Happy Monday, and welcome back to another year of Monday Morning Pit Box! In MMPB, we break down the previous NASCAR Cup Series race from the perspective of the crew chief, analyzing race-changing pit calls, pit stops, and pit road penalties.
History repeated itself for William Byron, overcoming Mother Nature and an overtime finish to become just the fifth back-to-back winner of the Daytona 500. Here is how pit road and pit strategy factored into Sunday night’s (Feb. 16) outcome:
Fuel Mileage Worries Had All Bark, No Bite
With stages 65-70 laps in length and a projected fuel window of 35-45 laps, it was impossible for any driver to make it through a whole stage on one tank of fuel.
Consequently, for the teams, maximizing fuel mileage became a top priority. Drivers let off the throttle to slow the pace and use less fuel, while still trying to move through the pack. In a pre-race meeting shown during the FOX Sports broadcast, James Small, crew chief for polesitter Chase Briscoe, summed up the teams’ dilemma perfectly.
“We’re just going to maintain the lead and save fuel at the same time,” Small said to the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota crew.
During the opening laps prior to the rain, Briscoe was running as little 60% throttle at the front of the field in his efforts to save as much fuel as possible.
Though fuel was on everyone’s minds, the timing and length of caution periods rendered most fuel strategy null and void. After the first red flag, nine laps under caution, and a second red flag on lap 20, a round of stops ensured drivers could make it to the end of the opening stage.
It looked as though fuel mileage might factor into stage two, but a debris caution on lap 83 allowed teams to pack the car full to make it to the end of that stage.
After stage two, the teams filled their fuel tanks with 67 to go and restarted with 64 laps remaining, bringing fuel conservation mode back to the forefront. But again, the yellow flag shook things up, as a debris caution with 39 laps left brought the field down pit road for fuel-only stops. This put all teams within the window to make it to the end on fuel.
While the fuel mileage racing never fully materialized, it will continue to be a theme at all superspeedway tracks. With the competition more even than ever, race teams will keep turning to pit strategy to try and find an edge.
Race Teams Continue to Innovate Pit Stops
The pit stop process has evolved considerably over the past several decades of NASCAR racing. From specialized pit crew training to faster equipment, race teams are always looking for ways to be more efficient on pit road.
Now, pit crews are changing the way they communicate to their drivers when to leave the stall on fuel only pit stops. With no drop of the jack like on two or four-tire stops, drivers usually wait for the crew chief to tell them they’re good to go.
But now, teams are changing that system. New this year, a crew member holds an iPad in front of the driver with a countdown timer that turns green when the driver has enough fuel and is clear to leave the stall. The video below shows the new countdown in action with Ty Gibbs and his No. 54 crew during the first Daytona Duel on Thursday night (Feb. 13).
The 54 team has a new pit procedure for fuel only stops. A crew member holds a tablet in front of the car with a count down timer. pic.twitter.com/V0Ons53ub8
— Team 54 (@Team54Updates) February 14, 2025
Pit Crew of the Race: No. 22 Team Penske Ford
New to the column this year, each week, we will recognize one Cup Series pit crew that stood out above the rest. For the Daytona 500, that honor goes to the No. 22 Team Penske Ford team, led by crew chief Paul Wolfe. While Joey Logano ultimately did not get the finish he hoped for, it was not for a lack of effort from him or his crew.
After winning stage one, Logano experienced mechanical issues in his Pennzoil Ford from the front row on the lap 71 restart, triggering a multi-car wreck and another yellow flag.
Issues for the No. 22 on the restart cause a chain reaction further back in the pack. #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/rn7lRfovmw
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 17, 2025
Logano came down to the service of his crew, who worked vigorously to diagnose the issue. At first, the No. 22 checked the electrical control unit (ECU), but on the ensuring restart, Logano fell off quickly, about 20 miles per hour slower than the rest of the pack.
Logano caught a break with a lap 83 debris caution, affording the No. 22 chance to get back under the hood. This time, they fixed the throttle body in 80 seconds, keeping Logano on the lead lap. The No. 22 Ford roared back to life, and Logano rallied to finish stage two eighth, snagging three stage points.
An update on the No. 22 from @NASCARONFOX.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 17, 2025
Don't count @joeylogano out just yet! pic.twitter.com/3tpM5RLQ98
In the end, Logano got embroiled in the lap 186 crash, sustaining race-ending damage that relegated the 2015 Daytona 500 champion to a 35th-place finish.
But all things considered, it could have been an even worse points day to begin 2025 for Logano if not for the hard work of Wolfe and the No. 22 crew.
Look Ahead to Next Week
The Cup Series goes from one superspeedway race to another (sort of) with the running of the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway next Sunday, Feb. 23.
Atlanta boasts one of the most unique pit roads in all of NASCAR, with pit in by the entrance of turn three as well as two different pit speed zones. This will present a unique challenge for the drivers next week.
Andrew Stoddard joined Frontstretch in May of 2022 as an iRacing contributor. He is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, the University of Richmond, and VCU. He works as an athletic communications specialist at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va.