Since 2021, the Clash has been hosted at a couple of different tracks. In 2022, the event was hosted by the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and after that, it was moved to the Bowman Gray Stadium, which has since hosted all reiterations.

While discussing the event’s future during a pre-race show at Watkins Glen, FOX’s Chris Meyer pointed out the possible move to Daytona for the event to be an exhibition race or a standalone one. He said (via Speedwaydigest):

“They’re going to be aggressive with forward change, progressive moves without affecting the core base of the sport, and indications are still looking positive.”

“It’s not a done deal, but there’s a possibility that the Clash will return to Daytona and kick off the week of the Daytona 500. Maybe even a Monday night primetime event, which would come after the Super Bowl. I just think that’s a great idea if it happens.” Myers added.

Last year, NASCAR announced it would push the 2027 Daytona 500 by a week to avoid clashing with the Super Bowl. This creates a week-long gap between the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500, giving the organization a perfect opportunity to position the Clash between the two events. 

If NASCAR schedules the clash right after the Super Bowl, the lead-in could draw a significant amount of viewership. However, the organization has not finalized anything yet.

Kevin Harvick backs Clash at Daytona as rumors gain momentum  

After the rumors about NASCAR’s Clash making a comeback at Daytona took off, several fans and drivers made their feelings known about the news. One of them was former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick. 

While speaking about the possibility, he pointed out the historical significance of the 2.5-mile oval. “I think that when you look back at Speedweeks and everything that happens there, having the Clash there the week before or even if we move it to the week of would be great,” Harvick said.

Hosting the Clash at Daytona could help teams and the organization improve superspeedway racing, and the exhibition race could serve as a great preparation ground for the Daytona 500.

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Legge, who is contracted to run Indy 500 and NASCAR Cup Series races this year, recently expressed interest in attempting The Double, i.e., completing 500 miles of the Indy 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and 600 miles of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day.

When asked about the possibility at Watkins Glen, where Katherine Legge was present to compete in the Cup race, she replied, “Yes. I think it would be awesome, right? I think a lot of people have mentioned that, and I think it would definitely be something that e.l.f (Legge’s main sponsor) would be willing to do because they want to do all the groundbreaking, glass ceiling-breaking, really cool stuff. So, I hope that I get that opportunity one day down the road.”

It was in 2001 that Tony Stewart did the unthinkable. He completed 500 miles of racing at the Indy 500, and then boarded a chartered flight to Charlotte to race 600 miles in the Coca-Cola 600.

Not only did he finish both races, but he also secured impressive results in both. He finished sixth in the premier IndyCar race and on the podium in the NASCAR crown jewel.

Tony Stewart stands alone where Katherine Legge desires to tread

Besides Tony Stewart, five other drivers have attempted The Double, starting with John Andretti in 1994. The other names include Robby Gordon (five times), Davy Jones (1995), Kurt Busch (2014), and Kyle Larson (twice).

Only one has completed it – Tony Stewart. Back in 2015, Stewart took a trip down memory lane to share his thoughts on his 2001 achievement. Speaking about how he felt once the challenge was complete, the NASCAR Hall of Famer told ESPN:

“To see those dual checkered flags come out and see them start waving, it was like the weight of the world was off your shoulders.”

Despite spinning off on Lap 3 of the NASCAR race, Tony Stewart went on to finish the race, avoiding a wreck or a poor finish.

In the list of those who have attempted the feat, Katherine Legge would lie among those with lesser experience. It would be interesting to see if the 45-year-old racing veteran could create such an opportunity and pull it off.

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Sharing the incident on X, NASCAR journalist Dustin Long wrote, “NASCAR… In an even & measured voice Kyle Busch asked his team to find Dr. William Heisel and that he will need him after the race. Dr. Heisel has extensive work with teams, drivers and pit crew members. Busch did not elaborate on the radio for why he is making the request.”

Widely known as Dr. Bill in NASCAR, the veteran doctor is the one who keeps NASCAR drivers and crew healthy. He is an OrthoCarolina physician assistant and the director of motorsports.

Often found at NASCAR races, Heisel has grown his love for the sport. However, not as a fan, but the role he plays for the drivers and the crew. Per OrthoCarolina’s website, he has a team of six, which preps the drivers and crew before the race and stays on standby during race weekends.

