This year’s Daytona 500 offers plentifully promising storylines and the return of some beloved names to Cup. (Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As the 75th anniversary of NASCAR kicks off with Sunday’s 65th annual Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), a new season of optimism, enthusiasm and intriguing storylines awaits competitors at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.
For the past 41 years, the Daytona 500, dubbed the “Super Bowl of NASCAR,” has kicked off each Cup season. It is widely considered as the biggest and most prestigious race of the year for stock car’s premier division.
This 200-lap, 500-mile race is like a chess match at over 190 mph with drivers racing in two to four wide formations around every inch of real estate of this famed track. Those who respect and understand the risks of Daytona often prevail or leave the track with relief and a sense of accomplishment.
Then there are those who find themselves swept in “The Big One,” or the multi-car accident that turns pristine stock cars into wrecked piles of heap. Simply put, it is a three to four hour dramatic experience that epitomizes the human element with intense emotions and incredible athleticism in the cars and those who go over the wall for each pit stop.
Last year, Austin Cindric officially ushered in the Gen-7 stock car era with his riveting Daytona 500 victory, the second consecutive win for the Ford Performance camp. Ahead of Sunday’s race, Cindric and his Team Penske allies in Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney hope to stave off the challenges likely from their Blue Oval counterparts in Aric Almirola, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Preece.
It would be foolish to dismiss the likes of Chevrolet’s Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain and the Toyota conglomerates of Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick. Each of these drivers have showcased their willingness to win “The Great American Race.”
Once the flag waves the green flag to kick off this new season, it is anyone’s guess as to who will prevail in this year’s Daytona 500. For the time being, come along for the ride this and each race weekend with Podium Preview.
This weekend, Jasmine Sharpe, Kobe Lambeth, Luis Torres, Matt Sisoler, Nathan Solomon, Sean Folsom, Stephen Conley and yours truly ruminate over Ford’s dominant performance during Daytona 500 Speedweek and candidates to potentially surprise us with a win this Sunday at “The World Center of Racing!”
Podium Preview: 2023 Daytona 500
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Question 1
Ryan Blaney and Harrison Burton have showcased their cars’ incredible pace throughout Daytona 500 Speedweek. (Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
Ford has showcased their dominance in race trim thus far during Daytona 500 Speedweek. What can we expect from the Blue Ovals on Sunday afternoon?
Tiongson : I look for the Ford camp to be fast and focused on separating themselves from the rest of their lead lap counterparts from Chevrolet and Toyota. As we saw during Thursday night’s first Bluegreen Vacations Duel race, Joey Logano and his Ford friends were able to draw considerable distance between themselves and William Byron, the highest running Chevrolet driver, by an insurmountable distance.
Sure, championships are not won in a single race like the Daytona 500. However, Ford places a hefty emphasis with this race and it shows with Michael McDowell’s win in 2021 and the surprise victory by Austin Cindric last year. Nothing screams “Win on Sunday, buy on Monday” then to see a Mustang win “The Great American Race.”
However, as I will reveal with my Podium Preview pick, it will not be a typical Ford driver who will hoist the Harley J. Earl Trophy. As Seth Eggert, Jaz Sharpe and I said during Ep. 57 of The Podium Finish Live!, expect the unexpected and this includes the winner for Sunday afternoon.
Sisoler : I honestly think you have to look at the Fords as obvious contenders, given their outright speed and having the numbers game against the rest of the field. That being said, this is a Daytona, and more accurately, this is the Daytona 500, a race we’ve seen drivers outright dumped other drivers to win in the past. Furthermore, this type of pack racing is extremely unpredictable, which means all it takes is one person to get out of sync with the rest of the pack and you could very easily see that numbers advantage for Ford ending up in a smoky heap on the apron of the race track.
