GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Veteran defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, one of the few assistant coaches Matt LaFleur retained from the previous Green Bay Packers coaching staff, is out after three years with the team and two under LaFleur, the team announced Friday.

The move comes despite Pettine getting the Packers back into the top 10 in overall defense; they ranked ninth during the 2020 season.

Pettine, 54, never signed a contract extension that was offered to him after last season, meaning he was in the final year of his deal, a source told ESPN earlier in the week, making it a cleaner split. Most coordinators and position coaches always have two years on their deals with the Packers, but Pettine chose to go into the last year of his contract and see how things played out.

"We want to thank Mike for his commitment to the Packers for the last three seasons. He was an important part of our success," LaFleur said in a statement. "As a first-time head coach, he was also an invaluable resource for us during our time together."

It means the Packers will have two new coordinators next season. Earlier in the week, they fired special-teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga and will promote assistant Maurice Drayton to replace him.

After LaFleur publicly criticized a defensive playcall from the Jan. 24 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who scored on a 39-yard touchdown pass with one second left in the first half of the NFC Championship Game, this move seemed inevitable.

LaFleur never specifically said whether Pettine -- who calls the defensive plays -- made the call on his own or in consultation with LaFleur.

"It was man coverage -- definitely not the right call for the situation and you can't do stuff like that against a good football team and expect to win," LaFleur said after the game, calling that one of a couple of plays that made the difference in the game.

"You just can't do that stuff. I blame us as coaches for putting our guys in that situation. That's inexcusable. That should not have happened. So we've got to take a look at it, do some self-reflection and try to figure out ways on how that can't happen again."

Pettine, who was hired by former coach Mike McCarthy in 2018, is the third straight defensive coordinator to be fired or let go by the Packers without a head-coaching change. That includes McCarthy's first two defensive coordinators, Bob Sanders and Dom Capers.

Before being hired by McCarthy, Pettine had been out of coaching following his two-year stint as the Cleveland Browns' head coach in 2014-15.

His status was briefly in question after the 2019 season, when the Packers' defense allowed 285 yards rushing in the NFC Championship Game loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but ultimately LaFleur decided to retain him for another season.

The Packers have at least one possible in-house replacement -- defensive backs coach Jerry Gray. The longtime assistant coach joined the Packers this past season and has served as defensive coordinator on two different occasions -- for the Buffalo Bills (2001-05) and Tennessee Titans (2011-13). This was his 24th season as an NFL assistant coach following a playing career that included four Pro Bowls.

The Packers on Friday also made official the firing of Mennenga after two seasons.

World 200m champion comes close to the UK 60m record, while Renaud Lavillenie and Elliot Giles also secure success

Dina Asher-Smith got her first indoor season in three years off to a strong start as she equalled her PB with a world-leading time of 7.08 to win the 60m at the Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe on Friday (January 29).

After winning her heat in a very comfortable looking 7.11, the world 200m champion went even closer to Asha Philip’s British record of 7.06 one hour later, finishing clear ahead of the rest of the field at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold-level meeting.

France’s Orlann Ombissa-Dzangue came close to her PB with 7.16 in second, while Switzerland’s Ajla del Ponte matched her own PB of 7.17 in third. Germany’s Lisa Mayer was fourth in 7.21 and Philip fifth in 7.22.

Asher-Smith’s performance certainly bodes well as she later explained how she feels she still has some race sharpening to do, having previously not competed in an international event since the 2019 world championships in Doha.

“I was really, really happy with today,” said Asher-Smith, who next races in Düsseldorf on Sunday. “Obviously it has been a very strange year for us all and it has been quite a long time since I competed on the international stage, so I wasn’t quite knowing what to expect today.

“But to open with I think my fastest openers ever and equalling my PB is really good.

“I have been working really hard at training and I was happy to see some of those elements come through.

“I am really happy and I am really excited for whatever the next races bring.”

On any race rustiness after her 15 months away from high-level competition, she added: “I do actually think I probably have got a little bit more sharpening up to do. I wasn’t really scared (about returning to competition), I was more excited because it has been so long and I love racing, I love track and field, I love sprinting, it’s what I’m good at and it’s what I have enjoyed since I was a little girl. I was just really excited to get started.”