“We probably see more injuries associated with pit crews than we do drivers in the grand scheme of things,” Dr. Heisel told Spectrum Local News in May 2023. “They didn’t have access to the same resources that traditional stick and ball sports had access to relative to athletic trainers and physical therapists.”

He also shared how he gets “great personal satisfaction out of the care of professional athletes.” Per OrthoCarolina, Heisel has over 30 years of medical experience and more than a decade in motorsports.

Kyle Busch reportedly asked for him to nurse the sinus sickness that has been troubling him since last week, including during the recently concluded Go Bowling at The Glen.

Kyle Busch reacts after his comeback at Watkins Glen

Following the conclusion of the Watkins Glen race, Kyle Busch shared his thoughts as he came home in eighth place and picked up 35 important points. He told the media after the race:

“Strong day for the No. 8 zone Jalapeño Lime Chevrolet team. We were a top-10 car for the majority of the race, and ended eighth here at Watkins Glen International. We made the adjustments and strategy calls we needed to drive forward and make up track position after qualifying 21st, despite battling a car that trended tight throughout the race.”

Having started his day in 21st place, Busch fell back to 24th by the end of Stage 1. However, he recovered brilliantly to finish Stage 2 in fifth place, and in the final stage, Busch came home in eighth place. Shane van Gisbergen of Trackhouse Racing won the race ahead of Tyler Reddick.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

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Elliott, who got his second win this season at Texas last weekend, spoke to the press and voluntarily made a special call to support his uncle during his press conference at Watkins Glen. 

Elliott, who comes from a rich racing legacy pioneered by his father, Bill Elliott, called for people to take notice of his uncle Ernie Elliott, who has been included in the list of Hall of Fame nominees for the Class of 2027. 

“I don’t talk about stuff like this a lot, but you don’t have to dig very far into the Elliott racing story to recognize one, how much of a family effort it was, how much of a team effort it was. And I don’t think you would find anybody in the group that would tell you the story has the same ending today, throughout the course of the 80s, even leading into my career, that looks the same without my Uncle Ernie.”

The 2020 Cup Series champion added, “He means a lot to me personally. He’s meant a lot to my career. He was building engines for our race cars, racing super late model races, and all those things. So just very grateful for him.”

Chase Elliott also spoke about his uncle’s impact on his own career and his father’s. He believes that things would have been different without Ernie Elliott guiding him. 

The No. 9 driver for HMS said, “A lot of deserving names on the list that will get in and should get in. Whether it be this year or another year down the road. But certainly, I feel he is one of the very deserving names on the list and one that doesn’t get talked about enough for the credit he deserves.”

Ernie Elliott’s Impact on the Elliott Legacy

In 1987, Enrie Elliott built an engine that clocked the fastest time at Talladega to date. That year, Bill Elliot won his second race in Daytona.  But before that, in 1985, Ernie built an engine that propelled Bill to win three of the big four races in Daytona, Talladega, and Darlington. 

Those wins earned Bill the Cup title as well as his first million. The engine was so good that at Talladega, Bill lost two laps under green due to a broken oil line, but returned to the lead lap without a caution and went on to win the race ahead of Cale Yarborough.

Of Bill Elliott’s 44 race wins, 33 have come with his brother as his engine builder and crew chief. He won the Cup Series in 1988 with Ernie as his crew chief. The Elliott duo had a staggering run with the No. 9 Ford winning six races with 15 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes. 

Chase Elliott said that those legendary stories are still spoken about.

“I get to have a lot of really cool conversations with him on Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and Mondays, throughout the week about things he was doing to the ’85 Winston Million engine or the ’87 Daytona 500 engine that you guys will never hear. And I take those things for granted, but I think they would blow your mind.”

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What changed was the consistency of the team, and that’s exactly what Elliott commented upon.

“We’ve been together a long time,” Elliott explained. “We’ve experienced a lot together. We’ve experienced a lot of good, fortunately. We’ve also experienced a lot of bad, unfortunately.

“I think that’s a team that has experienced enough to know better just in how to handle things and how to handle bad days as well as how to handle good days,” Elliott added before concluding with how the win at Texas brought “a lot of pride” within the organization.

The performance at Texas was legendary as Elliott already dominated major portions of the race, winning Stage 2 while also pulling through a late restart against Denny Hamlin. For a veteran team that usually builds momentum as the season progresses, the 2026 season has been greatly different.

