The team put up a video to solve a question that a fan posed about the procedure a driver follows in the event of a blown tire which narrated, “Small punctures can cause heavy damages. A lot of times it can destroy the wheel.” It continued to explain that wheels are typically reused unless they are bent out of use by the tire. “When you blow a tire you’re going for a spin. Hopefully, you come to pit road with no damage that can’t be fixed.”

If the car’s spin causes it to be damaged beyond immediate repair, its day is deemed over. Tire temperatures and pressures are crucial aspects of keeping the tires in a healthy condition. The tire temperatures can extend up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and excessive heat can lead to blowups. Paradoxically, the high heat is required for the cars to maintain traction and balance at high speeds making it a tricky game of balance for crews.

The financial setback caused by blown tires in NASCAR

Each tire used on a stock car in the Cup Series can cost up to $600. Teams rent the tires from Goodyear, NASCAR’s official partner for racing and testing. A full set of tires can thus cost around the $2,400 mark depending on the track type. The average number of pit stops in a race ranges between 3 and 5. This means a team can be set back by around $10,000 in every race.

Matt Faulkner from Joe Gibbs Racing says of the life of tires, “These loads will cause the pressure in the tire to increase by 20 or 25 PSI and the temperatures will increase to the mid or high 200 degree range. This makes the life of the tire on a NASCAR car extremely short.” Compared to the regular street car on which tires can last for years, those on a stock car can go for about 20 minutes.

Despite the high number of tires that each race consumes none of the source material goes to waste. Once they’re worn out of use, the tires are sent back to Goodyear’s facilities where they’re recycled for other purposes.

The post NASCAR Tire: What Happens if a Driver Blows a Tire During a Race? appeared first on The SportsRush.

Before their meeting, Janway had graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in business communications. She made the move to New York to pursue a career in modeling and had been working for the modeling agency Wilhelmina when she was introduced to Johnson. After their marriage, the couple began the Jimmie Johnson Foundation in 2006 to help underprivileged children achieve their dreams.

The foundation’s mission reads “dedicated to assisting children, families, and communities in need throughout the United States.” Janway currently serves as its vice president and oversees its operations. The organization has raised over $13 million to date to help fund various other non-profits.

Family fun in Texas pic.twitter.com/bTM1UVCbNX

— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) March 22, 2022

Their first child, Genevieve Mari Johnson, was born on July 10, 2010. Their second daughter, Lydia Norris Johnson was born on September 6, 2013. Janway is a huge supporter of Johnson’s racing career and could regularly be spotted cheering for him from the stands. Of his two children, Lydia is the one with an affinity for racing.

The icon said in a 2021 interview, “Lydia has a little desire to race and will ride anything until it’s out of gas. And it’s great to just have a Sunday off. Load up the bikes and pack a cooler and go to the track and ride for 4 or 5 hours, come home, get the pressure washer out, clean the bikes, and just hang with her.”

Tragedy struck the Johnson family in 2023

Things were going great for the Johnsons but then tragedy struck the family. Just last year, Johnson’s in-laws and nephew were found dead in their house in Oklahoma on June 27, 2023. In what is believed to be a case of murder-suicide, the “suspect” was Janway’s mother Terry (67). Later on, speaking about the incident in an interview, Johnson thanked fans for their support of his family and gave an update on the situation.

He said, “We’re managing the best we can, and that’s really all you can do, so thank you for the support and the continued support.” Janway had earlier lost her brother Jordan (27) in 2014 when a skydiving accident took his life. The 2024 Daytona 500 marked Johnson’s return to a Cup Series race since his withdrawal from the 2023 Chicago Street Course event owing to the tragedy.

The post Jimmie Johnson Relationship Timeline: Details About Marriage and Children of the NASCAR Driver appeared first on The SportsRush.

Denny Hamlin went to the 2.5-mile speedway as a favorite to win. A three-time winner of the 500, a fourth win would have put him alongside Cale Yarborough on the all-time winners list. However, the #11 driver would not find his way to the lead of the pack until the final stage. Not long after he did, he became entangled in the Big One that involved 18 cars on the field with less than 10 laps to go. He ultimately ended the day in 19th position, having led 10 laps.

