#speedweeks

“TOYOTA: Let’s Go Places”

NASCAR’s 2021 season once again kicked off with the most anticipated race of the year; the Daytona 500. 40 drivers lined the grid at 2:30pm for the 63rd installment of the Great American Race. 10 and a half hours later, fans saw just 11 cars finish the race on the lead lap, with Michael McDowell getting the upset win, and coincidently his first ever NASCAR Cup Series victory on the biggest stage. 

Just 14 laps after the green flag dropped, running at almost 200mph, Christopher Bell gave a shove to Aric Almirola’s #10 Ford Mustang that sent him sideways in front of the field. 

The huge wreck collected 16 cars, and dashed their Daytona 500 hopes along with it. 

“Totally bummed to wreck out of the Daytona 500 so early in the race. My team gave me an amazing racecar. Unfortunately, today wasn’t our day” -  Aric Almirola via. Instagram.

Aric had one of the quickest cars all week, qualifying 3rd and winning his Daytona Duel. 

Shortly after the caution flag flew for the wreck, a 6 hour rain delay followed bringing the race under the lights. Denny Hamlin, a 3-time Daytona 500 champion swept both the stages and was setting himself up nicely to take a 4th Daytona 500. 

After a tame 180 laps, the race came down to the final lap, with Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, Penske teammates finding themselves in the 1st and 2nd positions. Heading into turn 3 on the final lap, Keselowski made a do or die move, with help from Michael McDowell’s #34 Ford. Keselowski’s teammate Logano put on a ‘too little but too late’ block and was turned in front of the pack. 

Keselowski’s Ford spun up into the outside wall, with Logano’s Ford spinning to the bottom of the racetrack. An unsuspecting Kyle Busch slammed into Keselowski’s car, pitching him on top of the outside wall collecting Austin Cindric, a Daytona 500 rookie and Bubba Wallace’s #23 Toyota. 

Logano’s #22 would eventually join the cars at the top of the track in a huge fireball, ending their Daytona 500 hopes, just 1 corner away from the checkered flag. Michael McDowell went on to win the Daytona 500 after the caution flag flew quickly after the wreck unfolded. 

Keselowski, who was left “heartbroken”, and everyone else involved in the crash were checked and released from the infield care centre shortly after. 

Another noteworthy driver who finished the 2021 Daytona 500 was Jamie McMurray. McMurray, who retired at the end of the 2018 season, came back for another 500. The #77 car, which was involved in the lap 14 ‘big one’ ran 180 laps with a damaged front splitter, and still managed to finish in 8th position.