{"id":49509,"date":"2025-02-12T21:17:06","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T03:17:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=49509"},"modified":"2025-02-12T22:38:02","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T04:38:02","slug":"daytona-500-media-day-notebook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/12\/daytona-500-media-day-notebook\/","title":{"rendered":"DAYTONA 500 Media Day Notebook"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Helio Castroneves, driver of the #91 Wendy’s Chevrolet speaks to the media during Media Day for the NASCAR Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 12, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Meg Oliphant\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Holly Cain and Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

William Byron seeks rare back-to-back victories in DAYTONA 500<\/strong><\/p>\n

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. \u2014 Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron holds the esteemed distinction of arriving in Daytona Beach this week as the defending DAYTONA 500 champion.<\/p>\n

Should he pull off the victory in Sunday\u2019s race, it would mark only the fifth time in the race\u2019s 67-year history that a driver has won consecutive DAYTONA 500s.<\/p>\n

That short list includes the sport\u2019s all-time winningest driver, Richard Petty (1973-74), three-time series champion Cale Yarborough (1983-84), along with Sterling Marlin (1994-95) and Denny Hamlin (2019-2020). In Marlin\u2019s case, he is the only driver ever to earn his first two career wins in the Daytona 500.<\/p>\n

Byron acknowledged the magnitude of the prospect of earning a second consecutive win in the Great American Race, but the 27-year-old Charlotte native seemed ultra-confident in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team\u2019s ability to give it a good try.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a huge deal,\u201d Byron said Wednesday during DAYTONA 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway. \u201cThis race is very difficult, the way this is structured nowadays and the way the drafting tracks are with this package. It is tough but I feel like just having consistency on these drafting tracks like we have the last few times we\u2019ve raced on them, we\u2019ve been able to be really good at them. It\u2019s just figuring out those last couple of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Furthermore, Byron added, \u201cI feel like having experienced it the way it was last year really changed my perspective on the race as a whole, in a good way, obviously. I feel that\u2019s created some more motivation to get another one. This race, it\u2019s a lifetime achievement. It\u2019s something people reference everywhere you go.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something that the first time in my career I\u2019ve had something like that. It makes it cool, it makes it more special, because you can tell people care about the race.\u201d<\/p>\n

William Byron Interview<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hamlin hopes to improve qualifying effort on superspeedways this year<\/strong><\/p>\n

Denny Hamlin is a three-time winner of the DAYTONA 500.<\/p>\n

Only two other drivers have enjoyed more trips to Victory Lane in the Great American Race\u2014Richard Petty with a record seven wins and Cale Yarborough with four.<\/p>\n

Hamlin scored his victories in 2016, 2019 and 2020, but since the advent of the Gen 7 race car in 2022, Hamlin has found it more difficult to win superspeedway races.<\/p>\n

Part of the problem, he says, lies in the inability to qualify at the front of the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere I really feel like we\u2019ve lost results on superspeedways, it is because we qualify in the back, and once the track gets log-jammed two-by-two or three-by-three, there\u2019s nowhere to go,\u201d Hamlin said on Wednesday during DAYTONA 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway.<\/p>\n

Hamlin said his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team has made qualifying at Daytona a focus this year. The top two spots on the grid were to be settled on Wednesday night, with the rest of the field ordered according to the results of Thursday night\u2019s Duel at Daytona qualifying races.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always said that qualifying didn\u2019t matter at Daytona and Talladega,\u201d Hamlin said. \u201cThat was true when you could really make a lot of moves; now it is really, really difficult. What I am just looking for is progression.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at all of the Toyotas, and we qualify on average 25th on these types of tracks, can we get that better? Can we move that number to 20th or 18th or something in the right direction to give ourselves a better chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked what a fourth DAYTONA 500 win might mean to him, Hamlin was at a loss to explain.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t answer that,\u201d he said. \u201cI tried to figure out what it would mean to win one, and I didn\u2019t have any idea until I won one, and I didn\u2019t have any idea, until after I won two, what two meant.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all really, really hard to put into words\u2014but the attention when you come back, you are in an elite class of drivers that have won this multiple times. It is just one of those things that stays on your resume forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Denny Hamlin Interview<\/strong><\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DennyHamlin021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Will 20th DAYTONA 500 start be a charmed one for Kyle Busch?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It took 20 attempts for Dale Earnhardt Sr. to win the DAYTONA 500. When he took the checkered flag in 1998, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion ended a winless streak that had reached 59 races.<\/p>\n

