Daytona sees changes as a win
Central Florida race expects to thrive in new late August spot.
DAYTONA BEACH — The Fourth of July is a festive time in Daytona Beach, brimming with sun, sand, frolicking and fireworks.
For decades, one of NASCAR’s showcase events served as the centerpiece of the fun-filled week and an economic engine for the community.
Now a massive shake-up slated for 2020 has moved an iconic race tethered to Independence Day to the final weekend in August, where the Coke Zero 400 will look to repurpose itself as the circuit’s regular-season finale.
The bold break with tradition — one of several with NASCAR’s new schedule — highlights the efforts of decision-makers to boost lagging TV ratings, sponsor involvement and fan interest in the sport.
The most iconic racetrack on the circuit is willing to lead the way.
“We’re written a lot of incredible chapters around the July race,” said Chip Wile, president of Daytona International Speedway. “Now we have time to write a new chapter.”
The move to late August undoubtedly sets the stage for a dramatic conclusion to the 2020 regular season.
Known for producing late-race mayhem and unlikely contenders, the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway will mark the final opportunity for many drivers to earn a spot in the 16-driver playoff.
“You think about going into the final race of the season, where drivers who mathematically have zero chance of making the playoff other than winning the race and the moves they will make and the risk they make to get to Victory Lane,” Wile said. “It really adds an additional element to what is already one of the most exciting races on the schedule.
“You want to see one of those walk-off home-run moments. This is setting the stage for that.”
Daytona’s annual summer race has produced plenty of big moments.
Richard Petty picked up his 200th and final victory there in 1984, with president Ronald Reagan looking on. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won in 2001, five months after his legendary father lost his life during the last lap of the Daytona 500.
Tony Stewart climbed the chain-link fencing near the finish line after his 2006 win, one of his four victories during the summer race. A year before his death following a crash, local legend Fireball Roberts picked up one of his final wins in Daytona during the summer of ’63. The late David Pearson earned a record six of his 105 wins during the Firecracker 400, the longtime name of the race.
But the race eventually would become the Pepsi 400 in 1989 until Coke Zero took over in 2008.
Times changed. Business considerations also are driving the latest move.
Unlike the 500-miler at Daytona International Speedway, the July event struggled to fill the grandstands and generate the excitement of yesteryear. Many raceways could relate, leading NASCAR officials to elicit input from race teams, track ownership groups and even everyday fans.
Shuffling the 2020 schedule made the most sense, given one more year remains on a five-year sanctioning agreement between NASCAR and the various raceways.
Even more radical changes are expected in 2021. This could include eliminating some of the current 36 races to shorten the season and reducing the mileage of some races to complete them in tighter timeframes.
But do not expect some of the notable changes on the schedule to be merely a one-year trial.
“This wasn’t a decision [where] we said, ‘Hey, let’s go there for a year and rotate it,’ ” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “Our intent is to stay for a few years and see how we net out.”
In addition to moving the Coke Zero 400, NASCAR re-stationed the historic Southern 500 at Darlington to kick off the 10-race playoff series. The unique Bristol Night Race, the Charlotte ROVAL 500 and the topsy-turvy fall race in Martinsville, Va. — the circuit’s oldest short track — now will serve as the playoffs’ three cut-off stages and ultimately eliminate all but four drivers from title contention.
NASCAR then will stage the championship race at the 1-mile ISM Raceway outside Phoenix, where $168 million in renovations were made to the venue.
The move bumps the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to March 22.
The Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will run the week of July 4.
Reigning Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin was surprised by the extent of the shake-up made to next year’s schedule, but he applauded it.
“More changes than what I thought was going to be on tap for us,” Hamlin said. “But certainly happy that they’re making significant changes in our schedule.”
Hamlin specifically praised moving the regular-season finale to Daytona — because of the race’s unpredictability — and awarding ISM Raceway the title race.
“I think there’s only handfuls of tracks that are deserving enough to really hold the final event,” he said. “It’s all about facilities from my standpoint. That’s been the No. 1 priority in my mind that needed to be the focal point of us moving forward. ISM Raceway is an upgrade facilities-wise from Homestead, so I’m all for it.”
No track, though, carries the cachet, owns the history or offers the combination of atmosphere and amenities of Daytona International Speedway. The facility completed $400 million in renovations in 2016 and is busy 300 days a year.
Besides the two Cup Series races and other motorsport events, the venue hosts events ranging from a country music festival to an international triathlon.
Given the speedway’s impact on the economy, Wile said local business owners are excited to see the Fourth of July race move to later in the summer.
“We’re adding an additional weekend of activity that would not typically be as busy,” Wile said.
O’Donnell feels the Coke Zero 400’s move to August also will be a money-maker for NASCAR while, deservedly, placing a bigger spotlight on the sport’s most iconic track.
“While I love July 4th and the tradition, it’s not sold out,” he said. “It’s been a challenge from a weather standpoint, and are we really showcasing that track and all that’s gone into it as much as we should?
“That was why that move was made.”