San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
NASCAR REVS UP AT DAYTONA
Brad Keselowski knew his father was losing his battle with cancer when he promised him he’d win last year’s Daytona 500.
His effort ended in a fireball when Keselowski was involved in a last-lap crash while racing for the victory.
“I knew he was pretty sick and his prognosis was he wasn’t going to make it through the summer. I said, ‘Dad, we’re going to win the Daytona 500,’ ” Keselowski said. “It’s bittersweet that it didn’t happen while he was still alive.”
Bob Keselowski died in December, and his son is back at Daytona International Speedway still trying to fulfill his promise. Keselowski will try to snap an 0for-12 streak in NASCAR’S season-opening race with his new team.
He left Team Penske a month before his father died to join the ownership group of Jack Roush’s organization. The rebranded RFK Racing team swept both Daytona 500 qualifying races to put Keselowski next to teammate Chris Buescher in the second row for today’s start. The wins Thursday night were the first in any race since 2017 for a Roush organization in need of Keselowski’s engagement to return to the ranks of NASCAR’S elite.
And, after a Hendrick Motorsports rout in Daytona 500 time trials, the Ford fleet has shown to be race ready. Ford drivers swept the first four spots in Thursday night’s first qualifying race, then swept the top three in the second race.
“I’m excited internally for us, what we believe we have, the capability we have and the opportunity ahead of us for the rest of the weekend and the rest of the year,” Buescher said after Keselowski visited him in Daytona’s victory lane.
The Ford camp absolutely has its strategy figured out for today, when all its drivers are expected to work together to ensure a blue oval makes it to victory lane. That’s proven to be the most effective approach among the manufacturers, but it’s more important than ever this year as today marks the official debut of NASCAR’S new Next Gen car.
The car is designed to cut costs, help the smaller teams compete with NASCAR’S powerhouse organizations, improve the on-track product and give the manufacturers more brand identity. But the Next Gen also provides an affordable entryway for potential new owners — two of whom will be part of the Daytona 500 for the first time:
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. is expected to be at the track when the boxer’s No. 50 Chevrolet for The Money Team Racing makes its debut with Kaz Grala.
• Jacques Villeneuve, the former Formula One champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, will make his first Daytona 500 start for European startup Team Hezeberg.
• And businessman John Cohen got into the race with Greg Biff le, who, at 52, will be the oldest driver in the field when he makes the start for NY Racing.
Cohen and Mayweather are both Black and representative of NASCAR’S push to increase diversity. Michael Jordan last year formed a team with driver Bubba Wallace, Pitbull joined an ownership group, and Cohen now has a partnership with the competition arm of NASCAR’S Drive for Diversity Program. NY Racing is hoping to build a full-time program around an up-and-coming Black driver.
And, today, Jusan Hamilton will become the first Black race director to call the Daytona 500 in its 64th running.
“I hope it sets a positive example for others that, regardless of race and background, if you work hard and have a mindset toward your goal, it is achievable,” the 31year-old Hamilton said.
Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson are listed as the 19-2 race favorites. Larson, powered by Hendrick engines, will lead the field to the green flag following his pole-winning run on Wednesday. He’ll start alongside teammate Alex Bowman, who earned a front-row start for the fifth time in his career, and Hendrick drivers have early control of the race for the seventh time in the last eight years.
Notable
Austin Hill won the Xfinity Series opener at Daytona International Speedway following Myatt Snider’s airborne crash that shredded a chunk of catchfence directly in front of where Michael Jordan was watching Saturday night.
Jordan was on the backside of the catchfence with driver Bubba Wallace , an amateur photographer who often takes pictures during NASCAR’S lower-series events. The field soared past them on the final lap when Snider was hit from behind, causing Snider to turn right into the wall.
Snider was then hit again by another car and that contact caused Snider’s car to sail up into the fence and then bounce back onto the track. The shredded carcass was stripped to a heap of battered steel and even the engine block was ripped from the car. Snider was able to climb from his car by himself.
Hill, meanwhile, had pulled alongside leader AJ Allmendinger on the final lap and was scored ahead when NASCAR called the caution. NASCAR had to review the finish before ruling the win for Hill, who moved up from the Truck Series this season for a full-time Xfinity ride with Richard Childress Racing.
Alpine’s Sheldon Creed finished sixth. The 2020 NASCAR Trucks champion is an Xfinity rookie.