wanted to create a NASCAR-centric website, launching the first iteration of The Speedzine in 2003 based on a very similar format to that of Jayski.com.

My website continued to evolve through several iterations, finding its own way in the racing news landscape, and in late 2012, one of my articles found its way onto the frontpage of Jayski.com.

From a post on The Speedzine Facebook page back in 2012:

“Today, roughly two weeks away from the launch of the newest incarnation of TheSpeedzine.com, I am very excited to see one of my articles make it to the famed Cup Series page on Jayski.com.”

“While this is a momentous occasion for myself, it is only the beginning. 2013 looks to be a grand year for my journalism career. Thank you Jayski, for your inspiration, dedication, and sharing my story. Much more to come... stay tuned!”

I credit this website as one of the building blocks to what is now PixelatedSPEED, and hope that Jay and his crew make a return in some capacity in the near future.

In 2007, ESPN purchased Jayski.com as a part of a resurgence of NASCAR coverage for the outlet. Jayski, Scott Page and Amanda Brooks continued to provide coverage on the website through several changes after the ESPN purchase, including a rather unpopular redesign in 2017 that saw the site become fully incorporated into the ESPN format and structure.

After ESPN’s departure from NASCAR coverage following the 2014 season, the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” began divesting itself from all its various NASCAR roots. As a part of company-wide layoffs in 2017, Allen Bestwick and Jerry Punch departed along with the majority of its NASCAR journalism staff in 2018; with Bob Pockrass, and Ricky Craven also leaving.

There was a copious amount of support toward Jayski and his crew following the announcement from colleagues around the racing world.

Fox Sports’ Mike Joy:

“Thanks Jay for all you've done.. its been fun to watch your site and presence grow in the sport.  
Guess this puts the self-named "worldwide leader" three laps down for 2019: @BobPockrass, @RickyCraven32, @jayski.”

Both Pockcrass and Craven are now with Fox Sports for 2019.

NBC Sports’ Nate Ryan:

“Without a doubt, my favorite part of @jayski: Both for the vast knowledge it provided as a clearinghouse for #nascar news/outlets but also because it helped raise my profile in distribution of my work pre-social media (which unfortunately lessened the impact of those link pages).”

Jeff Gluck, JeffGluck.com:

“This is hard to read. I remember when Jayski linking to some of my early NASCAR columns in 2004 felt as big as it gets. Jayski certainly has been a huge part of the NASCAR fabric. Site still had juice even if people didn’t like the ESPN format in recent years.”

He added…

“Someone needs to save the Jayski archives. They really are NASCAR’s history of the last two decades. I still use them today for reminders of when certain announcements or news happened. Would hate to see them disappear.”

I postponed publishing this article hoping that the crew from Jayski.com would quickly land in other places, but that has yet to happen.

Now, Jayski.com is lying dormant, not having been updated since January 28th. It looks as though ESPN has also begun the process of removing the navigational links on the site, as the top navigation bar, which contained the links to the site’s various pages, is now gone.

Scott Page, long time Jayski.com team member, reveled on Reddit that he is open to continuing the website, provided funding can be found to cover the hosting and salary requirements needed to run the project.

"Sure, I just need the money for hosting and a salary and I'm back on it 7 days a week, 18 hours a day like I've done for the last 13+ years," said Page. "Jay is ready to retire, but the site could always live on."

He also provided his insight on the situation and how we ended up here.

"No hard feelings towards ESPN," said Page. "Business is business. It's that way in NASCAR now and it always has been. They gave us a great platform for over 10 years.

"The change in Jayski is as much caused by the change in social media. Anyone can break news now with their own account. If someone knows something, why pass it on to someone else when you can release it yourself?"

Jay Adamczyk:

“As for the future, no idea what happens to Jayski.com as ESPN owns it. No plans to start a new site at the moment. We are all looking at options.”

The @Jayski Twitter handle has remained active, as well as the account of Jayski team member Scott Page, @SLPAGE.

PixelatedSPEED is a motorsports news and views website covering all things racing and has been “Bringing Pixels 2 Pavement Since 2018”. If you've made it this far into the post, thank you. Please consider sharing this content on the interwebs and following PixelatedSPEED on Facebook and Twitter and joining in on the conversation. http://facebook.com/PixelatedSPEED & http://twitter.com/PixelatedSPEED 

PixelatedSPEED is a part of the Gravel Network. Copyright - 2018, 2019

NASCAR Pioneer Glen Wood Passes Away

NASCAR Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Taken on January 20, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (John Harrelson/ Getty Images)

STUART, Virgina (January 18, 2019) -- The NASCAR community has lost another icon of the sport, as Wood Brothers Racing co-founder Glen Wood has passed away.

Wood had been placed in hospice on January 10th.

Reports of his passing began surfacing on January 12th, however those reports were premature. Wood was able to spend his remaining days at home among family before ultimately passing on January 18th.

Wood Brothers Racing Statement:

“It’s with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of team founder and family patriarch Glen Wood this morning. We want to thank family, friends, our small-town Virginia community of Patrick County, as well as everyone in the NASCAR community for their unwavering support of him, his life, his legacy and everything “Pa” represented. We’ve had some very challenging days but the uplifting words you all have sent truly meant a lot and we thank every one of you for thinking of our family during this difficult time. Funeral arrangements are still pending but it will be a small family service.”

As the co-founder of a team that has seen victory lane at the Daytona 500 five times, Wood had been to every single running of the “Great American Race” up until the 2018 running, wherein Wood opted to stay home amid concerns of a flu virus that was sweeping the country at the time.

Glen Wood was one of NASCAR’s true pioneers of the sport. A former driver from Stuart, Virginia, Wood and brother Leonard founded Wood Brothers Racing in 1950. Wood raced in NASCAR for eleven years from 1953 to 1964, claiming one win in a 50 miler in Winston-Salem in 1963.

Wood shared his memory of the beginnings of the Wood Brothers Racing team on the team’s website. He tells the story of his first race, at Morris Speedway in 1950.

“In 1950, at Morris Speedway, near Martinsville, VA, I was running along pretty good about the middle of the heat race, when they had a wreck in front of me. I was trying to go through a little narrow opening and hooked my left rear wheel on the bumper of one of the other cars. It bent the rear end housing, forcing us to quit. We were towing it behind another car, and got up the road about 10 miles. The wheel was wobbling from being bent and finally broke the axle. That, in turn, let the brake drum down on the pavement. As the wheel came out, it jerked the gas neck out of the tank and the gas spilled down and caught fire. Then, it caught the car afire, and it burned right there in the middle of the road. Finally, we got the car unhooked from it, but we didn’t have fire extinguishers. We had some extra gas cans and extra tires and tools that we were carrying in the racecar. And once in a while, a gas can would blow up in there. We were scared to get close to it because of that. So we let it burn until it burned up about everything. That was the first race I’d ever got to start. So we figured it all might be over.”

Glen Wood is survived by a large family including friends and colleagues throughout the motorsports world.

As part of the the iconic Wood Brothers Racing team, Wood played a vital role in the development of the sport over a sixty plus year career.

Legendary names including Pearson, Waltrip, Bonnet, and Elliot all played a role in the success of the team under Wood’s view.

PixelatedSPEED would like extend sincere condolences to the entire Wood family during this time.

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