Elliott also kept framing this as a team effort rather than one of individual excellence. “Our pit crew was doing an incredible job. I thought Allen called a good race. I felt like I managed things behind the wheel well. I just felt like everything was clicking.” He later added, “When we’re clicking… I feel like we can really be one of the very best groups out here.”

But after all, what’s so special about this team that Elliott kept referring back to? And how did they help Elliott become what he is today together?

The decade of adversity that built the No. 9 team

Chase Elliott and Alan Gustafson have somehow managed to stick together since way back in Elliott’s rookie Cup days a decade ago, when they were paired under the No. 24 banner and now under the No. 9 banner.

The communication-heavy team culture that we know Hendrick Motorsports for today is heavily shaped by Gustafson, who brought immense experience from previously working with Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin.

Through the years, Gustafson’s guidance helped carry the team through late-race collapses, winless droughts, and even a difficult transition into the Next Gen era. However, the most difficult phase came in 2023 when Elliott fractured his tibia while snowboarding in Colorado before the Las Vegas race, forcing him to miss six races.

Combined with that, he also received a suspension after intentionally wrecking Denny Hamlin at Charlotte.

The troubles didn’t end there. Hendrick Motorsports also battled massive L2 penalties over illegally modified hood louvers.

Despite all this, the team stuck together, and even when Elliott missed the playoffs, they refused to split apart, building the exact team spirit that Elliott vouches for today.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

He even had a successful career as a team owner (Kasey Kahne Racing) and went on to win six championships as one. But a World of Outlaws win as a driver eluded him for almost three decades, a wait that was finally over on Friday.

Kahne has 228 World of Outlaws career starts to his name, and his win at the Grays Harbor Raceway was the first time he won a race. He was driving the Macri Motorsports #39M car and picked up the win with 0.581 seconds to spare over Sheldon Haudenschild.

“It’s crazy,” Kahne said. “I couldn’t believe this would happen this weekend. Two weeks ago, I was still building my own cars to get prepared to hopefully race them later this year.

“Nick Macri and their whole family. Man, this whole Macri Motorsports team. Joe Mooney, he’s exceptional on the wrenches. He worked at KKR (Kasey Kahne Racing), and he’s done so much more since then with Anthony. Bob, Doug, the whole team. This is a really good team.”

Kyle Larson, co-founder of the High Limit Racing sprint car series, also congratulated him.

“Yeah, that was awesome,” Larson said. “I was flying here, so I didn’t get to watch the race live, but I’d gotten texts from multiple people when he won and landed in time to watch his interview and just see how excited everybody was for him… the fans, himself, the team.”

Thanks to the victory, Kahne became the third racing driver from Washington to win a World of Outlaws feature after Travis Jacobsen and Jason Solwold. The win is also the team’s 10th win in total, and first with Kahne, after Macri fell ill recently.

Kasey Kahne filled in for Anthony Macri in Macri Motorsports

Macri Motorsports decided to replace an injured Anthony Macri with Kasey Kahne after the former’s compression fractures of the T4 and T5 vertebrae in a crash at Williams Grove in April this year.

“With Anthony Macri continuing to keep his health and healing process as a priority, he is unable to return behind the wheel at this time,” the team said in a statement. “Macri Motorsports has decided to temporarily fill the seat of the 39M to keep the crew fresh and support our local tracks in the midst of some big events.”

Kasey Kahne will continue to race in the #39 M car for the next five races, making it a 10-race schedule since his return.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

On Friday, the Japanese automotive company announced that it might lose 22 percent of its net profit for the fiscal year ending 2027, which is estimated at $4.3 billion. This loss is the direct result of the ongoing geopolitical tension between Iran and Israel/US.

The Toyota Accounting group officer Takanori Azuma, while in an interview with Reuters, said, “The impact of the Iran war is being felt in everything from fuel costs, transportation expenses, and the cost of paint and other materials used at vehicle assembly plants.”  

The automotive giant also revealed the operational cost for the quarter that ended on March 31st fell by 50 percent, which amounts to nearly 1.1 trillion yen to 569.4 billion yen, making it the company’s lowest quarterly performance over the last three years.

Its shares ended down around 2.2%, their lowest close since mid-October. For a brand that sold a record 11.3 million vehicles in 2025, this is definitely a big hit. 

Toyota has also projected an increase in sales of hybrid vehicles. They expect the sales to increase by 5 million vehicles for the first time this year. To add to this, last week the automotive manufacturer revealed that their sales in the Middle East have fallen drastically due to the disruption in the shipment. 

