Race recap: Nick Sanchez survives for win; Daytona truck race results; Dean wins ARCA race
Down at the roller rink, they used to call it an "All Skate."
Today at Daytona, there's track time for every series in town — ARCA, Xfinity, Trucks and Cup — including practice, qualifying and, to cap the evening, the annual Truck Series opener that rarely disappoints.
And unless the coming weekend's weather forecast makes a U-turn, this might be it for a few days. It all starts with ARCA 200 qualifying at 1:30 this afternoon.
Gus Dean wins Daytona ARCA Menards race as caution flies
The Hard Rock Bet 200 came down to a white-flag restart and with yet another horrific crash unfolding on the backstretch, Gus Dean was in the lead at the right time to win, bringing to an end a long Friday of racing.
Dean, racing for his recently deceased grandfather, was full of emotion afterward.
"My Grandad came to every single race I ever ran and he'd tell me to get all I can," Dean said. "This means everything."
Thomas Annunziata finished second with Greg Van Alst, Christian Rose and Tim Richmond rounding out the top five.
ARCA Menards race past halfway
The Hard Rock Bet 200, the opening race of the ARCA Menards Series, is now past the halfway mark and under caution after a crash on the backstretch.
Jake Finch is shown as the leader with 35 laps to go with last year's winner, Greg Van Alst, in second place.
Daytona truck race results
Nick Sanchez, No. 2 Chevrolet
Rajah Caruth, No. 71 Chevrolet
Corey Heim, No. 11 Toyota
Bret Holmes, No. 32 Chevrolet
Spencer Boyd, No. 76 Chevrolet
Stefan Parsons, No. 75 Chevrolet
Matt Crafton, No. 88 Ford
Timmy Hill, No. 56 Toyota
Bryan Dauzat, No. 28 Chevrolet
Christian Eckes, No. 19 Chevrolet
Tyler Ankrum, No. 18 Chevrolet
Jason White, No. 22 Ford
Bayley Currey, No. 41 Chevrolet
Stewart Friesen, No. 52 Toyota
Ty Majeski, No. 98 Ford
Tanner Gray, No. 15 Toyota
Grant Enfinger, No. 9 Chevrolet
Jack Wood, No. 91 Chevrolet
Taylor Gray, No. 17 Toyota
Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Chevrolet
Daniel Dye, No. 43 Chevrolet
Cory Roper, No. 04 Chevrolet
Codie Rohrbaugh, No. 97 Chevrolet
Dean Thompson, No. 5 Toyota
Mason Massey, No. 02 Chevrolet
Matt Mills, No. 42 Chevrolet
Toni Breidinger, No. 1 Toyota
Chase Purdy, No. 77 Chevrolet
Johnny Sauter, No. 45 Chevrolet
Ben Rhodes, No. 99 Ford
Keith McGee, No. 27 Ford
Lawless Alan, No. 33 Ford
Layne Riggs, No. 38 Ford
Jake Garcia, No. 13 Ford
Ty Dillon, No. 25 Chevrolet
Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Chevrolet
Truck race finally ends
The final crash of a crash-filled Truck Series race was the ugliest of them all, but fortunately for Nick Sanchez, it was in his rear-view mirror. He was leading on the final overtime lap when a massive crash erupted off Turn 2.
It's the first career NASCAR win for the 22-year-old Miami racer, who finished sixth in points during his rookie Truck Series season last year, when he had 12 top-10s in 23 starts.
Track-record-trying 11th caution out; Nick Sanchez leads with 6 to go
Yet another crash brought out the 11th caution flag, matching a Daytona International Speedway record.
At the front, Nick Sanchez maintains the lead with Rajah Caruth in second. Six laps remain.
Toni Breidinger, Dean Thompson bring out 10th caution
A crash between teammates Toni Breidinger and Dean Thompson brought out the race's 10th cation with just 14 laps to go.
Neither car suffered significant damage.
Nick Sanchez continues to lead.
Corey LaJoie leads, caution waves with 26 laps remaining
Corey LaJoie, the Spire Motorsports Cup Series driver, assumed the lead right as the caution flew with 27 laps to go.
