5 Days to Go

5: Only five days before the 2024 season opens with NASCAR’s crown jewel, the DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Of all the great drivers who have driven the No. 5 in their NASCAR Cup Series careers, the car number has only one win in The Great American Race. Geoffrey Bodine won that race driving a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in 1986 starting from the outside pole position and leading a dominating 101 of the 200 laps. He finished more than 11 seconds ahead of runner-up NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte who would ironically go on to win the 1996 championship in that No. 5 Hendrick Chevrolet. Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, now drives the No. 5 and he is a perpetual favorite to put that back in any track’s Victory Lane – perhaps capturing his first DAYTONA 500 victory in five days. – Holly Cain

Tune in to the 2024 DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

9 days to go

9: The No. 9 car holds significant historical value in the DAYTONA 500 as the first single-digit numeral to win the Great American Race. NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott won the 1985 DAYTONA 500 driving the Melling Racing No. 9 Ford – the first of a season-best 11 victories. Elliott’s son Chase, 28, now drives the famed No. 9 – for Hendrick Motorsports’ Chevrolet team and on Feb. 18 the two-time DAYTONA 500 pole-winner will race again for his first Harley J. Earl trophy. His best DAYTONA 500 finish in the No. 9 is runner-up in 2021. If Chase Elliott were to win the DAYTONA 500 this season, the Elliotts would become the fourth father-son duo to win the DAYTONA 500 (all-time), joining the Pettys (Lee and Richard), the Allisons (Bobby and Davey) and the Earnhardts (Dale and Dale Jr.). – Holly Cain

Tune in to the 2024 DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.