There’s trouble at the front of the field! #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/6wVECKKWY1

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 20, 2024

Martin Truex Jr. was last year’s regular season champ. He started the race from 27th position and climbed up the ladder expertly. He finished Stage 1 at 9th position behind Hamlin who ran 7th at the time. He followed that up with a 14th-place finish in Stage 2. The final stage saw him be a part of the same wreck that caught Hamlin. He ended the race 15th and took home 24 points.

Ty Gibbs was the worst performer of the day for Joe Gibbs Racing. He began his run from 15th on the grid and dropped down as the race progressed. Trailing his teammates for most of the race he finished the day at 17th place ahead of Hamlin. He led no laps and cashed in 20 points for his efforts.

Christopher Bell continues being the face of Joe Gibbs Racing

The #20 Toyota Camry driver started the Daytona 500 from 4th on the grid. He pretty much led his teammates for much of the race but fell back multiple positions towards the end of Stage 2. The two wrecks that engulfed the field helped him find his way to the top during the final stage. End of the day, only Joey Logano led more laps (45) than Bell. The JGR driver’s Camry was one of the cars that were left unaffected by the final stage’s Big One and helped him to the checkered flag.

Results from this year’s #DAYTONA500

P3 – @CBellRacing
P15 – @MartinTruex_Jr
P17 – @TyGibbs
P19 – @dennyhamlin pic.twitter.com/mDvKKDUOV6

— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) February 20, 2024

Despite the top-five finish, Bell doesn’t see things as ideal. He said in his post-race interview, “We showed a lot of pace between the Duel and the early part of the race. When we had track position, we were fast. But I don’t know. Didn’t go our way and we need to study it.” Bell and his team will have their next shot at the victory lane on February 25 in Atlanta.

The post At a Glance: How the Daytona 500 Went Down for Joe Gibbs Racing appeared first on The SportsRush.

He acknowledged that he was the “other guy” when people talked of the HMS roster which includes Cup Series champions, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. However, being side-lined isn’t something that affects him a lot. He said, “Yeah, I use it all as fuel, go just keep it coming. All the preseason predictions and everything.”

OFFICIAL: @WilliamByron was the leader at the time of caution.

He wins the 66th running of the #DAYTONA500! pic.twitter.com/PMIyF0TdVZ

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 20, 2024

He continued, “I just try to stay quietly focused. I feel like for me, I do well having my own space and being able to work through things with my race team.” His mindset is centered on balancing calmness and voicing out thoughts to make the HMS team better. While he is aware that he is never going to be the most vocal guy in the garage, he is plenty satisfied with it.

He concluded, “I just enjoy getting in the race car and putting the helmet on and going to work. That’s what I’ve always lived for.” With an unimpressive track record in the event, Byron carried one of the lowest odds amongst his teammates to win the Daytona 500. However, it was he who took the checkered flag at the end of the 500 miles.

How William Byron and Alex Bowman completed a 1-2 finish for Hendrick Motorsports

Monday’s race was no short of action. With wrecks filling the field right from stage 1, Byron and Alex Bowman found themselves ahead of their counterparts in the final laps of the day. Byron was engaged in racing Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric when the duo got involved in a wreck that sent them crashing out. Thankfully for Byron, he’d just taken the white flag when officials called for caution.

William Byron wins the Daytona 500! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/bmofJSB6k3

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 20, 2024

With the race then fixed to end in green or caution, Byron held his lead with Bowman at his heels. The two drivers who went in with the lowest odds ended up giving HMS its best finish in the Daytona 500 since Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s win in 2014. Meanwhile, Byron’s teammate Chase Elliott won the first stage and finished the day in 14th position and Kyle Larson was slightly ahead at 11th.

The post How Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott Hype Overshadow William Byron’s Talent and Acts as Fuel for the Daytona 500 Winner appeared first on The SportsRush.

According to reports, today, Johnson is the world’s highest-paid actor. But life has not always been easy for the WWE icon. There was a time when he had gotten derailed and started committing petty crimes. “Thirteen is when I started to veer off the tracks,” he said in an interview. “I started getting arrested for fighting, theft, all kinds of stupid (stuff) that I shouldn’t have been doing.”

