Posted: Feb 28, 2017 | Updated: 3 years ago
Kurt Busch won the Daytona 500 with a last-lap pass of Kyle Larson, giving new NASCAR Cup Series title sponsor Monster Energy a great start to its partnership with Nascar.Busch led only one lap and it turned out to be the only one that mattered.Busch passed Larson in Turns 1 and 2 on the final lap. Not long after Busch passed Larson, Larson’s car ran out of fuel and faded to the back.Chase Elliott led 37 laps of the race. He looked in good position to win the race, but he ran out of gas with three laps remaining.Elliot didn’t stick around for interviews.
“The more I run this race, the more I’ve learned to throw caution to the wind and let it rip,” said Busch, the 2004 Cup Series champion who finished second in the Daytona 500 on three occasions before finally tasting victory. “The performace of this team has been incredible. My rearview mirror fell off with 30 to go, and I knew I had to drive defensively. I couldn’t even see the cars behind me, just heard my spotter in my ear, once we made that pass. It’s just unbelievable to have all this teamwork to get us in victory lane.”
Ryan Blaney finished second, AJ Allmendinger third, Aric Almirola fourth and Paul Menard fifth. Joey Logano overcame a loose wheel very early in the race to come home sixth, Kasey Kahne finished seventh, Michael Waltrip, running in his 30th and final Daytona 500, was eighth, Matt DiBenedetto ninth and Trevor Bayne 10th.
The first points race of the current era was run under a new format that split the 500 miles into three stages. Kyle Busch won the opening stage pulling ahead of Ryan Blaney to capture 10 regular-season points and one bonus point.Kevin Harvick won the second stage followed by Joey Logano,Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski and Danica Patrick. Harvick, Busch and Patrick are all driving Fords for the first time.
Several big names were collected in wrecks on Sunday, including Earnhardt aswell as Two-time Daytona 500 winners Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth,Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Danica Patrick. Nascar also passed a rule this year that will give teams just five minutes to repair any damage on their cars or they are forced to retire for the day.
“It just seemed like that could have been avoided and was uncalled for,” Johnson told Fox Sports after the wreck. “From the minute we got off Turn 2 I kept getting hit and lifting the rear tires off the ground. I know there was a lot of energy behind me in the pack but I didn’t have a chance.”
The Daytona 500 kicks off another NASCAR Cup Series season in Florida this Sunday. It’s the 66th running of "The Great American Race" and seven previous winners are lining-up in search of further glory.
Continue Reading...
49 Shares More Posted: Dec 28, 2023 | Updated: 3 months ago In the high-intensity world of NASCAR racing, the pit crew plays a crucial role in the success of the team and driver. The NASCAR pit crew consists of a highly trained team of individuals, each specializing in different…
Continue Reading...
1 Share More Posted: Jul 25, 2020 | Updated: 1 month ago Denny Hamlin held off Brad Keselowski at Kansas to win for the fifth time this season, becoming the driver with the most wins in 2020. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who had already led 44 laps earlier in…
Continue Reading...
17 Shares More Posted: Jul 17, 2020 | Updated: 1 month ago Chase Elliott won the first All-Star race at Bristol Motor Speedway, dominating the second half of the event. Elliott, who started the first All-Star race at “Thunder Valley” in 13th place, led 60 of the 140 laps to…
Continue Reading...
40 Shares More Posted: Jul 13, 2020 | Updated: 1 month ago After last year’s wild overtime finish, Kentucky Speedway provided more late-race drama yesterday, with rookie Cole Custer prevailing in a 4-wide battle for the win. Just like in 2019, it all came down to the final restart at…
Continue Reading...
2 Shares More Posted: Jun 29, 2020 | Updated: 1 month ago Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin won the two races of the long-awaited first NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader at Pocono, in a weekend where strategy played an important part and both races were delayed by rain. Harvick wins at…
Continue Reading...
0 Shares More Posted: Apr 10, 2019 | Updated: 1 year ago Oh boy, Talladega is coming on Apr 28, 2019! So many amazing things are about to happen as part of the 2019 NASCAR races. We have the favorites, we have the dark horses, and they all compete for…
Continue Reading...