NASCAR fans are just five years away from NASCAR’s 2010 time capsule at Daytona officially opening so that fans can witness the “nostalgia’ of the sport and the race course.
As Denny Hamlin reiterated in his latest video that takes fans inside the life of a NASCAR driver, Daytona remains the most prestigious “crown jewel” race to signal the start of the season. The organization is set for race weekend at Daytona International Speedway this weekend for the Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 and the Xfinity Serie’s Wawa 250.
NASCAR safeguarded its legacy by burying a time capsule beneath Daytona International Speedway’s finish line in 2010. The commemorative container is scheduled to be excavated in 2030, less than five years away. NASCAR legend Jeff Burton was picked as the individual who put the capsule in the ground.
A video captured the moment the capsule, housing artifacts from that period, was revealed. These artifacts symbolized the sport at the time. The initial reaction to the move was negative among NASCAR fans, who were confused about why they were expected to be shocked later, after already knowing what was inside the capsule.
With a video recording available, anyone can easily view the contents at any time, making the planned grand reveal for 2030 seem less exciting.
One user slammed the decision on Reddit, writing, “These are supposed to be an interesting surprise that captures the memory of a bygone era. What’s the point of heavily documenting the contents and then not waiting that long to dig it up?”
Another agreed that the point of a time capsule is not to know what’s in there from the past. NASCAR fans also complained about the genuine value of the artifacts placed in the capsule.
Inside the capsule were diecast cars and newspapers, with another fan finding each item and posting it from yard sales and eBay. Others pointed out that the timeframe from the burial is brief and that they could still own the items in relatively pristine condition.
Among the most distinctive pieces placed within the capsule was a fragment of the infamous 2010 Daytona 500 pothole. The asphalt mishap was located between turns 1 and 2, causing an almost two-hour postponement of the competition.
DON’T MISS…
The capsule also contained authentic NASCAR admission passes to the 2010 competitions and miniature model cars of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 3 vehicle and Burton’s No. 31 car. Earnhardt’s two-toned blue and yellow Wrangler jeans automobile, which is in mint condition on eBay, is priced at $200.
Magazines from that season were additionally stored within the container along with a Sprint BlackBerry phone. Sprint’s Nextel was a sponsor for the now Cup Series from 2004-07.
NASCAR’s Daytona 500 winners
- 1959: Lee Petty
- 1960: Junior Johnson
- 1961: Marvin Panch
- 1962: Fireball Roberts
- 1963: Tiny Lund
- 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981: Richard Petty
- 1965: Fred Lorenzen
- 1967: Mario Andretti
- 1968, 1977, 1983, 1984: Cale Yarborough
- 1969: LeeRoy Yarbrough
- 1970: Pete Hamilton
- 1972: A. J. Foyt
- 1975: Benny Parsons
- 1976: David Pearson
- 1978, 1982, 1988: Bobby Allison
- 1980: Buddy Baker
- 1985, 1987: Bill Elliott
- 1986: Geoff Bodine
- 1989: Darrell Waltrip
- 1990: Derrike Cope
- 1991: Ernie Irvan
- 1992: Davey Allison
- 1993, 1996, 2000: Dale Jarrett
- 1994, 1995: Sterling Marlin
- 1997, 1999, 2005: Jeff Gordon
- 1998: Dale Earnhardt
- 2001, 2003: Michael Waltrip
- 2002: Ward Burton
- 2004, 2014: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- 2006, 2013: Jimmie Johnson
- 2007: Kevin Harvick
- 2008: Ryan Newman
- 2009, 2012: Matt Kenseth
- 2010: Jamie McMurray
- 2011: Trevor Bayne
- 2015: Joey Logano
- 2016, 2019, 2020: Denny Hamlin
- 2017: Kurt Busch
- 2018: Austin Dillon
- 2021: Michael McDowell
- 2022: Austin Cindric
- 2023: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- 2024, 2025: William Byron