NASCAR: Wet weekend sets stage for a Monday Xfinity-Daytona 500 doubleheader
2024 Speedweeks hasn’t gone on without a hitch, to say the least.
After two straight days of clear skies and full days of NASCAR competition, the past two days have been washed out due to uncooperative weather, resulting in a Monday doubleheader featuring the season-opening races for the Xfinity and Cup Series.
Weather permitting, that is!
The races will feature an 11 a.m. ET start time for the Xfinity Series and a 4 p.m. ET start time for the 66th running of the Daytona 500.
While the races won’t commence until Monday, there is still a lot of excitement and intrigue, especially leading up to the 500, which will have a few keys to keep an eye on.
Manufacturer Superiority
Leading up to the week, the question of which manufacturer would be the strongest was one of the talking points even going into Monday's rescheduled Great American Race.
Obviously, Chevy brings strength in numbers, and Ford has always had fast entries on the grid, but the Toyota triumph that we saw in both Duels on Thursday presents the wonder of how Toyota may blend into this battle for the Harley J. Earl Trophy.
There is no denying the speed that Toyota has brought to tracks such as Daytona or Talladega, winning three 500s with Denny Hamlin. But since the introduction of the Next Gen car, Toyota’s pace hasn’t been consistent.
However, with the addition of another team to the Toyota family in Legacy Motor Club, there is a chance that a Toyota could be celebrating the 500 in victory lane for the first time since 2020.
The addition of Legacy to the Toyota camp is a big deal in more ways than one.
It provides extra support for the top teams, such as Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing, even if the team doesn’t have any affiliation with the established Toyota groups, and gives Toyota more resources when it comes to the draft.
However, this can also be the downfall.
Not having affiliation with with the other Toyota teams makes Legacy a group of their own, even with the same manufacturer, and after seeing the pit incident with the Toyotas and Truex Jr. in Duel 1 on Thursday, being on the same page will be interesting.
Nevertheless, regardless of affiliation between manufacturer and teams, the chance to win the 500 will make this race more of a driver-minded event, potentially throwing out the door the chance for manufacturers working together.
Never say never.
Every year, there is always a wonder as to who may be that one driver who could surprise and win the Great American Race.
It is what makes this race special, but it is also what makes this race what it is, which is open to anyone.
Last season, we saw Ricky Stenhouse Jr. play the underdog roll and win the Daytona 500, while Michael McDowell took home the 2021 500 in a fiery explosion, leading to a caution-swarmed finish. And there was Austin Cindric, who won the 2022 Daytona 500.
There is no shortage of unlikely winners based on previous finishes, but it brings up who can be that underdog story this season.
In terms of open entries, Jimmie Johnson wouldn’t be a surprise winner given his speed and obvious success in NASCAR -- including two wins in the Daytona 500 during his time with Hendrick Motorsports -- but Anthony Alfredo put together a really solid qualifying run on Wednesday that could make Alfredo and Beard Motorsports an unlikely tandem to win.
Others on the radar could also be Kaz Grala in the #36 Front Row Motorsports entry and the #60 RFK Racing entry of David Ragan, both fielding potentially strong superspeedway Ford teams. And keep your eyes on Spire Motorsports' Corey LaJoie.
In regard to chartered teams, there may not be as many surprise winners that can jump out, but Rick Ware Racing, Kaulig Racing, and Spire Motorsports all have shown speed at points even this week, with Riley Herbst in the #15 running very well in qualifying.
We could always see a young gun rookie grab a win, such as Josh Berry or even Zane Smith, similar to what Cindric did in 2022. But with only four rookies, the potential of it happening may be slimmer.
Regardless, just thinking about the potential of an underdog story prevailing at Daytona for the fourth straight year adds to the hype and excitement that this race brings, along with the uncertainty.