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Ford # 34 Love’s Travel Stops driver Michael McDowell celebrates on his way to victory after winning the 63rd Annual NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2021 in Daytona Beach,
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
The rain never stops hurting the best NASCAR event.
Sunday’s 2021 Daytona 500, impacted by a rain delay of nearly six hours, averaged 4.83 million viewers, Fox Sports confirmed to CNBC. It is the least watched Daytona 500 in racing history. Around 7 million viewers watched the 2020 event.
Michael McDowell of Front Row Motorsports scored his first career victory, winning the Harley J. Earl Trophy. He became only the eighth driver to record his first career racing victory. Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports came in second.
Sports Media Watch reported that the event drew about 8 million viewers before the delay, which occurred around 3 p.m. EST.
Last year’s Daytona 500 also suffered from a rain delay, which moved the event to a second day. Audiences also suffered, and the 2020 race averaged 7.3 million viewers over the two days. The 2019 and 2018 races averaged around 9 million viewers, but that figure was down from more than 11 million viewers for the race on average in 2017 and 2016.
Flames erupt in a last-lap crash that consumes several cars during 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 a 16-car crash after the first 15 laps before the weather delay. NASCAR resumed racing at approximately 9 p.m. EST. It ended shortly after midnight.
The 2021 Daytona 500 produced some early storylines as the race approached, particularly around the 23XI Racing team with owners Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin and driver Bubba Wallace. Toyota’s 23rd car Wallace failed pre-race inspections and was forced to pull away from the back.
Wallace made history as the first black driver to lead a lap (129) in the race. Wallace was involved in the late crash with one lap to go and finished 17th.
Hamlin, who is a pilot for Joe Gibbs Racing, also started at the rear – on purpose. Hamlin tried to win his third consecutive Daytona 500, which would have been a record, but instead finished fifth.
NASCAR will try to bounce back this weekend with its Daytona Road Course event, which runs February 19-21 on Fox Sports’ FS1 channel.
Alvin Kamara # 41 of the New Orleans Saints runs the ball during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Wesley Hitt | Getty Images
The NFL and NASCAR
Meanwhile, NASCAR also announced that New Orleans Saints star running back Alvin Kamara has joined as an auto sponsor.
Kamara’s The Big Squeezy juice bar franchise signed up as sponsor of JD Motorsports’ No.6 Ryan Vargas Chevrolet car during Saturday’s Super Start Batteries 188 race at Daytona International Speedway.
Sponsorship conditions were not provided.
Kamara said sponsoring the car was an opportunity he couldn’t lose. With its logo on both sides of Vargas’ car, Kamara can boost its brand awareness for its juice bar franchises, primarily located in Louisiana.
“I did a bit of research on Ryan as an individual and JD Motorsports and was impressed with what I read,” Kamara said in a statement. “I am delighted to play a small part in what they already have.”
Kamara, who finished second in the 2020 National Football League among running backs with 16 touchdowns, signed a five-year, $ 75 million extension with the team last September.
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