By: Andrew Gallinger
The 2024 Daytona 500 saw a first-time winner of NASCAR’s ultimate race, Hendrick Motorsports Driver, William Byron. While many throughout the Daytona International Speedway garage were itching to see 40 cars on the 2.5 mile Florida high-banks on Sunday, mother-nature & perhaps a little meant-to-be methodology went into how Monday’s 500- mile race played-out.
Monday, February 19th, 2024 was a special day for HMS & Hall-of-Fame Team Owner, Rick Hendrick. 40 years to the day of their very first win in the NASCAR Cup Series, which at the time was simply worked & prayed for to keep the organization’s doors open. Fast-forward four-decades, Byron, the kid from North Carolina was discovered in motorsports via iRacing gaming has won at many levels, now, he’s won NASCAR’s biggest race & yes, will be an early, early Championship favorite.
The majority of the Daytona 500 was a smooth affair with the Fords, Chevys & Toyotas all co-existing in two and three lanes inches apart lap after lap… oh… also while careening off the race track in that same pack going from 190 m.p.h. down to the pit road speed limit of 55 m.p.h from time-to-time for pit stops lasting 12-14 seconds, just to get right back in that same breath-taking bumper to bumper traffic. And I thought Utah rush hour is a bit nuts. Granted this is all for millions of dollars, prestige, & some more than worthy bragging rights for a year until the 2025 Daytona 500.
Byron also showed a gritty, will-to-win attitude as he stuck the nose of his Chevrolet to the right rear of Brad Keselowski’s Ford at the end of the Backstretch with 9 laps to go, which hooked Keselowski to the right, then into the left rear of Joey Logano’s Ford. Many other drivers were also wadded up in the calamity, including Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick, Anthony Alfredo, among others.
Then on the restart, as the field came around to get the white flag signifying the last lap of the race, right as Byron, his HMS teammate Alex Bowman & others crossed under the flag, another crash. This one would end the race, as per NASCAR rules, once the leader takes the white flag, whichever flag comes out next, ends the race, whether that’s this instance of a caution, or what the fans, and really all of NASCAR want to see to see, a barnburner to the end crossing the finish line on the track with the black and white checkered flag waving above.
Daytona International Speedway is synonymous with NASCAR history. Hendrick Motorsports is up there with the name Petty that exhibits respect, class gratitude to NASCAR & the entire motorsports community. When legends win, the sport wins, the fans win. In this world where so much is changing, history can gratefully remind us of our past, but empower us to move forward. That’s what sports do. They’re an escape from reality. Cherish them with your family and friends for a few hours and enjoy Life… because it’s not a Race.
See you next week for my take on the Cup Series duking it out in Atlanta, Georgia.
andrewgallinger.com 