DAYTONA BEACH — With hitting the rostrum, NASCAR media day was sure to supply some perception, some humor and numerous storylines.
It did, in fact.
William Byron returns for a title protection. Shane van Gisbergen and make their debuts. Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson go for his or her first 500 victories.
And so forth.
The drivers accomplished the primary Cup Sequence apply session of Speedweek at 10 a.m. at . Then, they cycled by scrums of reporters from midday to six:30 p.m. earlier than .
Solely drivers will make the race.
However conversations ranged previous racing. Listed here are a couple of highlights.
Is William Byron’s drive to win the Daytona 500 the identical after his 2024 victory?
“I’ve extra pleasure coming down right here than I did earlier than,” Byron mentioned. “I’ve extra ardour and pleasure for this race than I did earlier than. I really feel like having skilled it the best way it was final yr actually modified my perspective on the race as an entire in a great way, clearly. I really feel that’s created some extra motivation to get one other one.
“This race, it’s a lifetime achievement. It’s one thing individuals reference in all places you go. It’s one thing that the primary time in my profession I’ve had one thing like that. It makes it cool. It makes it extra particular, as a result of you possibly can inform individuals care in regards to the race.”
Is 2025 the yr for Kyle Busch’s Daytona 500 win?
“You’d definitely prefer to hope so,” Busch mentioned. “Twenty years of making an attempt. There was one other storied racer of the previous that received on his twentieth strive, and that was a reasonably large deal. He was a former RCR driver as effectively, so it’d definitely be good to win that race and do it with RCR within the No. 8 Zone Chevrolet. So that might be fairly cool.”
What did Christopher Bell consider the pre-qualifying apply session?
“It was positively an ungainly apply session,” Bell mentioned. “It’s simply so laid again. I don’t know. Everybody was on totally different agendas. I don’t even actually know what to consider it. It was form of like, ‘Why are we doing this?’ “
Will Jimmie Johnson run extra races this yr if the sponsorship funding is there?
“I’d take into account a couple of extra,” Johnson mentioned. “The time it takes to be ready and do it proper is one thing I missed working 9 races. I’ve been residing in another country, an opportunity for my household to dwell overseas. As a minority proprietor of the staff, it was simpler to do. Now with my new place, it’s turning into a lot tougher. So, staying centered on the expansion of the staff, our companions, prospects, OEM, administration, drivers. It’s actually robust to provide the driving piece an opportunity proper now.”
What are the variations between the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 for Kyle Larson?
“Yeah, I believe the automotive,” Larson mentioned. “I do not know. Each atmospheres are actually good, for certain. They’re nonetheless very totally different. It is arduous to reply that as a result of they’re each the height of the game. They simply have their variations.
“The infield at Indy has the snake pit, however the infield right here has all of the campers, and that is actually cool. Driver intros (are) form of related. The group feels nearer to you at Indy, a minimum of the grandstand crowd.
“The frontstretch at Indy is swarmed with individuals. However pit highway can also be just like that right here. But it surely’s extra race followers.
“I do not know. I really feel like possibly Indy simply has like just a little bit extra of the form of historical past really feel to it than the Daytona 500. Aside from that, I imply, they’re each nice.”
Helio Castroneves has received Indy 500s and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and been personally blessed by the Pope. What’s left on his bucket checklist?
“Hopefully we’ll be celebrating the Daytona 500 win,” Castroneves mentioned with fun. “I do know it is a robust deal, do not get me improper. Clearly if I did not belief the individuals behind me, clearly the staff… My staff, I’ve skilled guys that know what to do they usually give me the suitable guidelines. I bought to go together with the mentality like I’ve at all times been to a race.
“What’s left? I do not know. So long as I nonetheless have the hearth like I’ve proper now, I’m going to maintain it going?”
Which NASCAR drivers would Shane van Gisbergen prefer to see strive Supercars?
“I’d have liked to see how Kyle Busch went final yr within the Supercar,” van Gisbergen mentioned. “It might have been very tough, however I am certain if he took it critically, he would have carried out very well. Hopefully that occurs this yr. There’s talks really Kyle Larson may go and do it.
“Love to assist them if they’ve any questions. I would be actually to see how they went.”
How lengthy till individuals begin asking about Alex Bowman’s future at Hendrick Motorsports?
“It began two months in the past,” Bowman mentioned. “It by no means ended. When is it going to finish? That’s by no means going to finish and that has been my whole profession. Yeah, simply bought to go win some races.”
