“I just can’t believe it!” McDowell told Fox Sports after getting first. “A great way to get your first victory at the Daytona 500! Are you kidding me !?”
McDowell said he was grateful to have escaped the multiple vehicle accident unscathed on the last lap.
“I am so thankful to God for being good,” he said. “I just have to thank God, so many years of fighting out.”
He will take home a replica of the Harley J. Earl Trophy and about $ 1.5 million.
The victory comes after a difficult start and a dramatic and ardent end to one of the biggest sports competitions since the pandemic began.
As soon as the rain subsided, the track still needed to dry out before the pilots could start their engines. At around 9 pm, the 200-lap, 500-mile-long race resumed.
On the last lap, a violent collision of several cars put several cars out of service. All the drivers involved managed to get out of their cars.
The race ended shortly after midnight on Monday.
About 30,000 fans were able to watch the race in person, far less than the normal 100,000 fans who usually watch. The limit was placed on the number of fans to allow greater social distance.
“The Daytona 500 is the biggest race of our year and we have to start with a bang,” Wallace recently told CNN Sport’s Coy Wire.
“I am honored and excited to be the first, but I don’t want to be the last,” Breidinger, who is of Lebanese descent, told CNN. “I hope to be able to pave the way for future Arab pilots as well.”