Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Daytona 500: Preview and prediction
By Ted Fleming
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series opens the 2017 season with their crown jewel, the Great American Race at the World Center of Racing on Sunday.
The newly minted Monster Energy NASCAR Cup season gets the green flag for the season opener on Sunday, and there will be something old and new that should add some excitement for the rabid and casual fan. However, the splendor of the Daytona 500 is what draws the interest as 40 drivers will look to etch their name on the Harley J. Earl Trophy.
Four rookies will be in the field: Daniel Suarez (Joe Gibbs Racing), Erik Jones (Front Row Motorsports), Ty Dillon (Germain Racing) and Gray Gaulding (BK Racing), and they’ll be looking to dethrone Denny Hamlin, who won the event a year ago.
Hamlin won his first 500 in the closest finish in race history as he edged out Martin Truex Jr. by one-hundredth of a second. Based on his qualifying effort and win in one of Thursday’s Can-Am Duels, he could be a force to be reckoned with as he hopes to go back-to-back. However, he will not be alone in searching for the elusive checkered flag.
The hottest of hot shoes during Speedweeks has been Chase Elliott, who not only won the pole during qualifying but continued to dominate in the first Can-Am Duel. He threw caution to the wind and risked wrecking which would have put him in the back of the field. He also became the first driver to start the season with points in the bank. A new system hands out points in the Duels.
Another driver that is sure to be there at the end is NASCAR’s Pied Piper, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who hopes to make a triumphant return after missing the last half of 2016 with concussion-like symptoms. As Elliott did in the first Duel, Junior also put his car on the line and led most of the second Duel before being shuffled out of the pack just before the white flag. Hamlin won it.
If two-time 500 winner Jimmie Johnson wants to return to the winner’s circle, he’ll have to do it in a backup car after severely damaging his primary in the Duels.
The biggest change fans will notice is the switch from Chevrolet to Ford by Stewart-Haas Racing. Returnees Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Danica Patrick, along with newcomer Clint Bowyer, will have to overcome the early learning curve that will come with the major change.
Next: Dale Earnhardt Jr. hints at retirement if he wins title in 2017
WEATHER FORECAST:
Mother Nature will provide a perfect setting for the Daytona 500 with temperatures hovering around 70 with a Florida breeze between 10-15 mph. Clouds are expected most of the day, and that should keep track temperatures down, creating a fast, competitive race.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
For the first time, the Daytona 500 will be broken into three stages with breaks at laps 60 and 120. Points will be awarded after each stage and again at the end with the winner receiving five bonus points. Expect a lot of late segment racing to each flag which could create the potential for many wrecks.
TRACK INFO:
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Capacity: 101,000
Statistics: 2.5-mile tri-oval
Track Record: Bill Elliott, 210.364 mph (42.783 seconds) 1987
PREDICTION:
There’s no doubt Chase Elliott is the hot hand at Daytona, and if he manages to stay out of trouble — unlike his 2016 debut, where he crashed out early — he could be there at the end. However, this is a talent-rich field, and the segment breaks could shuffle the field with different strategies used by crew chiefs. There’s one man on a mission because he has hinted that he could retire if he wins the Cup title, so the nod goes to Dale Earnhardt Jr.
LONGSHOT:
He’s starting from the back of the field (38th) and has no teammate to help him along. But his one-car team showed they could pull off miracles simply because of the name of the company – Wood Brothers Racing. It’s their 71st Speedweeks at Daytona, and it was not that long ago, 2011 to be exact, that Trevor Bayne gave WBR their latest 500 victory so this year they could surprise once again. Their No. 21 Ford Fusion showed speed during practices and in the Duel so the pick here is Ryan Blaney.