Last year’s dramatic last-lap win of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 produced one of the most talked about finishes in recent memory. Driving the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for his grandfather Richard Childress – the same car that the late Dale Earnhardt won the 500 with in 1998 – Austin Dillon maneuvered past final-lap contact to take the checkered flag. (more…)
Daniel Hemric, Ryan Preece, Matt Tifft and Tanner Berryhill are beginning their rookie campaigns in the Monster Energy Series in 2019. Preece and Tifft, both former Joe Gibbs Racing drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, will race in the No. 47 for JTG-Daugherty Racing and the No. 36 for Front Row Motorsports, respectively. Hemric, the two-time NXS championship finalist, will wheel the No. 8 for Richard Childress Racing, marking the return of the number made famous by Dale Earnhardt Jr. when he drove for Dale Earnhardt Inc. from 2000-07. Berryhill will make his first start in “The Great American Race” behind the wheel of the No. 97 Obaika Racing Toyota. The last driver to win the DAYTONA 500 in their first start was Trevor Bayne in 2011.
(Daytona Speedway PR)
Austin Dillon will look to become only the fourth driver to win consecutive DAYTONA 500s. Dillon captured a victory in “The Great American Race” in 2018, 20 years after Dale Earnhardt did the same in the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 for his only DAYTONA 500 win. The last driver to win consecutive DAYTONA 500s was Sterling Marlin in 1994-95.
(Daytona Speedway PR)