Ben Rhodes came in to pit with a tire going down after contact near the front of the field. Upon rejoining the race, he quickly fell into the clutches of the lead pack, going a lap down. But he made contact with Toni Breidinger and spun out, bringing out the caution flag.
Running order: 1. Corey LaJoie; 2. Chase Purdy; 3. Nick Sanchez; 4. Christian Eckes; 5. Taylor Gray
Back to green as light rain flies by Daytona
The truck race is back to green after a short red-flag stoppage due to the slightest bit of misting rain.
Bret Holmes leads, with Johnny Sauter running second with 42 of 100 laps completed.
Caution flies for rain, Ankrum wins Stage 2
Remember how we said rain wouldn't arrive in Daytona until Saturday.
Mother Nature had other plans.
The Fresh From Florida 250 went under a yellow flag at the end of Stage 2 for light rain. Officially, 60 laps remain with Tyler Ankrum winning Stage 2, with Christian Eckes, Matt Crafton, Daniel Dye and Ben Rhodes rounding out the top five.
The rain is expected to be short-lived but the race is official with Stage 2 having ended.
Two crashes halt Truck Race early; Johnny Sauter wins Stage 1
A pair of crashes on the backstretch brought out a pair of caution flags within the first 15 laps of the Fresh From Florida 250.
The first crash put Ty Dillon, Thad Moffitt and Jake Garcia out of the race. The second was a single-car spin with Lawless Alan getting turned around.
Layne Riggs, who took over the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports truck that won the event in each of the past two years, is also out of the race thanks to damage acquired in the first wreck.
End of Stage 1: 1. Johnny Sauter; 2. Ty Majeski; 3. Bayley Currey; 4. Tyler Ankrum 5. Taylor Gray.
Trucks rolling toward the green at Daytona
What was supposed to be the main event is now the first half of a doubleheader.
The prerace festivities have given way to cranked engines as NASCAR Truck Series' Fresh From Florida 250 is set to turn the first of 100 laps to open the truck season.
In a schedule revamped due to weekend weather concerns, the truck race will be followed by the season-opening ARCA 200.
Denny Hamlin tops Daytona 500 practice
Leading a string of eight Toyotas atop the leaderboard, Denny Hamlin turned in the best lap of Friday evening's Cup Series Daytona 500 practice with a time of 45.575 seconds.
The Toyota camp struggled mightily in qualifying on Wednesday but showed much more speed during Thursday's Duel races with Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell sweeping the two 150-mile sprints.
Michael McDowell, who will start on the outside of the front row, was the fastest non-Toyota, driving his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford to a lap of 46.256 seconds, good enough for ninth. Austin Dillon was the quickest Chevrolet in 15th with a lap of 46.411 seconds.
Top five: 1. Denny Hamlin 45.575; 2. Erik Jones 45.577; 3. Christopher Bell 45.586; 4. Ty Gibbs 45.594; 5. John Hunter Nemechek 45.598.
Xfinity practice over, Cup cars on the track
Xfinity practice has concluded and the Cup Series cars on on the track for a 50-minute session that lasts through 6:25.
Jeb Burton was the fastest Xfinity driver, with a fastestlap of 186.189 mph in his No. 27 Chevy, a tick faster than Sammy Smith in the No. 8 Chevy.
As for other notables, Hailie Deegan was 29th in a Ford and Franke Muniz, also in a Ford, 31st.
