DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — For 68 years, the finest stock car drivers have flocked to the pristine beaches of eastern Florida to chase the most prestigious checkered flag in their sport. In reality, their journey began long before that — the roar of high-performance machines first graced the sands way back in 1902. yet, in 1959, when Big Bill France rallied every bulldozer in sight to create a 2.5-mile D-shaped oval featuring 31 degrees of banking, 40 feet wide and 20 feet tall, racing shifted inland, giving birth to the Daytona 500.
Similar to the big NFL game held last weekend in Santa Clara, a large portion of the audience for this weekend’s event consists of those who tune in to NASCAR just once a year. You might be one of those casual viewers. Or maybe you’re part of my tribe, proudly showcasing a bronze Richard Petty bust on your desk (guilty as charged) and referring to various household mishaps as “it done blowed up.”
Regardless of your NASCAR knowledge, this Daytona 500 preview is crafted just for you. It’s a concise guide filled with intriguing facts and figures about the Great American Race, designed to help you impress your friends and family with your newfound racing insights as you enjoy your nachos this Sunday.
So, pull on that retro Mark Martin No. 6 Viagra Ford T-shirt, perhaps snagged at a local thrift store for an inflated price thanks to your chuckling teenager (I could have turned a nice profit from all the treasures I donated to Goodwill back in the early 2000s), spritz on some WD-40 behind your ears, toss an old tire into the backyard firepit, and keep reading.
Top Five Contenders for the Daytona 500
This year’s pre-race evening stroll through the garage, where I casually asked the drivers in flashy firesuits, “Which drivers will pose the biggest challenge on Sunday?” resulted in a consensus of five frequently mentioned names. Unsurprisingly, these coincided with the top picks from betting experts. The list starts with Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, who clinched 1st and 2nd in Thursday night’s first Duel 150 qualifying race, despite Blaney’s mustache causing some aerodynamic drag. Close behind them were two multitime Daytona 500 champions: Denny Hamlin and William Byron (more on them later), along with Byron’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, who claimed victory in Thursday’s second race and is in search of his first 500 win, following in the footsteps of his father, a two-time champion (more on that later, too).
Five Additional Drivers to Keep an Eye On
The garage is also buzzing about some drivers likely familiar to hardcore NASCAR fans but maybe not to casual viewers. One notable is Chris Buescher, who sadly wrecked his Ford on Thursday and will start at the back of the field (which means last) on Sunday. He races for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, co-owned by NASCAR legend Jack Roush, which also shares ownership with the Fenway Sports Group — the same group that owns the Boston Red Sox. Brad Keselowski, who still races and whose name popped up frequently in my discussions, was also mentioned multiple times. plus, Bubba Wallace comes to mind, a driver who could have realistically claimed victory in this race twice already, along with the two drivers who have previously won the Daytona 500 in shocking style: Austin Dillon, the driver of the iconic No. 3 car once driven by Dale Earnhardt, and the driver who earned one of the most unexpected victories in NASCAR history, 2022 Daytona 500 champion Austin Cindric.
500 Milestones to Watch
Last year, Byron was on my “Five More to Watch” list, and I received a fair number of confused tweets in return. Yet, his No. 24 Chevy (yes, the same one once driven by Jeff Gordon, who is now retired) seemingly made a miraculous come-from-behind win to capture the sport’s biggest race for the second consecutive year. This victory placed him among one of NASCAR’s elite circles, being only the fifth driver to win the Daytona 500 more than once. The other four? Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Sterling Marlin, and Hamlin, who secured victories in 2019 and 2020.
Hamlin holds three total Daytona 500 wins, placing him in a tie for third all-time with several others (including Gordon). Should he secure a fourth, he would move into a tie for second with another driver famed for his wins in the No. 11: Yarborough. And who holds the all-time record? Petty, known in Disney Pixar’s “Cars” as Mister The King, with an astounding seven wins.
Racing Through the Pain
Racing while injured is a rite of passage in stock car racing, and this year will be no different. NASCAR Hall of Famer Ricky Rudd once raced with swollen eyelids taped open after a serious crash at Daytona — and won. The sport’s very first champion, Red Byron, once piloted on Daytona Beach itself — the actual beach — while dealing with a leg full of World War II shrapnel that he had to bolt to the clutch pedal.
Hamlin faced a tough offseason, losing his father due to injuries from a December house fire. His mother has also been undergoing a lengthy recovery. While sorting through the debris of their home, Hamlin re-injured a right shoulder that he had surgically repaired three years ago. He mentioned he would require another surgery, but only after the season concludes in November.
“I’d be lying if I said I was at 100%,” he admitted Wednesday. “But my hope is that once I’m in the car, it can serve as my escape.”
In the meantime, Keselowski suffered a broken right femur during a family ski trip in mid-December and confessed earlier this week that he was anxious about possibly missing Daytona. He had to sit out the Clash exhibition race and didn’t receive medical clearance for the 500 until Monday. He mentioned the pain is the worst he’s ever experienced, including a serious ankle injury from a road course crash 15 years ago and has been using a cane in the garage that week.
“Walking to the car is far worse than being in the car,” he stated after finishing fourth in his Duel 150 on Thursday. “It will all be worth it when I finally win this race.”
Wait … Keselowski Has Never Won the Daytona 500?
Correct. And there are plenty of other prominent names in Sunday’s lineup who share this lack of a Daytona 500 victory. Keselowski is among five series champions who have never won at Daytona.
