Super Bowl LIV did not conflict this year because it was held two weeks prior to the Daytona 500GETTY IMAGES
NASCAR "could find itself with a major scheduling headache next year," as the qualifying race for the Daytona 500 -- known as the Busch Clash -- could be "conflicting with" Super Bowl LV in Tampa, according to Luis Torres of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. Next year's Daytona 500 is on Feb. 14, and the Busch Clash is "normally held the week before the race, which would be on Feb. 7," the same day as the Super Bowl. NASCAR has "yet to announce the date of next year's Clash, but several drivers already have suggested it would be wise for the Clash not to be on the same day as Super Sunday." Driver Martin Truex Jr. said, "Obviously, I don't know that we want to go up against the Super Bowl" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/13).
SORTING THE SCHEDULE: The AP's Mark Long wrote "cramming everything into one week seems like the obvious outcome, which would eliminate two 'dark days' at the track between pole qualifying and Daytona 500 practice and help shorten a long, tiring regular season that drivers and crews have been complaining about for years." Tweaking Speedweeks "would be the first hint of an anticipated overhaul" to NASCAR's '21 schedule (AP, 2/12). In Daytona Beach, Zach Dean notes changes to the '21 schedule have been among the "big topics" during Speedweeks. Many NASCAR drivers said that they "wouldn't mind seeing changes." Kevin Harvick said based on the conversations he has had with everyone from NASCAR, they will be "aggressive in looking at things outside of the box" and the schedule will be "different from what we have done in the past" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 2/13).