Daytona Truck race starting grid
(* failed to qualify)
Ty Majeski, No. 98 Ford
Johnny Sauter, No. 45 Chevrolet
Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Chevrolet
Matt Mills, No. 42 Chevrolet
Tyler Ankrum, No. 18 Chevrolet
Nick Sanchez, No. 2 Chevrolet
Daniel Dye, No. 43 Chevrolet
Tanner Gray, No. 15 Toyota
Bayley Curry, No. 41 Chevrolet
Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Chevrolet
Matt Crafton, No. 88 Ford
Taylor Gray, No. 17 Toyota
Toni Breidinger, No. 1 Toyota
Codie Rohrbaugh, No. 97 Chevrolet
Dean Thompson, No. 5 Toyota
Jake Garcia, No. 13 Ford
Stewart Friesen, No. 52 Toyota
Chase Purdy, No. 77 Chevrolet
Bret Holmes, No. 32 Chevrolet
Rajah Caruth, No. 71 Chevrolet
Layne Riggs, No. 38 Ford
Grant Enfinger, No. 9 Chevrolet
Jack Wood, No. 91 Chevrolet
Ben Rhodes, No. 99 Ford
Christian Eckes, No. 19 Chevrolet
Corey Heim, No. 11 Toyota
Stefan Parsons, No. 75 Chevrolet
Ty Dillon, No. 25 Chevrolet
Bryan Dauzat, No. 28 Chevrolet
Cory Roper, No. 04 Chevrolet
Spencer Boyd, No. 76 Chevrolet
Mason Massey, No. 02 Chevrolet
Timmy Hill, No. 56 Toyota
Jason M. White, No. 22 Ford
Lawless Alan, No. 33 Ford
Keith McGee, No. 27 Ford
Mason Maggio, No. 21 Toyota*
Clay Greenfield, No. 95 Chevrolet*
Jennifer Jo Cobb, No. 10 Toyota*
Ryan Huff, No. 36 Toyota*
Ty Majeski edges Johnny Sauter for Daytona truck pole
Ty Majeski won the pole for tonight’s Truck Series race. He turned a lap in 50.3 seconds, an average speed of 178.767 mph.
Starting to his outside on the front row will be another NASCAR veteran, Johnny Sauter, whose lap time was less than two hundredths of a second slower. Rounding out the top five are Corey LaJoie, Matt Mills and Tyler Ankrum.
DeLand racer Daniel Dye qualified seventh, behind Nicholas Sanchez.
Johnny Sauter on top of Truck Series qualifying board early
Qualifying for Friday night's Fresh From Florida 250, the opener in the Craftsman Truck Series, is underway and after 15 trucks, three-time event winner Johnny Sauter is atop the board.
A total of 31 drivers will qualify based on time. The top 10 in the first round of qualifying will make the second round.
Willie Mullins claims ARCA pole; SVG fails to qualify
The No. 3 Ford driven by Willie Mullins has secured the pole for Friday night's ARCA Menards Series race.
Shane van Gisbergen, meanwhile, failed to keep up with the draft getting off of pit road, coming in with the 35th-best qualifying time and failed to make the field on owner's points. He will still run the Xfinity Series race on Saturday.
ARCA Menards Series race moved from Saturday to Friday night
With an ominous impending forecast still threatening Saturday and Sunday, NASCAR made the decision to move the ARCA Menards Series race from Saturday afternoon to late Friday night.
The race, set for 200 miles and featuring Shane van Gisbergen among others, was slated for a 1:30 p.m. green flag on Saturday but will instead, be run after the conclusion of Friday night's Craftsman Truck Series opener, the Fresh From Florida 250. The Truck Race is still slated for a 7:30 p.m. green flag and will air on FS1.
The ARCA race will start on FS2 but will switch over to FS1 after the conclusion of a college basketball game between New Mexico and San Diego State.
Starting lineup for the Daytona 500 set via Thursday's Daytona Duels
The complete starting lineup for Sunday's 66th Daytona 500 was set on Thursday night via the Daytona Duels, a pair of 150-mile qualifying races.
Toyota swept the events with Tyler Reddick winning the first race and Christopher Bell winning the second. Joey Logano and Michael McDowell will start first and second respectively, thanks to single-lap qualifying times on Wednesday.
Jimmie Johnson and Kaz Grala each raced their way into the Daytona 500 on Thursday, leaving B.J. McLeod and JJ Yeley as the lone two drivers that didn't qualify for the Great American Race.
Friday's on-track schedule at Daytona
1:30 p.m.: ARCA qualifying.
3 p.m.: Truck Series qualifying for tonight's race.
4:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series practice.
5:35 p.m.: Cup Series, Daytona 500 practice.
7:30 p.m.: Truck Series race.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona recaps: Sanchez wins NASCAR Truck race; Dean claims ARCA win
