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Daytona 500, the NASCAR Cup Series' main event, is days away. With all the excitement, many storylines will be interesting to follow.
Here are the top 4 storylines to look out for ahead of the 2024 regular season opener at Daytona.
1. Kyle Larson's double attempt
This year, Kyle Larson will compete in the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Kyle Busch was the last driver to try it in 2014, and Tony Stewart is the only one to complete the challenge successfully.
Larson will drive for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and for Hendrick Motorsports at Charlotte Speedway.
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2. Future of Stewart-Haas Racing
At one time, SHR used to be a force to be reckoned with in NASCAR, as they won 69 Cup titles and claimed two titles in the Cup Series, but today the team is facing tough times.
The last three years have not been very productive for SHR, as they managed to win only four races; now that the Ford contract expires this season, it is not known whether they will be able to continue with a four-car line-up.
In the middle of these changes, whether SHR can return to its former success and come back as a dominant team remains a question.
3. Chase Elliott's rebound
The 2023 season was a hard one for 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, who went through an injury, a suspension and missed a total of seven races. The No. 9 Chevrolet driver did not make the playoffs of the Cup Series for the first time in his career.
Elliot's last season was full of problems, however, this season he is focused on finishing at the top and returning to his winning form.
4. NASCAR's short-track package
The 2024 Cup Series has on its schedule a total of 16 events on short tracks and street courses. NASCAR made those changes to achieve a better quality of racing and add more competition between the drivers.
Minimizing turbulence without losing downforce was one of the main technical changes introduced to the Next Gen cars to level the playing field. This was a significant challenge to address, and teams are expected to adapt quickly to these new rules.
The Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway will be held on February 18 at 2:30 pm ET.
Joey Logano compares Daytona 500 win to NASCAR championship title
The Daytona 500 has special significance for drivers. Former Cup Series champion Joey Logano recently shared the importance of winning the "Great American Race."
During an interview for NASCAR SiriusXM radio, Logano described his feelings when he crossed the finish line, remembering his Daytona 2015 win. He said:
"There’s no words to explain it, it’s the closest thing to winning a championship, that you can get to. Not the championship, but it’s the closest thing to it.”
