Tag: Daytona International Speedway

I conquered Daytona International Speedway at 145 mph in a NASCAR stock car and lived to write about it

This was a wild, once-in-a-lifetime kind of ride in the driver’s seat.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Not going to lie, I was a little terrified.

The last time I had driven a stick shift was more than a decade ago, and I repeatedly stalled out in the middle of a busy East Lansing street. That’s all I could think about as I stood on pit road at Daytona International Speedway, dressed in a firesuit and about to climb into a NASCAR stock car.

In the driver’s seat. By myself. On the 2.5-mile track, NASCAR’s second-biggest oval that’s home to the Daytona 500.

Thanks to the NASCAR Racing Experience, for eight minutes Thursday, I had a license to turn laps in a race car on the giant iconic NASCAR track.

The day before, I asked driver Alex Bowman for tips, advice, anything that might help.

“Floor it,” the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver said. “That’s really the only advice you need to know. And if you don’t floor it, you have failed your team, so you better floor it.”

Oh, god.

(Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

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As I waited for my turn on pit road, my mind furiously ran through what I remembered of the detailed notes I took during a brief how-to and safety training session.

I’ll have a spotter; just listen and do what he says. Push the button on the steering wheel and hold it to talk to him. Constant throttle, don’t lift in the corners.

The leader of the instructional session said, “All you gotta do is go fast, turn left and not hit nothing.” And while he was helpful and answered my many follow-up questions, I still felt not at all qualified or prepared to pilot a race car.

“Trust the car,” he said. “Trust your instincts.”

Except, my instincts were limited having never surpassed 100 miles per hour in a passenger car and with subpar stick-shift experience.

Helmet on and firesuit zipped up, I climbed through the driver’s window of a No. 43 Chevrolet — a car number synonymous with seven-time NASCAR champ Richard Petty — and immediately realized the shifter was not my biggest concern.

Comfortably in my seat, my feet were were practically in a different zip code than the clutch, brake and gas pedals.

Luckily, the NASCAR Racing Experience was prepared for a driver like me, providing not one but two cushions to ensure I could reach the pedals while my spotter, Albert, introduced himself over the radio.

It was green flag time. My heart felt like it was pounding through my ears, overtaking Albert’s final instructions.

Focus. Breathe. Don’t wreck.

My left foot pushing deep onto the clutch with the car already in fourth gear, a van came up behind me and gave me a literal push off pit road. Albert told me when I was up to speed and then to get my foot off the clutch and hit the gas as I merged onto the track headed into Turn 1.

This wasn’t a new stock car by any means — and definitely not the Next Gen one making its debut in the Daytona 500 — but man, it was fast. One instinct I was told not to trust was lifting into the corners, so I didn’t. Or tried not to.

Holy [expletive].

Daytona’s 31-degree banking in the turns hits harder when you’re the driver and not the passenger. And as Albert offered words of encouragement and instructions, I felt like I got the hang of it after just one lap, but it’s monumentally harder than it looks — by a lot. And I wasn’t the only car out there.

It was a wild rush, unique in its own way, even after having flown with the Air Force Thunderbirds and riding along in an IndyCar car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Spotting me from above the track, Albert said I had a good line and to stick with it at 4,000 RPMs. He liked what he was seeing and told me to “keep digging,” so I did that too. Bowman’s advice echoed in my mind, and I wanted a fast lap average, so I pushed deeper into the gas pedal.

I maxed out at 145.79 miles per hour.

(NASCAR Racing Experience)

The speed was thrilling, intoxicating and even addictive once I settled in and felt in control. No wonder drivers are obsessed with speed. Of course, they need a fast car to win races, but I almost instantly understood how easily driving a race car could transform someone into an adrenaline junkie.

I could have kept going for a few more laps, but the next thing I knew, my eight minutes on track were done.

I crossed the start-finish line on the frontstretch, and Albert said it was my “checkered flag” time, signaling it was my last lap and to dip off the track onto the apron for one more time around before hitting pit road.

A sweaty mess, I climbed out of the car and took my helmet off, realizing a newfound respect for the drivers who do this for hours and hundreds of miles with 39 other cars out there inches away from each other. They are undeniably athletes with the strength and endurance required just to keep up.