However, Johnson’s high school football coach, Jody Cwick, came to his rescue. Coach Cwick had told ‘The Rock’ to stop getting himself arrested and play football for him. And he did that, which ultimately changed his life. Surprisingly, at this year’s Daytona 500, the wrestler-turned-actor met someone who mentioned the name of Johnson’s school in Pennsylvania and his football coach. While making a video for this man, Johnson had said, “Rest in peace, I love you brother”. Later, he posted the entire incident on X and wrote, “Amidst the adrenaline and beautiful chaos of #DAYTONA500 this moment was the last thing I expected. I’m grateful it did.”

Crazy moment here. You’ll see at the end, I’m shooting a cellphone vid for a guy – he gets my attention, by yelling my old high school in Pennsylvania (Freedom) and mentioning my high school football coach, Jody Cwick.
The last time I got arrested at 15, Jody said “hey stop… https://t.co/cvnI589kWm

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) February 20, 2024

Dwayne Johnson’s love for American Football

Very few people know that ‘The Rock’, an extremely successful wrestler and now an actor, once wanted to pursue a football career. However, an unfortunate shoulder injury stood in his way to attain stardom in the sport. Although he could never make it to the NFL, he did play in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

After a successful high school career, Johnson received several scholarships, one of which led him to play football at the University of Miami under the tutelage of Coach Dennis Erickson. But the happiness didn’t last long as he got injured and wasn’t able to play a lot. That’s when he started getting depressed. “I didn’t want to do anything. I didn’t want to go anywhere. I was crying constantly. Eventually, you reach a point where you are all cried out,” Johnson recalled.

Sadly, even that phase in his career was short-lived. Despite landing a deal with the Calgary Stampeders as a linebacker in 1995, Johnson couldn’t continue playing owing to his past injuries. As a result, his coaches had to drop the hopes of having him on the team within barely two months into the season. Although they wanted him back in the team eventually, The Rock didn’t go back and made up his mind to join their family business in the wrestling industry. The rest is history.

The post Chance Encounter at Daytona 500 Leaves the Rock “Grateful” appeared first on The SportsRush.

However, Chastain wasn’t apologetic at all. Yes, there wasn’t enough gap for him to clear the cars ahead of him, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t have tried. The Trackhouse Racing driver said, “I took the gap. I don’t apologize for that. I can go to sleep tonight knowing that I took the white flag making the move to win the Daytona 500.” However, he did admit that people might call his move too aggressive, especially because he didn’t finish the race.

"I took the gap. I don't apologize for that. I can go to sleep at night knowing I took the white flag making a move to win the Daytona 500." pic.twitter.com/ls8SgMRm9D

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) February 20, 2024

But Cindric was visibly disappointed. “We had a shot to win the Daytona 500,” he said. “We were really in great position with the outside lane breaking up and kind of one-on-one with the 24 (William Byron) with the whole pack behind, so you can’t really ask for anything else other than that out of myself and the team. It just sucks a little bit.”

Ross Chastain changed his verdict after a brief chat with Cindric

Chastain and Cindric were the two drivers involved in the last-lap crash. As they made contact, both the drivers spun out, but the Melonman slid quite far into the grasswork on the infield. After the race was done and dusted, the duo was seen sharing a conversation, which, by the way, wasn’t a heated one at all. Is Ross Chastain getting softer? Well, a little speculation wouldn’t hurt.

It seemed like Chastain wasn’t aware of how the crash actually happened. But when Cindric explained how it all panned out, the #1 driver was surprised. He said…“Really? I thought I turned left”. Then, he turned to the reporters and said, “Hey, forget what I said. “ He also mentioned that he needed to watch the replay and patted Cindric on his back before parting ways with him.

Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric talk it over and apparently Ross is made aware of something he didn't know pic.twitter.com/JuZFwO70dE

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) February 20, 2024

Cindric’s wrath was directed more toward Corey LaJoie, who, according to him, was the root of the contact between him and the #1 driver. “Corey finished 4th, so congrats,” said Cindric. “He tried to fit a car where there wasn’t a car and just continued to push through my left rear until I wrecked.” However, LaJoie didn’t seem to care about Cindric’s comments at all. He stated that he had seen Cindric do dumb stuff before too. “We’re not friends,” he added bluntly.

