Michael McDowell, driver of the # 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford, celebrates on the victory track after winning the NASCAR Cup Series 63rd Daytona 500 annually at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2021 in Daytona Beach,
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The rain continues to hurt NASCAR’s top event.
The Daytona 500 on Sunday 2021, affected by a delay of almost six hours of rain, attracted an average of 4.83 million viewers, Fox Sports confirmed to CNBC. It marks the least-watched Daytona 500 in racing history. About 7 million viewers watched the 2020 event.
Michael McDowell of Front Row Motorsports recorded his first victory of his career, winning the Harley J. Earl trophy. He became only the eighth driver to record his first race victory of his career. Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports came in second.
Sports Media Watch reported that the event attracted about 8 million viewers before the delay, which took place around 3 p.m.
Last year the Daytona 500 also suffered a rain delay, which moved the event to a second day. The ratings also suffered, and the 2020 race had an average of 7.3 million spectators on both days. The races in 2019 and 2018 had an average of about 9 million viewers, but this decreased compared to over 11 million viewers, the average race in 2017 and 2016.
The flames broke out during a last-lap accident while consuming several cars during the Daytona 500 on February 14, 2021 on Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach. Fl.
David Rosenblum | Icon Sportswire | Getty Images
The 2021 Daytona 500 suffered an early crash of 16 cars after the first 15 laps before the weather delayed. NASCAR resumed racing around 9 p.m., Eastern Time. It ended shortly after midnight.
The 2021 Daytona 500 produced some early stories that entered the race, especially around the 23XI Racing team with owners Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin and driver Bubba Wallace. Toyota car no. 23 Wallace conducted pre-race inspections and was forced to back off.
Wallace made history the first black driver to lead a lap (129) in the race. Wallace was involved in the late crash, remaining one lap and finishing 17th.
Hamlin, who is a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, also started from the back – willingly. Hamlin tried to win the third consecutive Daytona 500, which would have been a record, but finished in fifth place.
NASCAR will try to return this weekend with the Daytona Road Course event, which takes place on February 19-21 on Fox Sports’ FS1 channel.
Alvin Kamara # 41 of the New Orleans Saints leads the ball during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Wesley Hitt | Getty Images
NFL and NASCAR
Meanwhile, NASCAR also announced that New Orleans Saints star Alvin Kamara has joined as a car sponsor.
Kamara’s The Big Squeezy franchise has registered as a sponsor for Chevrolet Ryan Vargas car no. 6 of JD Motorsports in the Super Start Batteries 188 race on Saturday on the Daytona International Speedway.
Sponsorship terms were not provided.
Kamara said sponsoring the car is an opportunity he could not miss. With its logo on both sides of Vargas’ car, Kamara can increase brand awareness for its juice franchises, which are located primarily in Louisiana.
“I did a little research on Ryan as an individual and JD Motorsports and I was impressed by what I read,” Kamara said in a statement. “I’m excited to play a small role in what they’re already working on.”
Kamara, who finished the 2020 National Football League in second place behind with 16 touchdowns, signed a five-year $ 75 million extension with the team in September last year.