Accidents, controversy and nearby races have been a memorable opening month in the Nascar Cup season.
Here is an overview of which was the best in February and some of the memorable moments of the month.
February power classification
1. Ryan Blaney
Is driver No. 1 who has not won in February? How do we dare?
During the confrontation, Blaney took the provision and started last in the field of 23 cars. On a tight track of a quarter of a mile that some wondered if the cutting cars could pass, he made second place.
He finished seventh in Daytona 500 and fourth in Atlanta – one of the only two pilots to mark the top 10 of these races.
What made its race in Atlanta more impressive is that the contact of Carson Hocevar turned Blaney while he presented himself in the top five. Blaney restarted 25th with 22 laps on the left on the planned distance, returned to the 26th and headed for a finish among the first five.
Blaney ranks second in medium racing position (9.5) for the Daytona 500 and Atlanta race. He ranked fifth in stage points scored with 24. He won the post in Atlanta.
Oh yes, he is also the leader of points after two points races.
2. Austin Cindric
The teammate of the Blaney team, Penske, ranks first in the average race position in the first two points of points of the season at 5.4. Cindric is also the first in the series with 30 stage points.
Cindric won his Daytona qualification race. He finished seventh in the clash. He was eighth in Daytona (leading a 59 -round summit). Cindric was running Kyle Larson for the three laps of the end of the scheduled end in Atlanta when he was forced into the wall and crashed, finishing 28th.
3. William Byron
The winner of Daytona 500 was directed to another finish among the first five when he was collected in the accident with Austin Cindric in the last laps of the Atlanta race.
Byron ranks fourth row of stage points scored at 25. He is third in the series in the average race position in Daytona and Atlanta at 9.8.
His victory for Daytona 500 made him the youngest driver with several victories in the race, breaking the brand belonging to Jeff Gordon.
4. Bubba Wallace
Good start for a driver who must be better at the start of the season.
He was fifth in the Clash, won his qualification race in Daytona, worked well in Daytona until he was collected in a late accident and finished ninth in Atlanta.
Wallace is second in the series with 28 stage points. It has an average racing position of 10.4 through the first two points races, placing it fourth in the series.
5. Christopher Bell
Although he was putting a single round in Atlanta, it was the last round to win. He passed Kyle Larson for the victory.
Another key moment in this race came six laps from the planned end. Bell, obtaining a boost from Blaney on the lower track, went to the midfielder. This put him in a position to go for the prolongation victory, while Blaney had no help and was not fell.
Bell was running for the five laps of the scheduled end of Daytona 500 when one blow by Cole Custer turned it, triggering an accident that sent the car from Ryan Preece Airborne.
Those outside the top five
John Hunter Nemechek – The only pilot other than Ryan Blaney with the top 10 in the first two races of the season. Nemechek finished fifth in the Daytona 500 and 10th in Atlanta.
Joey Logano – Led a record of 126 laps in the first two points races of the season and ranks third in stage points with 28.
Tyler Reddick – The Daytona 500 finalist finished eighth in the Clash, fifth in her qualification race of Daytona and 19th in Atlanta to rank third in points.
February controversy: when to throw caution?
The warnings at the end of a race were the greatest controversy this season.
Nascar warned in the second qualification race of Daytona with the leaders for the arrival. Jusan Hamilton, race director for Nascar, said on Nascar’s podcast, “Talk Talk” that the race should have ended under Green.
In the Daytona Craftsman Truck race, some vehicles moved off track near the turn 3 and the race remained green. Several trucks were sinking between turns 3 and 4. The race ended in caution because some trucks should have traveled the incident.
In Daytona 500, an accident on the backstretch on the last round did not bring out prudence. Nascar cited the possibility of launching emergency equipment since the field had passed the scene and the distance between the starting / arrival line at the accident site as reasons to end under the green.
Then, in the Xfinity race in Atlanta last weekend, several cars crashed in the last lap. Nascar did not put caution.
The next day, Elton Sawyer, senior vice-president of Nascar’s competition, said that in the cup drivers meeting that Nascar should have been cautious at the end of the Xfinity race and that if the same thing was happening in The Cup race, they would.
Nascar admits that he should have called caution at the end of Atlanta XFinity Race
The Xfinity race ended under green despite several cars crashing on the last round.
So when cutting cars crashed in the last extension round in Atlanta – even though Nascar looked at the potential of another three -wide finish – the officials warned.
“It is on our side to make sure that we do our best as our goal to reach the starting / arrival line under green, but there are conditions and situations where we have to launch (the flag of the Warning) and we are going to be more to launch it than elsewhere, “said Sawyer on Tuesday on” The Morning Drive “by Siriusxm Nascar Radio.
Year of favorites?
Without real changes in significant rules of the car in this year, there was more postponement from last year to this year.
The first two points races were won by pilots who were among the best last year. Daytona 500 winner William reached Championship 4 and the Atlanta winner Christopher Bell was also a controversial Nascar decision.
If we understand the winner of the Chase Elliott confrontation, the first three races of this season were won by pilots who finished in the first seven points last year.
Best moment of the month
The excitement of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Justin Allgaier had after Allgaier finished ninth in Daytona 500 during the first cup race for JR Motorsports.
Check it:
Social media moment of the month
Ryan Preece had a little fun with the unfortunate fact that he went in the air to Daytona 500, marking the second time since 2023 that he had risen in the air in Daytona.
Statistics of the month
Michael McDowell obtained a record of six free passes during the race of the last weekend cup in Atlanta.
McDowell went to the garage for steering wheel problems and was six laps on his return to the race. He recovered each round because of the free pass after caution and finished 13th.
“Nothing less than miraculous and capitalized there at the end,” said McDowell after the race.
McDowell Lie Jamie McMurray (2014 Talladega) and Noah Gragson (2022 Bristol Dirt) for most free passes in a race.
Monthly quote
“We are here to win races, not be a group of boys and love it and play on the playground together.”
– Carson Hocevar after his finalist in Atlanta in the way his driver upset the veterans drivers, including Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain.
Carson Hocevar Frude enemies in Atlanta on the path of the best career cup
Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain were not satisfied with the driving of Carson Hocevar during the Sunday race.
In the front to walk
There are five cutting races on the calendar:
March 2 – Americas circuit
March 9 – Phoenix
March 16 – Las Vegas
March 23 – Homestead
March 30 – Martinsville
A great month in advance, because three of these races – Phoenix, Las Vegas and Martinsville – are on songs that will organize a eliminatory race later in the year.
