DAYTONA BEACH, Florida. – The most recent on the Daytona 500 (all local times):
12:35 pm
Brad Keselowski does not regret the way he handled the last lap of the Daytona 500.
Keselowski had a great race with teammate Penkse and race leader Joey Logano about a kilometer from the finish line. Keselowski tried to pass Logano downtown, but Logano blocked and ended up beating them both.
Kyle Busch hit the side of Keselowski’s Ford # 2, making it spin and hit the wall again. Austin Cindric crashed into both, creating a brief explosion and fire. Each driver escaped unscathed.
“I had a great race in the final stretch, I wanted to make the ticket to win the Daytona 500 and it ended up being really bad,” said Keselowski. “Don’t feel like I made a mistake, but I can’t drive everybody’s car. Frustrated …
“We were in position. That’s exactly where I wanted to be – running second on the last lap of Daytona with this package. I had the race, I made the change and it didn’t work out.”
Michael McDowell went through both and got the win, the first in 358 Cup Series matches. It was an impressive turn at the NASCAR signing event.
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12:15 pm
Michael McDowell won the Daytona 500 after Penske Racing teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski were shipwrecked on the final lap.
It was McDowell’s first victory in 358 Cup Series matches, an impressive turnaround in the NASCAR main event. McDowell led just one lap – the only one that mattered.
McDowell was third when Keselowski got a great race at Logano. Keselowski tried to pass Logano downtown, but Logano tried to block him and ended up beating them both.
Chase Elliott was second, followed by Austin Dillon, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin was trying to become the first in NASCAR history to win three consecutive Daytona 500s.
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11:14 pm
Denny Hamlin won the second leg of the Daytona 500, showing that he is the guy to beat in “The Great American Race”.
Hamlin also won the opening round. The final round, 70 laps, will determine the winner. Hamlin is trying to become the first to win three consecutive Daytona 500s.
He briefly lost the lead to Toyota teammate Bubba Wallace before the final lap, but Hamlin recovered in the last two corners to get back ahead and then overtook Harvick at the finish line. Wallace was third, followed by current series champion Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon and Joey Logano. Michael McDowell, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski completed the top 10.
Wallace became the black driver to lead a lap in Daytona 500.
Kaz Grala had the most interesting race in the 65 lap stage. His car caught fire twice because of a broken rear wheel bearing, sending sparks and flames out of his Chevrolet No. 16. The damage ended his night, but not after the workers put out the fire once and he came back to the track just to catch fire again and lose the brakes forever.
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10:09
Denny Hamlin won the opening stage of the Daytona 500, showing that he has a car good enough to become the first to win “The Great American Race” for three consecutive years.
Hamlin moved forward shortly after the restart of the race after an almost six hour delay. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch stood in line behind him until he was dragged back on the final lap of the stage, which took more than seven hours to complete.
Ryan Preece was second, followed by Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson and Austin Cindric. Christopher Bell was sixth, while Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain and Cole Custer completed the top 10.
The race resumed after an almost six hour delay caused by lightning and then heavy rain.
Only 28 of the 40 cars remain on the track, with 23 of them still on the first lap.
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21h08
The Daytona 500 was resumed after a delay of more than five hours in the weather and prompted several drivers to do fast-food races off the track.
Kevin Harvick was in the lead when the race cautiously resumed with 185 laps to go.
The characteristic NASCAR event was interrupted after 15 laps because of lightning and then heavy rain. Sixteen cars were involved in a major accident just one lap before the stoppage.
With the radar showing a long delay, at least three drivers hit the road to pick up some food.
Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick used the red flag to refuel, giving fast food a new meaning. The drivers left the lane and crossed the street quickly to get some food.
Briscoe posted a photo on his social media wearing his fire suit on the Panda Express drive-thru. Chastain posted a photo of him at McDonald’s drive-thru, a sponsor. Reddick sat at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, also a sponsor, and ate a chicken pie.
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6:15 pm
Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick gave new meaning to fast food during a rain delay at the Daytona International Speedway.
Drivers left the famous lane during a long red flag during the Daytona 500 and made quick trips down the street to get some food.
Briscoe’s wife, Marissa, tweeted a photo of Chase wearing his fire suit at the Panda Express drive-thru.
Ross Chastain followed suit a little later and posted a photo of him on McDonald’s sponsor drive-thru. He noted that these are “rain delays at 21”.
