With an impressive and fiery crash on the final lap involving Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch, Michael McDowell sailed through the pileup to win the 2021 Daytona 500. It is McDowell’s first NASCAR Cup Series victory in his 14th season.
McDowell was in first when the flag of caution appeared after the fall on lap 200, ending Chase Elliott and winning the first Daytona 500 for Front Row Motorsports. The only time McDowell led the race was after the accident.
McDowell’s victory was the conclusion of an extremely long day – and night – at the Daytona International Speedway. The race ended about 20 minutes after midnight in the eastern time zone – about nine hours after the green flag was first flown, after a more than five and a half hour delay in the weather had stopped. The red flag came after a crash on lap 14 involving 16 of the 40 cars on the field.
Denny Hamlin, who led almost half the race, finished fifth. He won Stage One and Stage Two, but lost the lead during the final green flag cycle with about 30 laps to go. Hamlin failed in his quest to become the first driver to win three consecutive Daytona 500 races. Three other drivers before him – Sterling Marlin (1994, 1995), Cale Yarborough (1983, 1984) and Richard Petty (1973, 1974) – won the Daytona 500 in consecutive years.
Brad Keselowski, who finished 13th, was disappointed. He was competing for his first victory at the Daytona 500, which would give him a victory at the last of the “Crown Jewel” races that he has not yet taken home.
Back to McDowell, who is now the 40th driver to win the Great American Race and take the Harley J. Earl Trophy home. He is the eighth driver to win his first Cup Series race at the Daytona 500. Trevor Bayne was the most recent driver to do so in 2011. McDowell also punctured his ticket to the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.