The 25-year-old looks set to target the European Indoor Championships as part of a full indoor season and when asked how important the indoor season is ahead of the outdoors, she replied: “It is really important this year, more than ever, because personally we have missed a whole year of high-level competition so me and my coach and my team, we all made sure that we wanted to focus on the 2021 indoor season. Mainly to make sure that we were race sharp going into Olympic outdoor season because whilst the world has been really weird we still can’t forget that we have got the biggest prize in track and field up for grabs this year so you have to get ready properly.”

READ MORE: Dina Asher-Smith eyes European Indoors

A number of other athletes also impressed on their season’s debuts in Karlsruhe, with Asher-Smith’s fellow Briton Elliot Giles running a world-leading 1:45.5, just off his indoor PB, to win the 800m after a strong last lap. It was a clear victory ahead of France’s Benjamin Robert with 1:46.3 and 2017 world champion Pierre-Ambroise Bosse, who ran 1:46.4. The results appear to have been hand-timed due to a technical issue, with Giles’ run momentarily flashing up as a world record.

Kenya’s world 3000m steeplechase champion Beatrice Chepkoech also set a world lead to win the 3000m in 8:41.98 ahead of Ethiopia’s Fantu Worku with 8:42.22 and Britain’s European indoor bronze medallist Melissa Courtney-Bryant with 8:42.41.

Kenya’s world indoor bronze medallist Bethwell Birgen ran an indoor PB of 7:34.12, for another world lead, ahead of Spain’s Mohamed Katir with 7:35.29 and France’s Jimmy Gressier with 7:39.70.

In fourth, Andrew Butchart improved his Scottish record with 7:40.85 which strengthens his place at No.2 on the UK indoor all-time list behind Mo Farah.

The meeting had got off to an exciting start with the top three in the women’s shot put all setting indoor PBs. In the second round Auriol Dongmo threw a Portuguese and meeting record of 19.65m for an outright personal best and that secured her victory ahead of Sweden’s Fanny Roos with 18.64m.

Britain’s world finalist Sophie McKinna was a fine third, with her best mark of 18.46m just one of her five throws over 18 metres during the competition. Her previous indoor PB had been 17.97m and the performance strengthens her hold on third place all-time in the UK, with a distance which would have placed her seventh at the Rio Olympics.

Germany’s 2015 world champion Christina Schwanitz was fifth with 18.27m.

France’s former world pole vault record-holder Renaud Lavillenie picked up from where he left off at the StarPerche event in Bordeaux, where he matched his best ever season’s opener with 5.92m. This time he cleared a world-leading meeting record of 5.95m and called it a day after two attempts at 6 metres.

In the men’s long jump, world indoor long jump champion Juan Miguel Echevarria’s opening leap proved to be his best and he claimed victory with his world-leading 8.18m. His fellow Cuban Maykel Masso was second with an indoor PB of 8.08m.

There was further jumps success for Cuba in the women’s triple jump as Liadagmis Povea soared to a world-leading indoor PB of 14.54m, adding two centimetres to her previous indoor best.

Finland’s Nooralotta Neziri finished strongly in lane eight to win the women’s 60m hurdles final in a national record of 7.92, with Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan second in 7.94. The men’s final was won by France’s 2015 European indoor bronze medallist Wilhem Belocian as he clocked 7.49 ahead of the USA’s Aaron Mallett with 7.59.

The women’s 1500m saw Germany’s Katharina Trost triumph as she ran an indoor world-leading 4:12.02 ahead of Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo with 4:12.36.

Germany’s Marvin Schlegel set an indoor PB of 46.61 to win the first men’s 400m final, while three-time world indoor champion Pavel Maslák again timed his finish to perfection in the second final, winning in 46.99.

Full results can be found here.

Photos by Andreas Arndt for Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe

VERSAILLES, Mo. — Ayrton Gennetten will step up in the world of sprint car racing this season, and he’ll do so with the support of two champion sponsors within the industry.

Gennetten, 21, will make the move to 410 sprint cars on a regular basis after winning the ASCS Warrior Region championship last season in the 360 ranks.

