NASCAR is reportedly returning to Daytona International Speedway for The Clash in 2027. The Athletic indicated that talks are in their final stages to secure a new sponsor.
2020 was the last time Daytona hosted the Clash. The sport explored new avenues and held the event at the LA Coliseum for three years, before moving to Bowman Gray Stadium for a two-year stint.
Winner of the 2020 edition, Erik Jones, had this to say about the Daytona event (via The Athletic).
“I enjoyed being there and spending the week down at Daytona. I wasn’t a big fan of the quarter-mile stuff. I just don’t like to beat-and-bang that much. But, yeah, I’d love going back to Daytona. I thought that was a good way to kick the year off.”
This year’s Clash had a severe snowstorm affecting the event. The race was postponed for three days and measures had to be taken to make the track drivable. NASCAR had initially salt-brined the track in anticipation, but clearing the snow became the biggest hurdle.
Winston-Salem’s weather ultimately turned the Clash into a one-day event and eliminated Heat races. RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece went on to win his maiden NASCAR bout at the 0.25-mile asphalt track.
NASCAR introduces new rules package for Daytona
After reducing stage lengths at Talladega, NASCAR has now modified the car package for Daytona. The sanctioning body introduced a slew of changes affecting the car’s downforce and horsepower.
“The rear spoiler will be shortened from 7 inches to 4 inches, the same height as intermediate tracks, in an effort to reduce drag, along with a slight reduction in horsepower from 510 to 465 to adjust for the reduced downforce. NASCAR officials anticipate single-car runs to be approximately 3 mph faster than the current package, but cars in a pack are expected to run about the same speeds,” NASCAR’s Zach Sturniolo wrote.
“The changes come in advance of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, with hopes of less drag providing more opportunities for drivers to better move through the field by passing rather than relying upon track position through various fuel-saving strategies.”
Denny Hamlin believes the changes will recreate Atlanta at Daytona, marking a 33% gain in that direction. Echopark Speedway’s 2021 repavement has transformed the intermediate track into a pack-racing venue.
This year’s Daytona 500 saw extreme fuel-saving strategies that dramatically slowed the pace of the pack. Race leaders Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell basically trapped the field behind them when they went half-throttle in the final stage.
The move drew widespread flak among fans and critics alike. Stage lengths were reduced at Talladega to avoid such tactics. The final segments were made too short to require mid-stage pit stops.
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