To read more about the qualifying races for the Daytona 500, click here.
On Feb. 15, more than 100,000 people across the country packed the Daytona International Speedway to watch stock cars race for victory lane at the Daytona 500.
The action started on Wednesday with NASCAR Cup Series qualifying. For the first time in his 21-year career, Kyle Busch set the fastest time for the Daytona 500 and secured pole position. The action continued Thursday with the Daytona Duels, a set of two 60-lap races to create a starting order for the race. The first race ended with big wrecks and three-time champion Joey Logano grabbing the checkered flag. The second race saw a showdown between Chase Elliott and Carson Hocevar in the closing laps, with Elliot sneaking the win.
“The track is gonna be much warmer and the grip level is gonna be way down.” Elliott said Thursday. “Everything about tonight was best case scenario. The worst situation you were in tonight will probably double.”
Then came Sunday afternoon, where drivers revved up their engines for the start of the “Great American Race.”
The first hundred laps saw the drivers racing at full speed uninterrupted. But on lap 124 of 200, driver Justin Allgaier caused a massive 20-car wreck on the front stretch by turning into Denny Hamlin in only his second Cup Series start. Later in the race with nine laps to go, Denny Hamlin turned into Christopher Bell, bringing out another caution.
Carson Hocevar, who drives for Spire Motorsports, led the pack and was on track to win the Daytona 500 before he was turned sideways off the front bumper of Erik Jones, triggering the first of two multi-car pileups on the final circuit. The new battle for the lead was between Chase Elliott and Tyler Reddick, with Reddick taking victory lane for the first time in 15 months.
“I watched a lot of NASCAR racing growing up but I would never miss the Daytona 500 as a little kid,” Reddick said. “It may have seemed chaotic watching it but that whole last lap, from my seat it played out really slow and really smooth.”
NASCAR will return to the Daytona International Speedway on Aug. 29 for the Coke Zero 400, and to the Homestead-Miami Speedway in South Florida for their season finale.
