In case you were not aware, the Nascar season kicked off this past weekend with it’s biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500. This year the event had a twist added to it, it would be the first time the next generation Nascar race car would hit the track. The new car is completely different from the one that raced last season and introduces a new challenge as the race teams and drivers are still learning and building their note books on the new car.

No one was quite sure what to expect from the weekend’s race, some expected a chaotic race with multiple wrecks as drivers learn the new car, while others thought the drivers would play it safe and it would result in a boring race. What we ended up getting was an exciting 500 miles, plus overtime, that kicked off the new era of Nascar racing with style.

The first part of the race was relatively calm, but at the end of the first stage the Nascar’s next-gen car got it’s first real crash test when a bad push from Brad Keselowski forced rookie Harrison Burton down the track, collecting a few competitors and causing the car to flip backwards. Burton climbed out of his mangled #21 Ford unharmed, proving that the new car’s safety features work.

It was pretty entertaining watching the drivers learn the limits of the new car. The car looks to be competitive and I liked how durable they appeared to be. Multiple drivers had a chance to win, but it was clear early on that the Penske Ford’s had a leg up on the competition. A late wreck sent the race into over time and put the Penske car’s of Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric on the front row, if someone was to win they were going to have to get past those cars. Despite a late charge from Bubba Wallace, who finished 2^nd, the rookie Austin Cindric took home the trophy in a photo finish.  

Cindric had spent the past few years tearing up Nascar’s minor leagues and finally got called up to the Cup Series full time this year, and what a way to kick of his career with the biggest win on the calendar. It was a veteran drive for the rookie as he defended cars coming from both lanes around him. He is a good driver, and I am expecting him to have a good rookie season with how good the team Penske cars seem to be.

There was a lot of unknowns going into the race this weekend but it all worked out, you couldn’t really ask for a better race. The new cars look good and race well too, grand stands were packed, and a new winner is always fun to see. This years Daytona 500 will definitely be one to remember and kicks off what is sure to be an interesting season as the industry adjusts to the new cars and the new technology in them.