He’ll contest a schedule of roughly 65 races with new primary backers Fischer Body Shop and Baughman Motorsports, which have joined Gennetten’s familiar No. 3 team after three straight All Star Circuit of Champions titles with veteran Aaron Reutzel.

With Reutzel seizing an opportunity to go World of Outlaws racing with Roth Motorsports, Fischer Body Shop co-owners Curt and Devin Fischer, along with Mike and Josh Baughman, sought out Gennetten as a young star they wanted to help climb the ladder in dirt-track racing.

“With Aaron getting his opportunity to go Outlaw racing, it opened the door for us and the Baughmans to try and do something a little different,” said Devin Fischer. “It almost got to where racing was a little monotonous and not as much fun, just because traveling with the All Star tour and going where they were running all the time got to be a pretty big grind. It’s a lot of miles and we just couldn’t get to the race track a lot.

“I’ve been following Ayrton for a long time. I remember when he was racing go-karts years ago, when he was just a kid, but I’ve paid attention to him over the last few years and he’s really impressed me with how he’s stepped up on some of these bigger stages,” Fischer continued. “Even last year, he moved up to the 410 (sprint car) and ran mid-pack with the Outlaws with only a handful of 410 races under his belt. That showed a lot to me and I think showcased that he’s capable of being at that level.

“When you do stuff like that in your first couple of big-time races, it’s going to get some people’s attention and it definitely got ours.”

Gennetten made nine feature starts with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series last season, with a best finish of 13th twice. However, he was contending for a top five result at Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track in July before a mid-race flip relegated him to a 20th-place finish.

It’s that kind of speed that has Gennetten confident he can improve on his numbers from last year, especially since he’ll be spending a lot more time racing with a 410 engine underneath him.

“I’m really excited, that’s for sure,” said Gennetten. “It’s something that makes you better, when you start racing with the Outlaws and you’re side by side with the best of the best night-in and night-out. Obviously, we won’t run the full schedule with them this season, but we want to do a decent number of the World of Outlaws races and just be smart about our schedule.

“I thought it was pretty good, what all we did last year, considering my limited experience with the bigger motors,” Gennetten added. “We want to improve on that this season and be learning every night out. As long as we’re making progress through the year, that’s what will be really important to us.”

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Anthony Martial will "come good," according to Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The French striker scored 23 goals in all competitions last season but has managed just five this term with only two coming in the Premier League.

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Martial hasn't scored since Jan. 1 but Solskjaer is confident the 25-year-old will start scoring again soon.

"His talent will always take him through," Solskjaer told a news conference on Friday.

"I've got no doubt about that whatsoever. Yes, he's missed a couple of chances but that happens to everyone. It's just being ready when the chance comes. Just be mentally ready. Don't be frustrated. I've been there myself going through patches when you don't really score goals.

"He keeps practicing in training so we know how good he is and we know he will come good."

United travel to Arsenal on Saturday looking to bounce back from the shock defeat to Sheffield United on Wednesday.

The 2-1 loss at Old Trafford meant United surrendered top spot in the Premier League table to Manchester City and the Norwegian believes Pep Guardiola's team are favourites after a run of 11 wins in a row in all competitions.

"The champions will be the ones that play the best football consistently and at the moment Man City are running away with that consistency," said Solskjaer.

"They're going through a very good period but that might change, who knows.

"Any team can go on a run, any team can go on a bad run. Consistently playing the best football and coping with the circumstances in the world. At the moment they seem to have the upper hand."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says suggestions his team are favourites for the Premier League title "go in one ear and out the other."

City are top of the table and have won their last 11 games in all competitions. It has prompted bookmakers and pundits to make Guardiola's team favourites to win their third title in four years but the Spaniard isn't listening to any of their predictions.

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"Just one month ago [they said] we had no chance to win the title," Guardiola told a news conference on Friday.

"The pundits are always good when we win but not one month ago we were not even in Champions League qualification for next season and now we are the only favourites. It is in one ear and out the other. Nothing else."

City's winning run came after a spell during which they recorded just four wins from nine games and ahead of Sheffield United's visit to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, Guardiola insists there will be more difficult periods before the end of the season.

"In 11 months you have good and bad moments," he said.