Reddick sat at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, also a sponsor, and ate a chicken pie, saying “some much needed home cooking”
The NASCAR season opener was interrupted after 15 laps due to lightning and then heavy rain. The 2 1/2 mile run takes hours to dry. Sixteen cars, including the one driven by Reddick, were involved in a huge accident with 14 laps of racing.
A few flashes of lightning in the area, a few minutes later, prompted officials to empty the motorsport stadium, sending socially distant fans into a crowded space. The drivers got out of their cars and, as soon as the rain fell, they hit the road.
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4:15 pm
Pitbull’s Daytona 500 party ended well before the last call.
The platinum-selling rapper bought Trackhouse Racing, which put driver Daniel Suarez on the field. Suarez drives Chevrolet nº 99 and was among the drivers caught in a 16-car pileup. He was forced to leave after 13 laps completed.
“Sir. Worldwide” also gave the command for drivers to start their engines.
Pitbull says he is one of NASCAR’s newest team owners.
“Now that there is no tour going on, I will be in almost every race,” said Pitbull. “There is a higher calling for that.”
Pitbull joined the NBA Hall of Fame, Michael Jordan, as celebrity owners joining NASCAR this year. Trackhouse was launched last year by ex-driver Justin Marks and he watched the race with Pitbull from a suite.
“There is no hidden agenda. We are here to win, ”said Pitbull.
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15:50
The Big One hit 14 laps in the Daytona 500, triggered when Aric Almirola became pole winner Alex Bowman and started a 16-car pileup.
Minutes later, the race was interrupted by lightning and fans who were socially distant in the stands had to seek shelter in the crowded hall. A heavy rain followed, closing “The Great American Race” for a long delay.
Christopher Bell started hand-to-hand when he pushed Almirola very hard near the front of the field and forced the Stewart-Haas Racing driver to swing while trying to avoid a skid. Almirola ended up turning right at Bowman. Their contact causes others to collide, making them spin and skid across the grass and mud. Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch were among those involved.
“We were being pressured very early,” said Almirola. “It’s a long, long run.” Man, we were in a good position, just sitting there, running between the two, three and (Bell) first came with a big run and hit me very hard in a bad place and turned me to the right and tore our race car and ended our Daytona 500 very early, ”said Almirola.
Hendrick Motorsports put Bowman and Byron in the front row.
Newman almost died in a horrible accident on the last lap of the Daytona 500 last year. Newman left safely on Sunday and even spotted Busch sitting in his Chevy.
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3:25 pm
Derrike Cope was knocked out after just three laps, a shameful ending for the 62-year-old who won the 1990 Daytona 500.
Cope made his first start on the Daytona 500 since 2004 and 15th overall. Cope appeared to have a cut tire on the Chevrolet 15 that he drove for Rick Ware Racing.
Cope was forced to go into the garage on the third lap as fans and teams saluted the late Dale Earnhardt, raising three fingers in honor of the 20th anniversary of his death. Cope whizzed past Earnhardt, who blew a tire more than a mile to win the 1990 Daytona 500.
Cope had two wins in 428 career cup matches.
Rick Ware Racing also finished last in the 2020 Indianapolis 500. James Davison completed just four laps in that race.
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15:10
Fans and teams saluted the late Dale Earnhardt by lifting three fingers on lap 3 during the Daytona 500, recognizing the 20th anniversary of his death, which occurred on the last lap of the landmark NASCAR event. Earnhardt drove the famous No. 3 Richard Childress Racing.
The death of the seven-time Cup Series champion forced NASCAR to make significant safety improvements, changes that have saved many lives in the 20 years since. Ryan Newman survived a terrible accident on the final lap at last year’s premiere, leaving a hospital two days after everyone who watched feared the worst.
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2 PM
Bubba Wallace’s car failed inspection twice for the Daytona 500 and will have to start at the back of the field.
The head of the 23XI Racing car was expelled as a punishment. Toyota’s number 23 passed inspection for the third time.
Wallace heads a new entry owned by the great NBA Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin. He had been scheduled to start “The Great American Race” in the third row. Instead, Wallace will be one of 10 drivers who will have to stay behind during the fast laps.
Nine others have already lost their starting points because of modifications made after the two NASCAR 150-mile qualifying races on Thursday. Former Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski and front row qualifier William Byron switched to reserve cars because of the wreckage. The same goes for Chase Briscoe, Kaz Grala, Anthony Alfredo, Cole Custer and Ross Chastain.
Martin Truex Jr.’s team had to replace a radiator and an oil cooler. Erik Jones’ team changed an engine.
Alex Bowman is scheduled to lead the 40-car field for the green flag at 3:05 pm EST.
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