A Look Back at Daytona Speedweeks 2024

Every race car driver has a story…

When a driver enters Daytona International Speedway for Speedweeks, they all have a dream and they all carry a story with them. So many drivers that come from all walks of life between ARCA, the Craftsman Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and the NASCAR Cup Series. Not just with the dream of simply racing at the World Center of Racing, but also winning there. If a driver were to only get one win in their career, having that win at Daytona will carry you for not just the rest of their career, but for the rest of your life. Let’s take a look at the stories behind all four racing series and the drivers who won their perspective races.

Starting with ARCA, a tremendous stepping stone for several NASCAR drivers that dates back decades, the race was highlighted with the entry list hitting 50 cars, the most in years for the series that joined under the NASCAR umbrella in 2020. This led to teams trying to set their cars right for qualifying to set the best time to make the race. The race also was highlighted by two notable entrants, one with a famous last name, Andretti. Marco Andretti will be making a handful of starts in both ARCA and the Truck Series as he begins to attempt a stock car career after spending many years in IndyCar. Then there’s the New Zealander who came to Chicago last July and shocked the world by winning the Chicago Street race in his first Cup start. That driver is Shane van Gisbergen, who is also running a part-time Cup Series schedule, and full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In what was a wild, grueling race, the race was won by Gus Dean, a South Carolina native who has spent the last several years racing in ARCA and the Truck Series.

The Craftsman Truck Series race showcased a driver getting his first career win in the series, after a strong rookie season in 2023. Nick Sanchez, a Miami native, prevailed after a major wreck on the final lap that collected several trucks. This is a good step in the right direction for the future of his racing career, as the race also showcased a few other stories. One example was Toni Breidinger, who also ran in the ARCA race, as she has grown in popularity and has more followers on Instagram than any active Cup Series driver. She brings a lot of star power, potential, and major sponsorship activation through companies such as Raisin’ Canes. She has a story to tell where she could potentially become the first female to win a race in one of NASCAR’s major racing circuits.

The Xfinity Series is very similar to AAA Minor League Baseball, just that last step before reaching the pinnacle of stock car racing. The race featured many drivers looking to prove their skills and make that jump to the Cup Series. The pole sitter featured a 19-year-old rookie from California, who became the youngest driver to ever win a NASCAR-sanctioned event at just the age of 15. Jesse Love, who comes off as the reining ARCA Menards Series Champion, now has a big opportunity with one of the most prestigious teams in NASCAR, Richard Childress Racing, the same team that won seven championships with Dale Earnhardt. Shane van Gisbergen, as mentioned earlier, began his journey to compete on ovals and learn the high banks of Daytona. Despite a few bumps in the road during the race that had him involved in accidents, SVG proved that he can hang with the pack and earned a respectable 12th-place finish. Another story to tell is about Natalie Decker, who has been trying to make a name for herself in the last few years. She ran clean and stayed out of trouble, and even led for 7 laps, scoring an 18th-place finish. She became just the third female driver to ever lead at Daytona in the Xfinity Series, as she hopes to continue to build momentum moving forward. Lastly, the race was won by Austin Hill for a third year in a row, showing his domination on the high-banked superspeedways. Hill, in his third full-time season in the Xfinity Series, is hoping this will be the year he gains championship glory.

Then in the Daytona 500, it was a 26-year-old rising superstar named William Byron, scoring the biggest win of his career. With the race being moved to Monday afternoon, February 19^th marked 40 years to the day that Hendrick Motorsports made their debut in NASCAR. Not only that, but a number that is now iconic to the team made a triumphant return to victory lane, the No. 24. The number made iconic by Jeff Gordon, who won the Great American Race three times (1997, 1999 and ,2005). Not only that, but Byron’s background is much different compared to other drivers. His career was started on a computer through iRacing, a popular racing simulation used by millions around the world. Byron leads and represents a new age of developing race car drivers that was looked at as impossible 15 years ago. A victory like this on the grandest stage of stock car racing could make for a major influence on a young audience that have an interest in motorsports. It could also lead to an influence of drivers who develop through sim racing much like William Byron. Not to mention how there are other drivers around NASCAR who have a major presence on iRacing such as Timmy Hill, Garrett Smithley, Rajah Caruth, and others.

Despite the weather affecting the weekend, leading the ARCA race to run after the Truck race on Friday and the Xfinity and Cup race moved to Monday, it was another memorable weekend to kick off the NASCAR season with a bang. The four winners that have been talked about in this article all come in with their own story. Some drivers are just beginning theirs while many look to continue on with the story they are writing. Every driver eyes to add something memorable to their story, and there’s no place like Daytona to add that memorable moment that will carry you for the rest of your life. Whether you come from within the family, the local short tracks, or even from the computer, every driver has goals, dreams, and most importantly, a story to tell.