"We will have bad moments, we are going to lose games. We have won 11 games in a row, that is quite exceptional in the times we are living but we are going to lose games and drop points. It is how we recover that and be stable in that position. I am not concerned with the pundits' opinion, it is their job and I respect that a lot but it goes in one ear and out the other."

City will again be without Sergio Aguero against Sheffield United as he continues his recovery from COVID-19.

Guardiola's striker shortage has prompted speculation he could sanction a move for Edin Dzeko but sources have told ESPN the Bosnian will not be rejoining the club. Defender Eric Garcia could seal a move back to Barcelona before the transfer if the Spanish club can agree a deal.

"I don't talk about the transfer market here," said Guardiola.

"He [Dzeko] is a Roma player and I will never discuss this kind of situation. My feeling is that we will finish the season with everyone that we started the season with, except maybe one player that everyone knows may be moving.

"I don't think anything else will happen. We will see in the final few days."

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford considers the Los Angeles Rams a viable contender in his trade market, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Friday.

While it's unclear what the Rams can do with quarterback Jared Goff's long-term deal on the books, they've explored the possibilities with Stafford, sources said.

The Lions and Stafford last week mutually agreed to a separation. A source familiar with the situation told ESPN on Saturday night that the Lions would be looking for "fair market value" for Stafford, who is the franchise leader in every major passing category.

NFL teams started reaching out to the Lions about Stafford earlier this week, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Stafford will leave Detroit, whenever he is traded, having thrown for 45,109 yards, 282 touchdowns and 144 interceptions. The Lions made three playoff appearances with Stafford, losing in the wild-card round all three times.

ESPN's Michael Rothstein contributed to this report.

BOSTON – Professional esports organization XSET announced its entry into the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series on Friday, with a two-car team on deck for the upcoming season.

XSET will field the No. 4 Ford Mustang for 2017 series champion Ryan Luza and the No. 38 Ford Mustang for fourth-year driver Casey Kirwan.

In addition, NASCAR Cup Series rookie Anthony Alfredo has joined XSET’s roster of talent as a content creator.

“XSET is revved to be entering this unbelievably fast-growing community,” said XSET COO and co-founder Marco Mereu. “XSET’s unique presence both in sim racing and NASCAR highlights our desire to connect cultures and build greatness. With the skills that Ryan, Casey, and Anthony possess, the sky’s the limit.

“From epic content to exciting driving and winning, XSET’s iRacing roster is poised to take over the sim driving world.”

Luza has been one of the top drivers in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series since his debut in 2017. As a rookie, Luza had five wins in his first season, including winning the championship, and has since added 10 more victories over the past three years.

Last year, Luza garnered the most wins (three, tied) among all series competitors, setting him up for what could be huge success next year.

Luza made the Championship 4 and was in contention for the title in the final laps of the season finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway before a late crash relegated him to a fourth-place finish in the final point standings.

“I’m extremely excited to join XSET and represent them as they dive into the Coca-Cola iRacing Series and racing esports as a whole,” said Luza. “The esports industry has been booming and I’m thankful for the opportunity to join XSET’s rapidly growing organization. I am hopeful this will be another successful year and I am excited to #RepTheSET at the front of the pack – week in and week out!”

Kirwan has built up one of the largest followings in the iRacing community. With more than 500 victories in his iRacing career and two wins in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing series, Kirwan is one of the winningest sim-racing drivers over the past several years.

After a disappointing 19th-place finish in points last season, Kirwan moves over to XSET from Denny Hamlin Racing and is hopeful of a rebound this year.

“I am super excited to join XSET for the 2021 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season,” noted Kirwan. “The organization has already shown in their short time of existence what they are capable of. They have brought together the world’s best talent across the esports world, and to be a part of that is really special. I’m looking forward to growing with them this year and representing the brand and all of their great partners.”

Avid gamer Alfredo began his racing career as a sim driver and showed such ability that he began driving in real life. He has driven for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports late model team and will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series this year for Front Row Motorsports.

“I’m proud to join XSET and be part of innovating the esports industry with them,” said Alfredo. “My roots are in gaming, which makes this opportunity special to me personally. I’m excited to grow my brand and presence in esports with XSET, and utilize my racing platform to connect esports and motorsports fan bases. iRacing has played a pivotal role in my real-life racing career, so this opportunity is very cool.

