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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR Corridor of Famer Jeff Gordon gained the Daytona 500 twice in his first seven seasons, later including one other victory six years later, in 2005. Certainly, he figured, there could be extra to come back.
Then Gordon by no means gained NASCAR’s greatest race once more.
“You get into this frustration of, ‘Man, what am I doing otherwise?’” Gordon stated.
The reply, oddly sufficient, was nothing.
Such is the character of this crown jewel NASCAR race, which represents a singular distinction within the realm of high sporting occasions: It’s NASCAR’s Tremendous Bowl in so some ways, but additionally stays one of many least dependable indicators of greatness.
A few of NASCAR’s most legendary names, like Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin, by no means gained this race. In the meantime, 5 of the final seven Daytona 500 victors have gone winless in that season’s remaining 35 occasions.
“You’d assume within the greatest race of the yr, one of the best groups and drivers would at all times win,” stated Joey Logano, the 2015 Daytona 500 winner. “But it surely’s not like that.”
Logano introduced the quickest automotive to this yr’s 500, qualifying on the pole place there for the primary time in his profession. However the type of racing at NASCAR’s so-called “superspeedways” like Daytona means there aren’t any ensures Logano may have a superb efficiency within the race, when properly over three-quarters of the sector has a official likelihood to win. (The race, initially scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed to Monday at 4 p.m. ET resulting from rain.)
The reason being rooted in security issues. If NASCAR Cup Collection vehicles had been allowed to journey round Daytona’s high-banked, 2.5-mile course with out restrictions, they may high 200 mph and put each opponents and followers at elevated danger.
By requiring every automotive to have a “tapered spacer” — a hole-filled aluminum block that reduces the airflow to the engines — NASCAR limits speeds to attempt to maintain vehicles from getting airborne and flying into (or by means of) the fences that separate the followers from the racetrack.
However there’s a facet impact. The diminished horsepower means vehicles usually journey in large packs, and drivers should depend on assist from different opponents to draft across the observe. In any other case, they danger falling helplessly behind, unable to catch up as the sector races off into the gap.
That makes the chances rise dramatically on two fronts: One, unheralded underdogs can dangle with the elite lengthy sufficient to drag off a stunning win; and two, even a slight bobble or mistake by one driver within the pack can set off a big, multi-car crash referred to as “The Large One.”
“You’re not going to be totally in charge of your future, and I’ve simply accepted that,” stated defending NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney, who has by no means gained the Daytona 500 regardless of being the most effective superspeedway racers. “I’m going to do my greatest to attempt to stick round this factor, and if I get worn out in one thing that’s not my fault, it’s like, ‘What are you able to do?’”
When Christopher Bell gained Thursday night time’s Daytona 500 qualifying race, he acknowledged a perception this type of racing was “one hundred pc luck.”
In actuality, that’s an exaggeration. Whereas luck undoubtedly performs an element at Daytona, it’s not all the pieces.
“I used to assume this race was extra luck than talent, however as I’ve studied extra, the identical guys are at all times up entrance,” stated Kyle Larson, who is called one of the crucial proficient American drivers of his era. “These guys should not luckier than everyone else; they’re actually proficient with regards to this type and so they’ve obtained a superb sense of how issues work and the place to be on the proper time.”
Austin Cindric gained the Daytona 500 in 2022, his solely Cup Collection win in 79 races. “The drivers who win this are those who stay calm and make good choices,” fellow driver Tyler Reddick says. (Chris Graythen / Getty Photographs)
Changing into a high superspeedway racer requires a special talent set than typical tracks, that are extra about drivers getting their automotive to deal with higher (and thus go quicker) than the competitors.
At Daytona, one of the best drivers have each glorious racecraft — realizing when to danger a transfer and when to remain put — and an innate sense of avoiding hazard. Mixed with these issues, additionally they want savvy technique calls from their groups, fast pit stops from their crews and, after all, success.
“The good ones can navigate by means of (the hazard) or know, ‘I have to get out of this’ — or they’re already forward of it to start with,” stated Tyler Reddick, who has crashed in all 5 of his Daytona 500 begins however gained his Thursday qualifying race. “The drivers who win this are those who stay calm and make good choices with the race approaching the tip.”
Although the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. was mythically stated to have the ability to “see the air,” the fact of modern-day drivers is they need to see the video. Together with their spotters, who narrate and even dictate which strikes must be constructed from positions excessive above the observe, drivers pore over movie of earlier races to know which strikes work, which of them backfire and which of them trigger main crashes.
Some groups observe analytics, like one of the best operating positions within the pack that correlate to success. However even then, there are nonetheless so many parts out of their management.
Brad Keselowski, for instance, has led essentially the most laps in every of the final two Daytona 500s — a part of 177 profession laps led on this race — however has by no means gained it. Now 40 and operating out of time to say a Daytona 500 crown, Keselowski stated he’d commerce main these laps in alternate for main the final one.
“You go to the Daytona 500, and also you’ve completed all this preparation work … and most of the time, the end result feels unearned both approach,” he stated. “Like many issues in life, you simply have to acknowledge it’s not at all times honest and settle for it and transfer on. But it surely’s tough to reconcile, for positive.”
Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. are among the many present Cup Collection champion drivers nearing the tip of their careers with out a Daytona 500 victory. Busch has stated he badly needs to win the five hundred greater than every other remaining accomplishment, but additionally acknowledged “it’s only one race.”
Drivers all through the NASCAR storage proceed to wrestle with that dichotomy; as Gordon stated, “anyone goes to win this race, and there’s no different win prefer it.”
Alternatively, as Logano famous, a Daytona 500 trophy — or lack thereof — doesn’t outline a driver’s profession.
“It’s an unbelievable stat to have in your resume,” Logano stated. “That half is implausible. However in case you needed to resolve between successful 15 Cup races over one Daytona 500, you’d in all probability somewhat win 15 Cup races.”
GO DEEPER
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(High illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; images: Jared C. Tilton, Jonathan Ferrey, Jared C. Tilton / Getty Photographs)