Fresh faces give Daytona 500 throwback feel

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. » Among those trying to win the Daytona 500 this year are a Florida watermelon farmer, a short-track champion from New England, a television analyst and a 22-year-old whose career nearly was derailed by a brain tumor.

The front row is the youngest in Daytona 500 history and it will be William Byron, a Liberty University student who had his wisdom teeth removed in the offseason, leading the field to green in the Feb. 17 showcase race to kick off the NASCAR season.

The overall look of the nation’s top racing series has undergone a transformation the last few seasons and the proof is plastered on the hood of Corey LaJoie’s car.

His full facial-haired face adorns his Ford Mustang, which easily makes him the most recognizable driver among the eight Daytona 500 rookies in the field.

“He looks like he’s going to eat you every lap,” quipped Clint Bowyer.

LaJoie’s paint scheme for his low-budget team is courtesy of sponsor Old Spice, which chose “The Great American Race” to promote its dry shampoo. Manscaped.com bought the space on the back of Landon Cassill’s car, Bubba Wallace signed Aftershokz headphones for the race. After Casey Mears made the field — his first race in two years — skateboard rim maker Rim Ryderz joined his program.

This Daytona 500 is unlike any in recent memory and truly highlights the dramatic loss of star power from just four years ago. The 2015 race featured Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Bobby Labonte, Michael Waltrip and Danica Patrick. All are now retired.

Some of the big-money sponsors in that race included Lowe’s, Target, Dollar General, GoDaddy and 5-Hour Energy. All have since pulled out of NASCAR.

What remains is a newlook NASCAR that nonetheless has a throwback feel.

NASCAR was built on the premise that if a budding driver or team owner could scrape together the funds to field a car, they could bring it down to the beach and try to make the

big show. As the sport exploded past its Southern origins, it became nearly impossible for a new driver to claw his way into a ride.

But change has created opportunity — even second and third chances for a guy like Ross Chastain. The eighth-generation watermelon farmer impressed a sponsor with his work ethic and landed a careerchanging ride with unexpected funding. Federal agents raided the sponsor right before Christmas, but Chastain still managed to land a seat for his first Daytona 500.

Ryan Preece bounced back and forth between NASCAR and New England short tracks before finally gambling on his future. He settled for a part-time job with a competitive team because he believed he could show his true talent if given the right equipment. Now he’s also a Daytona 500 rookie.