“I’m looking forward to the future and growing with XSET.”

XSET Gaming will officially debut in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series on Feb. 1 during the annual Clash preseason exhibition event for the 40-driver eNASCAR field.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Broadmoor Pikes Peak Int’l Hill Climb, scheduled for June 27, will be open to fans this year after being closed to spectators last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome spectators back to America’s Mountain in June and our competitors will be thrilled to have the best motorsport fans in the world cheering them on,” said Pikes Peak Int’l Hill Climb Executive Director Megan Leatham.

A limited number of tickets for practice days and for the race may be purchased online Feb. 1. Overnight camping passes are also available. Camping areas include 9 Mile, which is reserved for tent campers only, as well as Halfway Picnic Grounds, Ski Area and Glen Cove.

Long-time race fans Doug and Lucy Williams want to be among the first to purchase race tickets and a camping pass for their favorite area,

“We just love the race and the chance to camp on Pikes Peak at Halfway Picnic Grounds, watch the action, and cheer on the drivers is one of the highlights of summertime in Colorado,” said Doug Williams.

On Monday, February 1, an announcement is slated to reveal the list of more than 65 competitors invited to challenge the mountain in this year’s event.

Four generations of Pettys have wheeled race cars under the Petty Enterprises banner.

Lee Petty, who founded the operation in Level Cross, N.C., won three NASCAR championships and 54 races. His son, Richard Petty, is a seven-time Cup Series champion and recorded 197 of his 200 victories with Petty Enterprises. Third-generation driver Kyle Petty and fourth-generation driver Adam Petty were also winners for the team.

Adam Petty was 19 when he lost his life in an accident at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on May 12, 2000. Lee Petty died a month earlier at the age of 86. Richard Petty’s younger brother, Maurice Petty, a master engine builder, died July 25 at age 81.

While Richard Petty has continued to play a key role with Richard Petty Motorsports, Kyle Petty has always been his own man — living life his way. That includes recording country music and opening shows for acts such as Randy Travis and Hank Williams Jr. He also became a father for a fifth time at the age of 60.

Since retiring from driving in 2008, Kyle Petty has worked as an a commentator for television coverage of NASCAR events. Petty, who won eight NASCAR Cup Series races during his 30-year driving career, currently works as an analyst for NBC Sports.

Having grown up within the sport’s royal family, there is no better storyteller in all of NASCAR than Kyle Petty, who knew early in life he’d be a race car driver.

“I can put it this way,” Kyle Petty said. “Everyone that lived around us were either tobacco farmers, dairy farmers or chicken farmers. All my friends that I played Little League baseball with wanted to be a farmer because that’s what they grew up with. That’s what they knew most.

“So at 6 or 7 years old, I was already a third-generation race car driver and some of my friends were set to become fourth- or fifth-generation famers. If you lived in town, you worked in the mill. If you lived out of town, you worked on the farm.”

The old Petty Enterprises complex is truly hallowed ground as it dates back to when Lee Petty raced out of a small reaper shed beside the Petty home in 1948.

“Again, my point of reference is the community I grew up in. If you go to Petty Enterprises, it’s the same way,” Kyle Petty explained. “When they bought another car to race, they added another segment on to it. They poured another piece of concrete and built walls around that. You can walk through that place and look at the concrete and see where my granddad put his initials of LAP (Lee Arnold Petty) there before it dried.

“The first piece would say LAP 1947, the next LAP 1952 and the next LAP 1956 and so on,” Petty continued. “Every piece of concrete had that. Even post LAP would say PLAP 19-whatever because that’s how they identified when it was put there. There have been probably 12 or 14 expansions to the Petty Enterprises building since 1949 or 1950. We call it the house of a thousand doors because everything connects. They would knock a hole in the wall and put in a door and build on. It’s a maze that connects you from 1947 all the way to 2007 or 2008.”

Kyle Petty also remembers the days when there were only a dozen or so employees, including Richard, Maurice and longtime crew chief Dale Inman. While at the track, grandmother Elizabeth Petty and mother Lynda Petty made fried chicken, ham biscuits, potato salad, vegetables and desserts for the drivers and crew. Petty Enterprises was  always about family.

“At Christmas, everyone would come to the shop and exchange presents. They were just family. You could ask anyone who worked there and they would say the same thing,” Petty said. “Nobody ever worked for Petty Enterprises. They always worked with Petty Enterprises or Lee Petty or Richard Petty or Kyle Petty.

“To this day, if you have ever worked at Petty Enterprises in any capacity at any time, there’s a Christmas party held at the shop that includes every past employee. You’d see aunts and uncles and cousins that were there as well and all of the people who worked there. But everyone is family and always will be.”

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Team communication was key for Michael Carter’s Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires victory at Daytona Int’l Speedway on Friday.

A well-timed pass with a full-course yellow on the horizon secured Carter the win in the second race of the double-header season opener.

Carter, the reigning Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion, was part of a three-car lead pack that made its escape from the field 15 minutes into the 45-minute race. The No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises MX-5 wasn’t leading the pack, however. Carter was in second for almost the entire race, content in the draft behind Gresham Wagner.

With under five minutes left in the race, the No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing entry driven by Jenson Altzman made contact with the barriers at the exit of Turn Two. A full-course yellow was needed to remove the car from the course.

Carter’s spotter saw the crash and immediately knew there was no possibility of the race staying green and the cleanup would take more than the four minutes left on the clock. He radioed Carter with the info, and Carter made his move on Wagner into the Bus Stop. Seconds later, the yellow flags were out.

“I have been racing Gresham (Wagner) for two years now so I know how he likes to lead so I just pushed him to run his race,” Carter said. “Jared (Thomas) was able to get into third. I was the buffer car yesterday, today, Jared acted as that buffer. We, meaning Gresham, Jared and I, we were just clicking off laps and we were able to get a little bit of separation and gapped ourselves pretty seriously.

“My spotter let me know there was going to be a full-course caution and since I second-guessed my spotter yesterday when the green flag was called, I listened to him and I went! Jared had no idea, Gresham had no idea. I was the only one who knew.”

It was the right choice, because the race did finish under yellow, and Carter secured his first win of the 2021 MX-5 Cup season.

“Sure enough, as I was braking for the Bus Stop the yellow came out and there’s only about four minutes left and that’s how it ended,” Carter said. “Coming from where we were yesterday, almost wrecking, to winning today here at Daytona is pretty awesome, very special. It’s a decent way to kick off the season.”

Last season’s Rookie of the Year, Jared Thomas, finished one better than Thursday’s race by following Carter across the line in second.

“I saw Michael (Carter) go and I knew it wasn’t really time to start making moves, but I think he’d got the word over the radio that there was a car off,” said Thomas. “I didn’t know yet, but I went and ended up getting second out of it. I was sitting right where I wanted to be in third coming into the race and for the second day in-a-row I got caught out by a caution, but we did what we wanted to do here this weekend, getting two podiums. It’s a good way to start off a successful year.”

Wagner was unable to repeat his dramatic last lap win from the day prior, but still took the final step on the podium.

“It’s been an exciting weekend all the way through both races,” Wagner said. “Being up front with a little bit more of my usual pace is how I like to get out there. It’s good when you have people like Michael Carter behind just working with you because we were able to break away and make it a three-car race. As soon as I saw us get separated and in line, I knew it was going to come down to something toward the end. That caution wasn’t what I think anyone necessarily wanted, but I’m still happy with how it turned out with a first and a third place finish this weekend. It was a great race all around for Michael out there today and we put together a good weekend and moving on to the next race with points.”

With the incredible door-to-door racing happening through the entire field it was tough to make a pass stick. Hernan Palermo made it look easy though, moving from 20th on the starting grid to 14th at the finish. The feat earned him the Hard Charger Award, which comes with a $1,000 prize for Palermo and another $1,000 for his crew chief.

“It all depends on the people around you and if they are willing to work with you, because you need someone to draft with around here,” Palermo said. “I lost the pack in front of me though, so I couldn’t make up that difference. Daytona is a fun track and this is my first time here.”

Selin Rollan and Sam Paley were initially mixing it up with the top three, but then began to fade back. In the late stages of the race, the two tried to work together to catch the leaders but ran out of time. Rollan finished fourth, followed by Paley in fifth.