Editor’s be aware: Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing, is writing a , giving a peek into the NASCAR life throughout Speedweek. That is Thursday’s entry.
I wrote this in two elements as a result of I knew it might be a decent turnaround after racing in . So, Half 1 is, “?”
The Duel is exclusive to Daytona, and there are a number of layers to peel again, together with inside our personal race crew, Rick Ware Racing.
The Duel is comprised of dual 150-mile warmth races that set the sphere for the Daytona 500. The for the 2 Duel races are primarily based on time trials from the evening earlier than. These qualifying in odd-numbered positions go within the first Duel, and people qualifying in even-numbered positions go within the second Duel. The 45 drivers going for the 40 obtainable spots in Sunday’s Daytona 500 are basically break up in half. How effectively you end within the Duel determines , or in the event you begin the Daytona 500 in any respect.
There are 36 chartered groups, which means these 36 groups have a assured beginning spot within the Daytona 500. The 4 remaining spots are reserved for open groups, and this 12 months, 9 drivers are in open automobiles.
My No. 51 Jacob Development/Components Plus/Pronto Auto Service Middle Ford Mustang Darkish Horse is a chartered entry. The No. 01 DuraMAX/Take 5 Oil Change Ford Mustang Darkish Horse of my teammate, Corey LaJoie, is an open entry.
There are 4 guys who didn’t have a factor to fret about of their respective Duel races. Chase Briscoe, the pole winner, and Austin Cindric, who certified second, locked into the Daytona 500 by securing the entrance row. In the meantime, Martin Truex Jr., and Jimmie Johnson had been the highest-qualifying open drivers on Wednesday, which granted every of them a Daytona 500 beginning spot. That left two spots obtainable for the seven different drivers. The very best-finishing open driver in every Duel rounded out the ultimate two spots. 5 drivers went house.
So, how’d we do? Properly, that’s Half 2.
I wished to begin up entrance on Sunday, however not on the expense of beating up my racecar within the Duel. I additionally wished assist my teammate make the Daytona 500.
We had a 50/50 shot of ending up in the identical Duel and, fortunately, that’s the way it shook out. Corey and I had been each within the second Duel. I wanted to race effectively, carry house a clear racecar and assist push Corey to the entrance. Corey wanted to be the highest-finishing open driver in our Duel. He was in a race inside a race, going up towards the 21 different automobiles in our Duel however, extra particularly, racing towards his fellow open drivers — Johnson, Anthony Alfredo and B.J. McLeod.
Corey is a very good superspeedway racer and didn’t want my assist in any respect. He was in command all through the race and put his automobile the place it wanted to be. He completed sixth and locked himself into the Daytona 500 because the highest-finishing open driver.
As for me… effectively, I used to be taking a look at being proper there within the top-10 with him. However coming to the checkered flag, a automobile on the surface of me received free and turned down into my door. That despatched me spinning, the place one other automobile got here throughout my nostril and hit me fairly good. It was a very irritating finish to what was shaping as much as be an excellent evening.
That was undoubtedly the quickest racecar we’ve ever had right here at Daytona. I believe the single-car velocity, although we didn’t get to indicate it qualifying, was there. And to get taken out on the final lap was simply painful. So, a number of blended feelings.
We’re going to repair the automobile. We’ve received actually good, devoted folks at Rick Ware Racing who’re going to get the automobile prepared in time for last apply on Saturday. However it’s nonetheless actually irritating. It’s by no means good if you’re tearing up racecars, particularly for a non-points race, so we’ll simply bounce again and preserve digging towards Sunday.
