Hello, motorsports enthusiasts! Welcome to another edition of Seven Points with Kobe Lambeth and Kenneth Lee Jr. We will provide weekly commentary, discussing various topics in motorsports. The majority of our content will focus on NASCAR but other disciplines of motorsports will be discussed as well.
Lambeth is a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who is a Communications major (mass media concentration) and minor in Journalism. In addition, he contributes to motorsports coverage at The Podium Finish and works with the UNC Charlotte Social Media Team. Lee is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a bachelor's degree in Communications, an alumnus of the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program and an Associate Producer in Content Development for the Motor Racing Network. 1. The Busch Clash was _______. Lambeth: Chaotic. I have seen some silly moments in my years of watching races. However, I do not believe that anything will come close to topping this year’s Busch Clash. After looking at Erik Jones’ car, it would be hard to convince someone that he won the race. The No. 20 looks like something you would find at a Saturday night demolition derby! Lee: Shocking. I couldn’t believe some of the moves that were made in the race. It shocked me for the amount of veterans in the field. While it is an exhibition race, I didn’t think there would be that much carnage last Sunday. Somehow, Erik Jones and his beat up car managed to get into victory lane. Try explaining this to people who don’t watch racing and convince them that wrecked car won the race. 2. After the wild action in the Busch Clash, do you think it is time for some changes to the event? Lambeth: For starters, Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted an interesting idea on Twitter. A 20-lap exhibition race would likely lead to intense action from start to finish. At the same time, it makes me wonder if we could see some of the same craziness from last Sunday afternoon. While I do agree that shortening the event could be a good change, there are others who want to see the Busch Clash disappear for good. My solution? Move it to New Smyrna Speedway and join the short track fun over there. You cannot go wrong with short track racing. Lee: I think the Clash has lost some of its luster as the field has been expanded further and further with lower requirements to get into the race. I think it needs to just be an event lasting between 20 and 25 laps. Keep it short and sweet; I think you can still achieve the same results. 3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and JTG Daugherty Racing obtained pole position for the 62nd running of the Daytona 500. After spending his entire career with Roush Fenway Racing, do you believe that switching to a new team could change the course of his Cup career? Lambeth: While Stenhouse enjoyed great success over at Roush, I believe that both sides will benefit from the change. Stenhouse and Chris Buescher (replaced Stenhouse in the No. 17 Ford Mustang) basically swapped rides. Roush took full advantage of the opportunity to get Buescher back in the program. Ultimately, this left Stenhouse looking for a new ride. In the end, he landed at JTG Daugherty Racing alongside Ryan Preece. Reflecting on his Roush tenure, Stenhouse won back-to-back Xfinity titles and two Cup races. Unfortunately, he was never able to compete for a Cup title with Roush. With Buescher presenting plenty of upside, I guess it made sense for Roush to bring him back into the stable. For Stenhouse, I think moving to a new team could definitely be a good thing. Winning the pole for the biggest race of the season is a solid start for both team and driver. You never know, this could very well be the turning point for Stenhouse, potentially taking his Cup career to the next level. Lee: Stenhouse is a driver I wouldn’t have picked to win the pole off the jump, given the performance of the Hendrick cars over the last few years on Daytona 500 pole day. Certainly, in any sport, I think some athletes just need a change of scenery, after spending a long time with one team. Sometimes, the right place and scenario brings out the best possible outcome. While there is a long way to go in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, I’m sure this is a dream start for him and JTG Daugherty Racing. 4. Justin Haley and Brendan Gaughan solidified their spots in the Daytona 500, due to setting the two fastest lap times of the “open teams.” Haley, the winner of last July’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, will make his first start in the Great American Race. It is also Kaulig Racing’s Cup debut. Meanwhile, Gaughan is set to compete in his final Daytona 500. The longtime NASCAR driver will run both races at Daytona and Talladega, then call it a career in stock car racing. While these two drivers will sleep well during the week, there will be restless nights for those who must race their way in during the Duels. Notably, Daniel Suarez is among the drivers in non-chartered cars. Unfortunately, he was unable to get Gaunt Brothers Racing in the big show, based on speed. Therefore, everything will be up for grabs on Thursday night. With the popular driver facing possible elimination, how much pressure will be on him to get into the Daytona 500? Lambeth: There will be tons of pressure on Suarez and Gaunt Brothers Racing to get into the Daytona 500. Unfortunately, the team does not have a charter. They must beat the other open teams in their Duel or they will load up and go home. After getting replaced by Cole Custer at Stewart-Haas Racing, Suarez was left rideless and searching for a new home. The deal with GBR came together late in the game, but I know that they will give it their best shot on Thursday night. Suarez will have to control what he can control and let everything else fall into place. Lee: It’s been quite some time since the Duels have had this type of meaning. No longer are the days of 60 cars trying to make the big show, but this year we have a few drivers that could go home on Thursday night. Suarez, in particular, facing this type of pressure has to be something for him. After his deal came along with GBR, it now appears to be nothing but an uphill battle for him to make the Daytona 500. It will be tough but a bevy of Toyotas are in his Duel and it could be a good thing for him. 5. Hailie Deegan finished second in the ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona, behind race winner Michael Self. What are your expectations for the development driver’s debut season with Ford and DGR-Crosley? Lambeth: While it would not surprise me if Deegan wins one or two races, I think the main thing this season is completing as many laps as possible and getting valuable track time. Ford has a solid driver development program. In addition to giving its drivers opportunities to improve their stock car skills, they also give them seat time on road courses with the IMSA Ford Mustang GT4 program. Ford cares about developing well-rounded drivers. Deegan has tons of upside as she progresses through the ranks. I think the new relationship between Deegan and Ford has potential for great success among both parties. Lee: A very solid second-place finish for Deegan last Saturday; I think it was quite the composed performance from her. Ford is taking the right approach with her for the season and the near future. Having a plethora of track time in the last two months will be crucial to her development. I think she has the talent to progress through the ranks and the “slow” process Ford is taking should pay off tremendously. 6. Sam Mayer held off pole sitter Derek Griffith to win the ARCA Menards Series East season opener at New Smyrna Speedway. Griffith led a race-high 144 laps in the 175-lap event, after starting on the pole. Chad Bryant Racing had the No. 2 Ford Fusion dialed in from flag to flag. Despite coming up short, should the Super Late Model ace receive another opportunity to compete in ARCA? Lambeth: Without a doubt, Derek Griffith proved that he is the type of deserving talent that should be competing regularly at this level. Griffith has impressed in the Super Late Model ranks and he wowed everyone by his strong performance in the ARCA East race. Chad Bryant Racing provided him with the equipment to showcase his skills. He held off the field during the first half of the race on older tires while everybody else had fresh tires. In the end, it was a solid debut for Griffith and he should be proud of his drive, despite coming up short to Sam Mayer. Lee: Griffith put on an excellent performance during the ARCA East race. It seemed apparent he was going to win the race, just based on his dominance in the first half. Unfortunately, for him, Sam Mayer outdueled him for the win but it was still a solid debut. 7. Who will win the 62nd running of the Daytona 500? Lambeth: I think we will see a first-time winner. In his third full season, William Byron will score his first NASCAR Cup Series win in the biggest event of them all. The morning after the race, Byron will wake up as the 2020 Daytona 500 winner. Lee: I can’t believe it’s the 62nd running of the Daytona 500! Since it’s been quite some time since we've had a repeat winner, I’m going with Denny Hamlin to win back-to-back Daytona 500’s.
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