No wonder they’re so eager to get back behind the wheel time and time again. Now, I am too.

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NASCAR is reportedly moving its preseason Clash race to the LA Coliseum, and that’s an awesome idea

NASCAR racing at the LA Coliseum?

The Clash — the NASCAR Cup Series’ preseason exhibition race — got a new look at the beginning of the 2021 season, moving from the Daytona International Speedway’s iconic 2.5-mile oval to the venue’s road course.

Well, for the 2022 season, it’s reportedly getting a total makeover and moving across the country.

NASCAR has been in “serious talks” and is on the verge of finalizing a deal to move The Clash “to a purpose-built short track” at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the 2022 exhibition race, The Athletic reported Monday.

The idea to move The Clash to the LA Coliseum — the famous home field for USC Trojans football which has also hosted two Olympics, two Super Bowls and so many other major events — is fun, different and could be really, really cool. Sure, it’s clearly a gimmicky move for NASCAR, but some gimmicks work.

More NASCAR: Predicting the winner of every 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoff race

The views are almost guaranteed to be spectacular — assuming Mother Nature opts for sunshine instead of rain. And if the quality of racing is high, this could be a thrilling event that gets NASCAR fans amped up for the season and draws in casual fans or curious outsiders for a shorter-than-usual race.

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

More via The Athletic:

“NASCAR would hold the race in early February, likely two weeks before Feb. 20 Daytona 500, and use the event to build hype for the upcoming season and the launch of the Next Gen car, which is scheduled to race starting in 2022.

It has not yet been decided whether NASCAR’s new car will be used in the exhibition race; some teams have expressed reservations about racing the Next Gen in an event that doesn’t award points and likely will be a high-contact race due to the tight confines of the track. …

The Coliseum track will resemble the layout of Bowman-Gray Stadium, a historic quarter-mile short track in Winston-Salem, N.C., that encircles the football field where Winston-Salem State University plays each fall.”

Now, some NASCAR purists probably aren’t in love with this idea.

Traditionally, the Clash has been part of Daytona Speedweeks, which is typically a couple weeks’ worth of on-track action culminating with the season-opening Daytona 500. For the 2021 season, the big NASCAR events were condensed to just six days in the week leading up to the biggest race of the year. Couple that with The Clash being held on Daytona’s road course in 2021, and some NASCAR fans didn’t like all the changes.

So moving The Clash away from Daytona International Speedway altogether — away from the historic venue, away from the home of the Daytona 500 and away from the birthplace of NASCAR — might not sit well with a lot of people.

(John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)

But NASCAR has been trying new things to freshen up its schedule and to attempt to grow its fan base. One thing that has some real potential to to that? Racing at the LA Coliseum.

Of course, until NASCAR reveals official details about The Clash leaving Daytona for the LA Coliseum, we won’t fully know what to expect, including whether this could be a great success, a total waste of money or just another exhibition race.

But the idea itself should be celebrated and could create some needed buzz for NASCAR, which will already have to compete with the Super Bowl and the 2022 Winter Olympics at the start of the season in February.

It’s unclear if this would be a permanent move for The Clash, so here’s hoping this deal comes to fruition for 2022.

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NASCAR playoffs guide: Everything you need to know about the postseason format

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NASCAR driver Austin Dillon’s son adorably lost his pacifier in the car before Daytona race

Baby in a race car!

NASCAR drivers often have their families at the race track, and sometimes, they let their kids climb in the car and check out what their parent is about to drive at 200 miles an hour.

Well, Austin Dillon briefly let his son Ace, who’s about 15 months old, get behind the wheel of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet before Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, the regular-season finale. It was an adorable moment as Ace explored what’s what in the driver’s seat.

But then disaster struck: Ace lost his pacifier.

As the 1-year-old baby was squirming around inside the car, his pacifier fell out of his mouth. And like with regular passenger cars, when you lose something around the seat, it can be impossible to find, and it took three people to locate the pacifier.

First, Dillon climbed halfway in the car and looked for it. No success. Then a couple crew members looked around, and eventually, they found it under the seat.