The post NASCAR Daytona 500: Ross Chastain Leaves Daytona With Zero Regrets appeared first on The SportsRush.

Reacting to the wild finish at Daytona and his thoughts on witnessing a race from this new point of view he said, “When they took the green flag the hair stood up on my arms and checkered flag, my heart was beating like I was driving the car. It was exciting.” Harvick had already been on air during the Busch Light Clash earlier this month, but the Daytona 500 was his first official points race in the new Cup Series season.

He continued thanking his colleagues for their support and quipped, “I appreciate you guys and all of your help getting through this. It’s been a great experience and I can’t wait for more.” Monday’s race was Joy’s 45th live coverage of the Daytona 500.

Clint Bowyer was once a teammate of Harvick at Richard Childress Racing and a close friend of his. He joined Fox Sports as a full-time analyst in 2021. The three are expected to continue their partnership for the rest of Fox’s coverage of the 2024 season.

Kevin Harvick aspires to be more than just an announcer in the booth

The late John Madden was one of the NFL’s most well-known personalities. He went from being a football coach to a TV commentator in his iconic career and created a long-lasting impact on his sport. And that’s who Harvick has as his role model now. Having been a loud voice advocating for driver safety and NASCAR’s progression in his time behind the wheel, the former driver does not wish to be any different now.

He said in a recent interview, “He [John Madden] wasn’t just a voice in the booth; he was always trying to push the NFL forward and help from a more broad perspective than just calling the event. And hopefully, that’s the kind of effect that I want to have in the booth to help the whole sport and not just call the races.” With these tall ambitions, Harvick’s next race will be at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 25.

The post “My Heart Was Beating”: Kevin Harvick Describes First Daytona 500 as NASCAR Analyst appeared first on The SportsRush.

In a recent social media post, the WWE megastar wrote, “Absolutely incredible energy and mana on the speedway. If y’all haven’t gone to a @NASCAR race, you gotta go!! You’ll feel the chills. #DAYTONA500 #grandmarshal.” As he spoke to Jamie Little of Fox Sports, Johnson revealed the biggest reason why he was so impressed to be at Daytona International on Monday. “They’re all after that shot for greatness,” he admitted with a smile on his face.

When the time came for The Rock to finally fulfill what was expected of him as the People’s Champion and the Grand Marshal, he didn’t disappoint at all. Flaunting black shades and a black tank top, with his tattooed muscles glistening under the post-rain sun, he announced, “In the proud spirit of America and in the proud spirit of our great country, finally, The Rock says, ‘Drivers! Start your engines!'”, and with that, the drivers revved their engines. Unable to contain their excitement, the crowd let out a deafening roar from the grandstands.

The Grand Marshal’s duty was not the sole reason why Dwayne Johnson showed up at Daytona

When it rained out on Sunday, everyone was truly disappointed. After all, the Daytona 500 is oftentimes deemed as the most important race in NASCAR. But the universe works in ways that men cannot always comprehend. Or as The Rock said on Instagram, “Like everything happens for a reason”.

“Happy happy Monday. Sun is out,” exclaimed the Fast and Furious actor. “I got the windows down, sun is out here in Daytona Beach baby. And of course one of my favorite place over there, Hooters. Man, I’m so pumped today.” Now we know that the Daytona 500 wasn’t the only thing that The Rock was interested in. It’s probably the chicken tenders or perhaps even the beer at Hooters. Safe to say, there’s nothing wrong with a huge man like Johnson getting loaded up on chicken and beer before picking up the microphone as the Grand Marshal.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

The good news is that Johnson is ready to do it all over again. Later on, expressing his willingness to wear the hat of the Marshal again, Johnson wrote on X, “If you need the People’s Champ again, you know where to find me.”

The post Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Left in Awe of NASCAR After Daytona 500 Experience appeared first on The SportsRush.

“It bent it pretty weird,” he stated, updating about his wrist. “I had my initial wreck and then my wheel grabbed something. I usually let go of the wheel, but I didn’t think I needed to and just tweaked it a little bit. It’s all good.” Thankfully, after getting checked at the infield care center, he announced that his wrist was not broken.

