As the first two rounds of practice for tomorrow's Can-Am Duels wrapped up, we decided to wander around Daytona's brand new stadium. Somehow, we managed to not trip over our jaws as they dragging on the floor across Level One Concourse of this stunning facility. What's more - we recorded the trip, and are offering up what we think are some pretty cool features at the injectors.

Sunoco Injector

Sunoco 
Located down at Turn 4, the Sunoco injector was where we began our mile-long journey. Complete with photo booths, merchandise and a pair of 24 stock cars (one of Gordon's and one of Elliott's give fans a taste of the old and new), Sunoco's injector really embodies how much it's ingrained in our sport. What really took the cake for us were a trio of interactive art pieces that gave fans the feeling of revving an engine to 10,000 RPM and kicking up some smoke in a burnout before celebrating in Victory Lane.

Toyota Injector

Toyota
A Toyota Tundra once pulled a NASA Space shuttle - and they don't want you to forget it! A true homage to Toyota's history in auto racing, their injector was complete with models, their ride and drive center, reigning champ Kyle Busch's winning car and trophy.... oh, and a scale model of the space shuttle nose suspended on the wall. (FYI...it's up on the third level, so make sure to add it to your must-see list.)

Daytona World Center Injector

The World Center of Racing 
The official Daytona welcome center. Swing on through to share your Daytona experience with other fans on their fan engagement boards and sign the Start/Finish line that extends up THROUGH the concourse. But most importantly - come here for the view. It's out of this world. 

Chevrolet Injector

Chevrolet
Chevy's into cars... and they want you to share in that love. Much of their space is dedicated to loving your car as they give guests a look at the inner-workings of their automobiles and showcase models both classic and new.


Florida Hospital
Love stargazing? Well, you can do that under a few tons of steel in the Florida Hospital injector, thanks to their breathtaking LED canopy near Turn One on the Level One Concourse. With a setting for Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer and starry Night, it's just one piece of this tech-savvy injector. It also comes completes with interactive games in their Creation walkway, a back-lit fog projector, and serene waterfall.Yeah...count us in.

Want more NASCAR? For checking us out, we're extending you a special offer for the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 on Sunday, April 24! Click here for more details.  
9:19 PM
An early morning look at the midweek storylines surrounding Speedweeks in Daytona.

Rise and shine race fans! Media Day was a blast, and as the focus now turns to the track, there's been a ton of buzz and excitement heading into this weekend's Daytona 500. Here are a few things we picked up on from yesterday's time with the drivers...

 Locked and Loaded for Thursday
Don't expect the race rubbing from Saturday night's Sprint Unlimited to have any kind of effect on the on-track action for Thursday's duels. Any concerns about taking saving equipment for Sunday were quickly dismissed by 2014 Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick. "It's a race," the No. 4 driver said. "We're competitive and when that green flag drops, any kind of plan goes out the window and you just want to win." Brad Keselowski took a break from singing Rush to weigh in on his approach to Thursday's duels. "I've never been in a race where I didn't want to get out front and (race to win)."

 Singing Chase's Praises
Chase Elliott made history Sunday by becoming the youngest-ever Daytona 500 pole winner. But don't think that the rest of the field views Chase as a mere fluke. Teammate Jimmie Johnson knows that Hendrick has something special in the rookie; "He's got a very good pulse on things. We all see it, we all know it." Matt Kenseth, who as of today will start opposite of Elliott on the front row of Sunday's race, has also been impressed by what he's seen of the rookie so far. "I'm not worried about (his lack of experience) at all. He's proven his ability over the last several years." 

A Stacked Rookie Class
Chase isn't the only rookie with his hat in the ring for the 2016 Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors, with Ryan Blaney (Wood Brothers Racing), Chris Buescher (Front Row Motorsports) and Brian Scott (Richard Petty Motorsports) ready to go head-to-head. With 13 NASCAR National Series wins and three Series championships between them, drivers think this could be one of the deepest and most talented rookie classes to date.

Want more NASCAR? For checking us out, we're extending you a special offer for the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 on Sunday, April 24! Click here for more details. 
8:15 AM


We dove head first into DAYTONA 500 prep today, starting bright and early at NASCAR Media Day. Check out the video above, and read up on the Top 5 best moments of the day below, but you can check us out on Snapchat to get all of the behind-the-scenes moments.

1. Dale Jr. Can’t Wait for Heat Racing at Richmond 
It’s no secret Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be driving the no. 88 Hellman’s Chevy at the ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond in April – nor is he keeping his thoughts about the Dash 4 Cash heat racing setup under wraps. He likened the heat races to local track races – and said he knew fans would jump on board immediately. “In fact, I haven’t heard anyone who isn’t excited about heat races.” Same, Junior, same!  

