Will Daytona Have Fewer Cautions?

Do you anticipate fewer cautions at Daytona International Speedway because it doesn’t host the NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale?

Luken Glover: If anything, there is a good chance there will be more. Daytona is an animal in itself, and the looming threat of the Big One is always present. No matter how many caution flags fly, I do not expect the intensity to simmer down. There are only two races left until the playoffs, and several teams view this as their best, and perhaps only chance to crack the postseason grid. There are also the drivers on the playoff bubble who will be tiptoeing to at least score some points and potentially end any points concern by winning the race. Buckle up, the heat is just turning up.

James Krause: No. At the end of the day, no matter where it is on the calendar, a superspeedway race is a superspeedway race. While it might not be the final chance for a lot of teams, it’s the best chance for teams further down the standings looking for an upset. Ty Gibbs, Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher will all try and win but can breathe easy if they have good points days. Everyone else will be doing all they can late to get to the front.

Mike Neff: It doesn’t matter where the race falls in the schedule. A race at Daytona results in pack racing with turbulent air buffering the cars constantly. The unsettled cars will move unpredictably in the pack and, occasionally, someone is going to contact another car in the wrong position. That will result in caution flags. Only the good lord knows how many will fly.

Phil Allaway: Honestly, it will be about the same. There’s always potential for shenanigans in these superspeedway races and I don’t expect this weekend to be any different. There’s still going to be that sense of urgency that always comes into play. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Austin Dillon are still in the race, after all.

Will there be greater concern for flips at Daytona?

Neff: There is no doubt there will be heightened concern over cars getting airborne at Daytona. The flat underside of these cars makes them more prone to lift when they get out of shape and turn sideways. There will be changes coming to the flaps and other anti-flip components soon. Perhaps before Talladega Superspeedway.

Glover: Given what we saw at Michigan International Speedway, there will be a more concentrated focus on what happens to a car when it spins at high speeds. The new rear-window air deflector…