Blaney says his wrist is fine, details what he saw in the big crash pic.twitter.com/t1MQq1gyuE

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) February 20, 2024

Earlier in Thursday’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel Qualifier, the reigning Cup Series champion had admitted to having experienced a 55g hit in his back and neck muscles. That impact was followed up by another unfortunate hit on Monday when his hand got caught in a spinning steering wheel as his Ford crashed out with several others at the 2.5-mile, high-banked speedway. As a result of the crash, Blaney had to settle for a P30 finish. Certainly not what he had expected, but at least his wrist is fine.

Blaney’s dream of replicating Dale Jarrett’s feat remains unfulfilled

The next greatest thing that Blaney could have achieved after having won the Championship last year was to build on it with his first Daytona 500 victory. It’s been over 20 years since Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett did it back in 2000. However, with the fierce competition from drivers like Alex Bowman, William Byron, and Ross Chastain, it was perhaps easier said than done.

In his 11 starts at the prestigious race, Blaney has a pair of runner-up finishes, besides several other close finishes behind the winner. But never has he been able to grab the checkered flag at the “Superbowl of NASCAR”. “I feel like I’ve been close to this thing a couple of times. I had a good shot to win it a couple years ago and it just didn’t work out,” said Blaney during the Daytona 500 media day.

In 2017, Blaney finished second to the winner Kurt Busch. Just the following year, he led more than half of the 500-mile event and still couldn’t register anything better than a P7 finish. In 2020, when Ryan Newman flipped and went airborne, Blaney was just 0.014 seconds behind race winner Denny Hamlin. Fast forward to 2022, a tug-of-war between Blaney and teammate Austin Cindric eventually resulted in the former crashing out, finishing 4th and the latter winning the race.

The post Ryan Blaney Reveals Extent of Wrist Injury After the Big One at Daytona 500 appeared first on The SportsRush.

As Jamie Little of Fox Sports walked up to team owner Rick Hendrick in the victory lane, the Hall of Famer seemed to be in utter disbelief. Viewing it as an act from a perfectly written drama, Hendrick said, “I’m telling you, you couldn’t write the script any better…24-24. When you think about coming down here for the first time we didn’t think we should be here…felt so out of place. And to win this on our 40th…that’s awesome.”

Rick Hendrick and @JeffGordonWeb talk with @JamieLittleTV. #NASCAR #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/x1ucBlqipW

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 20, 2024

While the owner was still taking his time, still letting all of it seep in, team Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon was so excited that he shot his arm up in the air and cried out, “Daytona 500!” Visually ecstatic, the 4X Cup Series champion admitted that although he wasn’t driving the car himself, he felt like he was making every lap with Byron’s #24 Chevy. According to him, by winning the 66th Daytona 500, Byron has attained a whole different level of stardom.

The crash that ultimately got Byron locked into the playoffs

The Daytona 500 being eventful isn’t anything unusual. Moments before the checkered flag came out, the field witnessed a 23-car pileup. That too, was not surprising at all. After all, that’s how the fans are used to seeing the closing 10 laps of the 500 unfold.

About three laps before the big crash, the lead cars went as far as three wide. However, the real action began with nine laps to go. Byron’s teammate Alex Bowman slightly nosed him and Brad Keselowski’s #6 Ford got caught in the ripple effect. It wasn’t long before most of the leading cars got caught up in a series of crashes. Almost half of the field was involved. Luckily, Byron wasn’t one of them, and he managed to drive to the pit row and continue racing.

A closer look at the carnage from the big one in the 2024 #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/CaqCsg0sGg

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 20, 2024

“Just extremely blessed and thankful for all the opportunities, now just want to keep it going,” Byron exclaimed after climbing out of his car. “We have a lot to prove this year, and this is a good start obviously. Daytona 500, it’s freaking awesome!”

Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., And Kyle Busch were among those who wrecked. For Busch, this was his 19th straight winless Daytona 500.

The post 2024 Daytona 500: Rick Hendrick in Disbelief After William Byron’s Fairytale Daytona 500 Win appeared first on The SportsRush.