One of the Largest Fields in League History — 43 Drivers Took the Green Flag
The Moonlight Racing League Xfinity Series roared into 2025 Season 7. It began with a wild and unpredictable season opener at Daytona International Speedway. 43 drivers took the green flag. This was one of the largest fields in league history. The intensity was sky-high from the drop of the flag. The pack racing delivered 12 leaders, 23 lead changes, and a fair share of mayhem across 82 laps.
🟢 Race Recap: Daytona’s High-Speed Drama
Rookie Michael Danks (#970) proved to be the man to beat. He sliced through the field from P22 to P1. Michael led a race-high 23 laps en route to victory. The win didn’t come easy though, as several front runners were shuffled or wrecked in late-race chaos.
🏆 Top Finishers
- 🥇 Michael Danks (#970) — Fast, patient, and in the right place when it mattered.
- 🥈 Matt Tucker4 (#66) — Earned 10 stage points and stayed near the front all race long.
- 🥉 Joseph Vulpis (#98) — Fastest lap of the race (46.817), 14 laps led, and 0 incidents.
- Kyle Lynott (#988) — Gained 30 positions from a P34 starting spot.
- Ricky Mandella Sr (#4) — Avoided wrecks and closed strong.
💔 Tough Breaks
- Kevin Kyle was caught up in a pit road pileup with Richard Swingle and David Brenner that ended his night.
- Michael Pedersen4 was wrecked on Lap 1 by a car returning from the infield. He spent most of the race three laps down.
- Zachary Mulhern was again the victim of someone else’s mistake.
- Collin Bollinger finished 43rd, last on the grid, after early race trouble.
- Ty Quila who was forced to tow after a costly mistake on pit road. The incident was caught on camera by Brandon Finley during a green-flag stop. He suffered a race-ending money shift. This all-too-common paddle shifter error wiped out any chance of a rebound.
🎯 Strategy Spotlight
With 10 caution periods, pit road strategy and restart positioning played major roles in deciding the outcome. Joseph Vulpis ran the cleanest race of the night despite being winless. He had 0 incidents, led 14 laps, and recorded the fastest lap of the event. Michael Danks capitalized late thanks to top-lane help and efficient pit stops.
🚗 Midfield Spotlight (P11–P25)
- P11: Rayshaun Winkfield — Clean, consistent run netted 35 points.
- P12: Jax Duval — Converted a P7 start into a steady points haul.
- P13: Joseph Amato — Climbed from P35 to P13 in a standout recovery drive.
- P14: Nathan Mowrer — Balanced aggression with patience for a solid points result.
- P15: Randy Cornwell — Avoided incidents and maintained pace throughout.
🚨 Penalty Report – Daytona Week 1
Following official review, the Moon Light Racing League has issued the following post-race penalties for infractions during the Week 1 event at Daytona:
❌ Lane Violation Penalties
- Michael Danks (Race Winner) – 20-point penalty
Violation: Changing lanes before the start-finish line on *Lap 38–48 restart sequence. - Zachary Mulhern – 5-point penalty
Violation: Changing lanes before the start-finish line on *Lap 5. - Michael Pedersen4 – 5-point penalty
Violation: Changing lanes before the start-finish line on *Lap 48 restart.
These penalties have been assessed per league rulebook guidelines on restart conduct.
📊 Updated Standings – Top 10 After Week 1 (Post-Penalties)
| Rank | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Tucker | 74 |
| 2 | Joseph Vulpis | 73 |
| 3 | Kyle Lynott | 58 |
| 4 | Ricky Mandella Sr | 54 |
| 5 | Richard Swingle | 51 |
| 6 | Michael Danks | 50 |
| 7 | Rayshaun Winkfield | 50 |
| 8 | Joseph Amato | 49 |
| 9 | Matt Novella | 48 |
| T-10 | Alex McQuarter | 47 |
| T-10 | Hunter Manley | 47 |
🚧 Incident Standings – Week 1: Daytona
Tracking the roughest rides and the wildest weeks — here’s the leaderboard for highest incident counts from the season opener:
| Rank | Driver | Incidents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joseph Amato | 31 |
| 2 | Michael Benton | 29 |
| 3 | Richard Swingle | 25 |
| 4 | Alex Mcquarter | 21 |
| T-5 | Matt Tucker | 20 |
| T-5 | Kyle Lynott | 20 |
| T-5 | Rayshaun Winkfield | 20 |
| T-5 | Nathan Mowrer | 20 |
| T-5 | Justin White | 20 |
| 10 | Tom Lester | 19 |
🧮 This list will be tracked and updated weekly — a season-long tally of the drivers who played it rough or just got caught in the storm.
🗣️ Post-Race Interview: Michael Danks – Daytona Winner
Q: Michael, congrats on the win! Walk us through that final run and what made the difference.
Michael Danks: I couldn’t have done it without Michael Pedersen. Even though he was a lap or two down, I’ve raced with him before and knew he could get me to the front. Normally, I wait until the end to make a move, but with that many cars, we figured it was smarter to get to the front early and try to maintain it.
Q: You looked in control late. What were you seeing out there?
Danks: Throughout the race, I was watching who could push well and who worked together. The bottom lane was definitely more organized than the top for most of the run. Ray Ray (Rayshawn Winkfield) was doing a great job up front late, keeping that bottom tight and honest.
Q: What was going through your head those last few laps?
Danks: Coming to the checkered, I had to pump the gas a few times just to keep second and third place side-by-side behind me. They were both eager to side draft, and I didn’t want to give either of them the opportunity to get a run off the corner. It was intense.
Q: You got hit with a post-race penalty. Any thoughts?
Danks: Yeah, I got dinged 20 points for changing lanes too early on a restart — totally fair. Just a misjudgment on my part. But the win still stands, and that means a lot.
Q: How are you feeling heading into Texas?
Danks: Overall, it was a great race. I had a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to next week. Texas is a different beast, but we’ll be ready.
⏭️ Looking Ahead: Week 2 at Texas
The league heads west to Texas Motor Speedway. High tire wear will shake up the field. The flat turns of 1 and 2 pose a challenge. The banked corners of 3 and 4 add complexity. Abrasive asphalt further increases the challenge. Unlike Daytona, this 1.5-mile oval puts the race in the driver’s hands. Long-run pace and clean pit sequences will separate the contenders from the chaos.
✍️ Editor’s Note
Thank you for diving into our Week 1 recap of the Moonlight Racing League Xfinity Series! As we head into Week 2 at Texas Motor Speedway, we anticipate even more thrilling battles and strategy calls. We appreciate your patience as we review and finalize post-race penalties and standings. Stay tuned for updates, and don’t forget to join the conversation in our Discord community.
If you have any feedback or topics you’d like to see covered in future posts, feel free to reach out. See you on the track next week!
League News Weekly 
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