Posted on by Staff Report

Competition officials penalized two NASCAR Cup Series teams Tuesday for lug-nut infractions that occurred after Daytona 500 preliminary events last week at Daytona International Speedway.

RELATED: Cup Series standings

The No. 2 Team Penske Ford (driver Brad Keselowski) and the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (Bubba Wallace) were each found with one lug nut not safely secured in post-race checks. The Penske team’s violation of the NASCAR Rule Book’s Section 10.9.10.4 (Tires and wheels) was discovered after the Busch Clash exhibition on Feb. 9; the 23XI infraction occurred after the second Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying race last Thursday.

As a result, officials assessed a $10,000 fine each to crew chiefs Jeremy Bullins (No. 2 Ford) and Michael Wheeler (No. 23 Toyota).

NASCAR officials also announced a behavioral penalty for Michael Leoncini, who is listed on the Daytona event rosters as a hauler driver for GMS Racing’s No. 26 Chevrolet team in the Camping World Truck Series. Leoncini, 61, has been suspended indefinitely under Section 12.8.1.e of the NASCAR Rule Book, which details member actions such as discrimination or criminal charges/convictions that could result in suspension.

Posted on by Jerry Bonkowski

For nearly 40 years, Mark Martin was known as one of the toughest opponents in NASCAR. No matter if your name was Gordon, Johnson, Earnhardt, Stewart or others, if you saw Martin’s car closing on you in your rearview mirror, you knew you were in for a battle.

But since retiring following the 2013 NASCAR Cup season, Martin has gotten far away from racing.

“I’m retired,” the 62-year-old NASCAR Hall of Famer emphatically told NASCAR.com. “I’m really enjoying retired life, that’s really all I’ve got going on. I enjoy seeing and spending time with family and seeing friends and traveling and seeing the country. Arlene (his wife) and I have done a good bit of motor coaching.”

While Martin is far removed from the sport these days, he admits to missing one thing in particular.

“The thing I guess I really miss about racing is the people,” he said. “Working with a team was like a family, the energy of the fans and whatnot. So I kind of miss that. But 40 years of competing at the highest level, and digging as hard as I could possibly dig with every ounce of focus I had, I’m done with that.

“I’m not interested in competing in anything. I don’t even like to play cards or games or anything that requires competing.”

RELATED: Mark Martin’s career through the years

That doesn’t mean Martin has been forgotten by the racing community.

“People always say, ‘Well, just come and practice, come and test,’” he said. “I get offers all the time. I have no interest in driving a race car. I did it for over 40 years against the likes of Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart for wins and championships and it was intense as hell. I don’t want to do it.”

That Martin walked away from the sport that consumed more than two-thirds of his life is somewhat surprising, given his competitive nature and his undying devotion and focus to chasing the checkered flag. If there was a race to be run, Martin was in it to win it.

“I did it to win, not because it was fun to go around in circles,” Martin said. “I did it because I was halfway good at that and I wasn’t good at anything else.

“I have to come to grips with it and live my life and enjoy it and have a good time and enjoy family and enjoy working on the mechanical stuff, especially with my motor home. … I just stay busy. I’m really happy with this chapter, where I’m at now and where I’m headed.”

Instead of driving close to 200 mph at places like Daytona and Talladega, Martin’s focus these days is on a much slower pace of life.

He sold his private jet, doesn’t fly anymore and is involved in a number of businesses, particularly around his Batesville, Arkansas, hometown.

“I don’t have anything interesting, I’m just Mr. Fixit every day,” he said with a laugh. “There’s always something. Really, to be honest with you, I spend 50 percent of my time fixing stuff that I tear up and probably another 25 percent fixing things that need to be fixed. … I just live a real calm and normal life.”

While racing was No. 1 on his priority list for four decades, today it’s barely a blip on his attention meter.

“I’m completely away from (NASCAR),” Martin said. “I mean, I know less about what’s going on than the average fan.

“I love racing with all my heart. It’s just something that I’m not interested in doing (anymore). I want to do other things. I want another chapter in my life before it closes. And in something that’s different than what I did the past 40 years.”

During his NASCAR career, Martin won nearly 100 races — including 40 in Cup and 49 in Xfinity — and capped off his outstanding tenure behind the wheel with his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017.

While proud and humbled to be selected, Martin admits “I was embarrassed because I didn’t feel like I belonged when I looked up at the banners of the Bill Frances, the Junior Johnsons, the Dale Earnhardts and Richard Pettys and Cale Yarboroughs, David Pearson. I didn’t feel worthy of being in that crowd, especially as early as I felt like I went in (was inducted).

“There were a lot of greats and heroes of mine that needed to go in before I went in. So, I was a little bit embarrassed, totally, completely humbled, and to this day, I’m still humbled by the fans and the way they supported me all through my career.”

