Michael McDowell, driver of the # 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford, celebrates in the 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 continues to hurt NASCAR’s top event.
Sunday 2021’s Daytona 500, hit by a nearly six-hour rain delay, drew an average of 4.83 million viewers, Fox Sports confirmed to CNBC. It marks the lowest viewed Daytona 500 in the history of the race. About 7 million viewers watched the 2020 event.
Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell took his first career win to earn the Harley J. Earl Trophy. He only became the eighth driver to record his first victory in his career. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott 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. Eastern.
Last year’s Daytona 500 also suffered from a rain delay, moving the event to a second day. Audiences also suffered, with the 2020 race averaging 7.3 million viewers on both days. The 2019 and 2018 races averaged about 9 million viewers, but that was less than the average of 11 million viewers in 2017 and 2016.
Flames erupt in a final lap crash that burned several cars during the Daytona 500 on February 14, 2021 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach. Fl.
David Rosenblum | Sportswire icon | Getty Images
The 2021 Daytona 500 suffered an early crash of 16 cars after the first 15 laps before the weather delay. NASCAR resumed the race around 9 p.m. Eastern Time. It ended shortly after midnight.
The 2021 Daytona 500 produced some early storylines coming into the race, especially around the 23XI Racing team with owners Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin and driver Bubba Wallace. The No. 23 Toyota car Wallace failed pre-race inspections and had to start in the back.
Wallace made history as the first black driver to lead a lap (129) in the race. Wallace was involved in the late accident with one lap to go, finishing 17th.
Hamlin, who is a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, also started confidently in the back. Hamlin tried to win his third straight Daytona 500, which would have been a record, but finished fifth.
NASCAR will try to come back this weekend with its Daytona Road Course event, which takes place 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 has also announced that Alvin Kamara, the star of New Orleans Saints, is returning as a car sponsor.
Kamara’s The Big Squeezy juice bar franchise has signed up to sponsor the Ryan Vargas No. 6 JD Motorsports Chevrolet car during Saturday’s Super Start Batteries 188 race at the Daytona International Speedway circuit.
The terms of the sponsorship were not provided.
Kamara said sponsoring the car was an opportunity he could not pass up. With its logo on both sides of Vargas’ car, Kamara can build brand awareness for its juice bar franchises, which are mainly based in Louisiana.
“I did some 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 part in what they’ve already been through.”
Kamara, who finished the 2020 National Football League second among running backs with 16 touchdowns, signed a five-year extension of $ 75 million with the team last September.