Drivers take the green flag Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway at the start of the first of two qualifying races for the Daytona 500. The NASCAR Cup Series is set to open its 2019 season Sunday with the Daytona 500.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Among the drivers trying to win this year's Daytona 500 are a Florida watermelon farmer, a short-track champion from New England, a television analyst and a 22-year-old whose career nearly was derailed by a brain tumor.
The starting front row is the youngest in the race's history, and it will be William Byron - a 21-year-old Liberty University student who had his wisdom teeth removed in the offseason - leading the field to the green flag in Sunday's showcase race to kick off the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season.
The overall look of the nation's top racing series has undergone a transformation the past few seasons, and proof is plastered on Corey LaJoie's car. The likeness of his bearded face is stretched across the hood, front bumper and fenders of the GO FAS Racing No. 32 Ford Mustang, which easily makes LaJoie the most recognizable driver among the eight who are in "The Great American Race" for the first time.
"He looks like he's going to eat you every lap," quipped 39-year-old Clint Bowyer, who is in his 14th Daytona 500.
LaJoie's paint scheme for his low-budget team is courtesy of sponsor Old Spice, which chose this spotlight event to promote its dry shampoo. Manscaped.com bought the space on the back of Landon Cassill's car, and Bubba Wallace signed with Aftershokz headphones for the race. After Casey Mears made the field - his first Cup Series race in two years - skateboard rims manufacturer Rim Ryderz joined his program.
This Daytona 500 is unlike any in recent memory and truly highlights the dramatic loss of star power from just four years ago. The 2015 race featured drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, Danica Patrick, Tony Stewart and Michael Waltrip. All have since retired.
Some of the big-money sponsors in that race included 5-Hour Energy, Dollar General, GoDaddy, Lowe's and Target. All have since pulled out of NASCAR.
What remains is a new-look NASCAR that nonetheless has a throwback feel.
The Daytona 500 was built on the premise that if a budding driver or team owner could scrape together the funds to field a car, they could bring it down to the beach and try to make the big show. As the sport exploded past its Southern origins, it became nearly impossible for a new driver to claw his way into a ride.
But change has created opportunity - and even second and third chances - for Ross Chastain. The eighth-generation watermelon farmer impressed a sponsor with his work ethic and landed a career-changing ride with unexpected funding. Federal agents raided the sponsor just before Christmas, but Chastain still managed to land a seat for his first Daytona 500.
Ryan Preece bounced back and forth between NASCAR and New England short tracks before finally gambling on his future. He settled for a part-time job with a competitive team because he believed he could show his true talent if given the right equipment. Now he's also a Daytona 500 rookie.
So is Matt Tifft, who has competed in NASCAR's lower-tier national series in the past and learned he had a brain tumor four races into his 2016 season.
Parker Kligerman, a part-time racer and full-time television personality for NBC Sports, raced his way into his second Daytona 500.
"Watching this race last year, I literally thought I'd never drive a Cup car again, never have another chance in the Daytona 500," Kligerman said. "I'm doing TV full-time. It just didn't seem like I was really getting anyone's attention. For whatever reason, I just couldn't find the right opportunity, couldn't find a sponsor."
"I went off and did the TV thing. You've seen drivers do that before, where they do something to up their profile, then they get back in a ride. It kind of feels like it's finally all starting to work."
Earnhardt, Kligerman's broadcast partner, will drive the first pickup truck to pace the race. It is an unexpectedly heavy NBC Sports promotion for a race that will be broadcast by rival Fox.
Despite all the hardscrabble hopefuls who at various times figured they'd never make it to NASCAR's biggest stage, the super teams still exist, and the stars are the favorites.
Hendrick Motorsports and its four fast Chevrolets at the start of Speedweeks went 1-2-3-4 in time trials. Byron and 25-year-old teammate Alex Bowman swept the front row for qualifying and gave Chevy an early boost in its effort to repeat at Daytona after last year's 500 victory with Austin Dillon at the wheel.
