Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin returns to Daytona International Speedway as the most recent race winner, having taken the season-opening Daytona 500 victory – his second in the Great American Race. Continue reading “Will Denny double up at Daytona?”

Alex Bowman’s maiden Monster Energy Series victory Sunday night in Chicago coupled with the good showings from his three Hendrick Motorsports teammates – Jimmie Johnson, William Byron and Chase Elliott – was certainly an encouraging sign for the championship organization as it heads into Daytona Beach. Continue reading “Is Hendrick Motorsports back?”

Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney has watched both his teammates – Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski – celebrate in Victory Lane multiple times this season. But the popular 25-year old driver of the team’s No. 12 Ford should feel plenty optimistic heading into Daytona. Continue reading “Blaney on the verge of driving into #NASCAR Victory Lane”

UPDATE: A new twist has developed in the Earnhardt/Xtreme Concepts saga.

iK9 has tweeted that they are still supporting Jeffrey Earnhardt and will return to the track at some point soon.

However, iK9 or Xtreme Concepts have yet to clarify why the No. 81 team withdrew from this week’s Xfinity Series race at Daytona.

We now and always stand behind Jeffrey Earnhardt, and we will be back on the track soon. https://t.co/HZAbIgFyOe

— iK9 (@iK9_Global) July 3, 2019

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It is looking like Xtreme Concepts Racing and iK9 have possibly gone a bit too extreme with their racing ventures.

Jeffrey Earnhardt was scheduled to run this weekend’s Xfinity Series event at Daytona for Xtreme Concepts Racing in the No. 81 Supra, but Earnhardt explained on Twitter that unfortunately he won’t be racing this weekend.

Unfortunately I won’t be running this weekend @DISupdates . I’m looking forward to getting back in the car soon.

— Jeffrey Earnhardt (@JEarnhardt1) July 3, 2019

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It appears that the sponsor turned race team has bitten off more than they can chew. And now it looks like one of the more refreshing stories of the season — the emergence of Jeffrey Earnhardt as a win-contending driver — could be approaching a sad ending.

Although no official word has been released as to the future of iK9 as a NASCAR sponsor or Xtreme Concepts Racing as a race team, the iK9 sponsorship has been removed from the Joe Gibbs Racing sponsorship page on their website.

Of course, iK9 was sponsoring Earnhardt’s limited effort in JGR’s No. 18 Xfinity Series ride as well as a slew of other races for other drivers in the No. 18 car as well as some of Brandon Jones’ No. 19 car.

They were also fielding a part-time Xfinity and Cup Series team of their own (both No. 81) with Earnhardt behind the wheel.

Now, it appears that Xtreme Concepts and iK9 could be on the way out of NASCAR.

For the first time in his brief Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Erik Jones returns to Daytona International Speedway as a defending race winner. The driver of the No. 20 JGR Toyota earned the win in only his fifth Cup start at the track. Continue reading “Erik Jones Back to defend for the first time at Daytona”