What the heck is Daytona Day

What in the name of all things NASCAR is Daytona Day?

Look, I’ll cut to the chase. Daytona Day is the day of the Daytona 500. While CBS is touting Super Bowl 50 during its NFL broadcasts, FOX is relegated to pimping the Super Bowl of Motor Sports. I get it, I get it – the Daytona 500 is a big-money event and they have to get the word out (especially in a year where CBS has the Super Bowl).

That said, where in the hell did FOX come up with Daytona Day? I’m from Daytona Beach (Port Orange, specifically) and have never – never – heard of such a thing. Not in NASCAR terms, not in local holiday terms, not regarding just another day in Daytona. This is just out of left field. A shocker, plain and simple.  It makes some sense, I suppose. After all, the track will look wildly different following an offseason facelift – Daytona Rising and all that jazz.

Let’s hope for the sake of FOX, NASCAR, Mike Helton and the France Family that Daytona Day flies by without any rain this year. It’s been a pain in the arse the past few seasons, and really sucked the wind out of both the race and the early season. Nonetheless, I’m excited about Daytona Day. Not as good as the Duel races or the 24 Hours, but still fun.

PS. You’ve not lived until you’ve been on the starting grid when they fire up those stock cars (source: guy who may or may not have snuck down onto the grid and into Victory Lane for a dozen 500s and 400s).