The Daytona 500 for dummies

The start of the Daytona 500 will be given this Sunday, February 19 at 14:30 p.m. local time, 20:30 p.m. French time. If you are new to the discipline, here is some information to shine in society.

Why is the most prestigious race of the season taking place in Daytona Beach? From the late 1940s to the mid-1950s, the most valiant American racing drivers got into the habit of coming to compete at Daytona. Most of these hotheads were former smugglers who cut their teeth during Prohibition, building the legend of the discipline. The circuit then took half of a portion of paved road and the rest of Daytona beach itself! In 1959, the Daytona International Speedway was opened to host the race.

An event born on the beach of Daytona © NASCAR

What is banking? The turns at Daytona International Speedway are banked at 31 degrees, allowing cars to exceed 320 mph. A well-adjusted soapbox dropped from the top of the bends can approach 50 km/h at the end of its descent.

Is the Daytona 500 long? The circuit has a development of 2,5 miles, or 4,02 km to be completed 200 times to cover the famous 500 miles (804,5 km). Just a few meters away, it's the same as reaching the beaches of the Côte d'Azur from Paris.

And how long does it last? Depending on (frequent) racing incidents, between 3:30 and 4:00…. To cover, remember, a distance equivalent to Paris-Marseille with a little more spectacle than by TGV.

Angle of turns, speed, distance,… Welcome to the temple of excess © NASCAR

Why is there a lake in the middle of the oval? This is Loyd Lake. To build the track, workers took soil from the center of the speed ring, creating a large hole that was gradually filled with water. A very valuable reserve to maintain the magnificent lawns adorning the Infield. When the cars spin on this beautiful lawn, you will be able to judge its quality.

Who should we support? With 40 drivers at the start, and so many varied personalities, the choice is rather vast. There are legends like Jimmie Johnson (No. 84), seven-time NASCAR champion who came out of retirement to come and rub shoulders with the youngsters. There are bad boys, those villains that we love so much, such as Kyle Bush (No. 8) or Ross Chastain (No. 1). There is even a Motocross legend this year with Travis Pastrana (n°67)! If you can't make your choice, there is still Chase Elliott (No. 9), the most popular driver since 2018.

In the Draft, watch out for the Big One © NASCAR

Why do cars drive so close together? This package race is the “Draft”, typical of Daytona. By driving close to the car in front, well sheltered, we escape the air resistance and thus we go faster thanks to the suction phenomenon and we can push the car in front so that it goes -even faster, etc… A virtuous circle with very high risk because in the event of disagreement between pilots it is a guaranteed collective accident, the “Big One”!

How can the drivers find their way at such speed, huddled in the bumper of the car in front of them? Thanks to the Spotters! Each driver is permanently linked by radio to a guardian angel placed at the top of the main stand with a full view of the track. This spotter can tell his driver when to go down or up the track and what the other cars are doing. It can also warn the driver in the event of an accident ahead and tell him how to position himself on the track to avoid contact.

The spotters are the drivers' eyes during the race © NASCAR

How is the starting grid established? The method of qualifying for the Daytona 500 is unique in the regular season. On the evening of Wednesday, January 15, each driver had a chance to try to get pole position. The two fastest drivers at the end of this session, Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson, secured the front row at the start of the Daytona 1 on this occasion. All the others had to go through the two qualifying races on Thursday evening, the Duels. The 500 drivers entered for the year were certain to take the start, but this year with 36 registered for 42 available places, 40 drivers had to earn the right to compete in the most beautiful race of the year on the track. Jimmie Johnson and Travis Pastrana from qualifying on Wednesday, Zane Smith, winner of the Truck Series round on Friday, and Conor Daly at the end of the duels.

There will be 40 at the start on Sunday © NASCAR

40 cars going in circles for almost 4 hours isn't it boring? Quite honestly, absolutely not! Obviously at the start of the event the strategies are put in place so we have calmer racing phases, but between the mechanical breakdowns, the accidents, the exploding tires, and of course the ego struggles between drivers, what happens always something at Daytona. The alliances between drivers of the same team are as beautiful but more fragile than crystal and often the manufacturers themselves disrupt the strategies by giving instructions to the teams. Nothing is written in advance in such an event and there are many surprises.

No room for boredom at Daytona © NASCAR

So this evening, treat yourself to this little rascally pleasure, tune into the AUTOmoto channel and let Pat and Phil, the historic commentators of the discipline in France, guide you in the discovery of this discipline that is as exciting as it is spectacular. Monday morning you will wake up Nascarian.

Starting grid for the 500 Daytona 2023:

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