Posted on by Zack Albert

Michael McDowell opted not to go to sleep after his Daytona 500 victory in the early Monday hours. Besides the nervous energy of his first Cup Series win on NASCAR’s biggest stage, he reasoned a quick nap would only leave him out of sorts for the 500 champ’s day-after duties.

Even after McDowell’s late-race surge propelled him to his biggest triumph, he was still playing a form of catch-up as sunrise neared. “Every time I look down at my phone I have another 100 texts,” he said.

The 36-year-old veteran needed time to respond to all of the notes from all his well-wishers, and to host a video call from Victory Lane with his elated family, showing off the Harley J. Earl Trophy and his new champion’s ring. One of the phone calls McDowell received came from close friend Trevor Bayne, who notched his own breakthrough victory in the 500 some 10 years ago.

RELATED: McDowell prevails in 500 | Official race results

Bayne’s Daytona triumph came in just his second Cup Series start as a relative unknown; McDowell’s arrived in his 358th appearance as a journeyman who went off as a 66-1 long shot in the Vegas sportsbooks.

Both drivers shared a moment over the phone around 5 a.m. ET Monday morning, but they also shared a degree of surprise in their 500 victories. Still, there was a note of caution to avoid calling McDowell’s win a fluke — no less an authority than three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin said as much in a post-race tweet.

“I think we are underdogs, but when we come to Daytona I would consider us a top-five contender every time,” said McDowell, whose previous career best was fourth place at Daytona back in 2017, “and I don’t say that because I’m being boastful, I just say that because a majority of these races we’re in the top five when it comes down to those last five laps — no different than Denny and Joey and there are a handful of guys that seem to be able to get themselves in those positions, but the difference is I haven’t been able to close, I haven’t been able to get to Victory Lane.

“I’ve been able to get in that top 10 and that top five, so I do feel like we are underdogs from that standpoint, but I agree with Denny and I really appreciate what he says. That means a lot. I don’t think it’s a fluke because we do run up front at these races quite often and last night just worked out perfectly.”

After spending a few extra post-race hours at Daytona International Speedway on Monday morning, McDowell flew home to a warm welcome in North Carolina, where he was greeted by friends and fellow drivers, including longtime teammate David Ragan and fellow Ford pilot Aric Almirola.

MORE: Popular win among McDowell’s peers

Bob Jenkins, McDowell’s car owner at Front Row Motorsports, had jumped on a far earlier flight after Sunday’s race had been delayed by rain. With some of his family split between the track and a tour of Disney earlier Sunday, he opted to get them home and watched the conclusion on TV with his wife.

“Surreal,” Jenkins said when asked what it was like to see the final laps unfold and his No. 34 Ford team secure its third Cup Series victory. Ragan (2013, Talladega) and Chris Buescher (2016, Pocono) produced the other wins for Front Row Motorsports, now in its 17th season.

A fluke, though? Jenkins sides with Hamlin, especially as it relates to FRM’s superspeedway performance through the years.

“I know the average fan is surprised when we win a race, but it never surprises me,” Jenkins said Monday. “It’s taken a long time to get our third win and our first Daytona 500 win, but people don’t realize this is our third top five in the Daytona 500, and I just wanted to get that. It’s a lifetime goal. Obviously, you want to win championships, but you’ve got to win races first and I can’t imagine one bigger than the Daytona 500.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Sometimes, as it turns out, nice guys do finish first.

Michael McDowell’s first NASCAR Cup Series win — which just so happened to come in the sport’s biggest race, Sunday’s 63rd annual Daytona 500 — was a popular one amongst his peers in the garage.

MORE: First-time winners in Daytona 500 | Surprise Daytona 500 winners

The driver of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford, who began his Cup career in 2008 running 20 races for now-defunct Michael Waltrip Racing, finally landed in Victory Lane at NASCAR’s highest level in the 2021 running of The Great American Race. It was his 358th career start.

Long considered one of the most fan-friendly drivers and a well-respected competitor amongst his fellow racers that doesn’t ruffle feathers (well, except that one time), McDowell received plenty of praise for his landmark win on Twitter.

PHOTOS: McDowell’s win, Keselowski’s frustration

Posted on by Zack Albert

Denny Hamlin had an elusive and exclusive share of Daytona 500 history in his sights. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s No. 11 Toyota had spent nearly half of the Great American Race in the lead, and his bid for an unprecedented third consecutive 500 victory was as promising as any of the three attempts that came before him.

