Daytona 500: Kurt Busch Channels Tom Cruise to Celebrate Return of NASCAR
With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers claiming the Lombardi Trophy at the end of Super Bowl LV, the time [...]
With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers claiming the Lombardi Trophy at the end of Super Bowl LV, the time has come for NASCAR fans and drivers to prepare for the return of racing. Kurt Busch is among this group, and he is ready to take part in the Daytona 500. He celebrated by channeling Tom Cruise and his "need for speed."
Busch posted an animated GIF on Monday that featured a scene from Top Gun. "I feel the need," Cruise said while rocking a pair of aviator sunglasses. "The need for speed." Busch wrote in the caption that this clip was him the morning after the Super Bowl as he heads to the airplane for a trip to Daytona Beach, Florida.
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The driver of the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro, Busch is about to enter his 22nd year in the Cup Series. He is the 2004 Cup Series champion with a Daytona 500 win to his name. Now Busch is ready to pursue even more success in the sport's top series while working with a new teammate.
The veteran driver started the 2020 season with Kyle Larson as his CGR teammate. However, the use of a racial slur resulted in the team parting ways with Larson and bringing in veteran Matt Kenseth to finish out the year. The team announced after the end of the championship race in November that Ross Chastain would take over the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for 2021.
The two men will now try to compete for spots in the postseason, starting on Sunday with the Daytona 500. Busch and Chastain can both reach the playoffs simply by winning a race during the regular season, or they can do so by accumulating enough points to keep them above the cutoff line.
Busch used the latter strategy during the 2020 season, making his way to the round of 12 on points. He then headed to the round of eight by winning a playoff race at his home track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This was Busch's first trip to victory lane in the desert, and he celebrated by letting loose a primal scream.
Will Busch scream in triumph during the 2021 season? There is no clear answer yet, but the veteran driver will begin his quest to win even more races on Sunday with the Daytona 500. The race starts at 2:30 p.m. ET and will air on Fox.