2. Kurt Busch Autographed A Dog
Weirdest thing Kurt Busch has ever autographed? “They shaved the side of the dog, actually, and made me autograph it,” said Kurt. No word on if the dog has been bathed since. 

3. Richmond Day Racing is the Way to Hendricks’ Hearts
Winner of one of the only Sunday afternoon races at Richmond in the 2000s, Jimmie Johnson was excited to hear at the shift back to day racing in April. Said Johnson, “Our team always jokes that our performance is far better on a rained out day race on a Sunday than the night races, so when I heard the shift, me personally, and my team, all got excited. We thought, ‘Cool, we’ll really have a shot to win at Richmond now.’” Everyone else, you’ve been warned!  

4. Matt Kenseth is a Not-So-Secret Swiftie
Being dropped off at school by a NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion might seem like a dream to most kids, but Matt Kenseth’s girls really only focus on one thing. “When I drive the kids to school every morning I’m listening to Taylor Swift,” he said, laughing. That qualifies him for Dad of the Year in our book.  

5. Brad Keselowski’s Karaoke Song of Choice is “Tom Sawyer” by Rush
“There’s no other beat than that – it’s not even hard to sing along to. There’s not even that much singing,” said Brad Keselowski, after being asked what his karaoke song of choice is. We also learned he would like to learn to play the drums for this song, but this song only.

Want more NASCAR? For checking us out, we're extending you a special offer for the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 on Sunday, April 24! Click here for more details.  
6:54 PM
Here's an inside look at whats going on at the World Center of Racing up to and including Media Day:


2016 Daytona Media Day


Want more NASCAR? For checking us out, we're extending you a special offer for the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 on Sunday, April 24! Click here for more details.  
10:32 AM
RIR braves the weather and the inordinate amount of time together to make the trip to Daytona

We're family at RIR, so you could say our trip down to the World Center of Racing for the start of the 2016 NASCAR season is a bit of a "family vacation." While fighting like brothers and sisters all 10+ hours down I-95 South, we hit some pretty impressive numbers, like...

695

Miles traveled. And considering we caravanned with five cars, it's almost like we traveled 3,475 miles across...

FIVE

States. Yup. We cruised from Virginia to North Carolina, crossed South of the Border in South Carolina, scoured the horizon for the Gaffney, Georgia Peach (only to realize it was several hours away), and finally crossed the Florida-Georgia Line into the Sunshine State. Throughout it all, we only made...

TWO

Pit stops. Well, three, if you count stopping at Daytona when we arrived. Even more impressive is that the pace car was able to make this incredible journey/feat of industry dedication on just...

34

Gallons of gas! Which is great, but almost as impressive was the...

152

Ounces of juice, coffee, Gatorade, Bojangles sweet tea and water consumed by the two individuals lucky enough to Snapchat along the East Coast in the RIR Pace Car. (Check out the story by adding us before it disappears!) In the end, enduring the countless Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift anthems was worth it because of the...

50

 Degree change in weather. It's 72 and breezy in Central Florida, guys - much warmer than the 22 degree snow storm we departed at 7:00 am this morning.

Want more NASCAR? For checking us out, we're extending you a special offer for the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 on Sunday, April 24! Click here for more details. 
11:07 PM
RIR finally finds itself down in Daytona for Speedweeks

After almost 700 miles and 10 hours driving down the East Coast, RIR finally finds itself in Daytona for Speedweeks. To celebrate this truly momentous occasion, we're posting our daily five at five (albeit a bit behind schedule) and taking a look at some of the top storylines heading into Speedweeks.

Like Father Like Son
It's a tall order taking on the legacy of the 24, but Chase Elliott passed his first test with flying colors. With a lap speed of 45.845 seconds, the Sprint Series rookie became the youngest-ever winner of the Daytona 500 pole award. His father, Awesome Bill from Dawsonville, was a four time winner of the award (last won in 2001), making Chase and Bill the fourth father/son duo to win poles for the 500 (Richard and Kyle Petty, Bobby and Davey Allison, Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr).

Fans all over the country can share their race day moments with one another thanks to NASCAR's new partnership with Snapchat. Starting with the Daytona 500 this Sunday, Snapchat will cover several races throughout the 2016 season. From the early morning tailgate to the champagne in Victory Lane, users can get an inside look at everything race day through the collective Live Story. For even more of a fix, add us on Snapchat too @ririnsider. 

