Crashes, controversy and shut racing made for a memorable opening month to the NASCAR Cup season.
Here’s a have a look at who was one of the best in February and a few of the memorable moments of the month.
February Energy Rankings1. Ryan Blaney
The No. 1 driver is somebody who didn’t win in February? How dare us?
On the Conflict, Blaney took the provisional and began final within the 23-car subject. On a good quarter-mile observe that some questioned if Cup automobiles might move on, he made all of it the way in which to second place.
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He completed seventh within the Daytona 500 and fourth at Atlanta — certainly one of solely two drivers to attain high 10s in these races.
What made his Atlanta run extra spectacular is that contact from Carson Hocevar spun Blaney whereas operating within the high 5. Blaney restarted twenty fifth with 22 laps left within the scheduled distance, dropped again to twenty sixth and climbed his option to a top-five end.
Blaney ranks second in common operating place (9.5) for the Daytona 500 and Atlanta race. He ranks fifth in stage factors scored with 24. He gained the pole at Atlanta.
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Oh sure, he is also the factors chief after two factors races.
2. Austin Cindric
Blaney’s Crew Penske teammate ranks first in common operating place within the first two factors races of the season at 5.4. Cindric is also first within the sequence with 30 stage factors.
Cindric gained his Daytona qualifying race. He completed seventh on the Conflict. He was eighth within the Daytona (main a race-high 59 laps). Cindric was racing Kyle Larson for the lead three laps from the scheduled finish at Atlanta when he was compelled into the wall and crashed, ending twenty eighth.
3. William Byron
The Daytona 500 winner was headed for an additional top-five end when he was collected within the crash with Austin Cindric within the closing laps of the Atlanta race.
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Byron ranks fourth in stage factors scored at 25. He’s third within the sequence in common operating place via Daytona and Atlanta at 9.8.
His Daytona 500 win made him the youngest driver with a number of wins within the race, breaking the mark owned by Jeff Gordon.
4. Bubba Wallace
Good begin for a driver needing to be higher early within the season.
He was fifth on the Conflict, gained his qualifying race at Daytona, ran effectively at Daytona till he was collected in a late crash and completed ninth at Atlanta.
Wallace is second within the sequence with 28 stage factors. He has a mean operating place of 10.4 via the primary two factors races, placing him fourth within the sequence.
5. Christopher Bell
Whereas he led just one lap at Atlanta, it was the final lap to earn the win. He handed Kyle Larson for the win.
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One other key second in that race got here six laps from the scheduled finish. Bell, getting a push from Blaney on the underside lane, moved as much as the center lane. That put him in place to go for the win in additional time, whereas Blaney didn’t have any assist and fell again.
Bell was racing for the lead 5 laps from the scheduled finish of the Daytona 500 when a shove by Cole Custer turned him, triggering a crash that despatched Ryan Preece’s automobile airborne.
These exterior the highest 5
John Hunter Nemechek — Solely driver aside from Ryan Blaney with high 10s within the first two races of the season. Nemechek was fifth within the Daytona 500 and tenth at Atlanta.
Joey Logano — Led a series-best 126 laps within the first two factors races of the season and ranks third in stage factors with 28.
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Tyler Reddick — Runner-up within the Daytona 500, was eighth within the Conflict, fifth in his Daytona qualifying race and nineteenth at Atlanta to rank third in factors.
February controversy: When to throw the warning?
Cautions on the finish of a race have been the most important controversy this season.
NASCAR threw a warning within the second Daytona qualifying race with the leaders in sight of the end. Jusan Hamilton, race director for NASCAR, mentioned on NASCAR’s podcast, “Hauler Speak” that the race ought to have ended below inexperienced.
Within the Daytona Craftsman Truck race, a few automobiles spun off observe close to Flip 3 and the race remained inexperienced. A number of vans wrecked in between Turns 3 and 4. The race ended below warning as a result of some vans would have needed to drive via the incident.
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Within the Daytona 500, a crash on the backstretch on the final lap didn’t carry out the warning. NASCAR cited the power to roll emergency tools because the subject had handed the scene and the space from the beginning/end line to accident web site as causes for ending below the inexperienced.
Then, within the Xfinity race at Atlanta final weekend, a number of automobiles crashed on the final lap. NASCAR didn’t throw the warning.
The following day, Elton Sawyer, NASCAR senior vp of competitors, mentioned within the Cup drivers assembly that NASCAR ought to have thrown a warning on the finish of the Xfinity race and that if the identical factor occurred within the Cup race, they’d accomplish that.
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The Xfinity race ended below inexperienced regardless of a number of automobiles crashing on the final lap.
So when Cup automobiles crashed on the final lap of additional time at Atlanta — whilst NASCAR was wanting on the potential of one other three-wide end — officers threw a warning.
“It’s on our facet to ensure that we do our best possible as our objective to get to the beginning/end line below inexperienced, however there are situations and conditions the place we have to throw (the warning flag) and we’re going to err extra on throwing it than not,” Sawyer mentioned Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “The Morning Drive.”
12 months of the favorites?
With no actual important rule adjustments to the automobile going into this 12 months, there’s been extra of a carry-over from final 12 months to this 12 months.
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The primary two factors races have been gained by drivers who have been among the many greatest final 12 months. Daytona 500 winner William reached the Championship 4 and Atlanta winner Christopher Bell was a controversial determination by NASCAR from doing in order effectively.
If one consists of Conflict winner Chase Elliott, then the primary three races this season have been gained by drivers who completed within the high seven in factors final 12 months.
Finest second of the month
The thrill Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Justin Allgaier had after Allgaier completed ninth within the Daytona 500 within the first Cup race for JR Motorsports.
Test it out:
Social media second of the month
Ryan Preece had a bit of enjoyable with the unlucky reality he went airborne within the Daytona 500, marking the second time since 2023 he had gotten up within the air at Daytona.
Stat of the month
Michael McDowell obtained a record-tying six free passes throughout final weekend’s Cup race at Atlanta.
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McDowell went to the storage for steering wheel points and was six laps down when he returned to the race. He bought every lap again as a result of free move after a warning and completed thirteenth.
“Nothing wanting miraculous and capitalized there on the finish,” McDowell mentioned after the race.
McDowell ties Jamie McMurray (2014 Talladega) and Noah Gragson (2022 Bristol Dust) for many free passes in a race.
Quote of the month
“We’re right here to win races, not be a boy band and love one another and play on the playground collectively.”
— Carson Hocevar after his runner-up end at Atlanta in how his driving upset veteran drivers, together with Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain.
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Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain weren’t happy with Carson Hocevar’s driving in Sunday’s race.
Looking forward to March
There are 5 Cup races on the schedule:
March 2 — Circuit of the Americas
March 9 — Phoenix
March 16 — Las Vegas
March 23 — Homestead
March 30 — Martinsville
A giant month forward as three of these races — Phoenix, Las Vegas and Martinsville — are at tracks that can host a playoff race later within the 12 months.
