Can-Am Duel Draws Crowd Of 50,000 In Run-up To Daytona 500

An estimated crowd of 50,000 attended last night's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Can-Am Duel at Daytona Int'l Speedway. Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott scored wins, marking Elliott's first victory at the Cup level. The event also marked Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s "comeback race after sitting out the Daytona Clash last weekend" and much of '16 with a concussion (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 2/24).

This comes after Joe Gibbs Racing announced renewals with Hamlin and sponsor FedEx. At a press conference yesterday, FedEx Senior VP/Integrated Marketing & Communications Patrick Fitzgerald said the full-season sponsorship of Hamlin's ride is "very powerful." Fitzgerald: "It’s something we measure very carefully and closely. It’s a significant investment and it has been. ... It pays for itself many times over in the value it brings."

Meanwhile, Ford runs a full-page ad in USA Today depicting all of its Cup Series drivers and welcoming Stewart-Haas Racing to the "Ford Performance family" this season (THE DAILY).