The Road To Daytona Gets Icey: Custer, Bourdais Celebrate Daytona Night At Lightning Game
TAMPA BAY -- The weather is changing, and that signals not only the thick of the hockey season but also the beginning of the racing calendar.
Hockey and racing have always been known to be similar. In addition to the high speed and high-octane entertainment that each sport provides, racing and hockey are very much intertwined.
With Daytona International Speedway getting into its busiest season of the year, the track and the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning came together Saturday night to host Daytona Night at the arena, featuring two of the more prominent drivers in motorsports: defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer and Rolex 24 winner and former four-time CART champ Sebastien Bourdais.
Also joining some of the Daytona confidants were the track president, Frank Kelleher, and support staff, adding to what was a very speed-driven evening in the Bay Area.
The festivities kicked off prior to puck drop, featuring a gift exchange between the two drivers and Lightning players, defenseman Nick Perbix and forward Autin Watson.
Both Bourdais and Custer would receive a custom-made jersey, featuring both their name and car number, while both Lightning players received special helmets, customized to feature the Rolex 24 and NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
Bourdais and Custer would continue the evening's festivities by being honorary members of the game to open up the gates to the arena while also kicking off the game between the Bolts and Anaheim Ducks with a ceremonial “Charge Into Game Time,” setting off the arena’s tesla coils.
"May I See Your Ticket, Sir?" Sebastien Bourdais surprised Tampa Bay Lightning fans as they entered the arena for Saturday night's game vs. the Anaheim Ducks. Photo by Dylan Spaulding.
While neither driver was able to leave comments following the exchange with the Lightning players, both Custer and Bourdais conversed prior with the Daytona officials.
Custer asked about some of the recent changes the track has made to the facility, including the road course bumps and the patch added in the back straightaway due to the crash from fellow SHR member Ryan Preece, while Bourdais discussed some of his racing experiences at the famed speedway, including talking about the wet 2019 Rolex 24.
While Custer's and Bourdais' minds will soon be focused on their respective racing disciplines, Saturday was a great example of the relationship between racing and other prominent sports in the US.
This past year, the integration between the four major sports with prominent motorsports tracks, events, and drivers has been extraordinary, and the Lightning teaming up with Daytona adds to the great partnerships that these tracks and series have had.
It truly feels like motorsports has become mainstream once again, and the Lightning is helping achieve that.
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Winners All Over Saturday Night In the Battle of The Racing, uh, err, Hockey Towns, too!
Anaheim and Tampa are known not just for hockey (and baseball), but also for the nearby street circuits that bring out great IndyCar racing at Long Beach and St. Petersburg
Anaheim and Tampa, two cities known for their nearby street circuits as much as they are known for their hockey, battled Saturday night in what was a fitting matchup for a race-themed Daytona Night.
With the additional help of Rolex 24 winner Sebastien Bourdais and Xfinity Series Champion Cole Custer to complete this night of hockey and motorsports, the word "winner" is one way to describe the atmosphere between the Lightning and the stars of racing.
The Lightning's fast-paced style of play, mixed with their winning culture, is something that blends together with sports such as IMSA and NASCAR.
In some of the more notable series in motorsports, having a top-notch group helps a lot in leading to success in any sport, and the same can be said for the Lightning, who won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.
Saturday, the Bolts were able to use some racing-style moves and battled their way up the grid to victory, defeating the Ducks 5-1.
In what has been a bit of a shaky season for the team, there is still no denying the type of winning providence that the Lightning brings each night they hit the ice.
Even in racing, drivers such as Custer and Bourdais know how it feels to be able to win a sport's most coveted prize, and as an athlete it is hard to take that trophy-hunting itch away, whether that be on asphalt or on ice.
As mentioned in my event recap piece, hockey and racing have so many similar parallels beyond the fact that they are both high-level athletes.
The competition between both a driver and a hockey player is hard to deny.
But even beyond the ice, the fan support is there each and every night, whether that be wearing the beautiful blue and white Lightning sweater or wearing your favorite driver's gear. The passion and heartbeat of hockey and racing are alive and well.
Hopefully, by the end of the season, the Lightning, Daytona, and their respective drivers will have many trophies hoisted in 2024.