Column By: SHANE CARLSON / RPW – DAYTONA BEACH, FL – The NASCAR XFINITY Series is set to officially take the green flag on Saturday afternoon, and there are a lot of storylines to follow in this series as the year goes on.
As for Saturday, there are some Cup drivers double-dipping, with Chase Elliott, Aric Almirola, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez and Austin Dillon getting some extra seat-time before they race in Sunday’s Daytona 500. No doubt, it’s going to be a tough row to hoe for the XFINITY regulars to beat the Cup guys and get a win, but it can be done.
One driver to keep an eye on is Ryan Truex, the younger brother of 2017 Cup champ, Martin Truex Jr. Ryan landed a ride at Kaulig Racing in the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro after replacing Blake Koch, who helped bring the team to relevancy over the last two seasons. Ryan Truex now has the opportunity he has been waiting for: a full-time ride in quality equipment, and he’s hungry to showcase his talent. Daytona would be a great place to start off his releationship with Kaulig Racing and his sponsors.
My Pick To Win Is…
Joey Logano
No. 22 Fitzgerald Glider Kits Ford Mustang
Team Penske
In 14 career starts at Daytona in the XFINITY Series, Logano has completed all but one lap with one win to his credit, and finished in the top-10 in 10 of those starts. The Penske power under the hood is among the best in the business, and Ford has a good history as of late on the restrictor plate tracks. All of these factors combine are going to make for a good day for Logano and he will give 80-year-old Roger Penske another trophy.
POWERSHARES QQQ 300
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17
2:30 PM ET
TV: FOX SPORTS 1
RADIO: MOTOR RACING NETWORK