RELATED: Mark Martin among 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class

Martin had numerous memorable wins in his NASCAR career, but none more noteworthy to him than the 2009 Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix Raceway, when he became only the fourth driver 50 years or older in the sport’s history to take the checkered flag. (The others are Harry Gant, 52; Morgan Shepherd, 51; and Bobby Allison, 50.)

“I just had this dream of experiencing winning one more time in my life,“ Martin said, “It was such an electrifying win with so much positive energy from (crew chief) Alan Gustafson and everybody on the team, Rick Hendrick, the fans, and especially all the competitors that came to Victory Lane.”

The win on the 1-mile Phoenix oval would spur him to earn four additional wins that year, finishing second in the championship battle to Jimmie Johnson.

Martin hung up his helmet after the 2013 season and he has never climbed back into a Cup car since. But he did finally scratch the racing itch in 2017 when he competed in a one-off, late-model race in Nova Scotia.

While Martin was happy to be back in a race car, the man renowned for setting high standards for himself in his NASCAR career was not happy with his finish (28th in the 30-driver field), seeing his day come to a premature end just 57 laps into the 250-lap event due to mechanical failure.

“I was not satisfied with my performance,” he said. “I actually wanted to just go up there and sign autographs and everything and didn’t want to race, but the only way we could make the deal work was for me to drive the car.”

While it’s been a while since Martin went to a Cup race, he loves to get back to his roots and take in events at local tracks around Batesville, as well as in locales when he’s traveling.

“I like the dirt races, especially the late model dirt series like the Lucas Oil (Late Model) Dirt Series,” he said. “I love the late models and keep up with them a lot. I’ll slip out to a local race track once in a while just to see grassroots people and kind of relate to where I came from.

“That’s the thing with me, just connecting or reconnecting with that like I was before all the NASCAR racing, just the kid that I was in Arkansas growing up before I jumped on that runaway freight train (of NASCAR). Just reconnecting to grassroots people and racers and people that have a passion for the same kind of things that I do: motor coaches, big trucks and car racing.”

Including his early days racing in American Speed Association, Martin competed in well over 1,200 races in his career. He faced the greatest drivers of all time, including the late Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon and so many more.

But when asked who was the toughest competitor he ever faced, Martin surprised with his answer.

“That might be Larry Phillips,” Martin said of the Springfield, Missouri, native who was a legend on short tracks primarily in the Midwest. “He was unbelievable, quite a guy. He gave me my first job. I worked for him in the ’70s, the summer of 1977, and raced against him every Friday and Saturday night of ’77.”

Phillips passed away in 2004 at the age of 62.

“You could look up his history,” Martin said of Phillips. “One year, he won like 93 percent or 88 percent of the NASCAR regional races he entered, but we can’t get him into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. It’s unbelievable. I think his records beat anything or anywhere. It’s unbelievable what he did.”

Martin then added about Phillips, “He beat you with a slow car, maybe more often than Earnhardt would beat you with a slow car.”

Even though Martin has been out of NASCAR going on eight years, he remains a big fan favorite. Much of that popularity is due to his reputation as a tough competitor but also a driver who raced others cleanly and fairly.

“It is certainly humbling,” Martin said of his still large and loyal fan base. “I just always tried to stay real, tried to stay true to who I was and what I believed. I tried to be a man, tried to take my lumps like a man, and just tried to be fair on the race track. I raced hard, but I also raced very fair.

“And it endeared a lot of fans to me, I’m not sure why because I’m a pretty boring person.

“I did race hard and I tried hard. And I endured a lot of heartbreaks and failures along the way. I just feel like the fans supported me all through my career, beyond anything that I could have ever dreamed. And that’s why I still had rides up into my 50s when many don’t because of the fan support. It was just amazing and they had a huge hand in my success and especially in my longevity.”

Martin remains a recognizable figure, even in the most remote locales.

“The other day it was fueling my coach at a truck stop and the guy fueling his truck next to me said, ‘Hi, Mark,’” Martin said. “That was kind of unusual. I also have a strong social media presence with Twitter and Instagram and Facebook. … And the Twitter following is unbelievable, so I engage with the fans that way, more than most retired racers.”

“ … Things can change, but I don’t expect you to see me in a race car again. I have no desire to drive a race car. I’m enjoying another chapter in my life.”

To hear the full interview with Mark Martin, check out The Racing Beat on the BLEAV Podcast Network (BLEAV.com) and your favorite podcast platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and more.

 The Mark Martin file:

* Age: 62

* Hometown: Batesville, Arkansas.

* NASCAR Cup Series career: 882 starts, 40 wins, 271 top-five and 453 top-10 finishes.

* Even though he never won a Cup championship, he did record five runner-up finishes in the drivers’ standings.

* NASCAR Xfinity career: 236 starts, 49 wins, 112 top-five and 152 top-10 finishes.

* First Cup season: 1981. Earned two poles in five starts, with a best finish of third at Martinsville Speedway.

* Last Cup season: 2013, when he retired at the age of 54. Competed in 28 of that season’s 36 races, with a season-best finish of third in the Daytona 500.

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.”