Only a couple of days remain until the Daytona 500, and the festivities for the biggest weekend of the NASCAR calendar are beginning.
With the Super Bowl in the rearview, the focus is on racing come Sunday afternoons for the foreseeable future. The pomp and circumstance of the Daytona 500 will kick things off, but the biggest question that surrounds the event year in and year out usually pertains to the weather.
According to WBTW News 13 Meteorologist Scotty Powell, we’re looking good for Daytona this weekend. While some rain could hit the area on Saturday, having an effect on the Xfinity Series race, it’s looking like it’ll be cloudy, but clear, for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
An early look at the #DAYTONA500 forecast for this upcoming end of week, into the weekend. Best shot of rain is Saturday. That could cause some issues with the Xfinity race. Still some time to iron the details out,” Powell posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Nothing puts a damper on the Daytona 500 like rain, as it’s always a better time when the event goes off without a hitch. That weather report will be music to the ears of NASCAR fans, as it’s more than promising for Sunday’s event.
Alas, the Daytona 500 will mark the beginning of what’s slated to be a fascinating season for NASCAR. We can’t wait to get the campaign started, and the drivers are chomping at the bit to try to win the biggest race of the season this weekend.
Denny Hamlin predicts Kyle Busch to win Daytona 500
Meanwhile, the Daytona 500 is right around the corner and Denny Hamlin has come out swinging with a bold prediction. Three times in his NASCAR career, Hamlin has won The Great American Race, and now he thinks it is Kyle Busch’s turn.
Much like a former RCR driver who tried for years to win the Daytona 500, Rowdy has spent the last 20 years trying to accomplish the feat. He has two championships, more than 60 wins, and could be considered one of the greatest to ever race a stock car. Still, Busch is missing one trophy from his case.
Denny Hamlin has three Harley J. Earl trophies, so he knows a thing or two about Daytona. On his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin said if he doesn’t win, he believes it is his former teammate’s turn to take the checkered flag.
“I’m not saying me. I know I’m going to win, but if I don’t I have a bold prediction,” Hamlin told his cohost Jared. “Kyle Busch wins his first Daytona 500.”
While Hamlin isn’t sure what to make of Busch’s success at RCR right now, he just has a feeling that the driver is going to win the Daytona 500.
“Like Kyle Busch. I don’t know what to do with Kyle Busch. I sat here, look what I wrote down, says ‘Busch wins Daytona.’ That’s just a gut thing, I write it down.”
Last year, Busch led on lap 200. If it was the old days, before overtime, he would have won the race. Unfortunately for him, restarts and a wreck kept him from glory.
On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this article.
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