DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – From start to finish, the Daytona 500 is a spectacle.
With that in mind, we wanted to provide a small glimpse into what it’s like through the eyes of someone involved in the Great American Race.
Below, you can follow No. 88 team crew chief Greg Ives through his experience on what is affectionately known as Daytona Day.
5:30 a.m. ET: Ives’ alarm goes off and he prepares to take on the day.
7 a.m. ET: When the garage officially opens, Ives is there, heading to the No. 88 team’s stall. There, he helps direct the crew to get the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS – this one in particular better known as “Amelia” – ready for inspection.
8:12 a.m. ET: Ives helps push the car out of the garage as it makes its way to inspection.
8:30 a.m. ET: The crew chief heads back to the No. 88 hauler, making his way to the office lounge in the front. There, he settles in at his computer to further prepare for the afternoon’s Great American Race.
10:47 a.m. ET: Just behind Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, Ives heads into the drivers meeting room for the weekly driver/crew chief meeting. This one is highlighted by the number of celebrities in attendance, from actor Gerard Butler to WWE superstar John Cena, NFL Pro Bowler Ndamukong Suh and Grammy-winning artist Wyclef Jean.
11:36 a.m. ET: With the meeting over, Ives heads back to the No. 88 hauler to conduct a meeting of his own.
11:48 a.m. ET: The No. 88 team meeting begins, with team members lined up on both sides of the hauler. Ives leads the session, discussing what lies ahead for the rest of the afternoon and firing up the troops.
12:39 p.m. ET: As Dale Earnhardt. Jr. walks to the stage for driver introductions, Ives makes his way to the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS, positions in its third-place starting position on the grid.
1 p.m. ET: Earnhardt joins Ives and other No. 88 teammates on the grid. The driver and crew chief chat for several minutes before they are joined by Hendrick just before the national anthem begins.
1:18 p.m. ET: After the flyover, Ives makes his way to the No. 88 pit box, where he is greeted once again by Hendrick, who joins him atop the box as the crew chief gets settled in for the race.
1:33 p.m. ET: Ives watches as the green flag waves to officially kick off the 2016 season. Within four laps, Earnhardt has made his way to the front of the field. Ives remained atop the pit box, calling a race that saw Earnhardt lead 15 laps and spend the remainder looking to get back toward the front. He found himself in the top 15 at the midway point of the event and was in the process of racing for a top-five position once again when he was involved in an incident with 30 laps remaining.
4:14 p.m. ET: Ives climbs off of the pit box to follow the No. 88 Chevy SS to the garage and help assess the damage and any further action. The incident proves to have ended Earnhardt’s day, and he is scored with a 36th-place finish.
4:43 p.m. ET: The checkered flag waves, and the 58th running of the Daytona 500 is officially complete. The process of loading the haulers for departure has begun, and Ives’ Daytona Day concludes with a flight back to Concord, North Carolina.
Shortly thereafter, it’s back to work once again. After all, Atlanta Motor Speedway awaits.