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Ryan McGee, ESPN Senior Author
DAYTONA, Fla. — Your consideration please, my associates and readers who’re hard-core NFL devotees and are nonetheless in restoration from final weekend. You realize who I am speaking about. The parents who put on their favourite QB’s jersey all season, hunkered down within the recliner each Sunday with eye black smeared onto their face and a pair of 25-year-old underwear on, as a result of that is what they’d on when their workforce received that one huge sport again that one time so a few years in the past. Final weekend they spent soccer’s greatest day answering an infinite flurry of queries from family members who hadn’t watched a down all fall, if ever, like, “Hey, that yellow handkerchief that man retains throwing on the sphere, what does that imply?”
Effectively, that is precisely what we lifelong NASCAR followers will probably be subjected to Sunday when the Daytona 500 roars beneath the inexperienced flag to start its 66th version. It is the Tremendous Bowl of inventory automotive racing, solely it takes locations firstly of the season as an alternative because the grand finale. With February snow on the bottom, no soccer to look at and the lure of the sheer over-the-top, turned-up-to-11 spectacle of all of it, Daytona inevitably attracts the eyeballs of thousands and thousands of oldsters who watch NASCAR solely every year. Asking stuff of their clearly locked-in associates like, “Hey, that yellow flag that man retains waving over the racetrack, what does that imply?”
It’s with that battle in thoughts that we current our annual act of service for either side of the inventory automotive racing coin. A Daytona 500 cheat sheet that NASCAR newbies can memorize to impress that one good friend with the “Elevate Hell Reward Dale” tattoo, and likewise one thing that mentioned Earnhardt follower can print and hand to their misplaced pal like a 200 mph FAQ.
You are welcome, America. Benefit from the Nice American Race.
5 favorites to win the Daytona 500
In the course of the newest episode of his all the time entertaining (generally too entertaining for NASCAR brass) “Actions Detrimental” podcast, Denny Hamlin was requested for his decide to win the Daytona 500. He replied: “I am not saying me. I do know I’ll win.” Cocky? Sure, all the time, however his Daytona confidence is well-founded. In any case, he’s a three-time winner of NASCAR’s greatest race, certainly one of solely six drivers to win three or extra, and the opposite 5 on that checklist are already within the NASCAR Corridor of Fame. If he wins once more, he’ll transfer right into a tie for second with Cale Yarborough, trailing solely Richard Petty’s seven victories. Hamlin’s confidence can also be properly backed. Each single main handicapper has the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 put in as the favourite.
So, who’s exhibiting up as their second-best decide to click on? The man Hamlin talked about on that very same podcast. “If I do not [win], I’ve a daring prediction: Kyle Busch wins his first Daytona 500.”
I strolled the Daytona storage Thursday night asking for favorites from those that will probably be competing Sunday. The names talked about most have been Hamlin and Busch; defending Cup Collection champ Ryan Blaney, who has completed second on this race twice and was eighth one yr in the past; Blaney’s Penske teammate Joey Logano, who received the 2015 Daytona 500 and will begin first Sunday (though that could be a nasty factor, extra on that later); and their former teammate-turned-driver/proprietor Brad Keselowski. All three of these would-be favorites drive Fords. That is not a coincidence.
The following 5 to control
Kyle Larson is extensively thought to be maybe the quickest of the quick as of late. Prior to now three seasons, he has received 17 races (that is loads), in addition to a Cup Collection title in 2021 and a runner-up end behind Blaney final fall. For what it is value, he does not purchase into that pre-Daytona hype and factors to his profession Daytona 500 numbers, with a paltry two top-10s and nil top-5s in 10 tries. However nonetheless, his rivals and the wiseguys have him on their brief lists and he was the strongest automotive in his Duel 150 on Thursday evening earlier than surrendering the lead late within the race.
Using door-to-door with Larson in that second group is fellow 2023 title contender William Byron, who received a series-best six races one yr in the past and completed eighth at Daytona within the 400-mile August race. Who received that race? Chris Buescher, incomes his first profession victory, however he additionally completed fourth in final yr’s Daytona 500, his third top-5 within the huge race.
One other 500 favourite, in keeping with the percentages and the paddock chatter, is Byron and Larson’s Hendrick Motorsport teammate Chase Elliott, son of two-time Daytona 500 winner Invoice Elliott. The difficulty is that the perpetual fan-voted Most Standard Driver is struggling a little bit of confidence disaster after a 2023 season through which he missed a number of races, earned zero wins and did not make the postseason lower.
