Now that the dust has cleared and a Daytona 500 Champion has been crowned, it’s time to look back at that race and see where we are with the changes made by NASCAR. First, we must understand that Daytona (and its sister track, Talladega) are different animals than the rest of the tracks that the drivers will visit the rest of the races.
On Sunday, 16 cars retired from the Daytona 500 due to an accident. On Saturday, 23 cars retired from the XFINITY Series race due to an accident. On Friday night, 11 trucks retired from the Camping World Truck Series race due to an accident. And those numbers don't include the vehicles that also received damage as a result of these wrecks.
Kurt Busch now adds a Harley J Earl Trophy to his collection and résumé, alongside his 2004 championship, after winning the 59th running of the Daytona 500.
A few hours after earning his first pole in NASCAR, Kaz Grala was in the right place on the final lap to drive through a field of wrecking trucks to win the season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway.
Corey LaJoie made the most of his Monster Energy NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at Daytona International Speedway, securing a spot in the Daytona 500 in his No. 83 BK Racing Toyota.
Sorry, but this column is arriving a day later than my usual Thursday date. Of course, it has something to do with the race that gives me the data to mess around with did not take place until Thursday. It is not my fault.
The 2017 season officially begins this weekend as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series travel to Daytona International Speedway for the first points races of the year. Please check below for the complete schedule of events.
That’s it! I’ve had enough! I cannot count the times I have heard how NASCAR or the people involved with the sport have placed blame on the lack of attendance, ratings and overall disinterest in NASCAR on drivers retiring or not racing. This week a well-respected publication stated that since Dale Earnhardt Jr. decided to sit out the Advanced Auto Parts Clash on Sunday, that led to a decrease in attendance.