While Ace was surely happy to have his trusty pacifier back, Dillon likely was too. As the NBC Sports broadcast noted, that thing could have easily ended up under a pedal, and that truly could have been a disaster for the driver, who was racing for a playoff spot.

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NASCAR driver Justin Haley won at Daytona by just .023 seconds in incredible photo finish

See just *how close* this NASCAR finish was.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway was delayed from Friday until Saturday because of weather, but the drivers made up for it by putting on a fun show at the iconic 2.5-mile track.

And then the photo finish was incredible.

In NASCAR’s second-tier series race, the Wawa 250 came down to the final lap and ended in a three-wide finish with Justin Haley stealing the checkered flag by barely — BARELY — edging out his teammates A.J. Allmendinger and Jeb Burton, along with Justin Allgaier, to take the checkered flag.

The margin of victory? Just .023 seconds, per NASCAR. That’s wild, and it was so close it was hard to tell exactly who finished first. But the 100-lap race came down to the final few inches.

So close, but Haley came out on top for his first Xfinity Series win of the season and the fourth superspeedway victory of his career. He’s now won two Daytona races and two Talladega Superspeedway races in the second-tier series — the only Xfinity wins of his career — and won a rain-shortened Daytona race in the premier Cup Series in 2019.

Here’s a look at this super close photo finish.

A detailed breakdown of NASCAR drivers with top odds to win regular-season finale at Daytona

NASCAR’s regular season and last-remaining playoff spot are on the line at Daytona.

Crashes, chaos, tempers and tough racing are just a few things fans can expect from races at Daytona International Speedway, and Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 should be no exception.

It’s the NASCAR Cup Series’ regular-season finale, and along with going for a coveted Daytona checkered flag, playoff hopes and the regular-season title are on the line.

The 10-race playoffs start in September at Darlington Raceway, and 15 of the 16 total playoff spots have already been locked up by Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell, Michael McDowell and Aric Almirola.

Related: Starting lineup for the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona

And while the rest of the field will be racing for a position in the playoffs and a shot at the championship come November, Hamlin and Larson are dueling for the regular-season championship, which offers a boost in points headed into the postseason.

But racing at Daytona is almost always an unpredictable mess because the style of racing at the 2.5-mile iconic track leaves little room for error. One tiny mistake by a driver could take out half the field, as they race in packed groups and play with aerodynamics.

With all that in mind, we’re taking a detailed look at the drivers with the best odds to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400, including their histories at Daytona and recent performances. As of Friday morning, Hamlin is the favorite to win the race, per Tipico Sportsbook.

Let’s break it down.

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From giant lobsters to grandfather clocks, NASCAR’s top-14 novelty trophies, ranked

NASCAR has so many fun and wild novelty trophies, so we ranked our favorites.

It’s undeniable: NASCAR and the tracks it competes at deliver some pretty spectacular trophies to Cup Series race winners.

Sure, there are plenty of traditional-looking trophies that are treasured and will surely be part of drivers’ display cases and trophy rooms. But many of those are also subject to change — in name and design — based on the race sponsor, and other than signifying another tally in the win column, they might not mean much.

Instead, we’re talking about the icons, the staples, the ones drivers can spend their careers chasing because they’re so uniquely coveted. We’re talking about the novelty trophies — whether they’re quirky, funky, steeped in tradition or synonymous with the track presenting them.

And NASCAR has some fantastic ones. So here is our ranking of the top-14 novelty trophies the sport’s tracks give their race winners.

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A running list of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule changes

Keeping track of NASCAR’s 2021 schedule changes so you don’t have to.

The 2021 NASCAR season is still weeks away, but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is already impacting the upcoming schedule, forcing the governing body to make some early adjustments.

Despite a 10-week hiatus last spring after the coronavirus first hit the U.S. — NASCAR temporarily shut down, along with pretty much every other sport — the 2020 season was able to continue. Some races were dropped, some were relocated to other tracks and some tracks saw more action than they typically would. Changes were made, but a full 36-race schedule was completed.

Looking ahead as the COVID-19 crisis continues, it seems like NASCAR’s 2021 schedule will have to be fluid as well. So we’re keeping track of the changes NASCAR makes specifically to the Cup Series with a running list that will be updated when necessary.

