Around the Track: Stenhouse Pulls off Upset; Fontana Looms
Sunday night saw Ricky Stenhouse Jr. pull off what most race car drivers can only dream of: win the Daytona 500. Stenhouse did so in what wound up being the longest 500 in the event’s history. On top of that, the driver of the No. 47 Chevy survived several late race wrecks during his march forward.
The race looked to be in the hands of veteran drivers Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch. Both found their way at one point to the lead with less than five to go. However, both would wind up crashing out in the two late-race pile-ups that ensued.
This ending was especially tough for Keselowski as he had arguably one of the best cars in the field, winning the first stage and leading the most laps. Keselowski and RFK teammate Chris Buescher were a dynamic duo at the front of the field as each pushed the other to combine to lead for 74 laps.
The race was relatively calm and only saw one large crash in the opening laps of the race. Towards the end, however, two late-race accidents forced the race into overtime and to finish under caution.
But after the wildcard that is the Daytona 500, teams are now looking ahead to the west coast stretch. This stretch includes races like Fontana, Phoenix and Las Vegas. This weekend the Cup series is at Fontana for a race that will close a chapter on that track as most fans have come to know it.
The two-mile oval named Auto Club Speedway announced that it will not host a race next year as changes to a half-mile short track. The Cup and Xfinity series will close out the track NASCAR’s racing on the big track as it now has to mull over where to race next year for Fontana’s replacement.
Expect this weekend’s racing to be headlined by one major factor: the weather. Practice and qualifying sessions will more than likely be rained out and drivers will have to start the race knowing little about how their car will handle. The first stage will mostly be drivers trying to get a feel for their car and working on getting it adjusted. The first pit stops of the race will be key in getting cars adapted to the track.
Some drivers in this race to watch are Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr. and Alex Bowman. Larson loves to run the top of the racetrack and Fontana is just the track for that. Expect to see Larson up there all day making good time on the outside.
Truex Jr. only has one win at this track but seems to run well here every time NASCAR rolls in. Truex loves these D-shaped ovals and is one of the most experienced drivers here. Bowman won the 2020 race here in a dominating fashion, leading over half the race. After just signing an extension with Hendrick Motorsports, look for him to be at the front on Sunday.
The NASCAR Cup Series will take to the banks of Auto Club Speedway for one final time Sunday before its reconfiguration. The race will start at 3:30 p.m. on FOX.
Ethan Ellis is a second year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email ece5133@psu.edu.
