The Daytona 500 is quite special. For starters, it is not a one-day event; but it’s more like a week-long celebration with musical concerts and other fun activities leading to the main event. Secondly, the winner of the race is awarded the prestigious Harley J. Earl Trophy and a substantial amount of prize money. And thirdly, but most importantly, with its history and its record-breaking moments, the race has attained the status of ‘The Super Bowl of NASCAR’ or ‘The Great American Race.’
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Interestingly, this year’s 500 is scheduled just a week after Super Bowl LVIII. Needless to say, the fans are trembling with anticipation. So who will be this year’s winner in the inaugural race at the 2.5-mile, high-banked oval? Let’s look at who’s the favorite to win the 66th Daytona 500.
Denny Hamlin has three (2016, 2019, 2020) wins in this coveted event. So there are enough reasons for someone to predict that he might as well be the one to bag the win this year too. However, sad news for the Hamlin fans; he is not the driver favored to win the 2024 Daytona 500. And neither is it the reigning Daytona 500 champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Surprisingly, it is 2023 Cup Series champion, Ryan Blaney.
Blaney is undoubtedly an extremely talented driver. Looking at his performance at Talladega Superspeedway from last year, it wouldn’t be a shock if he brings out his A-game at this year’s 500. It would be great for him if he could follow up his Cup win with a Daytona 500 win. But it will not be as easy as it looks with other seasoned drivers like Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, and Martin Truex Jr., who have this race on their bucket list.
Who is the headline music performer in the Daytona 500 weekend?
Armando Christian Perez, better known as Pitbull’s fourth season as a co-owner of his NASCAR team Trackhouse Racing will start a bit early. And that’s because the Grammy-winning rap artist is expected to set the stage ablaze during the pre-race show on February 18.
“It’s an honor to once again be part of the Great American Race, this time performing at the Daytona 500. So, everyone start your engines,” exclaimed Mr. Worldwide. Even Frank Kelleher, the president of Daytona International Speedway, seemed pumped up for Pitbull’s performance.
“There’s no better way to get the energy flowing than with Pitbull performing our pre-race concert for the Daytona 500,” admitted Kelleher. “He’ll bring all the South Florida vibes and culture up here to put on quite the show for the 66th running of The Great American Race.”
Last year, Pitbull released an album that was named “Trackhouse “. And this year, the 43-year-old musician is about to bring out another album next month which will be called, ‘Trackhouse: Daytona 500 Edition.’
