VIDEO – 500 Miles of Daytona NASCAR: highlights

Sunday February 20 during the Daytona 500, Austin Cindric made the history of the NASCAR giving Team Penske and Ford the first victory of the Next Gen era. 

ALSO READ > Rookie Austin Cindric wins the Daytona 500

Under Overtime, Cindric was able to resist the pressure of his teammate Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace, driver for Michael “Air” Jordan’s team, to achieve his first victory in the Cup Series. This new line enriches the track record of the Columbus, Ohio native driver after two years in the Xfinity Series which saw him win the title in 2020 and finish runner-up in 2021.

The different Ford teams carried out a school solidarity race in the service of the brand to bring Cindric, Blaneyn Chase Briscoe and Aric Almirola in the best possible condition during the final restart. Chase Eliott, the 2020 champion, places the first Chevrolet in 10th place after a race where the Camaros never seemed able to compete with the Fords and the Toyota. At the end of an exemplary race, Jacques Villeneuve did not miss his big return to the premier competition and at the age of 50 ranked 22nd in his first 500 miles of Daytona.

The Californian oval of Fontana will host the second round of the season on Sunday February 27. This fast and technical D oval will be an excellent test for the Next Gen in a free configuration, without power restrictions. Denny Hamlin has held the lap record there since 2016 at an average speed of 303,379 km/h.