Lastly, the final of our second five-pack is Bubba Wallace. The driving force of the 23XI Racing No. 23 has made six Daytona 500 begins and completed second twice; he was a contender one yr in the past earlier than a late crash; and the primary of his two profession Cup Collection wins got here at Daytona’s cousin racetrack, Talladega Superspeedway, in 2021.
5 Daytona darkish horses
OK, you actually need to impress your racing-obsessed associates? When somebody mentions a darkish horse, reply, “Truly, there are 16 Darkish Horses within the area due to the brand new Fords.” It is true. Ford has rolled out a brand-new fashion of its race automotive for 2024 and nicknamed it the Darkish Horse Mustang.
On the subject of precise, could-they-win lengthy shot picks, although, hold your eyes on Tyler Reddick, who began means again in nineteenth in Thursday evening’s first Duel 150 and diced his well past Larson to grab the win (little question making 23XI bosses Hamlin and Michael Jordan very glad). He was adopted carefully by wunderkind Carson Hocevar, who simply turned 20 a couple of weeks in the past — and was racing within the Truck collection one yr in the past — however completed fourth in his qualifying race.
Austin Dillon will begin the race thirty third however has received at Daytona twice, together with the 2018 Daytona 500 (and he drives Dale Earnhardt’s legendary No. 3 automotive). Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has all the time been easy at superspeedways and is the defending race champion.
Michael McDowell additionally shocked the world by successful the 2021 Daytona 500. He regarded just like the strongest automotive in his Duel earlier than properly getting out of the fray, as a result of after qualifying second on Wednesday evening, he’ll begin on the entrance row alongside Logano.
And eventually, a bonus decide: Martin Truex Jr., who has by no means been nice at Daytona — three top-5 finishes in 37 Daytona oval begins — however, like Busch, has sentiment on his aspect. What does that imply? Hold studying.
5 legends who’ve in some way by no means received the Daytona 500
Truex: 34 profession wins; 0-for-19 in Daytona 500; finest end: 2nd, 2016
Busch: 63 profession wins; 0-for-18 in Daytona 500; finest end: 2nd, 2019
Keselowski: 35 profession wins; 0-for-14 in Daytona 500; finest end: third, 2014
Larson: 23 profession wins; 0-for-10 in Daytona 500; finest end: seventh, 2016 and 2019
Elliott: 18 profession wins; 0-for-8 in Daytona 500; finest end: 2nd, 2021
Everybody you see listed above could have a Lightning Lane to the NASCAR Corridor of Fame, however until they determine learn how to win the game’s most prestigious occasion, they will even take a look at the stats on their plaque and go “Rattling it!”
To Hamlin’s level together with his decide, Busch particularly is overdue, having checked off each accomplishment doable apart from successful this race. Final yr he was within the lead on the finish of 500 miles, however a late warning despatched the occasion into time beyond regulation, the place he wrecked and completed nineteenth after getting caught up within the crash we name the Large One. Truly, it was the fourth Large One, but it surely obtained him.
We write this yearly as a result of yearly it stays true: These pissed off greats are in nice Daytona 500 firm. Terry Labonte was 0-for-32, Ricky Rudd was 0-for-29 and Mark Martin was 0-for-29, whereas Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Tony Stewart ended their careers a mixed 0-for-64.
Wait, Jimmie Johnson is within the Daytona 500?
Talking of racers within the NASCAR Corridor of Fame, Johnson was inducted into the Corridor only one month in the past. So, which means he is retired, proper? No. Not on this world.
Sure, he’s retired from full-time driving, however he has moved into full-time workforce possession, his second season on the helm of what was once Richard Petty’s workforce, now often called Legacy Motor Membership. This would be the first of 9 deliberate races for the two-time Daytona 500 winner and his first in a journey apart from a Chevy as Legacy MC has switched to Toyotas this yr within the hopes that it will likely be increased up the precedence ladder of that producer’s a lot much less crowded roster of groups.
On Thursday evening, he practically actually drove the wheels off that Toyota as he fought to make the sphere for the race with no security internet of factors or provisionals like those he loved throughout his unparalleled profession with Hendrick Motorsports, holding off outdated pal J.J. Yeley in a two-car struggle for the ultimate beginning spot from their Duel 150.
