Suarez allowed to run the Clash: NASCAR will allow Daniel Suarez to drive the Joe Gibbs Racing #19 car in the preseason race at Daytona. Substitutions have been allowed in the past for injuries or illness because teams have already landed sponsors and built cars for the event. Carl Edwards announced last week he would not race this year, and because JGR had already prepared to run the event, NASCAR will allow Suarez “ who has never participated in a Cup race “ to compete in the exhibition open to 2016 pole winners, past Daytona 500 pole winners, past winners of the event and anyone who made the 2016 Chase. NASCAR VP Jim Cassidy: “We looked at the circumstances and timing around the unexpected driver change with the #19 Joe Gibbs Racing team and made the determination that we will allow a driver substitution for the Advanced Auto Parts Clash. The team was already in the advanced stages of preparing for that event, and we felt it made sense to allow that car to run.”Â(ESPN.com)(1-19-2017)