Here’s a look at how the pandemic is affecting the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

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Ryan Newman shares heartfelt message to Daytona’s emergency crews in return to track

Ryan Newman returned to Daytona International Speedway for the first time since his horrific Daytona 500 wreck in February.

For the first time since Ryan Newman’s horrific last-lap crash during the 2020 Daytona 500, the No. 6 Ford driver returned to Daytona International Speedway and got behind the wheel for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race.

Newman had the lead of NASCAR’s iconic season-opener in February as he and those chasing him came down the frontstretch. Ryan Blaney made contact with Newman from behind in an attempt to give the fellow Ford driver a push to the finish line.

But Newman turned instead, hit the outside wall and was slammed into by another car. He landed upside down, and it took several minutes for the emergency crews to get him out of the car and transport him to the nearby hospital.

So before the GoBowling 235 on Daytona’s road course, Newman took a moment to thank the track’s emergency and health care staff for helping save his life.

Newman said:

“Hey, everyone, just want to say a big thank you. This is a special day for me, a lot of it because of all the things that you guys did back in February. … Thank you for your support, not only for me personally, but all of the things that you do for all of us drivers. It goes a long way, and I wanted to say thank you from the deepest of my heart. Thank you.”

Newman was in the hospital for not even 48 hours before being released, despite initially being in “serious condition.” Months later, he revealed he was in a medically induced coma at one point.

Also prior to Sunday’s race at Daytona, Newman spoke with NBC Sports about his return to the track for the first time since the Daytona 500 wreck. And, in an unsurprising moment for the 42-year-old driver, he made a joke.

When asked about his emotions returning to Daytona, Newman said:

“Ha, I hate to laugh and say it because I really am thankful of all the things I’ve done, but I don’t remember leaving the last time. So when I drove back in the tunnel today, that was kind of the special moment I shared with myself was — the last time I left here, it never registered. So I felt like I never left, and that’s why I’m back because I still feel like this is what I want to do and love to do.

“And I’m blessed to have Guaranteed Rate on our car for this weekend and to be back to be able to do it. There’s no guarantees in life, and that proved — or almost proved that that’s the case. And I don’t know that I could have done anything different in the moment. I still don’t know that I did anything wrong. It’s just, that was part of racing.”

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NASCAR’s new August schedule features a Daytona road course race, multiple doubleheaders

NASCAR continues to rework its schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NASCAR announced Wednesday the latest installment of its redesigned schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it includes a Cup Series race on Daytona International Speedway’s road course and back-to-back doubleheaders for the Cup and XFINITY series at Dover International Speedway.

Since the pandemic led to a 10-week hiatus for NASCAR this spring, the governing body has had to rework its schedule almost entirely to follow state-specific coronavirus guidelines and limit teams’ travel time while still working to have a full 36-race Cup season. Because of that, some tracks have lost races.

Originally, the Cup Series was scheduled to have race weekends in August at Michigan International Speedway, Watkins Glen International, Dover and Daytona. But Watkins Glen is absent from the newly released version of the schedule.

The Cup Series’ first race ever on Daytona’s road course is replacing the annual visit to Watkins Glen in New York. The road course is most famous for hosting the 24 Hours of Daytona — a sports car endurance race officially known as the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA — every January.

Dover and Michigan typically host two Cup Series races per season with the first ones being in May and June, respectively, and their second ones in August. However, because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the tracks’ first races of the season needed to be rescheduled.

The August 29 race at Daytona was not impacted by this schedule redesign, and it will still serve as the regular-season finale.

The 10-race, 16-driver Cup Series playoffs are still scheduled to begin with the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 6. But because of earlier schedule changes, this will be the series’ third race of the season at the South Carolina track when it’s usually the first and only.

Here’s a look at NASCAR’s new August schedule across all three national series. (The governing body had previously announced a Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on August 2.)

