“Hurry up and wait” isn’t just for the DMV or doctor’s office.
That remains the early-season NASCAR strategy — for now, and yes, we’ll explain in a bit.
NASCAR fired out of the blocks with two nights of action at Bowman Gray, and now jams the clutch and holds its horses for 10 days before gearing up again at Daytona.
The coming weekend won’t be a complete downer, you might’ve heard. Basically an entire nation will be captivated by a little something we like to call “the Daytona 500 of professional football.”
And yes, that’ll also be part of a little chatter down below as we go through the gears before re-entering the idle mode for a short rest …
QNA WITH SVG A chat wtih Shane van Gisbergen as full-time Cup season, Daytona 500 approach
First Gear: A little elbow room would be nice at NASCAR Clash
Well, what did you think?
When Chase Elliott wins, most folks are happy. When he wins by rooting Denny Hamlin out of the lead, many others are happy.
So, there’s that. And that.
The small-venue/big-crowd vibe was great. And Winston-Salem is tucked inside a part of the country that’s long been hard-NASCAR country and therefore deserved the weekend spotlight.
And right about here, you feel a however coming, don’t you? Well, you got it.
However, it sure feels like there’s an obvious reason NASCAR long ago quit racing on quarter-mile tracks with big stock cars. Contact is unavoidable and no one is against occasional contact, but it all feels more like a steady lean against each other than a punt-and-run or door-slap.
For my money, now that Rockingham is back in play for Xfinity and Trucks this year, let’s give the one-mile Rock a real look for next year. Or maybe half-mile North Wilkesboro when you decide to take its All-Star Race elsewhere. But certainly a half-miler at minimum.
Others will surely disagree.
Second Gear: Daytona 500 will dance to the Super Bowl tune
We can rest assured about the where of future Clashes (it’ll surely bounce around). But the when?
That’ll depend on the timing of the NFL’s move to an 18-game season. The current 17-game slate leads into a playoff schedule ending with the Super Bowl on the Sunday before NASCAR comes to Daytona in the middle of the following week — this year’s Daytona Speedweek is Feb. 12-16.
Barring other maneuvers, adding an 18th game to the schedule would presumably move the Super Bowl back a week, to the Daytona 500’s long-favored slot — the Sunday before the third Monday of February, which is Presidents Day weekend.
With many folks off work on Presidents Day, that sure seems like a perfect fit for Super Bowl Sunday, considering how many yawners you see at the next day’s water cooler. NASCAR would likely just move everything back a week, and there’s precedent for that.
From 2012-17, the 500 was scheduled for the Sunday before the fourth Monday of February. Eventually, we’re probably headed there again, because when the NFL stretches its legs, the whole world makes room.
Third Gear: Daytona 500 entry list at 36 locks (37, actually) and 9 hopefuls (8, actually)
Barring a late, late, last-minute announcement, we’re looking at 45 entries for the 67th Daytona 500.
Let’s do some math. Thirty-six chartered teams are guaranteed starting spots, so that means … let’s see, 45 minus 36 … yep, there you go, nine teams have to make the field through one of two forms of qualifying.
Of the nine non-guaranteed cars, the two fastest in next Wednesday’s pole qualifying (Feb. 12), which only sets the front row, gain entry onto the Daytona 500 starting grid. The other seven will have to earn spots in the next day’s 150-mile qualifying races.
Four will be in one qualifier, three in the other. The highest finisher in each makes the field.
Here’s your brand new “however,” however. Helio Castroneves, due to a new rule allowing for star-power race entries, is guaranteed a Daytona start, so even if he doesn’t make one of the above cuts, he’s in as the 41st starter.
So, after all that, here are your nine hopefuls … yes, including Helio, who’s in regardless (in order of car number):
● 01: Corey Lajoie, Ford, Rick Ware Racing
● 40: Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, JR Motorsports
● 44: JJ Yeley, Chevrolet, NY Racing
● 56: Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, Tricon Garage
● 62: Anthony Aldredo, Chevrolet, Beard Motorsports
● 66: Chandler Smith, Ford, MBM Motorsports
● 78: BJ McLeod, Ford, Live Fast Motorsports
● 84: Jimmie Johnson, Toyota, Legacy Motor Club
● 91: Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, Trackhouse Racing
Fourth Gear: Corey LaJoie is your newest Amazon delivery
You see the driver of the No. 01 above? You might be seeing more of him in the years to come. Or not, if you don’t subscribe.
Corey LaJoie is one of those modern racers with a genuine personality, and he makes the most of it. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been parlayed into enough Cup-level sponsorship to accelerate his racing career.
But Corey recently announced a part-time racing plan for 2025 which will include a barely-off-track gig as a broadcaster for Amazon’s five midseason races.
By the way, Amazon’s five weeks of NASCAR coverage begins with the Coke 600 in late May. You have well over three months to either subscribe or prepare for Uncle Ed’s outburst when he realizes he’s stuck with baseball for over a month of Sundays.
— Email Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR Clash review, Daytona preview, Super Bowl drives the calendar
Read the full article here