RELATED: Race results | History of Daytona 500 three-peat bids

Instead of hitting the trifecta that had escaped the other members of Daytona’s quartet of repeat royalty — Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough and Sterling Marlin — Hamlin was left irked by a fifth-place finish in the 2021 edition of the Daytona 500. The frustrated feelings stemmed from an unfortunate pit-road shuffle in the team’s final stop for service, but also from the way that any sustained challenges for the lead were slow to develop in the final laps.

“I’m certainly disappointed, simply because I thought we had a dominant car, we won the stages and led a lot of laps,” Hamlin said after posting the seventh top-five finish in his last eight Daytona 500 starts. “But I hate being helpless. I hate not being able to do anything, not being able to use the skillset that I have to make moves.”

Hamlin swept both stage wins and led 98 of the 200 laps, asserting the strength of his No. 11 Toyota from the outset and priming himself to be a late-race contender. After Ford teams then Chevrolet drivers choreographed their final pits stops in manufacturer-aligned groups, Hamlin led the contingent of Toyotas to pit road, handing the lead to Joey Logano on Lap 175.

Once the pit-road exchange sorted out, Ford teams were in command with Hamlin needing to play catch-up as the Toyota brigade tried to reorganize. He managed to avoid the final-lap crash that snared several contenders and allowed Michael McDowell to grab his first Cup Series win.

“We were too far out front. We got on and off pit road too good. I was just too far ahead of the pack,” Hamlin said of his pit-stop timing. “I figured the Chevys would make a move from two or three (laps) to go, because they are not going to win on the last lap from fifth or sixth. I was able to gain some positions. I think I was 12th and everybody was running single file, so it handcuffed me. I couldn’t really do anything. I hoped once I got to eighth as long as they make a move with two to go, I’m in the energy – in the area where I can make something happen.

“Dominant car, just a dominant car. Just one of those things that executed too good.”

Hamlin’s day was momentous for other reasons, as the 23XI Racing team that he co-founded with NBA legend Michael Jordan made its debut. Bubba Wallace spent time near the front of the pack, leading one lap before his No. 23 Toyota developed a late-race vibration that required an unscheduled pit stop to fix.

Wallace dropped from the lead lap, and his race ended in a multi-car wreck that left him just shy of the checkered flag in 17th place.

“I thought it was all good,” said Hamlin, who joined Jordan and Wallace in a pre-race interview with FOX Sports. “We worked together quite a few times, and I actually thought he was going to win the second stage, but kind of a teaching moment. I told them over the radio, he’s got to pull in front of me and just trust that I’m going to push there. … It’s good to see he was running up front and battling for stage wins. That’s what we want to see.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

A 1-2 Team Penske formation with a Daytona 500 victory at stake went downhill half a lap from the end, when running mates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski collided, leaving both drivers short of the checkered flag.

That tangle allowed Michael McDowell’s No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford to squirt through for the veteran’s first Cup Series victory. Keselowski’s long-awaited bid for his first Daytona 500 unraveled, as did Logano’s attempt for his second Great American Race triumph.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Daytona

On the white-flag lap, Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford made a big-time charge on the backstretch with McDowell shoving his back bumper. Logano’s No. 22 Penske Ford had led the previous 25 laps, but his attempt to keep his teammate’s move at bay missed the mark, and a multi-car crash erupted as the pack barreled into Turn 3. That melee also sidelined Penske rookie Austin Cindric, Saturday’s Xfinity Series winner who was making his Cup Series debut.

“I had a big run down the backstretch and wanted to make the pass to win the Daytona 500 and it ended up really bad,” Keselowski said matter-of-factly after placing 13th — one spot behind Logano in the unofficial results. His in-the-moment heartache was evident as he threw his helmet at his wrecked car after dismounting. “I don’t feel like I made a mistake, but I can’t drive everybody else’s car, so frustrating. The Discount Tire Ford was not the fastest, but (crew chief) Jeremy Bullins and the whole team did a great job of keeping us in position and right then we were in position. It’s exactly where I want to be running second on the last lap at Daytona with this package and had the run, made the move and it didn’t work out.”

RELATED: See the last-lap crash in the Daytona 500

The two teammates also crashed in last year’s Busch Clash at Daytona, which sparked some criticism from Keselowski that the two drivers ultimately sorted through. This time, Logano was dejected but at least able to tip his cap to McDowell, another driver in the Ford Mustang fold who scooted through the final battle with just minor contact.

“Pandemonium, I guess. Chaos struck,” said Logano, “The 2 (Keselowski) kept trying to back up, trying to get a run. I was trying to back up to him to keep the runs from being too big and just, I guess he got to the back of the 34 (McDowell), and it ended up being a really big run coming at me and it seemed like we all just collided in one spot. It’s a real bummer that none of the Penske cars won, but at least a Ford won and I’m really happy for McDowell.

