Alright! Now that the phony Big Game is over, let’s get ready for the real Super Bowl of NASCAR – the 2024 Daytona 500. This is the best week of the season, hands down. It’s a bit strange, isn’t it? The fact that the best week happens right at the beginning, giving off a vibe that it’s all downhill from here. Unfortunately, there are still 35 weeks left to go. But hey, no complaints today. It’s the second Monday of February, and we’re all recovering from last night’s festivities. It’s Daytona 500 week, and we’re pumped!
We’re excited, and the Hooters girls are ready to go. We’ll be locked and loaded, just like them. We’ll also be keeping an eye on Tony Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing. Smoke sent a strong message to his team, and it doesn’t seem like the morning Zoom meetings are very pleasant right now. But hey, are they ever?
What else is on the agenda? Well, Samantha Busch caused quite a stir on the internet last week with her 2024 NASCAR season bikini. We’ll definitely be discussing that. And we might have some special guests stopping by, including Natalie Decker, Toni Breidinger, Bubba Wallace, and Ryan Blaney. What a group!
With four tires, enough Sunoco racing fuel to get us to Daytona, and maybe a few updated resumes for the folks at Stewart-Haas, we’re ready for this week’s edition of Monday Morning Pit-Stop – the ‘It’s Daytona 500 Week, Enough Said!’ edition. Let’s dive in!
Now, I did mention no negativity today, but it’s hard to talk about Tony Stewart without a hint of negativity. It just comes with the territory. Last week, Tony spoke about his race team on Sirius XM, and let’s just say things aren’t going well. And those aren’t my words, by the way. Kevin Harvick, who was the only bright spot at Stewart-Haas, has retired. Aric Almirola, who may not have been exceptional but brought in valuable advertising, is also gone. What’s left is a group of young, unproven drivers – Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Cole Custer, and Chase Briscoe. It’s a bit underwhelming, isn’t it?
And guess what? Tony just washes his hands of it all. He won’t let a few rough years as an owner tarnish his Hall of Fame racing career. It’s not his fault, according to him. Those guys on his team are just terrible. It’s quite amusing, really. I love Smoke. We need more of his attitude in 2024. Let’s kick it up a notch this year!
Speaking of attitude, let’s shift our focus to the Hooters girls, who are eager to kick off this NASCAR season. Vroom, vroom, indeed! By the way, if you’re in the area this week, make sure to visit the Hooters across from the track. There’s something about the view of the front-stretch of Daytona International Speedway that makes the food taste even better. And that’s not the only great view you’ll find there. It’s a top-notch Hooters location. Enough said.
Oh, and if you’re partying in the infield this week, let me know. I’ll join you for a beer. And you know who else will be partying rain or shine? Samantha Busch! As always, she’s winning the offseason. Becoming the top NASCAR WAG in the garage doesn’t happen by accident. She’s been at the top for a couple of years now, and she knows how to handle the competition with grace and style. She’s a legend.
Now, let’s move on to some lighthearted jokes. Bubba Wallace always knows how to bring the humor. It’s a long journey to Daytona, and the roads aren’t getting any smoother. Bubba promised to entertain us with his Twitter antics this season, and he’s off to a good start. Hate him or not, if we’re starting the season with some jokes, it’s bound to be a year filled with entertaining content.
By the way, if you’re into betting, Ryan Blaney is currently the favorite to win the Daytona 500 at 9-1 odds, followed by Denny Hamlin at 11-1. Bubba is a bit further down the list at 20-1, but it might be a good bet to make. Trust me, I know the Daytona script, and it always involves Bubba Wallace making a late charge towards the front in the final laps. Always.
Moving on, we have a couple of elite NASCAR WAGs making appearances at Daytona. Toni and Natalie won’t be racing in Sunday’s 500, but they’ll provide some entertainment in the lead-up to the big race. And speaking of the schedule, we have media day on Wednesday, the Twin 125s (yes, I know they have a different name now, but here they’re still the Twin 125s) on Thursday, the truck race on Friday (where crashes are guaranteed), the ARCA race on Saturday afternoon (more crashing), followed by the Xfinity (Busch) race, and finally, Sunday’s Daytona 500. If you need something to put on your camper refrigerator this week, there you go.
Oh, and if you’re in town, I recommend checking out The Brickyard a few miles east. It’s a hidden gem of a burger joint filled with NASCAR nostalgia and Busch Light. But if that’s not your scene, you might want to skip it.
That’s all for today. We have a big week ahead, and an exciting season ahead. Personally, I have a good feeling about Denny Hamlin this year. Call me a sucker, but I think this is the year he finally clinches a victory. And who knows, maybe he’ll throw some punches and make some gestures along the way. Let’s all bring that attitude to this NASCAR season!
And now, let’s wrap things up with one final message from Larry Mac. Take us home, Larry Mac.
According to the Source outkick.com