NCS: Rookie Austin Cindric victorious in 64th Daytona 500

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In the early laps of the opening stage, it was a tug of war between the high line and low line for the lead as four Ford powered cars lead by Brad Keselowski over the low line of Toyota’s lead by Ky. Busch. The Toyota’s of Ky. Busch and Bell both attempted to tandem draft within the pack drafting setting up a back-and-forth inch their way to the front only to lose momentum.

As the field worked the first set of green flag stops Keselowski and Ky. Busch had swapped the lead six times.

Just as pit stops had just finished with Ky. Busch assumed the lead, Kaz Grala and Chase Briscoe would tangle in turn two spinning to bring out the first caution of the day. Grala would lose a wheel as part of this incident as it rolled down the track causing both Harrison Burton and Kurt Busch to avoid the rolling wheel.

With barely one-quarter the distance completed another tire issue caused the second caution of the day when the wheel of Justin Haley came off the No. 16 machine.

This year NASCAR had moved to a single lug on the new car, but penalties remained for improperly installed wheels. Both Grala and Haley team would face a four-race suspension of the crew chief plus two additional team members.

With laps winding down in stage one and a huge push from Keselowski on the outside row to Burton getting him loose to hook down the track in front of William Byron, Ky. Busch, Denny Hamlin, Ross Chastain and four other cars ending the day of Hamlin, Chastain, Burton and Byron.

“We were kind of boxed in there where I noticed that something was going to happen, but I was boxed in, I was behind a teammate and I wanted to try to help. Again, just too aggressive pushing right there when they weren’t lined up and in control.” Said Hamlin

“I don’t know if it was too much. I just think it might have been in the wrong spot. It’s hard. These bumpers don’t line up as good as the old ones did. Through the testing I always found that dead center was the best, so when I was pushing Joey or whatever you want to push in the center of the bumper. I couldn’t tell.” Said Burton

“Obviously, it got real light and blew over right. I don’t know if it was the diffuser that did it or what, but once I got backwards I just blew right over. As far as the cockpit and everything is safe. I didn’t get hit hard at all. Luckily, all good there and we’ll move on.” Continues Burton

The stage would end under caution due to the incident with Martin Truex Jr. taking the first points-paying stage win of the season.

Stage two would quiet down a bit with the Ford machines taking command of the event with as many as 11 Fords lined up in the top-12 commanding and controlling the race pace. The stage would end with Truex once again taking the stage win with a side draft on Joey Logano at the last moment.

With three-quarters of the Daytona 500 completed Jacques Villeneuve would get into the back of Tyler Reddick turning him into the wall that would end up collecting Joey Logano, two-time stage winner of the day Truex Jr. along with Ku. Busch.

As the ten to go signal came out and 25 mile of racing remaining, havoc ensued on the front with Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick getting together as Harvick came up on the slower car of Buescher. This would send Harvick up the track almost to the wall before sliding back down in front of Gragson.

This would end the day of Larson, Jones, Gilliland and Gragson.

“It’s disappointing. I had a run there on the No. 4 (Kevin Harvick). I didn’t realize how close he was to the No. 17 (Chris Buescher). I got to him right as he was getting to him and it got him out of shape. I hate that I did that. It’s so hard see in front of him, especially on the straightaway like that.” Said Larson

When racing resumed with six laps remaining it wouldn’t last long when the next lap around coming to five to go Stenhouse who had been leading tangled up with Buescher and Wallace after a bumper gone wrong from Keselowski. The second of the event for him when earlier he got into Burton. Unfortunately, this would be the end of Stenhouse night in Daytona.

With the checkered flag in sight Austin Cindric ducks down blocking Blaney with a run allowing Bubba Wallace to nearly draw even for the lead. In the end Austin Cindric would prevail as the winner of the 64th Daytona 500 making the ninth driver in NASCAR history with their first win coming in the 500 mile event.

“Oh, my God. Do you know what makes it all better? A packed house. A packed house at the Daytona 500.” Said Cindric

“Oh, my God. I’ve got so many people to thank. First and foremost Roger Penske, happy birthday. Oh, my gosh. Appreciate Ryan being a great teammate. Obviously he wants to win this one, but I’m so pumped for Discount Tire, Menards, Ford. Everybody works so hard with this Next-Gen car, through this whole process, and damn, I am so excited.” Continued Cindric

Wallace, Briscoe, Blaney, Almirola, Ky. Busch, McDowell, Ragan, Keselowski and Elliott would round off the top-10.

“Yeah, first of all, that’s pretty damn cool to win the 500 in I think the first attempt, maybe not. Just dejected, but the thing that keeps me up is just the hard work that we put into our speedway stuff and the hard work from everybody at 23-11, proud of them, can’t thank them enough. I knew this was a big move last year for me to go out and be competitive, and we’re showing that.” Said Wallace

The NASCAR Cup Series moves back to the west coast and a return to Auto Club Speedway after two years for the Wise Power 400 next Sunday, February 27th at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

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