NASCAR Cup Series

Saturday, August 8: Michigan International Speedway
Sunday, August 9: Michigan International Speedway
Sunday, August 16: Daytona International Speedway (road course)
Saturday, August 22: Dover International Speedway
Sunday, August 23: Dover International Speedway
Saturday, August 29: Daytona International Speedway

NASCAR XFINITY Series

Saturday, August 8: Road America
Saturday, August 15: Daytona International Speedway (road course)
Saturday, August 22: Dover International Speedway
Sunday, August 23: Dover International Speedway
Friday, August 28: Daytona International Speedway

NASCAR Truck Series

Friday, August 7: Michigan International Speedway
Sunday, August 16: Daytona International Speedway (road course)
Friday, August 21: Dover International Speedway
Sunday, August 30: World Wide Technology Raceway

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NASCAR Betting: Daytona 500 odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Daytona 500 sports betting odds and lines, with NASCAR betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Monster Energy Cup Series kicks off the 2020 NASCAR season at Daytona International Speedway Sunday afternoon for the Daytona 500 at 2:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Daytona 500 betting odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and tips.

The weather forecast is always important for NASCAR races, particularly in the early part of the season when the rains are a little more prevalent in the East. The good news is the temperatures will be in the mid-70’s with just a 20%  chance of precipitation for the first Monster Energy Cup Series race, and really the worst day for weather for Speedweeks appears to be Friday. While the Gander Outdoors Truck Series race might be affected Friday night, the Xfinity race Saturday and MENCS race Sunday look to be good to go barring a change to the forecast.

Who is going to win the 2020 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway?

Feb 9, 2020; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA;NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo Credit: Mike Dinovo – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. ET.

Last season’s Daytona 500 winner, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin (+1000), as well as Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson (+2000), are the only active drivers with multiple victories at the Daytona 500.

According to NASCAR’s Loop Data, Johnson has an 85.3 Driver Rating over his past five starts at DIS, which includes the July summer races, to rank fifth among active drivers while leading 14 laps and running 57.1% of his rotations inside the Top 15.

Looking to place a bet on this race or other motorsports? Get some action in the NASCAR race through BetMGM. Sign up and bet at BetMGM now!

If you look at the Loop Data for just the past five Daytona 500 races, Hamlin goes from outside of the Top 10 in Driver Rating for all races, to second. He has a 99.4 Driver Rating over the past five February races at the track while leading a circuit-best 151 laps. He has also run 70.2% of his laps inside the Top 15 in the past five Daytona 500s. Hamlin not only won the 2019 installment of the Great American Race but also the 2016 version, too.

Penske Racing driver Joey Logano (+1000) is actually listed as a co-favorite with Hendrick’s Chase Elliott, Hamlin and JGR’s Kyle Busch (+1000). Logano tops the charts over the past five Daytona 500 starts with a 102.7 Driver Rating while leading 61 laps and running 80.7% of his laps inside the Top 15. He has managed a 4.2 Average-Finish Position (AFP) during the five-race span, too. Logano averaged 161.939 mph in his 2015 victory at Daytona, the fastest average speed since Dale Earnhardt Sr. won Feb. 15, 1998 with an average speed of 172.712 mph.

2020 Daytona 500 longshot bets

Feb 9, 2020; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (right) wins pole award and driver Alex Bowman (left) is the runner up during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo Credit: Mike Dinovo – USA TODAY Sports)

JTG Daugherty’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+2000) is on the pole for Sunday’s race, the eighth consecutive season a Chevrolet leads the pack out. He’ll be right ahead of Hendrick’s Alex Bowman (+2000), who will be on the outside of Row 1. In the past four Daytona 500 starts, Bowman is closing in on a winner. He has averaged a 1.5 Average-Start Position while registering a 9.5 AFP. That’s good for a 93.4 Driver Rating, so he’ll be one to watch as he looks to earn his first checkered flag in the Great American Race. His best-ever finish in the 500 is 11th, so he’ll be looking to improve upon that dramatically.

Stenhouse leads all drivers with a 95.9 Driver Rating across his past five starts overall at Daytona International Speedway, leading 97 laps. While he isn’t rostered on one of the ‘power’ teams at JTG, he does have a Hendrick motor under his hood, so don’t discount him. Traditionally he has fared well at the superspeedways.

Don’t forget about Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon (+3500), the 2018 winner of this race. In 15 career starts at DIS he leads all active drivers (at least two starts) with a 15.1 AFP with seven Top 10 finishes in 13 starts.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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