DAYTONA BEACH — With hitting the rostrum, NASCAR media day was certain to supply some perception, some humor and a number of storylines.
It did, after all.
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 Collection follow 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 below are a number 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 stated. “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 12 months 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 folks reference all over the place 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’ll be able to inform folks care concerning the race.”
Is 2025 the 12 months for Kyle Busch’s Daytona 500 win?
“You’d actually wish to hope so,” Busch stated. “Twenty years of attempting. 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 properly, so it’d actually be good to win that race and do it with RCR within the No. 8 Zone Chevrolet. So that may be fairly cool.”
What did Christopher Bell consider the pre-qualifying follow session?
“It was undoubtedly a clumsy follow session,” Bell stated. “It’s simply so laid again. I don’t know. Everybody was on totally different agendas. I don’t even actually know what to think about it. It was type of like, ‘Why are we doing this?’ “
Will Jimmie Johnson run extra races this 12 months if the sponsorship funding is there?
“I might think about a number of extra,” Johnson stated. “The time it takes to be ready and do it proper is one thing I missed working 9 races. I’ve been dwelling overseas, an opportunity for my household to reside overseas. As a minority proprietor of the crew, it was simpler to do. Now with my new place, it’s turning into a lot tougher. So, staying targeted on the expansion of the crew, our companions, prospects, OEM, administration, drivers. It’s actually powerful to offer 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 stated. “I do not know. Each atmospheres are actually good, for certain. They’re nonetheless very totally different. It is exhausting 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) kind of related. The gang feels nearer to you at Indy, not less than the grandstand crowd.
“The frontstretch at Indy is swarmed with folks. However pit highway can be much like that right here. However it’s extra race followers.
“I do not know. I really feel like possibly Indy simply has like a little bit bit extra of the type of historical past really feel to it than the Daytona 500. Apart 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 listing?
“Hopefully we’ll be celebrating the Daytona 500 win,” Castroneves stated with fun. “I do know it is a powerful deal, do not get me mistaken. Clearly if I did not belief the folks behind me, clearly the crew… My crew, I’ve skilled guys that know what to do they usually give me the correct guidelines. I bought to go together with the mentality like I’ve all the time been to a race.
“What’s left? I do not know. So long as I nonetheless have the fireplace like I’ve proper now, I’m going to maintain it going?”
Which NASCAR drivers would Shane van Gisbergen wish to see strive Supercars?
“I might have beloved to see how Kyle Busch went final 12 months within the Supercar,” van Gisbergen stated. “It will have been very troublesome, however I am certain if he took it critically, he would have achieved very well. Hopefully that occurs this 12 months. There’s talks truly Kyle Larson would possibly 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 folks begin asking about Alex Bowman’s future at Hendrick Motorsports?
“It began two months in the past,” Bowman stated. “It by no means ended. When is it going to finish? That’s by no means going to finish and that has been my total profession. Yeah, simply bought to go win some races.”
