"All of the new fans that we had at the Coliseum, and certainly selling this place out and sponsorships and suites, I think it's terrific." "If you ask the question how I think NASCAR is today and what we see, I think we're on a great trajectory," Penske said. The success of The Clash re-energized the industry ahead of the Daytona 500, which had sold out well over a month in advance and had an estimated 120,000 spectators on-site Sunday across speedway grounds. The star-studded exhibition race earlier this month even included halftime - unheard of in motorsports - with a six-minute set performed by Ice Cube. NASCAR built a temporary track inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and then moved The Clash from Daytona International Speedway, it's only home since its 1979 debut, to Los Angeles. Taking a few risks emboldened NASCAR to think entirely outside its comfort zone. Cover Bristol in dirt? Sure! Add more road courses? Absolutely! BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - MARCH 29: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Cup Series Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Main Bristol, Tennessee. Shutdowns and mandates forced NASCAR to race where it could in 2020, a catalyst to the most significantly overhauled schedule in series history the next season. A willingness to adapt and break from its long traditions has helped stabilize NASCAR at the same time it's undergoing massive change. The race marked a return to normalcy for NASCAR, which found flexibility during the pandemic that helped America's top motorsports series navigate its way through two turbulent years. The race was fine and free of drama, the Next-Gen car was as good as advertised, and rookie Austin Cindric was a fresh first-time winner who gifted Roger Penske a victory on the team owner's 85th birthday.
"This is going to be a perfect day."Īnd so it was for NASCAR, which wrapped its 64th running of "The Great American Race" without a single snag. "I keep looking up, so thankful we've finally got perfect weather," said NASCAR's chairman. No sense of foreboding ahead of the start.
There was no talk of NASCAR's new car or new rules. DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #6 Kohler Generators Ford, greets fans onstage during the driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Februin Daytona Beach, Florida. The grandstands were full for the first time in two years, fans again roamed every inch of the grounds in search of a selfie or a signature, and there was no threat of rain ruining NASCAR's biggest race of the season. Jim France was ecstatic in the garage before the Daytona 500.
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