Still, Ford drivers swept both podiums in the pair of 150-mile qualifying races to load rows two, three and four with the new Mustang. Ford competed last year with the Fusion, winning 19 of 36 races and its first Cup Series title in 14 seasons, and the manufacturer is eager to make an immediate statement with its sportier new race car.
Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano, previous Cup Series champions and Daytona 500 winners, led the Ford charge by winning Thursday's qualifying races. Logano and Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski are listed as 8-to-1 favorites in betting lines.
Jimmie Johnson ended a 19-month losing streak with a victory in a Speedweeks exhibition race last Sunday, but the seven-time Cup Series champion triggered a 16-car accident while making his race-winning pass. Then contact with Kyle Busch in a qualifying race Thursday increased the scrutiny around Johnson, who has a new sponsor, Ally Financial, and a new crew chief, Kevin Meendering, for the first time since 2002.
The Toyota bunch has yet to stand out from the crowd, which doesn't bother Martin Truex Jr. The 2017 Cup Series champion's 0-for-14 skid in the Daytona 500 is longest among active drivers, but he knows he has a chance Sunday.
"Out of the 40 cars, how many have a legit shot at winning? Probably 25," he said.
The biggest Toyota stars skipped the final practice for the race, with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Busch and Truex among the drivers sitting out the session Saturday. There was little need to risk the cars and ruin a starting position.
Among the drivers who did take to the track Saturday, Michael McDowell posted the fastest lap at 191.440 mph in the No. 34 Ford. Former Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray had a top speed of 190.118 as he prepped for what is expected to be the final race of his NASCAR career.
Hendrick Motorsports sent out three of its four drivers, including Byron and Bowman, who topped out at 191.339 and 191.278, respectively.
While NASCAR has faced challenges with declining attendance and TV ratings in recent years, the Daytona 500 is a sellout for the fourth consecutive year. Daytona International Speedway announced Saturday that all reserved grandstand seats have been purchased for the 61st running of the race.
Track president Chip Wile called it "a tribute to our fans."
Some specialty tickets remained, including access to premium hospitality areas, the infield and the pre-race concert featuring country singer Jake Owen.
Houston Texans defensive star J.J. Watt will serve as grand marshal, giving the command for drivers to start their engines, New England Patriots receiver and Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman will serve as honorary starter, waving the green flag, and the 82nd Airborne Division's All-American Chorus will sing the national anthem.
Legendary artist dies
Sam Bass, a NASCAR artist who helped design paint schemes and program covers that illuminated an entire sport, has died. He was 57.
His wife, Denise, announced his death Saturday with a note on his official Twitter account. Bass suffered from kidney problems. Other details were not disclosed.
Bass was NASCAR's first officially licensed artist. His work enlivened some of racing's top stars and marquee events. His NASCAR Cup Series background included paint scheme designs for a list of drivers that included Earnhardt, Gordon, Johnson and Stewart.
Born in Hopewell, Virginia, Bass became interested in racing at Southside Speedway in nearby Richmond. After moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1984, he was commissioned to do the cover art for the race program at the 1985 Coca-Cola 600. He has done every cover for Charlotte Motor Speedway since.
In a release, NASCAR stated "though he may have never turned a lap or a wrench, few captured the essence of our sport through his work more than Sam Bass."
"He was a consistent presence in the NASCAR garage, and his ever-present smile and endearing personality welcomed all," the release added. "Though we have lost a member of the NASCAR family, his legend will continue in his art - all of which illustrated the greatness of our sport and the talent of a true friend."
Marcus Smith, the president and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, called Bass a "significant part of NASCAR's history. He poured his heart, soul and talent into producing souvenir program covers at many speedways, including Charlotte for more than 30 years."
"His work provided our fans a keepsake to treasure," Smith said. "And that was so appropriate because Sam was always such a fan of our sport and he was such a treasure to the entire NASCAR family."