DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — You do not have to look at golf each weekend to like The Masters. You do not have to be an odds fanatic who lives on the betting window to like the Kentucky Derby. And also you positive do not need to be an auto racing fan to understand the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s premiere occasion.

The primary actual race day of 2021 has lastly arrived, because the inexperienced flag is scheduled to drop on the 63rd operating of the Daytona 500 round 2:30 p.m. ET. Even when you by no means watch auto racing, this race — the 20th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s death at the track — ought to nonetheless be thought-about a must-see.

So, what do you want to know earlier than Sunday’s 500-mile, 150-lap, 200-mph occasion? This is a cheat sheet you may preserve in your cellphone to learn fascinating quick info aloud to your loved ones and make them assume you are the second coming of Fireball Roberts. It is damaged down into sections of three, as a result of that makes it simpler to recollect, and since that is Daytona and, nicely … EAAARNNNHARDTTT!

Three storylines to look at

Denny Hamlin and historical past. For these of us who exist in a extra seasoned age demographic, it is laborious to imagine it has been a decade and a half since Hamlin confirmed up for his first Daytona Speedweeks and promptly shocked the racing world by profitable the Budweiser Shootout (now the Busch Conflict) all-star race. However over the previous 5 years, he has turn out to be a bona fide Daytona legend, profitable three of the previous 5 editions of the Nice American Race, together with the previous two in a row. If he wheels his No. 11 FedEx Toyota into Victory Lane once more on Sunday, he’ll turn out to be the primary driver to win NASCAR’s greatest race three years in a row and transfer right into a tie for second place in all-time 500 wins, whereas additionally tying Cale Yarborough with 4 Daytona wins.

Hamlin’s different staff and historical past. Hamlin can also be entered on this 12 months’s race as a staff proprietor. This 12 months’s Daytona 500 would be the maiden voyage for the No. 23 Toyota of recent 23XI Racing, co-owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan. How’d that occur? Hamlin is to the Charlotte Hornets what Jack Nicholson is to the Los Angeles Lakers or Spike Lee to the New York Knicks, the fixed courtside presence. He had been bugging Jordan for years to become involved in NASCAR, so why now? As a result of Bubba Wallace was accessible to rent as a driver. Now Wallace, who completed second within the 2018 Daytona 500 (his first profession 500 begin), is trying to turn out to be the primary Black driver to win a Cup race since 1963 and the primary driver to win the Nice American Race in a from-scratch race staff. For extra Hamlin, Bubba and MJ, learn this story from Saturday.

Kyle Busch lastly undoing historical past. The driving force they name Rowdy has received a minimum of as soon as on each present Cup Collection racetrack (not counting the still-new Charlotte and Daytona rovals) and with 213 wins throughout NASCAR’s three nationwide collection, he has a trophy from each important occasion on each inventory automotive schedule … aside from the most important one of all of them. Busch is 0-for-15 within the Daytona 500 and is now approaching the February frustration stage of an extended checklist of males whom he’ll be a part of sooner or later within the NASCAR Corridor of Fame, from Dale Earnhardt (received on his twentieth attempt) and Darrell Waltrip (received on his seventeenth attempt) to Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte, Mark Martin and Tony Stewart, who received a mixed 166 races and 6 Cup titles, however who additionally mixed to go 0-for-111 within the 500.

Three favorites to look at

Hamlin. Do we have to remind you about that entire won-three-of-the-past-five factor? And you do not have to take my phrase. Vegas has him on the high of their board at 8-1. (If you would like to learn extra about Daytona 500 betting, try this post from the ESPN Betting Insiders.)

Brad Keselowski. He has lengthy been an excellent superspeedway racer with six victories between Daytona and Talladega, however he’s 0-for-11 within the 500. Final 12 months summed up his profession within the Nice American Race, main the second-most laps behind Hamlin (30), however crashing out and ending thirty sixth. That is the one jewel lacking from BK’s NASCAR Corridor of Fame crown.

