P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The slow race pace early in the Daytona 500 did not go unnoticed by NASCAR and the circumstances leading to that will be reviewed. In the race’s first stage, the field slowed the pace down dr…
NASCAR officials have taken notice of the slow pace during the early stages of the Daytona 500 and are planning a review of the circumstances surrounding it. The field significantly slowed down during fuel-saving mode in the first stage, with lap times exceeding 50 seconds instead of the usual 46-47 seconds. NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, Elton Sawyer, mentioned that the focus of superspeedway racing has shifted towards minimizing time spent on pit road and maximizing track position. Both Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin expressed their concern over the sluggish pace, with Hamlin describing it as a 175-mile-per-hour “pace lap” on his podcast. Pit stop strategies at superspeedways have evolved to prioritize fuel conservation over tire management, leading to dramatic field position changes during pit cycles.
