COMMENTARY Daytona revs up for Speedweeks, Great American Race
DAYTONA BEACH — As NASCAR officially begins its 2016 season when the cars rev up this afternoon for some practice runs at Daytona International Speedway, everybody might be a bit rusty (Turn left! Turn left!) — even the fans.
So we’ve put together a handy cheat-sheet to prep you for the next 10 days that include the Sprint Unlimited race Saturday night and qualifying for the Daytona 500 on Sunday, culminating with the Great American Race on Feb. 21.
And don’t worry; check back on a daily basis because we’ll have you covered on all platforms — print, online, videos, etc. In the meantime, here’s what to expect:
Fancy digs: It’s not your grandfather’s NASCAR anymore, race fans. Daytona International Speedway recently completed a major facelift called Daytona Rising. It’s a $400 million grandstand transformation that includes new “injectors,” escalators and elevators, 11 new football field-sized concourses and five new entryways into one of the most iconic venues in racing. Don’t bother looking for the backstretch grandstand. It’s gone.
Traffic jam: Grab a Snickers bar if you are making the commute to Daytona. The Interstate 4
widening project between State Road 44 and Interstate 95 is now 10 months behind schedule, meaning it won’t be completed in time for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 21 as originally planned.
New-school: Chase Elliott is the “kid” behind the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, taking over Jeff Gordon’s ride. The kid reference is a tad facetious. At 20, Elliott is smart, savvy and experienced and comes from a racing blueblood family (see Elliott, Bill). No pressure, but boss man Rick Hendrick expects him to win a race this season.
Old-school: Morgan Shepherd recently announced he will be competing in Xfinity Series’ season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 20. Shepherd is 74. You will either celebrate his resilience or scream at him to get off the track because his left-rear blinkers are on and his time is way past due.
Where’s Waltrip? The Michael Waltrip Racing team blew up after last season and is no more. The business model exploded for simple reasons: not enough money and sponsorships. MWR driver Clint Bowyer will join HScott Motorsports this year before taking over Tony Stewart’s ride in 2017 for Stewart-Haas Racing. HScott is a midsize two-car team based in Spartanburg, S.C., owned by businessman Harry Scott.
Where’s Tony? Speaking of Stewart, NASCAR’s most troubled soul won’t be racing to try to win his first Daytona 500. Stewart suffered a burst fracture of the L1 vertebra in an all-terrain vehicle accident in Phoenix recently and may be out as late as May. Brian Vickers is expected to be named as the fill-in today.
Where’s Jeff? Jeff Gordon retired after a brilliant career that in- ■ cluded four Cup titles. But don’t shed a tear for him. He will transition nicely into the Fox Sports booth as a race analyst and now has time to do things like host a Daytona/Sports Illustrated swimsuit-issue VIP party on a yacht the night before the Great American Race. And no, you’re not on the list.
Did you forget Junior?
Of course not. NASCAR’s favorite son has been solid in recent years but not good enough to make the Final Four in Homestead or win a title. Why not now? Good question. Everything is in place for Dale Earnhardt Jr., including a stable personal life and a fiancée he adores in Amy Reimann.
Will Cup champ Kyle Busch compete in the Xfinity race this season?
Child, please.
Chasing consistency:
NASCAR will expand its Chase format into both the Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. The Xfinity format will feature 12 drivers and three elimination rounds that will take place over seven races. In the Camping World Truck Series Chase, eight drivers will qualify for a similar sevenrace three-round format. Cup drivers will not be eligible to compete for a title in either of the other series.
Shot clock:
The Camping World Truck Series will feature a new 20-minute caution clock built into all races. When the green flag is displayed, 20 minutes will be placed on the clock. If the clock expires, a competition caution will be thrown.
Hey, you forgot to mention Danica Patrick!
Don’t worry; there’s plenty of time.