Kyle Busch: 63 career wins, 9th all-time; 0-for-20 in Daytona 500; best finish: 2nd, 2019
Brad Keselowski: 36 career wins, 25th all-time; 0-for-16 in Daytona 500; best finish: 3rd, 2014
Kyle Larson: 29 career wins; defending Cup Series champion, 0-for-12 in Daytona 500; best finish: 7th, 2016 and 2019
Chase Elliott: 19 career wins; son of two-time Daytona 500 winner Bill, 0-for-10 in Daytona 500; best finish: 2nd, 2021
Ryan Blaney: 17 career wins; 2023 Cup Series champion, 0-for-11 in Daytona 500; best finish: 2nd, twice, in 2017 and 2020
While they each hold NASCAR’s premier trophy, the massive Cup, they lack the sport’s most significant prize associated with an individual race, the iconic Harley J. Earl Trophy awarded to the Daytona 500 winner. Earl was a legendary mid-20th century car designer known for crafting machines resembling futuristic spaceships (including the one adorning the Daytona trophy) and was also a visionary behind the creation of the Chevy Corvette.
Regarding Chevys and Design…
This Sunday’s 41-car lineup includes 19 Chevy Camaros (compared to 10 Ford Mustangs and 12 Toyota Camrys), and while they may look different than last year, the Bowtie Brigade continues its domination in the annual manufacturers’ title race involving Chevy, Ford, and Toyota. This year’s modifications to the hood, side panels, and nose are relatively subtle, yet the nose design raises some eyebrows. Why? Because, in the tightly packed, conga-line style racing typical of Daytona, these cars frequently bump against each other as they push forward. Meaning that at speeds of 190 mph, these puzzle pieces need to fit together flawlessly; otherwise, a slight misalignment could result in a brutal “Big One” crash that claims multiple cars. Both major wrecks in Thursday night’s first qualifying race were caused by paint misalignment in Chevys.
So, Busch Has Never Won It? And He’s in a Chevy?
Yes and yes. And here’s another yes: he’ll start from the pole position for the Great American Race, marking the first time he’s kicked off the 500 from the number one starting spot. On the surface, that’s fantastic — and it is. Yet, it also brings us to the wildest Daytona 500 stat you need to know about this event’s unpredictability.
The last time a driver who started in first place also finished first was Dale Jarrett… in 2000! That was so long ago that Connor Zilisch, who is making his Daytona 500 debut in the same car number (88) that Jarrett famously drove, wasn’t even born yet. It was such a distant memory that the number one film at the box office was “Scream 3.” This month, “Scream 7” will premiere, starring former Talladega grand marshal David Arquette.
Speaking of Grand Marshals…
The Daytona 500 draws a host of famous figures each year. This time around, comedian and Vanderbilt football superfan Nate Bargatze serves as the grand marshal, accompanied by honorary pace car driver Kurt Russell. Long before he embodied Wyatt Earp or Star-Lord’s deadbeat dad, and even before he starred in “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” (now streaming on Disney+!), Russell was a national racing champion.
Also expected to attend are Michael Jordan, co-owner of 23XI Racing alongside Hamlin (and co-litigant against NASCAR in an antitrust lawsuit that was thankfully resolved last December), Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who appeared in a Super Bowl commercial with Wallace and is set to get a ride around Daytona with him on race morning. If they seek insights into the iconic phrase, “I am speed,” they can visit Lightning McQueen, who will be located in the fan zone nestled right in the heart of the Cup Series garage in the infield. Why? Because this year marks the 20th anniversary of “Cars.” Ka-Chow!
3 Additional Shouts to Sound Like a Daytona Insider… Because ‘3 for Earnhardt’
1. Declare this whenever the TV shows someone in a black No. 3 shirt: “I can’t believe it’s been 25 years!”
Earnhardt perished 25 years ago, on Feb. 18, 2001, during the final turn of the last lap of the Daytona 500. For millions, it remains the most shocking moment in sports history, the sport’s leading star tragically lost during its marquee event. yet, the safety measures that were enacted following the death of the seven-time Cup Series champion have ensured that there have been zero fatalities in NASCAR’s top three national series since that fateful day. For more, check out our comprehensive four-part series from the 20th anniversary in 2021.
2. Yell this during pit stops: “Hey, we’ve seen that dude play football!”
When I covered my first Daytona 500 in 1996, pit crews were primarily composed of mechanics from the shop who dedicated their weekends to building cars while enjoying free Winstons, cheeseburgers, and beer. Nowadays, crews consist of finely-tuned athletes who study film and perfect their four-tires-and-fuel choreography to the point that they can execute pit stops in a fraction of the time they used to. Many crew members are former college athletes hailing from sports like hockey and baseball, with an especially notable number being ex-football players. Teams scout talent using NFL-style combines, and the pit lane boasts former athletes from numerous programs, including Alabama, Penn State, Clemson, and Virginia Tech. Hendrick Motorsports, which led the transition from football to pit crew nearly 30 years ago, recently opened a 35,000-square-foot performance center for its crews.
3. Shout this when there are ten laps remaining: “They’re gonna wreck!”
Yes, we advise you to yell this every year in this preview. But for 67 years, that has held true, and likely will for many years to come. Back in the day, that meant witnessing Petty and David Pearson skimming through the grass toward the checkered flag, as seen in 1976, or Yarborough engaging in a fistfight with Bobby and Donnie Allison in the Turn 3 grass, like they did in 1979. In recent times, it’s about the parity of the modern Gen 7 cars combined with the fearless nature of today’s drivers leading to an annual demolition derby as the 200-lap race reaches single-digit laps remaining. Consider Byron from the previous year, who was mired in the 20s midway through, yet took the lead at the race’s conclusion, all after two major wrecks post-lap 187 that wiped out 16 cars.