“I’ve by no means felt strain like that,” Johnson confessed Thursday, explaining his still-new world view as a workforce proprietor. “I used to be actually driving down the backstretch fascinated by the individuals I used to be letting down. ‘I’ll miss the Daytona 500, and I’ll need to be shaking fingers and visiting with individuals whereas the race is happening?'” He will not. However man, it was shut.
5 issues you may shout out to make you appear actually dialed in to Daytona
• “It is the Petty household’s seventy fifth anniversary in NASCAR!” Talking of Richard Petty, final yr NASCAR celebrated its seventy fifth anniversary, and now it is Petty’s flip. The Petty household, led by Richard and his son/racer/TV analyst Kyle, will spend this entire yr commemorating their seventy fifth yr in NASCAR, a relationship that started within the very first race of what we now know because the Cup Collection, a mud observe date in Charlotte when 11-year-old Richard sat within the grandstands and watched his father, Lee, wreck the automotive he had borrowed from a neighbor. A decade later, Lee received the inaugural Daytona 500, and Richard went on so as to add a file seven trophies.
From Petty Enterprises to Richard Petty Motorsports to Legacy MC, The King has been a mainstay within the NASCAR storage. Now he will probably be celebrated as he needs to be, at racetracks all season lengthy through huge sculptures of his legendary cowboy hat, adorned with Petty household moments at every observe.
From trying as much as the Pettys, to having them as a part of my journey. Proud to have a good time #Petty75. pic.twitter.com/fzOzxPdBQk
— Erik Jones (@Erik_Jones) February 15, 2024
• “That is superior that Joey Logano received the pole place. It is a disgrace he in all probability will not win the race.” This one will probably make your in-the-know NASCAR associates scoff and roll their eyes. In any case, as we advised you earlier, Logano is a future first-ballot NASCAR Corridor of Famer who has received 32 races, together with the 2015 Daytona 500.
As soon as he topped pole qualifying Wednesday evening, although, historical past was instantly towards him. The final time the No. 1 starter additionally wound up the No. 1 finisher was Dale Jarrett … in 2000! Logano was 9 years outdated.
• “Solely 10 laps to go? There’s about to be an enormous crash. Belief me.” Keep in mind after we talked about these 4 Large Ones in final yr’s Daytona 500? Effectively, three of them occurred with beneath 17 laps remaining within the race and the final two have been unleashed in OT.
Prior to now eight Daytona 500s, there have been 4 last-lap passes for the lead. Earlier than that, there had been solely 9 in 57 occasions. And over the previous seven 500s, a median of 31 vehicles have been concerned in crashes, together with 30 one yr in the past. There are solely 40 vehicles within the race. So, yeah, do not cease watching simply since you assume the race is sort of over, as a result of likelihood is it is not.
• “Are you able to odor what the Rock is cooking?!” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will probably be in the home for the Daytona 500. I intend to remind him that seven years in the past John Cena drove the tempo automotive and had what is taken into account probably the most entertaining movie star prerace information convention ever seen at Daytona. Then we’ll see what occurs.
This yr’s honorary tempo automotive driver is newly topped Miss America Madison Marsh, who can also be an lively obligation Air Pressure lieutenant, and the grand marshal is DJ Khaled. If we do certainly have all these crashes on the finish, somebody completely has to provide him a microphone and let him hold saying, “One other one!”
I am thrilled that Dwayne Johnson will probably be on the #DAYTONA500. However…will my good friend @JamieLittleTV smack The Rock within the face along with her ponytail like she did to @JohnCena in 2016? pic.twitter.com/GGasvfqcKl
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) February 16, 2024
• “Do you know that one driver on this race is definitely a Jedi?” No, it is not Kaz Grala, who will begin twenty sixth and has a reputation that absolutely feels like he realized learn how to race from Yoda and Mace Windu. It is Blaney, who, on Thursday evening walked away from a Mustafar-type state of affairs as his Ford caught fireplace, then on Friday dropped in our official ESPN Star Wars podcast “By no means Inform Me the Odds” to speak to me, Clinton Yates and Arda Öcal about his lifelong obsession with all issues in a galaxy far, distant.
You possibly can hearken to it right here. It is value downloading simply to listen to him inform the story of the time he met Daisy Ridley, aka Rey, when he was youthful and really single and completely choked.