Ryan Blaney. Final 12 months’s Daytona 500 runner-up was one of many early favorites to struggle for the 2020 Cup championship, however he light by summer season’s finish. Two of his 4 profession wins have come at Talladega, and he regarded robust in his Duel 150 qualifier Thursday night time. Everybody agrees that Blaney is on the cusp of stardom, however he wants a signature win to lastly begin fulfilling that potential. This could possibly be it.

The subsequent three

Chase Elliott. The defending Cup champ has spent his profession tripping over his personal bumper within the 500, profitable two poles and main 69 laps, however by no means ending increased than 14th, throwing in a few wrecks for good measure. However final fall within the regular-season cutoff race, he completed second to William Byron by .119 seconds. That effort helped increase the Son of Invoice to his first Cup Collection title.

Austin Dillon. Individuals will all the time complain that Dillon drives the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevy as a result of it was made well-known by Dale Earnhardt. However Dillon (who was OKed by Earnhardt himself as inheritor to the throne when Dillon was a child) received the Daytona 500 in 2018, owns seven high 10s in 15 profession Daytona oval begins, and did you see that transfer he made to beat Bubba Wallace on the line in Thursday night time’s second Duel 150 qualifier? It might be laborious to discover a higher storyline than that automotive profitable this race across the twentieth anniversary of Earnhardt’s demise.

Kevin Harvick. Completely satisfied has been mighty quiet throughout these Speedweeks. After profitable 9 races however failing to make the Championship 4 final fall, the 2007 Daytona 500 champ is extra like Sad. And that often means the remainder of the sector will find yourself being the sad ones.

Three sleepers to not sleep on

Kyle Larson. After his use of a racial slur, Larson was suspended from the Cup Collection for almost all of the 2020 season. He returns behind the wheel Sunday, this time at Hendrick Motorsports. The Huge One appears to draw Larson like a magnet, however in his previous two Daytona 500 begins with Chip Ganassi Racing, he completed seventh and tenth.

Chris Buescher. He has quietly completed within the high 5 twice over the previous three years. He additionally owns 5 high 10s in 10 profession Daytona oval begins, which is 1 / 4 of his profession top-10 finishes.

Ryan Newman. Buescher’s Roush Fenway Racing teammate will endlessly be linked to the Daytona 500 through his horrifying finish line crash one 12 months in the past, which extra individuals are prone to keep in mind than his win on this race in 2008. However what few appear to recall about his ’20 wreck is that he was within the lead and close by of the checkered flag when it occurred.

Three issues to blurt out to impress your folks

“Is not it nice to see Pitbull concerned in NASCAR?” Jordan is not the one celebrity who has determined to write down huge checks and go racing in 2021. Mr. Worldwide has joined the Trackhouse Racing Workforce as a co-owner and can be in Daytona on Sunday, not simply to cheer on driver Daniel Suarez within the No. 99 Chevy, but in addition because the Daytona 500 grand marshal. That is no fluke involvement, both. The music artist has liked NASCAR since he watched “Days of Thunder” as a child, and years in the past he bought a inventory automotive for his Miami constitution faculty as a instrument to show science and math.

“You already know, that is the final Daytona 500 for this specific era of inventory automotive.” OK, we completely informed you to say this final 12 months, too. However as a result of pandemic-altered 2020 season, NASCAR correctly selected to postpone the introduction of its “Subsequent Gen” mannequin of race automotive till 2022. The sanctioning physique has been working with Chevy, Ford and Toyota to design a brand new inventory automotive they promise can be cheaper to construct, extra brand-identifiable and, sure, racier. Groups examined the primary iteration of the Subsequent Gen automotive at a number of racetracks over the winter and early reactions have been good ones.

“It’s really superb what NASCAR has performed to enhance security since Dale Earnhardt’s demise 20 years in the past this week.” It has certainly been 20 years since The Intimidator died on the ultimate lap of the Daytona 500, however because of the protection evolution that passed off on account of his demise, no driver has been killed throughout NASCAR’s high three nationwide collection since that terrible day of Feb. 18, 2001. For extra, it is best to try our four-part series on Earnhardt’s racing a safety legacies. Sure, we all know that is a number of studying to complete between now and the beginning of the 2021 Daytona 500. However trying on the climate radar, it sadly looks like you are going to have loads of time.