Lambeth : Heading into the 65th running of the Great American Race, I think the Ford Mustangs will enter the Daytona 500 as the favorites. They have a strong numbers game and as Mike Joy mentioned on Thursday night, Ford has a new nose this year that produces more drag, which is extremely helpful on superspeedways like Daytona. However, this style of racing is super unpredictable and the draft has always been dubbed as the “great equalizer.” Therefore, anything is possible and we shouldn’t crown Ford yet. Chevrolet and Toyota will be prepared for quite a battle with the Blue Ovals when it gets down to the nitty-gritty. At the end of 500 miles, we’ll see if the Ford can finish 2023 Daytona 500 Speedweek strong after sweeping the Duels!
Sharpe : Ford wants to show to the world its excellence in all forms of vehicles. This would also include the racing of said vehicles. Ford was built on the principle of America being a force to not be reckoned with. As the years have passed by and other car companies have come into the fray, Ford has fought hard to remain on top.
Daytona International Speedway has become a staple for racing. NASCAR was made not only to showcase the skills of drivers, but to also showcase the vehicles that were being raced. The 500 is known globally and is viewed by millions each year.
It doesn’t shock me that Ford was a powerhouse during Speedweek, they’ve worked hard to revitalize their program with NASCAR the past couple of years and desires nothing but the best. Yet, so does Chevrolet and Toyota. The three compete against one another and create excellent drama that us race fans gobble up each week.
Daytona is known for being the track where the impossible becomes possible. It’s a place that gives race car drivers chills for a reason. While I can see a driver within the Ford camp of drivers snagging a win, I can see the same for the Chevrolet and Toyota drivers as well.
All three manufacturers are a threat and should not be messed with. The drivers, on the other hand, are fair game.
Question 2
When a seven-time Cup champion like Jimmie Johnson is considered a potential surprise winner, that should say it all about the excitement about this year’s Daytona 500. (Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
Who has the makings to be a surprise Daytona 500 winner on Sunday afternoon?
Solomon : You can’t count anyone out of this race. Todd Gilliland showed tremendous speed in Bluegreen Vacation Duel 2 and led on the final lap before getting loose and losing track position.
Zane Smith won Friday’s Craftsman Truck Series race. Michael McDowell won the 2021 Daytona 500. Look out for the Front Row Motorsports cars on Sunday.
Folsom : Man that’s a hard question, there are so many great drivers this season already. I would love to see Jimmie Johnson winning it being he is a co-owner now and racing in the 500. However, it would be big to see Travis Pastrana win it all as well.
Conley : I don’t know if you can call a seven-time champion and multiple Daytona 500 winner a surprise, but as a co-owner and first timer in this new car, Jimmie Johnson still has the talent and know how to return to Victory Lane and with the draft, anything is possible. Johnson could give Legacy M.C. another checkmark under their name.
Bennink : Daytona is big! The accolades are big. The anticipation is big. The wrecks are big. Being locked into the playoffs after the first race of the year is big.
Following along with the “big” theme, as the saying goes, everything’s bigger in Texas, and that is where my surprise Daytona 500 pick Chris Buescher, calls home.
RFK Racing started the 2022 season strong with Keselowski and Buescher winning their respective Duels however the team faced challenges through much of the season and until Buescher took home the win at Bristol Motor Speedway in the fall. Through the last 10 races of the 2022 season Buescher averaged a respectable 17.6th position.
Even though the off season was long, the momentum Buescher and RFK Racing had at the end of the year has transferred over to 2023 as both Buescher and Keselowski each had impressive fourth place Duel finishes this year. To confirm the speeds of the Fords at Daytona, and in particular the speed of RFK Racing, Keselowski posted the fastest time in the final round of practice.
After the final practice round, Keselowski said he felt good about a lot of things going on and there are fewer uncertainties this year.
“Our team dynamics are significantly improved. We continue to make changes at RFK to bring out the best talent and best supporting tools to be successful and we’ve got a lot of systems that were clearly deficient last year and were really hard to fix and replace midseason, that we were able to take a good whack at here during the offseason and it’ll be interesting to see them come online.,” Keselowski said.
I believe as the team has matured and begins to work through the challenges of a new car and a new team, Buescher’s talent will start to shine, beginning with the 500.
Torres : Since the implementation of stage racing in 2017, there’s been a trend of races where drivers and teams you hardly see be contenders flourish.