Likewise, Kyle Busch has been frustrated in his first 19 starts in the Great America Race. The two-time series champion hopes he\u2019ll find the same magic Earnhardt did in his 20th attempt on Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).<\/p>\n

Busch drives for Richard Childress Racing, just as Earnhardt did. Earnhardt failed to win a race in the season before his breakthrough victory at Daytona. Busch was winless last year, breaking a series-record streak of 19 straight seasons with at least one victory.<\/p>\n

Busch, whose winless streak has reached 57 races, certainly knows the history.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwenty years of trying,\u201d he said wistfully. \u201cThere was another storied racer of the past that won on his 20th try and that was a pretty big deal. He was a former RCR driver as well, so it\u2019d certainly be nice to win that race and do it with RCR in the No. 8 Zone Chevrolet. So that would be pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nor does Busch lack confidence in the quality of Childress\u2019 superspeedway package.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had really good speed being down here,\u201d Busch said. \u201cThese guys build great (superspeedway) race cars, so when we go to Daytona, Atlanta, Talladega, we feel like those places are really good for us.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got really good speed. I just told someone that it\u2019s an 80 percent luck\/20 percent skill race. Others would disagree, but I feel like you have to have a lot of things go your way, and you have to have the stars align. Being able to lead (after) the final pit stop is certainly going to put yourself in a really good position.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kyle Busch Interview<\/strong><\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/KyleBuschD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Indy 500 champion aiming for a rare double at Daytona<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hugely popular four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves showed up for Wednesday\u2019s interviews with the national media smiling and optimistic. In other words, typical Castroneves spirit.<\/p>\n

In his first official NASCAR Cup Series practice at the track\u2014driving the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet\u2014Castroneves was second fastest among the rookies and 12th overall.<\/p>\n

No matter how Castroneves fares in Wednesday night\u2019s pole-qualifying or Thursday\u2019s Duel 150, he has already been granted a starting position in Sunday\u2019s race as an Open Exemption Provisional\u2014a special designation Trackhouse Racing requested from NASCAR more than 90 days prior to the race.<\/p>\n

The provisional, which NASCAR granted, is designed to give world-class drivers who are not full-time NASCAR competitors a chance to race. Only one such provisional is granted per event.<\/p>\n

Castroneves conceded it\u2019s all been a learning exercise, from negotiating directions from pit lane to the garage and how to properly pit, not to mention allowing more room between the car and pit wall than he is used to competing in IndyCar so the NASCAR crew has ample space to change the tires.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery step has been a learning process,\u201d said Castroneves, who will also attempt to race in this year\u2019s Indianapolis 500 in hopes of earning a historic, unprecedented fifth win.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been watching a lot of in-car cameras,\u201d he added. \u201cUnderstanding a lot of the rules and being in touch with the guys (on the team) because the language is different. When you come out of the pits, normally they say, \u2018Whoa, whoa, whoa,\u2019 but here they say, \u2018Dig, dig, dig.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it sounds interesting or different; however, it\u2019s completely the opposite of what I\u2019m used to. So, I have to adapt. \u2026 all these little details, even though it\u2019s a race car, it\u2019s very different. When you are in a big race like this, every little detail matters, so I am trying to study all these details.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout his time with the NASCAR press Wednesday, the 49-year-old Castroneves reminded reporters that, although he is thoroughly enjoying his time at track and behind the wheel in this new quest, he is quite serious about the ultimate goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, I\u2019m not here just to cause attention,\u201d Castroneves said. \u201cI\u2019m going to do everything I can to do the job.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the camera cannot see the smile behind my helmet. It will feel so good. Super excited.\u201d<\/p>\n

Helio Castroneves Interview<\/strong><\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/HelioCastroneves021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ryan Blaney has had plenty of close calls in Great American Race<\/strong><\/p>\n

Driving for Wood Brothers Racing in 2017, Ryan Blaney finished second to Kurt Busch in the DAYTONA 500.<\/p>\n

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion was runner-up again in 2020 behind Denny Hamlin in a DAYTONA 500 that went to overtime and ended under caution.<\/p>\n

In the eight years from 2017 through 2024, Blaney has posted five top-10 finishes in the Great American Race. In 2022, when Team Penske teammate Austin Cindric won NASCAR\u2019s most prestigious race, Blaney was in the mix for the win on the final lap and finished fourth.<\/p>\n

