Here are the winners and losers from the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday…
WINNERS
Austin Cindric: When Team Penske chose to bring him up to the Cup Series full-time in its flagship No. 2 Ford, the 23-year-old rewarded their faith in him. Cindric blocked Ryan Blaney up high in the dying minutes and then beat Bubba Wallace to the checkered flag to earn stock car racing’s biggest event – on his boss’ birthday, no less.
Bubba Wallace: Wallace may feel like a first-place loser after his victory at Talladega last autumn, but his skill on superspeedways is undeniable. It’s now to see whether he and 23XI Racing can gain momentum elsewhere in their second season together, which starts next week in Fontana.
Chase Briscoe: In overtime, Briscoe couldn’t quite get to the front (or push Brad Keselowski there). Nonetheless, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver’s third-place performance in the Cup Series is his best.
Ryan Blaney: Blaney was in danger but had to settle for fourth, his fourth top-10 finish in the previous six Daytona 500s. When questioned if teammate Cindric was correct in blocking him on his way to the checkered flag, Blaney said he didn’t know, but adding, ““you’ve got to throw a block in that situation.”
Last year’s champion, Michael McDowell, ranked sixth on Sunday, his fourth top-10 finish in the last five Daytona 500s.
For Rick Ware Racing, David Ragan placed seventh. It’s his second top-ten result in the Daytona 500 in the last three years, both as a part-time driver.
LOSERS
Brad Keselowski: After dominating a race-high 67 laps, the new co-owner of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing nearly put his name on the Harley J. Earl Trophy, but finished ninth. In 13 Daytona 500 starts, he has yet to win.
Martin Truex Jr.: Led both stages, but was in the wrong location at the wrong time when a multi-car collision happened on Lap 151. He persevered and came in 13th place.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: With six laps remaining in the planned distance, Stenhouse dominated at the restart. However, the Penske team of Cindric and Blaney advanced to the spot, and Stenhouse was forced into the wall off Turn 4 by a push from behind by Keselowski. He came in 28th place overall.
Harrison Burton: That wasn’t the first time Keselowski’s push flopped. Burton had Keselowski in his rearview mirror on Lap 63, but was knocked into William Byron off Turn 2. In the ensuing melee, Burton flipped over and briefly rode on his car’s roof before coming right side up again. With that, his Daytona 500 debut was over.
Several uniforms inspired by NASCAR racing drivers are currently available at the following websites for a reasonable price:
Daytona 500, IndyCar, Nascar, NASCAR Cup Series, Austin Cindric, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr.
