DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — One of the most competitive Daytona 500s ended in flames and sparks from a massive crash that determined the outcome of the 65th annual race at Daytona Int’l Speedway.
It produced a “feel-good” winner as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. broke a 199-race winless streak with his team, JTG Daugherty Racing, getting off the schneid following 266 events.
It was also the first time since Trevor Bayne drove the Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Ford to a shocking victory in the 2011 Daytona 500 that a single-car team has won the NASCAR Cup Series’ biggest race.
Brad Keselowski (6) races under Kyle Busch (18) and Austin Dillon during the Daytona 500 at Daytona Int’l Speedway. (HHP/Jim Fluharty photo)
NASCAR loves to promote its competitors as the world’s best drivers but with the current rules package used at Daytona and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, these drivers have to make bold and risky moves in order to choose the drafting lane they hope will propel them to victory.
Far too often, that ends up in a massive crash, which crushes the dreams of drivers who just a lap or two prior appeared to be in position to win the Daytona 500.
All grandstand seats for this year’s Great American Race were sold out last month and all infield spaces were sold one week prior to the Feb. 19 race.
For the majority of the race that kicked off NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season, the action was relatively tame, with the exception of a nine-car crash during the second stage.
However, when the race appeared headed to the checkered flag without any late-race incidents, Daniel Suarez spun on lap 199. That sent the race to overtime and carnage ensued.
Thirteen cars were involved in a major crash in turn three including a driver primed to win the race for the first time in his career, Brad Keselowski.
After seven laps of yellow, the green flag waved on lap 211, guaranteeing the 65th Daytona 500 would be the longest in history.
The field had already taken the white flag to start lap 212, when a nine-car melee occurred in turns one and two. When the yellow light came on, Stenhouse was in front of reigning series champion Joey Logano, giving Stenhouse his third career Cup Series victory.
No matter what the rules or the type of car, NASCAR’s biggest race rarely ends in a clean finish.
Still, there were other takeaways from the Daytona 500:
THE KING’S COURT
Richard Petty will forever be “The King” as the winner of 200 NASCAR Cup Series races and seven championships, and he is also one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR history.
During the offseason, Petty sold his ownership shares in Petty-GMS Racing to the team’s primary owner, Allegiant Airlines CEO Maury Gallagher.
Gallagher then sold those shares to another seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson. Petty remains in the role of “ambassador” for the renamed Legacy Motor Club.
Johnson has taken an active role in the team, selling sponsorships and lifting the team up to potentially greater success.
At 85, Petty feels left out. He understands that Johnson is the future, but his comments reveal Petty is having a difficult time accepting that he is no longer in charge.
“Really, it’s been kinda confusing from my standpoint,” Petty said. “Wherever we went, I had my own little crowd that pretty much ran the show. When we got with GMS, we had to blend with them.
Keyword: Takeaways From The 65th Daytona 500