Blaney hopes his experience with close calls will help him in Sunday\u2019s 67th running of the race (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely don\u2019t feel snakebit,\u201d Blaney said. \u201cI\u2019ve been lucky enough to be close a few times\u2014finished second twice. I\u2019ve probably had a really good shot to win it three or four times, and it just hasn\u2019t panned out for us\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you make a mistake and lose the race, then you really have to think about, \u2018Hey, I\u2019ve got to do better in this position\u2019 and just learn from it.\u2019 It\u2019s nice to have been close, and you just hope to use those close experiences to help you, if you\u2019re in that spot again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blaney ran just six laps in Wednesday\u2019s opening practice, eschewed the draft and was 38th fastest among 43 drivers who participated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was nice to get on track and make sure everything\u2019s doing well,\u201d Blaney said. \u201cIt was good that they had a practice before qualifying, because last year you saw some cars have issue in qualifying on their first laps on the track.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made one change and saw if it helped our qualifying speed, and then you kind of go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ryan Blaney Interview<\/strong><\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RyanBlaney021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joey Logano has turned the page on 2024 championship season<\/strong><\/p>\n

Three-time and reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano showed up for the first official day of work at the track insisting his championship hardware is on the shelf, and he and the No. 22 Team Penske Ford team are simply at the starting gate again.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour confidence is higher, but that\u2019s the only thing that is different,\u201d Logano said of coming to race as the defending series champion. \u201cYou\u2019re coming off a good year, so you feel, obviously, solid about it, but we don\u2019t have a lead on anyone anymore. We\u2019re back to zero. The goal is no different. Our mission is still to win the championship. That doesn\u2019t change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Logano is one of eight former DAYTONA 500 winners entered for Sunday\u2019s race but an addition to his 2015 win would make him one of only three drivers entered this week \u2014along with three-time winner Denny Hamlin and two-time winner Jimmie Johnson\u2014with multiple victories in the sport\u2019s biggest event.<\/p>\n

While there are vastly different opinions on the style of close-quarters pack racing the famed Daytona high-banks produces, Logano said he not only likes it but feels a whole lot more in control of his destiny than perhaps some of his other competitors allow.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you can control all of it,\u201d Logano said. \u201cI don\u2019t see what parts you can\u2019t. If you understand the probabilities and the chances around you and who\u2019s around you and what they\u2019re most likely to do, you can control most of your destiny.<\/p>\n

\u201cI kind of look at it like a card game, right? You can win with any hand, if you play it correctly. So maybe you don\u2019t have the best hand, but you can probably figure out how to do something with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joey Logano Interview<\/strong><\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/JoeyLogano021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chase Elliott says impetus for Clash win surfaced late last year<\/strong><\/p>\n

For those looking from the outside, Chase Elliott\u2019s single-win season in 2024\u2014following a winless, injury-plagued 2023\u2014might appear to be a study in  mediocrity.<\/p>\n

To the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion, however, it was a year of progress that foreshadowed his victory in the season-opening Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Feb. 2.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a source of optimism as Elliott approaches the first points event of the season, Sunday\u2019s DAYTONA 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe end of last year I think was really encouraging for us,\u201d said the driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, who posted top 10s in three of his last four events of the season and finished second after leading 129 laps in the fall Martinsville race.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we ended on a really good note\u2014we were just a little late to the party, I think, really and truly. We were starting to run better, lead some laps there at the end of the year, had a great shot to win a couple races during the last month. I thought all that was really encouraging.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be able to build on those things, come out and perform the way we did on Saturday (at Bowman Gray)\u2026 Yes, the race went well, but all that started over the offseason in the things we were focused on and talking about and thinking about.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a victory in the Great American Race, Elliott would be the sixth driver to start the season with wins in both the Clash and DAYTONA 500, joining Bobby Allison (1982); Bill Elliott, his father (1987); Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000); Jeff Gordon (1997) and Denny Hamlin (2016).<\/p>\n

Chase Elliott Interview<\/strong><\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ChaseElliottD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Martin Truex Jr.\u2019s retirement will have to wait another week<\/strong><\/p>\n

Martin Truex Jr. has 34 NASCAR Cup Series wins on his resume and dominated the 2017 season en route to the championship. He won back-to-back NASCAR Xfinity Series titles (2004-2005) and is a sure-bet NASCAR Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible.<\/p>\n

Although he retired from full-time competition at the end of last season, Truex has chosen to compete in selected races in 2025, beginning with this week\u2019s DAYTONA 500\u2014a race he is 0-for-20 in but has a runner-up finish in 2016 by a slight 0.010-second.<\/p>\n

