Best and worst NASCAR drivers, pre-race rituals: Daytona 500 pros spill their secrets
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The Charlotte Observer surveyed more than half the 40 drivers who were at the Daytona 500 media day Wednesday to get into the mind of NASCAR’s top racers as they start their season.
Drivers were asked about everything from track preferences to their least-favorite driver and expectations for NASCAR’s NextGen car.
Below is a highlight of their responses, edited for brevity and clarity. Drivers were given anonymity to allow them to speak freely without fear of repercussions.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NASCAR TRACK TO RACE ON?
Driver: “Daytona or Bristol.”
Driver: “Bristol. Walking into Bristol, it’s hard to compare. You’re walking into the last great colosseum.”
Driver: “It’s difficult to pick a favorite. I really enjoy almost all the tracks. If I had to pick one, it’d be Darlington or Homestead. It’s unique in that it’s really fast and narrow.”
Driver: “Dover. It’s very difficult. Very demanding. And I do well there.”
Driver: “With the current package, Dover. With the downforce package they have now with the 750 horsepower, it’s insane.”
Consensus: Bristol, Dover and Darlington were the most popular, in that order.
LEAST FAVORITE TRACK?
Driver: “I don’t really have a least favorite yet.”
Driver: “Kentucky. I always run well there, but I’ve had horrible luck.”
Driver: “Talladega. Second least favorite is Daytona.”
Driver: “Talladega. You’re at the mercy of everybody else.”
Driver: “Kansas. Not because I don’t love the track. It’s really nice, but based on result, we’ve struggled at Kansas, so I’m just mad at it.”
Driver: “Martinsville. It’s one I still haven’t quite figured out.”
Driver: “Road courses for me.”
Consensus: Many drivers said they didn’t have a least favorite. Of the ones who did, they said they disliked superspeedways, especially Talladega, or disliked a track based on past results.
WHAT IS YOUR PRE-RACE RITUAL?
Driver: “I have a couple, but I don’t say what they are.”
Driver: “I just go in. No lucky box, socks, music. Nothing. Just another day.”
Driver: “As long as I get some food in me before the race, I’m pretty happy. I like to have a minute alone.”
Driver: “I don’t have a pre-race ritual.”
Driver: “Be relaxed, clear my mind, eat well.”
Consensus: Most drivers just go for it.
HOW MUCH DO YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR’S PAINT SCHEME?
Driver: “I care about them. I think it’s important that they look cool and the fans embrace our sponsors and it’s a big part of our sport. But also, you can’t see it from where we’re sitting.”
Driver: “I just like black race cars. They’re the best looking cars.”
Driver: “It’s what our sponsor wants, but we always want to have something cool and not boring.”
Driver: “I do care. They just have to be clean to me. I like clean lines on a car.”
Consensus: Yes, drivers care about paint schemes, some more than others.
IF YOU WEREN’T RACING, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?
Driver: “H-VAC.”
Driver: “Anything outdoors. Hunting and fishing, or taking care of my farm animals. Spending time with my kids.”
Driver: “I don’t know what I’d be doing. I’ve been thinking about that a lot.”
Driver: “Probably playing baseball.”
Driver: “I’d be a pilot.”
Driver: “Something related to cars.”
Consensus: Most named an active profession or a job related to cars.
WHO IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE DRIVER TO RACE AGAINST?
Driver: “Probably Kyle Busch.”
Driver: “I don’t really have a least favorite.”
Driver: “That’s an aggressive question. I don’t know, all of them.”
Driver: “Ryan Newman. He’s a pain in the butt. He’s a wall.”
Consensus: Of the names mentioned, Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman received the most votes.
WHO IS ONE DRIVER YOU WOULD WANT ON YOUR TEAM?
Driver: “Probably (Brad) Keselowski. He’s normally a pretty good teammate. Other than this past weekend.”
Driver: “Jimmie Johnson is a big one. Kyle Larson would be great too just to see where he stacks up to you in the same equipment. We all know he’s really good, but you’d love to race him in the same equipment and see what it’s like.”
Driver: “Jimmie Johnson.”
Driver: “It’d be fun to team up with Truex at some point.”
Driver: “Kyle Busch. He just won the championship, so he would help a lot.”
Driver: “Kyle Busch. He’s pretty good.”
Driver: “I’m gonna go with Jimmie Johnson.”
Consensus: Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.
DO YOU THINK THE NEXTGEN CAR WILL BE AS GREAT AS NASCAR SAYS?
Driver: “Absolutely. There are a lot of things that are gonna put it back in our hands to some degree. Aero is always gonna be an issue no matter what type of car you’re in, but I feel like some of the changes are going to help.”
Driver: “I have high expectations for it. I think it’s gonna be really neat to see that they’re bringing more of a street aspect to stock car racing.”
Driver: “I think we’ve had some successes and some failures with respect to bringing new cars and new technology, so I think it’s a great big wholesale change. I don’t know how much of that will eventually make it to the race track, but it’ll be a pivotal point in the history of NASCAR.”
Driver: “I think it’s going to be great, but you never really know until it’s out here on the track with 40 other race cars.”
Driver: “I don’t know. We’re still not really sure about what it’s going to be, but it’s trending in a very fun direction for the sport.”
Consensus: Drivers have high hopes for the car of the future.
This story was originally published February 13, 2020 at 9:45 AM.
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