Should NASCAR eliminate the rule prohibiting drivers from going below the double yellow lines to advance their position on the last lap of a race at Daytona and Talladega?
Nate Ryan: Ideally, yes, but everyone knows what that would produce. Still, Ryan Newman‘s point is well taken that a racetrack with an out-of-bounds marker seems less legitimate. Would it be too much to ask (or too difficult to incorporate) for an inside wall with a SAFER barrier where the lines are at Daytona and Talladega?
Dustin Long: No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.
Daniel McFadin: While tempting, the rule is there for a reason, spelled out through this exhaustive Twitter thread. It’s out of bounds and drivers need to be mindful of boundaries.
Dan Beaver: It doesn’t seem right to have a different set of rules for the final lap. If NASCAR is going to enforce the double-yellow line at all, they should be consistent throughout the race. But, perhaps the line doesn’t need to be a perfect arc through the corner and could give a little more room in the middle of the frontstretch.
Several drivers had season- or career-best finishes at Daytona. What was the best feel-good story for you among such drivers?
Nate Ryan: The scene around Jeffrey Earnhardt‘s car was unforgettable as the driver took selfies with an endless parade of family, friends and sponsor reps. With no definitive future plans for Earnhardt’s next Cup race, it’s natural to wonder if his 11th-place finish might have been the end of an era, too.
Dustin Long: Ty Dillon’s sixth-place finish. It has been a rough year for Dillon and the Germain team. He had not been credited with a top-10 finish in 71 career starts before last weekend. He had an average finish of 25.4 this season before his Daytona run.
Daniel McFadin: I’m going to go with Matt DiBenedetto. The No. 32 Ford was in the top five very late in the Daytona 500 before getting taken out in a wreck. So seeing DiBenedetto surviving until the end this time around and finish seventh was a pleasant sight. With GoFas Racing, you never know if you’re going to get another shot at the front of the field.
Dan Beaver: It’s difficult to not go with the winner of the race since Erik Jones was such a dramatic story. Other than Jones, Jeffrey Earnhardt’s 11th-place finish is a great story because it almost put an Earnhardt back inside the top 10 on a track that has meant so much to the family.
After Erik Jones’ win at Daytona, how soon before the next win by a driver under age 30?
Nate Ryan: Kyle Larson always is a threat at Michigan and Bristol, and he possibly could factor into Saturday night’s race at Kentucky Speedway. But with the way this season has unfolded, it feels as if it could be a while if he doesn’t break through.
Dustin Long: Kyle Larson will win in the next month. Joey Logano might win even sooner.
Daniel McFadin: Either at Michigan or Bristol and it’ll probably be Kyle Larson. I just can’t imagine him going winless through the entire regular season.
Dan Beaver: Within the month, the new guard is going to start to chip away at the dominance of the Big 3. After Kentucky is in the books, look for youth to be served on the flat tracks of New Hampshire and Pocono.