“I hate that we didn’t win with our Shell/Pennzoil Mustang. I feel like we had a great shot being where we were and leading on the last lap, but if we couldn’t win I’m really happy to see McDowell win this thing. He’s a great guy, a great person, a good leader in life and has helped me a lot in my life, so it’s very cool to see him win the Daytona 500.”

RELATED: Joey Logano discusses end of 2021 Daytona 500

Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

Monday, February 15
1 a.m., The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder (re-air), FS1
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: NextEra Energy 250 (re-air), FS2
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2
10:30 p.m., ARCA Menards Series East: Jeep Beach 175 at New Smyrna Speedway (tape delay), NBCSN

Tuesday, February 16
12 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

On MRN:
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, February 17
5:30 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 (re-air), FS2
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2
11:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: NextEra Energy 250 (re-air), FS2

Thursday, February 18
1:30 a.m., NASCAR Presents: Neil Bonnett (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Friday, February 19
5:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Classic: 1988 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NCWTS Daytona, FS1
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 at Daytona presented by O’Reilly, FS1

On MRN:
7 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 at Daytona presented by O’Reilly

Saturday, February 20
Midnight, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 at Daytona presented by O’Reilly, FS1
2 a.m., The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder (re-air), FS1
3 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Daytona, FS1
6:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Daytona (re-air), FS1
7 a.m., The Golden Hour: Making of Days of Thunder (re-air), FS1
Noon, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 at Daytona presented by O’Reilly (re-air), FS2
4 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Xfinity Daytona, FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Super Start Batteries 188 at Daytona presented by O’Reilly, FS1 (Canada: TSN 4)
11:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Super Start Batteries 188 at Daytona presented by O’Reilly (re-air), FS1

On MRN:
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Super Start Batteries 188 at Daytona presented by O’Reilly

Sunday, February 21
6 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 at Daytona presented by O’Reilly (re-air), FS2
8 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Super Start Batteries 188 at Daytona presented by O’Reilly (re-air), FS2
11 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Road Courses, FS1
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Super Start Batteries 188 at Daytona presented by O’Reilly (re-air), FS1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Daytona, FS1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Daytona, FOX
3 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona, FOX (Canada: TSN 5)
9:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona (re-air), FS1

On MRN:
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona

Posted on by Staff Report

Rain and lightning in the Daytona Beach, Florida area have halted the 63rd annual Daytona 500 for the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway.

A lightning strike forced a 30-minute hold on at-track activities, and attendees were instructed to seek shelter at 3:29 p.m. ET. Kevin Harvick was scored as the race leader with 15 laps complete.

RELATED: Daytona 500 leaderboard | Photos from the track

Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman started from the pole position for the 200-lap race, but his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsport Chevrolet was snared in a multi-car crash on Lap 14, thinning the field of several contenders.

A fleet of 19 Air Titans, 10 jet dryers, two vacuums and two sweepers are at the 2.5-mile speedway for track-drying efforts.

NASCAR.com will continue to monitor the weather situation and provide further weather updates once they become available.

MORE: Full guide to the 2021 Daytona 500

Posted on by Staff Report

Chaos struck early at Daytona International Speedway.

Just 14 laps into the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500, a large crash took multiple cars out of contention — and a weather delay soon followed, as the race is currently under delay.

RELATED: Daytona 500 leaderboard

Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota went to push Aric Almirola’s No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, as a run started to form in the inside line. The cars were not properly aligned, so Bell’s nudge ultimately turned Almirola. The No. 10 went up the track and sparked a 16-car pile-up that first collected pole-sitter Alex Bowman in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and then many others. Bell continued on.

“We were just getting pushed too hard too early,” Almirola said of the pressure he felt at the end of the backstretch. “It’s a long, long race. Man, we were in a fine position, just sitting there riding around in the top two, three and the 20 (Bell) just came with a big run and hit me really hard in a bad spot and it turned me to the right and tore up our race car and ended our Daytona 500 way too early.”

PHOTOS: Scenes from Daytona Speedweeks

Said Bowman, who was the pole-starter for the second time in his Cup Series career: “It looks like the No. 10 (Almirola) kind of got turned sideways there and I was the guy that got ran into. Bummer – I hate it for Ally. Obviously, we had a really fast Camaro. The Chevrolets were working good together; hopefully a Chevy still ends up in Victory Lane. Hats off to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports; they built some really fast race cars. Hate that superspeedway racing works out that way sometimes, but that’s just part of the game.”

