Daytona Beach, FL – NASCAR Cup Series teams have opted to sit out Friday night’s practice session at Daytona International Speedway, electing to save their cars for Saturday’s final practice ahead of the season-opening Daytona 500.
With the high-speed, pack-racing nature of Daytona, teams often weigh the risk vs. reward of running additional practice laps, especially after surviving Thursday’s Duel races without incident. With limited track time before the Great American Race, some teams have chosen to play it safe.
Why Skip Practice?
Several factors likely contributed to this decision:
• Avoiding Unnecessary Risk – Superspeedway practice comes with the danger of multi-car incidents, which could force teams to use backup cars.
• Car Preservation – With a limited number of race cars available, teams want to keep their Daytona 500 entries in prime condition.
• Data from Duels – Thursday night’s Bluegreen Vacations Duels provided ample on-track experience in race conditions, giving teams the information they need for Sunday.
Next On-Track Session: Final Practice
While Friday night’s session will go without Cup Series cars, teams will return to the track for final practice on Saturday. This session will serve as a last opportunity to fine-tune setups before Sunday’s Daytona 500.
Fans eager to see their favorite drivers back on track won’t have to wait long—final practice is scheduled for Saturday afternoon as the field makes its final preparations for NASCAR’s biggest race of the year.
