Why Michael McDowell will avoid Logano, Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson | Daytona 500 media day
DAYTONA BEACH — Throughout Daytona 500 media day proceedings on Wednesday, 41 drivers entered into the field for Sunday's 66th Great American Race came through to field questions.
And while much of the talk was about the race, the season or each driver's career, there were interesting and sometimes humorous discussions as well.
Highlights weren't hard to find as drivers fielded questions on everything including the weather, Wednesday night's pole qualifying, postrace fighting, the competition and ... hair? Yep.
Below are some highlights of another eventful media day at Daytona International Speedway:
LIVE UPDATES: NASCAR drivers come in for Daytona 500 media day, pole qualifying tonight
Noah Gragson on Ross Chastain fight last year
At Kansas last year, Noah Gragson confronted Ross Chastain after the race with Chastain landing a right cross before the scuffle was broken up.
"I called him after the race and said, 'Nice shot but if that security guard wasn't there I was coming and I wasn't stopping, I want you to know that.”
Chris Buescher on pushing or passing teammate Brad Keselowski
Chris Buescher won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 last summer, thanks in large part to teammate and RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski, who gave him a big push and never left his bumper all the way to the start-finish line.
So, does Buescher owe Keselowski a push come Sunday?
“I’m going to push him, I promise. I’m going to push him all the way until I feel like we’re safe to where I can try to go around. I certainly owe a lot of that win to him and those pushes and staying committed.
“I’m not going to wreck him for a win but I am going to shove him and I am going to hit him and we are going to push and shove and we’re going to make it a race. And he said the same thing which I was glad to hear, probably a little easier for him as my boss to say that, but we’re going to make a show out of it. Just make sure we’re smart about it.”
Kyle Busch approaching historic Dale Earnhardt in Daytona 500 heartbreaks ... and he knows
For all the things two-time Cup Series champ Kyle Busch has done, there's a glaring hole on the resume. And don't worry, he knows.
Last year, Busch was leading on Lap 200 of the Daytona 500. The problem? The race went into overtime and he was collected in a crash, settling for 19th.
That pushed his drought to 0 for 18 in the Great American Race. That's just two short of the 0-for-20 Dale Earnhardt Sr. started with before finally breaking through in 1998.
"Trust me, I'm well aware, thank you very much," Busch said with a grin. "I hope we can talk about some of the same storylines on Sunday, that would be nice."
Brad Keselowski on the gloomy Daytona 500 weather forecast
“Looking at the forecast for this weekend, just remember, we’re in Florida. It’s meant to change. This is my 15th 500 but I’ve been coming to Speedweeks now for two decades or more and I can recall multiple times we’ve gone to Speedweeks thinking the weather was going to be awful all week and however the ghost of Bill France works come Sunday, it’s 70 and sunny.”
Michael McDowell handicaps the competition at superspeedways
"Accidents happen, but I can usually tell you who those accidents are going to happen around ... that's not luck either. For instance, there was a lot of opportunity for me in 2021 to pass Brad Keselowski and be sitting second coming to the white flag. I rode in third for a reason. I wouldn't want to be in between those two (Joey Logano was leading).
"Jamie McMurray and Jimmie Johnson. Obviously, they've won a lot of races. If those two are together, I don't want to be anywhere near where they're at. There's going to be a crash there.
"If Joey Logano is leading the end of the Daytona 500, there will be a crash. Why? Because he's going to block ... If Brad Keselowski is running second and Joey Logano is running first, there will be a crash. Brad isn't going to lift. Joey is going to block. I can go through the entire field and tell you who's going to do what and how they're going to do it."
AJ Allmendinger on Kyle Larson and the Indianapolis 500, Coca-Cola 600 double
“Kyle Larson to me is the pinnacle of what we have as a racecar driver in this world. Not in NASCAR, not in IndyCar, not in North America, in the world. He is a badass.
“You don’t really experience until they drop the green and you’re three-wide on the start and you roll down to the corner and all the sudden that turbulent air becomes something completely different than what you thought you knew in practice. I just keep going back to he’s the most talented guy we have in motorsports when it comes to driving, so, he’ll figure it out quick.”
AJ Allmendinger on the addition of Josh Williams to Kaulig Racing
“Hair, fantastic right now,” Allmendinger said. “It’s not better than me but … and then you add Daniel Dye for 10 races. Shane (van Gisbergen, who has a shaved head) is lacking a little bit on the hair side of it. Talent-wise, Shane really lifts that up.”
Joey Logano on Netflix episode featuring his elimination from the 2023 playoffs
“All of (the episodes), they all hurt. Every one of them hurts. Great thing for our sport, they all hurt when you’re a competitor and you watch that happen again. I wanted to forget that day for the rest of my life.”
Ryan Blaney talks Duel strategy: You can't coast
"You always want to be smart. Last thing you want to do is wreck your Daytona 500 car. At the same time, you can’t just ride around in the back. You need to know what your car will do."
Jimmie Johnson talks driving, in a roundabout way
Last summer, Jimmie Johnson moved to London with his wife and two daughters. The move has been described as temporary.
Perhaps he'll be there long enough to fully get the hang of right-side steering wheels, left-lane driving, and roundabouts. Driving a car borrowed from racing buddy Dario Franchitti, he recalled looking the wrong way and nearly getting broad-sided by a delivery truck while entering a roundabout.
After returning to his Charlotte-area home recently, he says he caught himself driving on the wrong side of the road in his neighborhood when he suddenly heard honking.
"All I could do was say, 'sorry,' " he said with a laugh.
Daytona 500 schedule of events
Wednesday, Feb. 14: Cup Series, Daytona 500 pole qualifying, 8:15 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 15: ARCA Menards Series practice, 4:05-4:55 p.m.; Craftsman Truck Series practice, 5:05-5:55; Cup Series, Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1, 7; Cup Series, Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2, 8:45 (approx.)
Friday, Feb. 16: ARCA Menards Series qualifying, 1:30 p.m.; Craftsman Truck Series qualifying, 3; Xfinity Series practice, 4:35-5:25; Cup Series practice, 5:35-6:25; Craftsman Truck Series, Fresh From Florida 250, 7:30
Saturday, Feb. 17: Cup Series final practice, 10:30-11:20 a.m.; Xfinity Series qualifying, 11:30; ARCA Menards Series, Daytona ARCA 200, 1:30 p.m.; Xfinity Series, United Rentals 300, 5
Sunday, Feb. 18: 66th Daytona 500, 2:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 2024 Daytona 500 media day: McDowell on Logano, Busch on Earnhardt
