ON THE TRACKS Saturday’s automobile racing roundup

Michael Annett stretched the Speedweeks streak of first-time winners to three with a victory Saturday within the Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway. Annett won for the primary time at NASCAR’s national degree, a profession that spans 345 races in three collections. He gave JR Motorsports, owned with the aid of Dale Earnhardt Jr., his sister and sister, and Rick Hendrick, its fourth in 5 years at Daytona. “A lot of human beings had been down on Michael Annett for a while now,” Earnhardt said. He likened Annett’s possible using the No. 1 Chevrolet for JRM, a competitive Xfinity Series crew, to while the late Dale Earnhardt gave Michael Waltrip a journey in 2001. It changed into Waltrip’s first trip in an automobile capable of triumphing, and he ended a 462-dropping streak using prevailing the Daytona 500 in his debut race for Dale Earnhardt Inc.

“It rings a bell in my memory of an Earnhardt giving a Michael a danger years ago to show his potential,” Earnhardt Jr. Said approximately Annett’s victory. Annett observed Austin Hill, winner of the Truck Series opener, and Harrison Burton, winner of the ARCA opener, as first-time winners this week. The Daytona 500 is Sunday. Allgaier completed second for a 1-2 Chevrolet end but didn’t have a possibility to bypass Annett for the lead. The racing changed into, in large part, single-record and strung out, the alternative of Friday night time’s crash-marred Truck Series race.

Sam Bass, NASCAR’s artist, dies at fifty-seven.

Sam Bass, a NASCAR artist who helped layout paint schemes and program covers that illuminated a whole game, has died. He was fifty-seven. His spouse, Denise, announced his death Saturday with a be aware of his professional Twitter account. Bass suffered from kidney issues. Other info has now been not disclosed. Bass changed into NASCAR’s first officially certified artist. His work enlivened a number of the racing’s top stars and marquee events. His NASCAR Cup Series background covered paint scheme designs for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and others. Born in Hopewell, Virginia, Bass has become interested in racing at Southside Speedway in Richmond. After shifting to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1984, he became commissioned to do the race program cowl art for the 1985 Coca-Cola six hundred. He’s carried out each cover for Charlotte Motor Speedway, given that.

NASCAR stated in a declaration that “although he may have in no way became a lap or a wrench, few captured the essence of our sport via his paintings more than Sam Bass.” “He became a constant presence inside the NASCAR storage, and his ever-present smile and endearing personality welcomed all,” the racing collection introduced. “Though we’ve got misplaced a member of the NASCAR family, his legend will hold in his artwork — all of which illustrated the greatness of our recreation and the expertise of a real buddy.”

Austin Hill earns Truck Series victory.

Austin Hill blocked his way to his first career Truck Series victory in a crash-marred season-opener Friday night time at Daytona International Speedway. With the simplest nine of the 32 vehicles running in the 2nd extra time, Hill had to block Grant Enfinger for most of the final lap. He needed a final huge, bold maneuver to hold off Enfinger as they rushed closer to the checkered flag. Hill won for Hattori Racing and solidified the group’s decision to release reigning collection champion Brett Moffitt a month after Moffitt gained the title. Hattori Racing struggled all last season with funding, but Moffitt won the very last races of the yr to provide the underdog crew an unexpected championship.

Team owner Shige Hattori released Moffitt and signed Hill, who had a little monetary backing, in early January. The 24-yr-vintage received for the primary time in 52 profession Truck Series begins, and Hattori has gained three immediately courting to the final season. Enfinger finished 2d, and Ross Chastain turned third, followed by Spencer Boyd and Matt Crafton. Angela Ruch, the niece of 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope, completed 8th. She and Natalie Decker both made the Truck Series opener and are the handiest two women racing at NASCAR’s national level on the beginning weekend.