Vickers Causes "The Big One"
While a back injury keeps Tony Stewart sidelined to start the 2016 season- fan-favorite Brian Vickers will take his place at the wheel of the No. 14. But after missing all but two races last season with blood clot issues, his initial return to a Sprint Cup Series ride was short-lived. A cut tire on lap 23 led to the Daytona "Big One," ending his night early. With plenty of track-time before the 500 on Sunday, there's still opportunity for Vickers to round into form.

In the first Sprint Cup action of 2016, Denny Hamlin took home his third Sprint Unlimited trophy, and second in three years. Only four cars in the field of 25 made it through the race unscathed- luckily for Denny he got his out of the way quickly. After some early race rubbing with Ricky Stenhouse Jr on lap 12, the Chester, VA native managed to race his way to an overtime win over Joey Logano (second), Paul Menard (third) and Kyle Larson (fourth). 

Fanatics Makes Daytona Debut
With over 100,000 square feet of retail space across 33 locations at the track, Fanatics...
 

Sorry about that. Unexpected John Cena insisted we mention him being the honorary pace car driver for the 500 on Sunday. 

Want more NASCAR? For checking us out, we're extending you a special offer for the TOYOTA OWNERS 400 on Sunday, April 24! Click here for more details.
10:35 PM
Join us throughout the week for exclusive content on and off the track.

Check out the week's schedule below to see whats happening on-track, and where we'll be when it is.


FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12
5:00 PM       NSCS Sprint Unlimited Practice            FoxSports 1
6:30 PM     NSCS Sprint Unlimited Final Practice FoxSports 1


SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13
10:30 AM NSCS Practice FoxSports 1
1:30 AM NSCS Practice FoxSports 1
8:15 PM NSCS Sprint Unlimited (LAPS, MILES) FOX

SPRINT UNLIMITED: A non-points paying race, the Sprint Unlimited is unique in its own way. With an eclectic field of former Sprint Unlimited champions,  2015 Chase drivers, Daytona 500 pole award winners and more- it'll be a wild ride. The format is 75 laps with a caution at lap 25, breaking the race into two segments.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14
1:15 PM NSCS Daytona 500 Pole Qualifying FOX

DAYTONA 500 QUALIFYING: Qualifying sets and locks in the front row. It also determines the lineup for the Can-Am Duels. Drivers qualifying in odd number positions will compete in the first duel and drivers qualifying in the even number positions will compete in the second duel.


MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15
We'll be hitting the road to Daytona. Add us on Snapchat @ririnsider and you can follow along our East Coast road trip and see the how RIR gets when we spend just a little too much time in the car together.


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16
DAYTONA 500 MEDIA DAY: Join us as we go inside Daytona 500 Media Day. We'll have our ear to the ground to fill you in on the buzz surrounding the start of Speedweeks.


WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17
5:00 & 6:10 PM NSCS Practice FoxSports 1

We'll be taking a closer look at everything that has gone into the incredible Daytona Rising project, and show you how it's going to change the game for everyone (including your favorite Short Track).


THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18
Noon NSCS Duels Final Practice FoxSports 1

What do fans think about the new Daytona? Are they excited for the 2016 NASCAR season? The RIR team will be out and about talking with fans prior to the Duels later that evening.


7:00 PM NSCS Can-Am Duels (Two races, 60 laps apiece) FoxSports 1

CAN-AM DUELS: Get an early look at some heat-racing action! The Can-Am Duels lock in the rest of the field for the Daytona 500 with each race running 60 laps. The winner of the first Duel will start in third position and the winner of second Duel will start in fourth position. Drivers from the first duel will start in the odd number positions and drivers from the second duel will start in even numbers position.


FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19
10:30 AM - 3:55 PM NXS & NSCS Practice FoxSports 1

We'll be in the pits and roaming the garages throughout the day. Be sure to follow us on social media and check out our blog for the complete RIR Insider experience.
4:30 PM NCWTS Pole Qualifying FoxSports 1
7:30 PM NCWTS NextEra Energy Resources 250 (100 laps) FoxSports 1


SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20
10:00 AM NXS Pole Qualifying FoxSports 1
12:15 PM NSCS Final Practice FoxSports 1
3:30 PM NXS PowerShares QQQ 300 (120 laps) FoxSports 1

POWERSHARES QQQ 300: Get your first glimpse of the 2016 XFINITY Series field. Rookie of the Year candidate Erik Jones, budding star Darrell Wallace and more will duke it out with Sprint Cup regulars in the first race of the XFINITY Series season - names are made here.


SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21
1:00 PM Daytona 500 (200 laps) FOX

DAYTONA 500: The countdown is over. The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season launches with the Daytona 500 - and we'll be front and center sharing the view.
11:45 AM
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