Michael McDowell wins crash-filled Daytona 500

Michael McDowell emerged from an unpleasant remaining-lap wreck to get the lead and went on to acquire Sunday’s climate- and crash-delayed operating of the Daytona five hundred at Daytona Global Speedway.

The victory was McDowell’s initial in the NASCAR Cup Sequence in 357 starts off.

“I just are unable to believe it,” McDowell, 36, reported. “So a lot of several years just grinding it out hoping for an opportunity like this.”

McDowell led just the one lap.

Did it match the aspiration?

“It does,” he reported, “but no matter if I acquire this race or not it is really not what defines you. It truly is unbelievable and I am so thankful, but I am thankful to have a pleased, healthier spouse and children and a gorgeous wife and a terrific spouse and children. Not all people helps make it to victory lane, and for fourteen several years I failed to, so just to be in this article now is just so wonderful.”

The Front Row Motorsports driver was operating third guiding Group Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski on the remaining lap when he bumped Keselowski from guiding, who then hit Logano and sent both of those into spinning, flaming wrecks that took out both of those automobiles and a couple of other folks.

“Desired to make the move to acquire the Daytona five hundred and it finished up really undesirable,” Keselowski reported. “I really don’t sense I produced a slip-up but I are unable to generate all people else’s motor vehicle. Discouraging.”

Requested what happened, Logano reported, “Chaos struck. Actual bummer.”

Defending collection winner Chase Elliott concluded 2nd although Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing came in third.

Rounding out the top rated 5 were being Kevin Harvick (Ford) of Stewart-Haas Racing and Denny Hamlin (Toyota) of Joe Gibbs Racing.

Hamlin was attempting to turn out to be the initial driver in background to acquire three straight 500s, and for substantially of the race it appeared he just may as he led a race-very best ninety eight laps of the two hundred-lap race.

But soon after the remaining eco-friendly flag pit cease of the evening, a line of 5 Fords performing in concert blew earlier Hamlin’s Toyota to stop his bid.

The race marked the debut of the 23XI staff owned by basketball superstar Michael Jordan and Hamlin, driven by Bubba Wallace. Wallace concluded 17th but ran near the front for substantially of the 2nd phase and led one lap.

Just fifteen of two hundred laps had been run when a lightning strike near the speedway brought about the red flag to be waved. Minutes later on large rain commenced to tumble.

The race would not restart until 5 hours and 40 minutes later on.

The climate was not the only problem for a big cluster of groups and drivers who were being thought of to be contenders for victory in NASCAR’s most significant race.

A wreck just fourteen laps into the race took out a amount of huge-identify drivers, which includes Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, Ryan Newman, Alex Bowman, Matt DiBenedetto, Erik Jones, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch and Ryan Blaney. In all, 16 automobiles were being associated.

Almirola, Bowman, Daniel Suarez, David Ragan, Anthony Alfredo, Chris Buescher, Ryan Blaney Newman and Jones would not return although many other folks experienced sizeable injury.

The wreck commenced when Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing bump-drafted Almirola and spun him out near the front of the industry.

“We were being just acquiring pushed too tricky too early,” Stewart-Haas Racing’s Almirola reported. “It truly is a lengthy, lengthy race. Person, we were being in a fine situation, just sitting down there riding all over in the top rated two, three and the twenty just came with a huge run and hit me really tricky in a undesirable place and it turned me to the suitable and tore up our race motor vehicle and finished our Daytona five hundred way too early.”

Newman reported, “I had the wreck missed, but got hit from some place and that was the stop of our working day.”

Bowman started off the race from the pole and was operating in the top rated three when the wreck occurred.

“Dislike that superspeedway racing works out that way in some cases,” the Hendrick Motorsports driver reported, “but which is just element of the game.”

–Area Amount Media