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Crashes, controversy and close races provided an unforgettable opening month to the NASCAR Cup season.
Here is a look at who was the best in February and some of the memorable moments of the month.
February power ranking
1.. Ryan Blaney
The no. 1 driver is someone who didn’t win in February? How dare we?
At the collision, Blaney took the preliminary and started in the 23-car field. On a tight quarter -mile lane that some question or head cars may pass, he came to second place.
He finishes seventh in the Daytona 500 and fourth on Atlanta – one of only two drivers who scored the top -10s in those races.
What made his Atlanta more impressive is that contact from Carson Hcevar Blaney spun while running in the top five. Blaney started the 25th again with 22 laps over in the scheduled distance, falling back to the 26th and climbing to a top five final.
Blaney is second in the average running position (9.5) for the Daytona 500 and Atlanta race. He is fifth in the stage points with 24. He won the pole in Atlanta.
Oh yeah, he is also the score leader to two points races.
2. Austin Cindric
Blaney’s team Penke teammate is first in the first two points races of the season at 5.4. Cindric is also first in the series with 30 stage points.
Cindric won his Daytona -qualifying race. He finished seventh on the collision. He was eighth in the Daytona (led a 59 rounds). Cindric chases Kyle Larson for the lead three rounds from the scheduled end in Atlanta when he was forced into the wall and crashed and finished 28th.
3.. William Byron
The Daytona 500 winner was on his way to another top five final when he was collected in the accident with Austin Cindric in the final round of the Atlanta race.
Byron is fourth in the stage points at 25. He is third in the series in an average position by Daytona and Atlanta at 9.8.
His victory in Daytona 500 made him the youngest manager with multiple victories in the race, and broke the mark that Jeff Gordon owned.
4. Bubba Wallace
Good start for a driver that should be better early in the season.
He was fifth on the collision, won his qualifying race in Daytona, ran well at Daytona until he was collected in a late accident and finished ninth in Atlanta.
Wallace is second in the series with 28 stage points. He has an average running position of 10.4 through the first two points races, which placed him fourth in the series.
5. Christopher Bell
While led only one round in Atlanta, it was the last round to earn the win. He passed Kyle Larson for the win.
Another important moment in the race comes six rounds from the scheduled end. Bell, who gets a pressure from Blaney on the lower lane, moves to the middle lane. This enabled him to conquer overtime, while Blaney had no help and fell back.
Bell chases the lead five rounds of the scheduled end of the Daytona 500 when a push by Cole Custer turned him, causing an accident that sent Ryan Preece’s motor vehicle.
Those outside the top five
John Hunter Nemechek – Only other than Ryan Blaney with top -10s in the first two races of the season. Nemechek was fifth in the Daytona 500 and 10th in Atlanta.
Joey Logano – Led the best 126 rounds in the first two points races of the season and is third in the stage points with 28.
Tyler Reddick – The runner-up in the Daytona 500, was eighth in the collision, fifth in his Daytona qualifying race and 19th place in Atlanta to stand third in points.
February controversy: When to cast the caution?
The biggest controversy at the end of a race was the biggest controversy this season.
Nascar has a warning in the second Daytona qualifying race with the leaders in the light of the finish. Nascar Rendirton Jusan Hamilton said on Nascar’s podcast: “Hauler Talk” that the race should have ended under Green.
In the Daytona Craftsman Truck Race, a few vehicles from the track near turn 3 dropped and the race remained green. Several trucks destroyed between turns 3 and 4. The race ended under caution because some trucks had to drive through the incident.
In the Daytona 500, an accident on the last round did not bring the warning. Nascar mentions the ability to roll emergency equipment as the field passed the scene and the distance from the beginning/finish to the accident site as reasons for the end under the green.
Then, in the Xfinity race in Atlanta this past weekend, several cars crashed on the last round. Nascar did not throw the caution.
The next day, Elton Sawyer, senior vice president of the NASCAR, said at the Cup managers’ meeting that NASCAR should have been a caution at the end of the XFINITY race and that if the same thing was to happen in the cup, they would do.
The XFinity race ended under green, despite several cars that crashed at the last round.
So when Cup cars crashed in Atlanta on the last round of overtime-even when Nascar looked at the potential of another three-broad finish, officials threw a caution.
‘It is on our side to make sure we do our best as our goal to get to the start/finish under green, but there are circumstances and situations where we have to throw (the warning flag) and we go to mistake more than He throws it, “Sawyer said Tuesday on SiriusXM Nascar Radio’s ‘The Morning Drive’.
Year of the favorites?
With no real significant arrangements to the car going on this year, there was more transferred from last year to this year.
The first two points races were won by drivers who were one of the best last year. Daytona 500 winner William reached the championship 4 and the winner of Atlanta, Christopher Bell, was also a controversial decision by Nascar to do so too.
If one includes Clash winner Chase Elliott, the first three races were won this season by drivers who ended in the top seven last year.
Best moment of the month
The excitement Dale Earnhardt jr. And Justin Allgaier finished after Allgaier ninth in the Daytona 500 in the first cup for JR Motorsports.
Take a look at:
Social Media Moment of the Month
Ryan Preece had some fun with the unfortunate fact that he went in the air in the Daytona 500, and the second time since 2023 he rose in the air in Daytona.
Stat of the month
Michael McDowell received a six free pass from the past weekend in Atlanta.
McDowell went to the garage for problems with the steering wheel and was six laps as he returned to the race. He recovered every round because of the free pace after a prudence and finished 13th.
“Nothing less than miraculous and capitalized at the end,” McDowell said after the race.
McDowell binds Jamie McMurray (2014 Talladega) and Noah Gragson (2022 Bristol Dirt) for most free passes in a race.
Quote of the month
“We are here to win races, not be a boy orchestra and love each other and play together on the playground.”
-Carson Hocevar after his runner -up in Atlanta in the way his management upset veteran managers, including Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain.
Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain were not satisfied with Carson Hocevar’s management in Sunday’s race.
Look forward to March
There are five cup races on the schedule:
March 2 – Circuit of the Americas
March 9 – Phoenix
March 16 – Las Vegas
March 23 – Homestead
March 30 – Martinsville
A big month ahead when three of the races – Phoenix, Las Vegas and Martinsville – were at the tracks that will host a play -off match later in the year.