Those involved in the wreck: Bell, Almirola, Bowman, Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron, David Ragan, Anthony Alfredo and Daniel Suarez.

Newman was in his first Daytona 500 since a severe crash at the end of last season’s Great American Race, but his No. 6 Roush Fenway Ford was one of the early exits on a wrecker’s hook.

“Somebody crashed in the outside row in front of us and we had nowhere to go and I got hit from some place,” Newman said. “I had the wreck missed, but got hit from some place and that was the end of our day. I just feel bad for Kohler Generators jumping on board and getting wrecked out of the Daytona 500 so early, but unfortunately that’s part of racing. I just wish we could have had some better results.”

RELATED: Ride on board with Ryan Newman through big wreck

Almirola, Bowman, Suarez, Ragan, Newman, Jones and Derrike Cope — sidelined by a previous incident — are all listed as out for the rest of the race. The wreck also did in Blaney, DiBenedetto, Buescher and Alfredo after their time ran out on the damaged vehicle policy following the resumption of the race after a five-hour and 40-minute delay.

Almirola was running second before the domino disaster. Kevin Harvick watched the melee unfold out front in his No. 4 SHR Ford’s rearview mirror. He holds the lead as the yellow flag switched to red due to lightning in the Daytona Beach, Florida, area.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

In an exclusive interview on FOX NASCAR’s pre-race show prior to Sunday’s Daytona 500, Michael Strahan sat down with basketball legend and 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan, co-owner Denny Hamlin and driver Bubba Wallace.

The quartet of stardom talked about a variety of topics, including Jordan’s NASCAR fandom from a young age, how 23XI Racing formed and the social injustice initiatives that has surrounded Wallace since early 2020.

RELATED: ‘Google of race shops’

“I’ve been texting these clowns … I’m excited, I’m nervous even though I’m not getting in the car,” Jordan told Strahan.

When asked by Strahan if he would attend races this year, Jordan said, “If I’m not there physically, you better believe I’ll be there mentally.”

Jordan and Wallace even had a few light-hearted moments during the interview.

“At the end of the day, they are the ones ultimately in control because they’re the ones signing them checks,” Wallace joked.

Jordan replied: “The thing is, we don’t sign checks to losers.”

While Jordan, Hamlin and Wallace appeared loose and ready to tackle the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, all eyes are on the newly formed team as a mixture of star power and expectation of performance leave them with plenty of pressure.

“From the start of this season to the end of the season,” Hamlin said, “I just want to see the arrow going in the right direction.”

 

 

Posted on by Staff Report

The No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota driven by Bubba Wallace will start at the rear of the field after failing pre-race inspection twice before the Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Wallace was set to roll off sixth in the first Cup race for the Michael Jordan-Denny Hamlin co-owned organization after placing second in the second of two Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona.

RELATED: Full Daytona 500 lineup | Multiple teams going to the rear to start the race

As a result of the multiple failures, car chief Greg Emmer has been ejected.

In seven starts at Daytona, Wallace has two top fives, including a fifth-place finish in his most recent run there in August of 2020. His best Cup result came in the 2018 Daytona 500 with Richard Petty Motorsports — a runner-up result in that race to winner Austin Dillon.

All told, 10 cars will start from the back in today’s Daytona 500. In addition to the No. 23, the following cars will move to the back:

  • Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (qualified: 24th; backup car)
  • Kaz Grala, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (qualified: 40th; backup car)
  • Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (qualified: 26th; radiator change)
  • William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (qualified: 2nd; multiple inspection failures)
  • Anthony Alfredo, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (qualified: 36th; backup car)
  • Erik Jones, No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet (qualified: 31st; engine change)
  • Cole Custer, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (qualified: 27th; backup car)
  • Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (qualified: 30th; backup car)
  • Ross Chastain, No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet (qualified: 34th; backup car)

RELATED: Denny Hamlin aims to create ‘Google of race shops’

Posted on by Reid Spencer

In a stunning upset at the end of an action-filled, rain-interrupted Daytona 500, Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell claimed his first NASCAR Cup Series victory after charging into the lead during a brutal multi-car wreck in Turn 3 on the final lap.

“I can’t believe it,” McDowell said. “I’ve got to thank God. So many years of just grinding it out, hoping for an opportunity like this. I’ve got to thank (team owner) Bob Jenkins for giving me this opportunity. I’m so thankful. 

“What a great way to get a first victory — in the Daytona 500!”