In addition to this, the company also dealt with the traffic levied by the US President Donald Trump, which cut its operating profits by 1.4 trillion yen. 

With the geopolitical setback, the rising cost of raw materials, and the lack of shipment, the company is now forced to navigate the most difficult time in the automotive industry. 

The irony is that the commercial upset comes in when the manufacturer is having one of the best, if not the best, years in NASCAR.

Toyota’s performance in NASCAR becomes its only hope amid the global crisis

Toyota has been off to a historic start this season, becoming the first manufacturer to win five of the first six races since Chevy did it in 2007 when Toyota entered the sport. As of now, Toyota is the clear leader among the manufacturers with 513 points.

In the last 11 races, Toyota has already dominantly won seven of them. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick has been the star so far, and he created history when he won the first three races.

Denny Hamlin is in good form, being second in the standings behind Reddick after winning at Vegas. Alongside him, Ty Gibbs, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, also enjoyed his much-eluded maiden Cup win.

Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell have been better than their previous performances.

So, the difference between Toyota on track and off track has been very stark. While the automaker continues to dominate in NASCAR, it’s unfortunately grappling with issues globally.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

The entire controversy started at the NASCAR Cup Series race in Texas after Ryan Preece slammed into Ty Gibbs, sending the latter spinning into the outside wall. But this wasn’t the most important part of the racing incident.

This debacle became even more controversial when NASCAR later reviewed the radio communication, SMT data, as well as camera angles before issuing a massive 25-point penalty and $50,000 fine for Preece.

Post-race, an interview by Gibbs highlighted how the radio communication had made everything worse. “Obviously, that didn’t help the situation. Me saying all that stuff,” Gibbs admitted, before adding, “If you say you’re gonna wreck somebody and you do it, that’s obviously an issue.”

Gibbs, however, remained quite calm in temperament, repeatedly emphasizing, “We’ll let NASCAR figure that out,” while also admitting, “we got our race car tore up, lost a lot of points for, you know, for going through that bottom and not making any contact.”

When asked again about the controversy, Gibbs stressed the week ahead, “I’m just worried about going racing this weekend and trying to get our points back that we lost.”

He tried to stay comical even on the broader issues of the race weekend as he concluded with, “The fans probably hope the weather holds out so they can sit in the rain.”

But why was NASCAR so strict about a simple racing incident? Well, the key moment was after aggressive racing between both the drivers, Preece was heard saying on team radio, “What a f****** idiot that kid is,” before taking it a step further and wilfully adding, “Alright, when I get to that 54, I’m done with him.”

And he did exactly that. Around 25 laps later, hard contact by Preece sent Gibbs spinning into the wall, severely damaging the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, effectively ending the race for them.

As Gibbs’ last statement was dedicated to the comfort of his fans, that exact group is now coming out to question NASCAR’s inconsistent decisions on radio “intent,” with the discussion now widening up to include other affluent drivers.

NASCAR’s Busch decision sparks “silent retaliation” debate

When Kyle Busch escaped punishment for spinning John Nemechek straight into the outside wall, it seemed that the incident was greatly intentional, for the former had directly steered into the latter, also at Texas Motor Speedway.

Add to this the fact that throughout the race, Busch was venting over team radio, even yelling at one stage, “We haven’t been in the top 10 in three years.”

We might also recall the profanity that blessed our ears after Busch made prior contact with Carson Hocevar and Nemechek. Coming to the white flag, Busch’s No. 8 Chevrolet made heavy contact with Nemechek entering Turn 3, destroying both drivers’ races.

NASCAR then again reviewed SMT data, angles, and radio footage before concluding that they cannot penalize Busch. Their reason? They concluded that the RCR Chevy had substantial steering damage, and the radio communication did not show any evidence of “intent.”

This has now fueled a severe debate between fans as to how NASCAR decides intent between drivers when faced with almost similar incidents.

The debate basically is: shouldn’t both the drivers draw equal penalty — that is, Preece’s radio announcement that he would make contact and then following up with it, versus Busch’s lack of radio communication but clear intent visible on camera to derail Nemechek. After all, audible or visual, don’t both signify intent?

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

But having the best cars run by too many drivers may end up producing a troublesome feeling for JRM at the end of the season when their drivers are in the fight for the Championship. 