Because the TRICON Garage team fielding his No. 56 Toyota this week does not have a charter, Truex will have to make the field on either qualifying speed or a good finish in the Duel 150. The two fastest \u201copen\u201d cars in qualifying earn a position in the 500, and the highest-finishing non-chartered car in each of the two Duels also advances.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot so much (different) getting ready for it,\u201d Truex, 44, said of being an open car. \u201cYou prepare all the same. But I know when I leave here, I don\u2019t have to worry about where I\u2019m at in points or just anything like that. There are no repercussions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just, \u2018Have fun, hopefully have a great race, hopefully have a shot at winning this race for the first time.\u2019 That\u2019s the whole reason to do it, and really nothing else matters. It\u2019s kind of fun and feels more old-school. You race each race as its own. The rest of the year doesn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut at the same time, we\u2019ve got to make the race first. And that\u2019s a different feeling, because I haven\u2019t had to do that since 2005. Qualifying is way more important. Usually, you come down here and it\u2019s qualifying or the Duels. It is what it is, and you start where you start. But now it\u2019s important, so a little more nervous early in the week than usual.\u201d<\/p>\n

One thing Truex has been looking forward to at Daytona is reuniting with crew chief Cole Pearn, who led Truex\u2019s 2017 championship run for Furniture Row Racing, then stepped away from the sport after the 2019 season and moved back to his native Canada.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like it\u2019s always been, he didn\u2019t miss a beat,\u201d a smiling Truex shared of Pearn\u2019s return. \u201cHe\u2019s already complaining about inspection, about the rules, \u2018Why are we doing this, and I can\u2019t believe you got me back here to do this.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s right back on track.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin Truex Jr. Interview<\/strong><\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MartinTruexJrD500MediaDay21225-1.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Media Day Interviews:<\/h3>\n

Christopher Bell (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ChristopherBellD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RickyStenhouseJr021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Carson Hocevar (No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Hocevar021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Ross Chastain (No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RossChastainD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Shane van Gisbergen (No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ShanevanGisbergenD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Tyler Reddick (No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/TylerReddick021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Noah Gragson (No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/NoahGragsonD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Austin Cindric (No. 2 Team Penske Ford) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AustinCindricD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Chris Buescher (No. 17 RFK Racing Ford) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ChrisBuescherD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Todd Gilliland (No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ToddGilliand021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Jimmie Johnson (No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Johnson021225-1.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/KyleLarson021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Anthony Alfredo (No. 52 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AnthonyAlfredoD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Corey LaJoie (No. 01 Rick Ware Racing Ford) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/CoreyLaJoieD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Alex Bowman (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AlexBowman021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Ty Gibbs (No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/TyGibbsD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Chandler Smith (No. 66 Garage 66 Ford) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ChandlerSmith021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Erik Jones (No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ErikJones021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Bubba Wallace (No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/BubbaWallaceD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Josh Berry (No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/JoshBerry021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Daniel Su\u00e1rez (No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DanielSuarezD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Brad Keselowski (No. 6 RFK Racing Ford) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/BradKeselowski021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Riley Herbst (No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RileyHerbstD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Ryan Preece (No. 60 RFK Racing Ford) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RyanPreece021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Zane Smith (No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ZaneSmithD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Ty Dillon (No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/TyDillonD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AustinDillonD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

AJ Allmendinger (No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AJAllmendinger021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Cole Custer (No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ColeCusterD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Michael McDowell (No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/MichaelMcDowellD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Justin Haley (No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/JustinHaleyD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

BJ McLeod (No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/BJMcLeodD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Chase Briscoe (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ChaseBriscoeD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

JJ Yeley (No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/JJYeley021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Cody Ware (No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/CodyWareD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Justin Allgaier (No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/JustinAllgaierD500MediaDay21225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

John Hunter Nemechek (No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota) – Media Day –<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/JohnHunterNemechek021225.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  By Holly Cain and Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service William Byron seeks rare back-to-back victories in DAYTONA 500 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. \u2014 Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron holds the esteemed distinction of arriving in Daytona Beach this week as the defending DAYTONA 500 champion. Should he pull off the victory in Sunday\u2019s race, it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":676,"featured_media":49577,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[42,287,16],"class_list":["post-49509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nascar","tag-daytona-500","tag-daytona-international-speedway","tag-nascar"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/GettyImages-2199176263-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-cSx","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49509"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49509\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49579,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49509\/revisions\/49579"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}