The ‘Great American Race’ is fast approaching for the NASCAR drivers. The NASCAR Daytona 500 presents drivers with a chance to enter the history books, and two-time defending champion Denny Hamlin aims to create history with three straight wins. However, his co-owned team 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace and Hendrick’s Kyle Larson are also chasing history.

Wallace and Larson are two of those drivers, for whom the Daytona 500 will be the first race for a new team. At this year’s Daytona 500, both those drivers will aim to do something that has not been done in 11 years now.

Since 2010, no driver racing for a team for the very first time has won their first points Cup Series race for that team at the prestigious Daytona 500.

Jamie McMurray, who will return to NASCAR for this weekend’s Daytona 500, won the event in 2010 in his first race for Chip Ganassi Racing as he returned to the team after four years.

Who are the others chasing the feat with Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace?

Along with Wallace and Larson, three other drivers will attempt to bag the same achievement. Erik Jones will run his first race in the no. 43 car at Richard Petty Motorsports, replacing Wallace.

Meanwhile, Ross Chastain at Chip Ganassi Racing and Christopher Bell at Joe Gibbs Racing are the other two first-timers with their respective teams.

Wallace’s first race with 23XI Racing, owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan, will attract a lot of attention. The fact that Wallace registered his best finish in NASCAR Cup Series at the Daytona 500 itself three years ago, helps his confidence going into the 2021 race.

As his team’s co-owner, Hamlin, chases his own piece of history, it will be interesting to see the on-track battle between the two men. Wallace will look to get off to the strongest start possible.

Will Larson make an impactful return to NASCAR?

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On the other hand, Larson makes a huge move himself. The former Chip Ganassi driver is set to run the returning no. 5 car at Hendrick Motorsports.

With the Hendrick equipment, Larson will certainly fancy his chances to prove a point in his return to NASCAR after almost a year, at the Daytona 500.

While Larson and Wallace chase the feat, Jones, Bell, and Chastain will provide a huge challenge to them. All these drivers want to get the new chapters of their careers off to the best start, and what better way than the Daytona 500 to do so?

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