Michael McDowell, driver of the # 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford, celebrates a victory 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 only hurts NASCAR’s top event.
Fox Sports confirmed to CNBC that on Sunday 2021, affected by a nearly six-hour rain delay, Daytona 500 attracted an average of 4.83 million viewers. This is the Daytona 500 which has been the lowest viewed in the history of the race. About 7 million viewers watched the 2020 event.
Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell achieved his first career victory with the Harley J. Earl Trophy. He became only the eighth rider to record his first career victory at the race. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott came second.
Sports Media Watch reported that the event attracted about 8 million viewers before the delay, which occurred around 3 p.m. Eastern.
Last year’s Daytona 500 also had a rain delay, which shifted the event to a second day. The reviews also suffered, and the race in 2020 averaged 7.3 million viewers over both days. The races for 2019 and 2018 averaged about 9 million viewers, but it was less than more than 11 million viewers who achieved the race on average in 2017 and 2016.
Flame blaze during an accident on the last shot, which consumed several cars during the Daytona 500 on February 14, 2021 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach. Fl.
David Rosenblum | Icon Sportswire | Getty Images
The Daytona 500 in 2021 had an early 16-car accident after delaying the first 15 laps before the weather. NASCAR resumed the race around 21:00 Eastern time. It closed shortly after midnight.
The Daytona 500 of 2021 yielded some early storylines, especially around the 23XI Racing team with owners Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin and driver Bubba Wallace. The 23-Toyota car driven by Wallace failed inspections before the race and was forced to start at the rear.
Wallace made history as the first black rider to lead a lap (129) during the race. Wallace was involved in the late crash with one lap left and finished 17th.
Hamlin, who is a rider for Joe Gibbs Racing, also started from behind – willingly. Hamlin tried to win his third consecutive Daytona 500, which would have been a record but finished fifth.
NASCAR will try to bounce back this weekend with its Daytona Road Course event, which takes place on February 19-21 on Fox Sports’ FS1 channel.
Alvin Kamara # 41 of the New Orleans Saints walks the ball during a game against the Tennessee Titans at the 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 Alvin Kamara has joined as a car sponsor.
Kamara’s The Big Squeezy juice bar franchise has signed as sponsor for Ryan Vargas no. 6 Chevrolet car from JD Motorsports during Saturday’s Super Start Batteries 188 race on the Daytona International Speedway track.
The bail conditions were not provided.
Kamara said sponsoring the car is an opportunity he cannot miss. With its logo on both sides of the Vargas car, Kamara can build brand awareness for its juice bar franchises, located primarily in Louisiana.
“I did a little research on Ryan as an individual and JD Motorsports and was impressed with what I read,” Kamara said in a statement. “I’m excited to play a small role in what they’re already going through.”
Kamara, who finished the National Football League for the second time in a row with 16 hits in 2020, signed a five-year extension of $ 75 million with the team last year.