Release by Kyle Busch Motorsports
Date: Feb. 12, 2021
Event: NextEra Energy 250 (Race 1 of 22)
Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile tri-oval)
Format: Three Stages; 20 laps/20 laps/61 laps
Start/Finish: 17th/10th (Running, completed 101 of 101 laps)
Winner: Ben Rhodes of Thorsport Racing (Toyota)
In his maiden NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start, Drew Dollar exited Turn 4 at Daytona International Speedway in the third position on the final lap before getting clipped from behind and getting swept up in a last-lap crash. Despite the incident, the 20-year-old driver brought the JBL Tundra home in the 10th position.
Stage One Recap:
- Dollar started in the 17th position after laying down a speed of 178.614 mph in a qualifying session held Friday afternoon.
- After one caution in the opening stanza, the JBL Tundra of Dollar was scored in the 18th position.
Stage Two Recap:
- At the stage break, Dollar radioed to his No. 51 crew that his JBL Tundra was loose coming out of the tri-oval and in Turn 3 but good overall. Crew chief Mardy Lindley summoned his rookie driver onto pit road for two tires and fuel. Dollar would start the second stage in the 12th position.
- At the third caution of the evening, Dollar remained in the 13th position, but he radioed to his crew that he was still learning the air. Lindley summoned Dollar to pit road for left side tires and fuel. Dollar would restart in the 17th position.
- By the end of the second stage, Dollar was scored in the 14th position.
Final Stage Recap:
- Under the break, Lindley kept his rookie driver on track to start the stage from the third position. Dollar was told prior to the stage going green to stay on his toes and keep doing what he had been doing.
- At the sixth caution on Lap 62, Dollar radioed that he was still learning. Lindley brought the JBL Tundra to pit road, where the over-the-wall crew changed the right side tires and added fuel.
- After three caution periods, Dollar remained in the top five. On the 10th caution flag of the evening, Dollar was running in the top five when the No. 25 slid down the track into the JBL Tundra causing Dollar to spin. The rookie driver was able to drive away. He would restart in the fifth position.
- As the white flag flew on Lap 100, Dollar was in contention for the race win. By the time the field was exiting Turn 4, Dollar was running in the third position before he was clipped from behind and turned into the outside wall.
- Dollar would be credited with a 10th-place finish at Daytona.
Drew Dollar, driver of the No. 51 JBL Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports
Top-10 in your debut. How was your race tonight?
“I think the number one thing is we got another Toyota to Victory Lane, and I feel like I played a little bit of a role in that, so I’m proud of that. We had a really fast Tundra. We were just smart all night. My JBL Tundra was really fast. It drove really well. We had a few times where we got out of shape a little bit but overall, I think we called a good race, and I was in the perfect position. Things just didn’t work out, but I’m looking forward to the rest of the season with Toyota.”
NextEra Energy 250 Recap:
- Ben Rhodes scored his fourth career victory Friday at Daytona beating Jordan Anderson to the line by 0.063 seconds. Cory Roper, Ryan Truex and Carson Hocevar rounded out the top-five.
- There were 31 lead changes among 12 different drivers. There were 10 cautions for 43 laps.
How Dollar’s KBM Teammates Fared:
- John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Toyota, finished seventh
- Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished ninth.