The Daytona 500 for the most part, it’s been dominated by Ford and Toyota when it really comes down to it. I don’t expect that to change, but this season’s sophomores Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland should make some noise on race day.
Before flipping last year, Burton looked very sporty and could’ve been in the battle for the win. Wouldn’t that be boss if he brings home the Wood Brothers its fourth Daytona 500 win and the elusive 100th Cup win in the sport’s 75th anniversary.
Finally, Gilliland has a severe sense of urgency. Knowing his seat isn’t as secured as he once thought, his one mission is to prove to Front Row Motorsports and anyone else in the sport that he brings a lot to the table. Thursday’s Duel race was a great sign that he’s ready for the race of his life. A win comes a long way that could help him find a ride at Talladega as his other races will be with Rick Ware Racing’s No. 15 team.
When the green flag drops, Burton and Gilliland are the two I can see snatching a win.
That’s two laps around Daytona International Speedway as we prepare for our winning move! Before we do so, let’s rewind to last year’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race and review who won the 2022 TPF Cup Series championship!
Joey Logano made a winner out of three panelists.
For the first time since 2013, yours truly won the championship.
Now, with yours truly being the defending champion, it is time to progress onward with our 2023 Daytona 500 race winning picks!
Spin the wheel and see which one of us gets closest to winning this year’s Daytona 500. (Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
Sharpe : Ryan Blaney is a seasoned driver who has several great finishes at superspeedways. Team Penske has a solid lineup overall that are able to pull together and finish on top.
Lambeth : For some reason, it seems like Ryan Blaney is always pushing someone to win the Daytona 500. At this rate, it has to be super frustrating to be so close to winning the greatest crown jewel racing event in stock car racing. However, I think this is the year of YRB and the No. 12 team will finally be the ones celebrating into the night in Daytona Beach!
Solomon : Ryan Blaney has shown tremendous speed all week and is one of the best superspeedway racers. He’s had some close calls in the Daytona 500, so it feels like it’s finally his time to break out with a win.
Torres : This year’s Daytona 500 has the making of favoring the ones who’ve been trying so hard to win, but unable to seal the deal. Among those are Brad Keselowski and I feel this is his year of finally checking off the one race that guys like Terry Labonte, Mark Martin and Tony Stewart were unable to accomplish.
Last year was one of Keselowski’s greatest Speedweek at Daytona, but he was unable to win the grand prize. Having the mighty Roush Yates-powered Ford engines helps his odds. If his aggressive driving doesn’t hinder himself or the field, Keselowski will finally break through in “The Great American Race.”
Sisoler : I am pretty sure I picked Ross Chastain to win the 500 last year, and he got wiped out in the wreck at the end of the first stage. However, that’s not gonna stop me from taking out a man who won at Talladega last year to get what would be a very emotional win in front of his home state fans at the Daytona 500.
Tiongson : I will pull a bit of a Bill Weber here. Who was the last driver to win the Daytona 500 from the 19th starting position? Ward Burton in 2002. Who is starting in 19th for this year’s Daytona 500? It is Harrison Burton, Ward’s nephew.
Might we see some history repeating with Burton replicating some of his family’s magic from 2002? We shall see because if so, you will not have to look this up because we will have already done so.
Folsom : With Jimmie Johnson being a co-owner and all of his experience at Daytona, I see him trying to come out with a win and show want the new Legacy team has to offer this season.
Conley : After six consecutive front row starts at Daytona, Alex Bowman finally has the speed, the handling and more importantly, the luck to finish it all off for his first win in “The Great American Race.”
We’re ready for some racing. How about you? What do you think are the biggest storylines heading into the race? Who are your favorites to win? Tweet us now @ThePodiumFinish and tell us now!
Thanks as always to the TPF team for their amazing efforts this week as we prepare for our 15th season!
The opinions and thoughts expressed in Podium Preview are solely of the authors. They do not reflect any organizations affiliated with the participants and author outside of TPF. This weekly feature is strictly for entertainment purposes. Ultimately, they are not indicative of TPF, the organization and its staff.
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