NASCAR CUP SERIES
Meet Connecticut’s four drivers racing in the Daytona 500
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series kicks off on Sunday with the 63rd Daytona 500 in Florida. While The Great American Race will look a little different this year in terms of limited fans in the stands due to the pandemic, NASCAR is still hoping to bring the same level of excitement and hype to its season opener.
From a longtime veteran to a rookie in his first Daytona 500, this year’s race includes four drivers with ties to Connecticut. Here’s a closer look:
NO. 37 RYAN PREECE (BERLIN)
The 2009 Xavier High School graduate will make his third Daytona 500 appearance in 2021. Preece’s best finish in the race was in 2019 when he finished 8th after starting 21st. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season marks his third season driving the No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet. The 30year-old became the first repeat winner of the Islip 300 in November and finished the 2020 season with two top-10 finishes and an average finish of 24.3. Preece is also a twotime race winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, winning a race in both 2017 and 2018 before his breakout season in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2019, where he earned one top-five finish and three top-10 finishes.
NO. 22 JOEY LOGANO (MIDDLETOWN)
As one of the sport's most veteran racers, Logano enters the 2021 Daytona 500 for his 14th season in the NASCAR Cup Series and his ninth straight driving the No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Logano, who was born in Middletown, spent a portion of his childhood in Portland, Connecticut, before moving to Georgia at age 9. Logano has raced in 12 straight Daytona 500s, with 2021 being his 13th, and has six top-10 finishes, including winning the race in 2015. Honored as the 2009 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year, Logano won the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Championship and most recently finished third at the 2020 NASCAR Championship 4.
NO. 7 COREY LAJOIE (NORWALK)
While the 2021 Daytona 500 will be LaJoie’s fifthstraight appearance in the race, it will be his first season racing in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. LaJoie had his best finish at Daytona last year when he placed 8th, despite being involved in Ryan Newman’s crash on the final lap. LaJoie is a third-generation NASCAR racer with family ties to the Norwalk area. Both his father, Randy, and grandfather, Don, are members of the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame — the latter held a record 58 feature wins at the Danbury Racearena. In the 2020 season, Corey – then racing in the No. 32 Go Fas Racing Ford — finished with one top-10 finish and the overall 30th ranking of the NASCAR Cup Series.
NO. 38 ANTHONY ALFREDO (RIDGEFIELD)
In his first Daytona 500, Alfredo will be racing in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford. Alfredo, who turns 22 in March, ended the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with three top-5 finishes and 10 top-10 finishes in the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro.