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NASCAR “Threatened” to Suspend Drivers From Daytona 500 If They Manipulated Championship Race

MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA - NOVEMBER 03: William Byron, driver of the #24 Liberty University Chevrolet, speaks to the media after making the Championship 4 when Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Mobil 1 Toyota, (not pictured) was penalized for a safety violation in the NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on November 03, 2024 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Kauy Ostlien

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Royal T Grafix

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What’s Happening?

As part of his NASCAR Cup Series championship media tour, Joey Logano appeared on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour Podcast. During this interview between former rivals, Logano revealed how NASCAR kept drivers from manipulating Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship race.

Martinsville’s Mess

  • In the late laps of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville, Toyota, and Chevrolet drivers made moves on the track with the intention of helping their teammates make it to the Championship Four at Phoenix. Those involved included Chevrolet’s Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon blocking for William Byron and Toyota’s Bubba Wallace allowing Christopher Bell to pass him on the final turn.
  • Ultimately, Byron made it as Bell’s pass was followed by a wall ride out of turn three, a move recently made illegal by NASCAR. Following the race, however, fans questioned if this was the playoff’s fault and if it would happen in Phoenix. NASCAR ultimately penalized team members, not the drivers or OEM’s for this race manipulation.
  • NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell said last Friday at the State of the Sport Press Conference, “What I saw in Martinsville pissed me off, and it pissed everyone off at NASCAR because we all know better, and we know what happens.”
  • Fans and insiders speculated that NASCAR would have a plan to prevent this manufacturer manipulation even if they do not have a method of punishing the OEMs. 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Joey Logano told Kevin Harvick on Wednesday that NASCAR planned to suspend drivers for the Daytona 500 if they manipulated the championship race.

“They did threaten us before the race that if anyone manipulates the race somehow, you’re not racing the Daytona 500 next year.” — Joey Logano on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour Podcast

What Does This Mean For the Future?

  • While the surface-level implications of this threat involve suspending a driver for the most important race of the year, the financial implications are even harsher. The purse for the 2024 Daytona 500 was $28,035,991, and perhaps it could be more in 2025.
  • When NASCAR sent out Tuesday’s penalty report, no drivers violated this threat, meaning we will not know if NASCAR actually meant it. Logano even questions the legitimacy of this threat to Harvick. “Is that a threat,” Logano said. “Is that real?”
  • While NASCAR did not get the opportunity to flex its muscles, this threat shows they mean business about race manipulation. This further raises questions about whether NASCAR will develop a way in the offseason to penalize OEMs for such an act. O’Donnell said this much last Friday when asked about OEM manipulation. “We’re not going to let people, drivers, teams, anyone, OEMs challenge the integrity of the sport,” said O’Donnell.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 11: A general view of Harley J. Earl Trophy on display during Media Day for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 11, 2026 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Daytona Man Taken into Custody for Sending Threats through Videos

by Josh Mull

What’s Happening?

Ahead of the Daytona 500, a troubling incident rattled fans and officials when a Volusia County man, Adrian Morales, was arrested for making threats to kill or harm a former colleague. The 45-year-old sent a video on Feb. 11 to a man he knew, saying, “This is what’s in store,” while cursing and firing a gun.

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office Domestic Security Unit tracked Morales to the Icon One Daytona apartments across from Daytona International Speedway and took him into custody without incident the day before the race.

Authorities released only 28 seconds of the roughly 90-second video, but the arrest report noted that in another segment, Morales said, “This is what’s gonna happen. Got all the sheriff’s department, DEA, FBI, and the rest,” while repeating that he did not care and was done.

Morales’ vicinity to the track raised alarms due to earlier grievances and messages he had sent to a NASCAR executive. His behavior prompted law enforcement to take immediate action, resulting in his detention.

According to the report, a NASCAR executive flagged Morales in 2025 after he requested sponsorship support but did not receive it, though no charges were filed.

In Saturday’s incident, however, deputies cited the video, its statements, and the fact that it was sent to the victim as grounds to believe Morales knowingly made threats to kill or cause deliberate harm.

After his arrest, detectives were able to find the AR-15 seen in the video, along with ammunition from his vehicle, in the Icon One Daytona parking lot. A judge ordered him held at the Volusia County Branch Jail without bond.

Meanwhile, the race went ahead at Daytona on Sunday, where fans saw Tyler Reddick capture The Great American Race, scoring his first Daytona 500 win and his first Cup win since October 2024.

What do you think? Let us know your opinions on Discord or X, and don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

What Fans Think of NASCAR’s TV Coverage in 2026 (So Far)

by Bryan Aguiar

What’s Happening?

As the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season gets underway, The Daily Downforce is once again tracking how fans feel about race broadcasts throughout the year, just as we did last year. This ratings tracker exists to capture fan feedback in a clear, consistent way across the entire season for each TV partner.

How the Tracker Works

After each Cup Series race weekend, we will post a fan poll asking one simple question: “How would you rate this weekend’s Cup Series broadcast?” And fans can vote and comment based on their overall viewing experience. This article will be updated weekly with the most recent race’s numbers added to the tracker.

Where and How to Vote

  • The poll is posted on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after each race.
  • Fans can vote directly in the poll with just one tap.
  • Replies and quote posts are also monitored to gather more detailed feedback for a separate article after the season is concluded

Participation is quick and open to everyone.

Tracker

WeekNetworkRaceVotesGood | Average | BadSource
1FOXBowman Gray Clash36816% | 43% | 42%Check the Poll HERE
2FOXDaytona 50098942% | 46% | 12%Check the Poll HERE

Latest Poll Results

Remember to follow The Daily Downforce on X to catch each weekly poll, share your thoughts, and be part of the conversation.

NASCAR Coming to The Crew Motorfest in New Free Update

by Bryan Aguiar

What’s Happening?

A new trailer revealed that NASCAR will be a part of The Crew Motorfest’s upcoming free season 9 update.

  • Ubisoft released a new trailer for The Crew Motorfest’s upcoming Island update, including a brief look at NASCAR racing as part of the new content
  • The NASCAR cars appear at the 1:08 minute mark of the trailer
  • The trailer shows officially licensed NASCAR Next Gen cars racing on an unidentified oval track
  • There are limited details on licenses, teams, drivers, tracks or gameplay mechanics, but the trailer shows the cars of Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, William Byron, Shane van Gisbergen, Brad Keselowski, Ross Chastain, and Ryan Blaney, all with official paint schemes and sponsors reminiscent of the 2025 season, confirming that the content present will be fully licensed by NASCAR
  • The collaboration is expected to feature a full playlist focused on oval racing disciplines such as drafting and pit strategy
  • Outside of the NASCAR content, Season 9 is likely to introduce a feature for building and sharing of custom tracks, as well as a new RC car playlist featuring miniature-scale racing

Will you be playing The Crew for this new update? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.