TAMPA BAY -- The weather is changing, and that signals not only the thick of the hockey season but also the beginning of the racing calendar.
Hockey and racing have always been known to be similar. In addition to the high speed and high-octane entertainment that each sport provides, racing and hockey are very much intertwined.
With Daytona International Speedway getting into its busiest season of the year, the track and the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning came together Saturday night to host Daytona Night at the arena, featuring two of the more prominent drivers in motorsports: defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer and Rolex 24 winner and former four-time CART champ Sebastien Bourdais.
Also joining some of the Daytona confidants were the track president, Frank Kelleher, and support staff, adding to what was a very speed-driven evening in the Bay Area.
The festivities kicked off prior to puck drop, featuring a gift exchange between the two drivers and Lightning players, defenseman Nick Perbix and forward Autin Watson.
Both Bourdais and Custer would receive a custom-made jersey, featuring both their name and car number, while both Lightning players received special helmets, customized to feature the Rolex 24 and NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
Bourdais and Custer would continue the evening's festivities by being honorary members of the game to open up the gates to the arena while also kicking off the game between the Bolts and Anaheim Ducks with a ceremonial “Charge Into Game Time,” setting off the arena’s tesla coils.
While neither driver was able to leave comments following the exchange with the Lightning players, both Custer and Bourdais conversed prior with the Daytona officials.
Custer asked about some of the recent changes the track has made to the facility, including the road course bumps and the patch added in the back straightaway due to the crash from fellow SHR member Ryan Preece, while Bourdais discussed some of his racing experiences at the famed speedway, including talking about the wet 2019 Rolex 24.
While Custer's and Bourdais' minds will soon be focused on their respective racing disciplines, Saturday was a great example of the relationship between racing and other prominent sports in the US.
This past year, the integration between the four major sports with prominent motorsports tracks, events, and drivers has been extraordinary, and the Lightning teaming up with Daytona adds to the great partnerships that these tracks and series have had.
It truly feels like motorsports has become mainstream once again, and the Lightning is helping achieve that.
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