William Byron left the Phoenix finale with a crestfallen expression. Yet it was a journey well-ridden, as he had entered it with a buoyant feeling. The Hendrick Motorsports driver won the 2025 Daytona 500 for the second year in a row, thrilling his fans to the core. However, Byron’s prospects of going a possible four times in a row (in 2027) may be under threat. That is not because of any of his rivals, but because of a different sport altogether.

The 2027 Super Bowl LXI has been scheduled for February 14th at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Considering the magnitude of the football event, NASCAR has already sought solutions to save Daytona’s charm, as the Great American Race is held around the same date. However, an insider proposed a more radical yet enthusiastic plan.

NASCAR could go back-to-back with the thrill

In a recent episode of ‘The Teardown’, Jordan Bianchi laid out his verdict. He proposed that NASCAR’s exhibition race, the Cook Out Clash, should also go to Daytona International Speedway. “We’re also going to move the Clash back to Daytona and make that part of the midweek buildup to the race, like a Wednesday night, Thursday night to the Duels. Let’s do a Tuesday or Wednesday night clash. We talk a lot about how we want to give races a big feel and build up and everything. Having the clash at Daytona, I think we’ll do that and get people excited for the Daytona 500.” 

When the Clash race was introduced in 1979, the event was held at Daytona International Speedway as a part of Speedweeks. It remained at Daytona as the official kickoff to the NASCAR Speedweeks for many years. In 2022, it shifted to the LA Coliseum in Los Angeles, going from a superspeedway sprint to a multi-day short-track feature. So moving it back to Daytona, according to Jordan Bianchi, will help boost NASCAR’s popularity at the Daytona 500 amidst a threat from the Super Bowl.

Steve Phelps, NASCAR President, has already taken steps to retain Daytona’s charm. To avoid clashing with the Super Bowl, the 2027 Daytona 500 will be moved from the President’s Weekend to February 21 in 2027. Phelps said, “Fairly large event with some viewers. Listen, they are an amazing product, they’re an amazing league. The Daytona 500 is our Super Bowl. Again, creating some distance and not overlapping is something that we’ll continue to make sure that we do.”

Yet Bianchi’s proposed solution would also reserve a grand slot for Bowman Gray Stadium. He proposed moving the All-Star Race to the iconic short track. “I don’t want to lose the feel for Bowman Gray in going to places like that or the Coliseum. I think that’s invaluable…But that is what the All-Star race is going to be about. The All-Star Race is going to be about going to Bowman Gray or South Boston, or the Coliseum, or things like that. Imagine the All-Star Race at a venue like that. I think that’s electric and exciting, and it’s going to get people talking.”

Evidently, a lot of ideas are being thrown around for the 2027 schedule. Meanwhile, let’s focus on William Byron’s possible third consecutive Daytona victory.

Predictions out early

It has barely been a week since the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series screeched to a halt. William Byron put up a massive offense at Denny Hamlin, with the final laps robbing both championship contenders’ hopes. Kyle Larson grabbed the title instead, setting off long-lasting ripples of controversy across the community. The Phoenix showdown has hardly worn off, and we are already en route to Daytona. BetMGM has already established the favorite to win the 2026 season opener. There are two co-favorites, but sadly, neither of them is William Byron.

The two drivers belong to Team Penske – Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano are both listed at +800. Although their results in the Daytona 500 have been good, Blaney has never won the race. And Logano has not won it in 2015. Their teammate, Austin Cindric, is listed third at +1100; he won the 2022 race. Listed fourth at +1200 is finally William Byron, who won in both 2024 and 2025. Then Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliott follow. In 8th place is Denny Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner.

With these predictions out, it may be time to start preparing for a jam-packed February in 2026. Thoughts about 2027 are also on the radar – let’s wait and see what happens.