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Daytona

In fact, McDowell, who led only the final lap at 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway, is the eighth driver to get his first Cup win in The Great American Race. His victory is the third for Front Row Motorsports — all coming in the No. 34 Ford with three different drivers: David Ragan at Talladega Superspeedway, Chris Buescher at Pocono Raceway and McDowell at Daytona. And according to Racing Insights, McDowell’s 358 starts before his first win is the second-longest streak to Michael Waltrip’s 463, which also ended with a Daytona 500 victory.

Reigning series champion Chase Elliott finished second after contact between the Team Penske Fords of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano ignited the final wreck, sending the Toyota of Kyle Busch rocketing into the outside wall. When NASCAR illuminated the caution lights, McDowell was in the lead over Elliott by a car length. 

“I saw the lights come on (for the caution), and I knew it was over right then,” Elliott said. “We had a fast car. We weren’t as good as I thought we were on Thursday (in the Duel 150-mile qualifying race). I thought we did a really good job of executing today, staying out of trouble.

“That’s not something I’ve done a very good job of here in this race, so I’m glad we could at least finish this race and have something to build on for when we come back and try to do better.”

RELATED: Chase Elliott comes up just short | Teammates tangle ends Penske’s Daytona 500 bid 

Austin Dillon ran third, followed by Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin, who fell short in his attempt to win a record third straight Daytona 500. Hamlin won the first two stages but lost the lead during the final cycle of green-flag pit stops when the small contingent of Toyotas got separated while exiting pit road.

Hamlin took the lead in the second stage after a cycle of green-flag pit stops and held it through the fifth caution of the race, which waved when Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell cut a left-rear tire and spun into the Chevrolet of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

At that point, Hamlin had led 58 laps, bringing his total of laps led in the Daytona 500 to 434, fifth all time and one ahead of Bobby Allison. Hamlin had led 34 consecutive laps to win Stage 1 after racing resumed Sunday night. He finished with a race-high 98 laps led.

On Lap 14, before a long rain delay, off-center contact from Bell’s Toyota to the rear bumper of Aric Almirola’s Ford sent Almirola spinning near the front of the field, triggering a massive 16-car pile-up that inexorably altered the complexion of the race.

“We were just getting pushed too hard too early,” Almirola said. “It’s a long, long race. Man, we were in a fine position, just sitting there riding around in the top two, three, and the 20 (Bell) just came with a big run and hit me really hard in a bad spot and it turned me to the right and tore up our race car and ended our Daytona 500 way too early.” 

Collected in the wreck were: Ryan Newman, making his first Daytona 500 start since the devastating last-lap wreck that put him in the hospital a year ago; Erik Jones, in his first start in a points race for his new team, Richard Petty Motorsports; Daniel Suarez, in his first run with newly formed Trackhouse Racing, a joint venture between Justin Marks and rapper Pitbull; and pole-sitter Alex Bowman, whose No. 48 Chevrolet was wiped out when Almirola shot up the track into the side of his car and rammed it into the wall. 

“It looks like the No. 10 (Almirola) kind of got turned sideways there, and I was the guy that got ran into,” Bowman said after an obligatory trip to the infield care center. “Bummer – I hate it for (sponsor) Ally. Obviously, we had a really fast Camaro. The Chevrolets were working good together; hopefully, a Chevy still ends up in Victory Lane. 

MORE: Early stack-up sidelines contenders

“Hats off to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports; they built some really fast race cars. Hate that superspeedway racing works out that way sometimes, but that’s just part of the game.”

Also heavily damaged in the melee were the cars of William Byron, Kurt Busch, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, David Ragan, Jamie McMurray and Matt DiBenedetto. To add insult to injury, nearby lightning strikes delayed the restart of the race and heavy rains followed shortly thereafter.

Five hours and 40 minutes later, after the rain abated and the track dried, engines were re-fired at 9:07 p.m. ET, and the race resumed with 24 cars on the lead lap. The NASCAR Cup Series’ next race is scheduled Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM) at Daytona’s 3.61-mile road-course layout.

Notes: In his first points race for the new 23XI Racing team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, Bubba Wallace ran near the front of the pack throughout the race but lost a lap with an unscheduled pit stop for a vibration on Lap 178 of 200. Wallace was caught up in the last-lap wreck and finished 17th…  Kyle Larson ran 10th in his first trip in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet… Austin Cindric’s strong Cup debut ended in the last-lap wreck that claimed three Team Penske cars… Ryan Preece, Ross Chastain, Jamie McMurray and Corey LaJoie claimed the sixth through ninth finishing positions, respectively… .

NOTE: The No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford of Michael McDowell passed post-race technical inspection early Monday morning after winning the NASCAR Cup Series’ Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway. There were no other issues.

Contributing: Staff reports