Daytona 500: Denny Hamlin’s quest for a 3-peat, Bubba Wallace’s 23XI debut, other high storylines to peep
What a distinction a year makes for the Daytona 500 because the NASCAR Cup Sequence begins 2021 in transition. Closing February, a supplied-out crowd of 100,000 attended the bolt. Now, fair correct over 300 and sixty five days later, fan ability is capped at 30,000 thanks to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. NBA fable Michael Jordan is within the possession ranks. African-American driver Bubba Wallace in contention to grab his first bolt.
To form it all extra attention-grabbing, high competition can also fair come from his co-owner, Denny Hamlin, who’s bidding for some inventory car ancient past of his maintain: three straight Daytona 500 wins. Hamlin’s quest tops the list for 5 storylines to savor heading into this Valentine’s Day critical event.
Can Hamlin pull off three Daytona 500s?
The Dan Marino of his era has essentially the most victories of any in style era NASCAR driver with out a title (44). However the critical to grab three straight 500s would be a great consolation prize on the resume.
“One way or the opposite, it is a ability game,” Hamlin said in a Daytona press originate this week. “[The 500] is gained with the solutions. I fair correct must be there with 5 to accelerate, after which play the game.”
Three-peats are virtually no longer potential in sports activities. Two drivers that own had the chance to close that at Daytona — Cale Yarborough and Sterling Marlin — both blew an engine of their strive, whereas “King” Richard Petty carried out eight laps off the tempo.
Up to now, no proper for Hamlin, who ran out of fuel on the final lap of his qualifying Duel. If he is around, the tempo is there, nonetheless going six-for-six with out a huge break sweeping you up is virtually out of the ordinary on the present time.
Easiest chums in substandard form
Reigning NASCAR champion and Most Celebrated Driver Dawdle Elliott outmoded up some cache this week with bestie Ryan Blaney. Their final-lap tangle within the exhibition Busch Clash payment them both a shot at a snatch and Daytona Speedweeks momentum, handing the victory to Kyle Busch
as a substitute.
“I instructed [Elliott] when you would also very successfully be going to form a accelerate savor that, be certain you as a minimal snatch the bolt,” Blaney said afterwards. “Don’t hand it to the third-situation man.”
Will substandard blood raise over? Each males played good of their Duel, operating fifth and sixth, and can fair contend for a bolt they wish checked off the bucket list. Blaney, in particular, has had a career marked by come-misses and two of the final 5 wins on these superspeedways. Is there a methodology he’ll rep even with Elliott in crunch time?
Which procedure of Chevrolets will model up?
Alex Bowman and William Byron gave powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports a entrance-row sweep, the sixth time in seven years they’ve gained the pole. However the Unique York Yankees of NASCAR struggled within the Duels, with Bowman struggling mechanical woes whereas Byron crashed out and can fair head to the rear with a backup car.
Chevrolet recovered, a hit the 2nd Duel bolt with No. 3 and Austin Dillon on the 20-year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s
demise in that car. But Dillon stood alone down the stretch — their drafting acumen became a step within the attend of both Ford and Toyota in a bolt dominated by manufacturer teamwork.
HMS unique rent Kyle Larson, in particular, has been invisible this week along with misfires by aged Kurt Busch and pack racing specialist Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Can Chevy snap a trudge that is considered them snatch fair correct one 500 (Dillon in 2018) the final six years?
The Bubba Wallace–Michael Jordan partnership begins
Mediate there’s no stress for Wallace in his first bolt within the attend of the wheel of Jordan’s car? Hear to what he needed to claim after finishing 2nd in his Duel qualifying bolt, losing out to a killer accelerate by Austin Dillon, who called it a “flick of the wheel,” zig-zagging past him coming off turn 4 on the final lap.
“A complete lot of errors,” Wallace said of a bolt he became in role to grab. “Correct form debut nonetheless nothing to be in actuality totally pleased about for myself.”
Looks to be savor Jordan found a match for his competitive fire, proper? But Wallace knows the replacement in entrance of him. Three years ago, he earned his most efficient career Cup perform within the Daytona 500 (2nd), the ideally suited bolt for an African-American in NASCAR since Wendell Scott in 1963 and cried within the clicking room over its significance. Two of his career high 5 finishes had been scored at this song.
May maybe per chance well you imagine if he will get over the lag and wins?
One other Cinderella fable?
We’re 10 years eradicated from one in all the greatest Daytona upsets in ancient past: 20-year-light Trevor Bayne turning in in precisely his 2nd career Cup originate. Can one other longshot bring?
Let’s originate with the person riding Bayne’s broken-down car, Matt DiBenedetto (William Hill Sportsbook lists him at 35/1.) He led a bolt-excessive 49 laps two years ago and could bring Wood Brothers career snatch No. 100 whereas breaking a 0-for-212 career NASCAR winless lag of his maintain.
Then, there’s Ryan Newman (40/1 odds), the 2008 Daytona 500 winner whose fiery rupture across the perform line ultimately year’s bolt introduced on one other spherical of NASCAR security upgrades.
The game held its collective breath, nonetheless Newman has since made a paunchy recovery. With 2021 doubtlessly his final paunchy-time year within the Cup Sequence, can he gain redemption in Daytona victory lane?