Michael McDowell, motorist of the #34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford, commemorates in success lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series 63rd Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2021 in Daytona Beach,
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
The rain simply keeps harming NASCAR’s leading occasion.
Sunday’s 2021 Daytona 500, affected by an almost six-hour rain hold-up, brought in approximately 4.83 million audiences, Fox Sports has actually validated to CNBC. It marks the lowest-viewed Daytona 500 in the history of the race. Roughly 7 million audiences saw the 2020 occasion.
Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell tape-recorded his very first profession win, making the Harley J. Earl prize. He ended up being just the 8th motorist to tape his very first profession win at the race. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott can be found in 2nd.
Sports Media Watch reported the occasion brought in approximately 8 million audiences prior to the hold-up, which happened around 3 p.m. Eastern.
Last year’s Daytona 500 likewise suffered through a rain hold-up, which moved the occasion to a 2nd day. The scores suffered, too, and the 2020 race balanced 7.3 million audiences throughout both days. The 2019 and 2018 races balanced approximately 9 million audiences, however that was below over 11 million audiences the race balanced in 2017 and 2016.
Flames appear throughout a last-lap crash takes in a number of cars and trucks throughout the Daytona 500 on February 14, 2021 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach. Fl.
David Rosenblum | Icon Sportswire | Getty Images
The 2021 Daytona 500 suffered an early 16-auto accident after the very first 15 laps prior to the weather condition hold-up. NASCAR resumed the race around 9 p.m. Eastern time. It concluded quickly after midnight.
The 2021 Daytona 500 produced some early stories entering into the race, specifically around the 23XI Racing group with owners Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin and motorist Bubba Wallace. The No. 23 Toyota vehicle Wallace drove stopped working pre-race assessments and was required to begin in the back.
Wallace made history a the very first Black motorist to lead a lap (129) at the race. Wallace was associated with the late mishap with one lap staying and ended up 17th.
Hamlin, who is a motorist for Joe Gibbs Racing likewise began in the back – self-willingly. Hamlin tried to win his 3rd straight Daytona 500, which would’ve been a record, however rather ended up fifth.
NASCAR will try to rebound this weekend with its Daytona Road Course occasion, which runs Feb. 19-21 on Fox Sports’ FS1 channel.
Alvin Kamara #41 of the New Orleans Saints runs the ball throughout a video game versus the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Wesley Hitt | Getty Images
The NFL and NASCAR
Meanwhile, NASCAR likewise revealed New Orleans Saints star running back Alvin Kamara has actually signed up with as a vehicle sponsor.
Kamara’s The Big Squeezy juice bar franchise has actually signed on as a sponsor for JD Motorsports’ Ryan Vargas No. 6 Chevrolet vehicle throughout Saturday’s Super Start Batteries 188 race at the Daytona International Speedway track.
Terms of the sponsorship were not supplied.
Kamara stated sponsoring the vehicle was a chance he could not lose. With its logo design on both sides of Vargas’ vehicle, Kamara can develop brand name awareness for his juice bar franchises, which are mostly found in Louisiana.
“I did a bit of research on Ryan as an individual and JD Motorsports and was impressed with what I read,” Kamara stated in a declaration. “I’m excited to play a small role in what they already have going on.”
Kamara, who ended up the 2020 National Football League 2nd amongst running backs with 16 goals, signed a five-year $75 million extension with the group last September.