Justin Allgaier, the leader in NOAPS, has won three races in his full-time No. 7 drive for JRM. Connor Zilisch, who shares the No. 1 car with Carson Kvapil, has won two races, including at Watkins Glen.

Meanwhile, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has picked up another two while driving the No. 88, which is run as a shared project by JRM and HMS to bring the wealth of HMS Cup drivers’ experience to help develop the JRM project. 

Rajah Caruth takes the wheel on the regular, set to drive a total of 23 races in the No. 88 and the rest in the No. 32 for Jordan Andreson Racing. Sammy Smith drives the No. 8 car full-time, while Shane Van Gisbergen and Corey Day have each driven the No. 9, which is a special entry car for JRM. Both No. 9 drivers have picked up a win each for JRM.

The Dale Earnhardt Jr-run NASCAR O’Reilly team’s issue is not securing the team standings; they have a hefty lead. The issue will boil down to the drivers who are fighting to make their mark and win the NOAPS in the process. Currently, Justin Allgaier leads with 598 points while Corey Day sits 4th with 400 points. 

The issue is with drivers like Carson Kvapil and Rajah Caruth. Kvapil, who splits the car with Zilisch, is currently 8th with 357 points, while Caruth sits 15th with 271 points.

Issues already creeping up at JRM

Justin Allgaier wants the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series trophy really badly. And if his early race wins aren’t a sign of intent, a wheel-to-wheel battle with Kyle Larson at the end of the Texas race would show what Allgaier is all about. 

While Larson won the race, he made his feelings clear about Allgaier’s move to crowd the pack into the grease and marbles on a late restart.

“Anybody else who was restarting, the leader wasn’t doing that,” Larson said in a post-race interview. “I just don’t think it’s that necessary. I’ve always been the type in all my racing, even sprint cars – just start the race. Don’t crowd people into the grease, don’t crowd people into the marbles, just start the race.”

Allgaier said that a move on Larson without contact wouldn’t have been possible. But that would have opened him up to those behind, so it was better to let Larson take the win so that it’s another in for JRM.

But he wasn’t wrong. Allgaier was fighting for the championship while drivers like Larson, who drive in the series part-time, don’t really pick up points. Same with Connor Zilisch and Shane Van Gisbergen.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

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The No. 71 Spire Motorsports driver signed a multiyear deal with the team in 2025. His first year with the team was a bit volatile, but he impressed on occasions, bagging three top-five finishes and three top tens. However, this season has been a different story altogether.

The 41-year-old has one top ten and a top five to his name, but been has finishing outside the top 20 in the last four races. Heading into the Watkins Glen race this weekend, during his media availability, Michael McDowell spoke about his future at Spire while also adding who might replace him if he retires.

He spoke highly about Spire Motorsports development driver Tristan McKee and emphasized that he would retire when the 15-year-old is ready to replace him. “He’s really switched on, focused, and he’s the real deal. Jordan was asking when I’m gonna quit. I’m going to quit when he’s ready to go Cup racing, Lord willing,” McDowell said (via Express).

This is not the first time the Spire driver has spoken about the young phenom. After McKee won his first ARCA Menards race last season at Watkins Glen, McDowells had made similar comments about finding his replacement.

In 2026, Mckee has won two ARCA races in Hickory and Rockingham drving the No. 77 Chevy for Pinnacle Racing Group.

While Michael McDowell tipped his hat to the teenage racer who could replace him, the 19th-year NASCAR veteran is hungry to prove himself. And Sunday’s Cup race at Watkins Glen might just be the place to do it.

Michael McDowell eyeing a comeback

During qualifying on Saturday, the McDowell placed second, just 0.259 seconds behind Shane van Gisbergen. The Watkins Glen track has been the American drivers’ strong suit even though SVG has established himself as the road maestro.

While talking to the media ahead of Go Bowling at Watkins Glen, the No. 71 driver said, “Watkins Glen, obviously, has been a great racetrack for me. We’ve had not the best finishes, but we’ve had good speed here.”

The last few races have been difficult for the Spire Motorsports veteran. McDowell and Co. faced penalties, had missed opportunities and made mistakes that cost them.

“There’s no doubt these last four weeks have been rough for the 71 group,” McDowell said Saturday. “We know that. But the plus side is our race team has a lot of speed. Our teammates have had a lot of speed, so we know how to get there, and we know what we need to do.”

The team will be hoping that Watkins Glen provides the relief that they need.

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