(FS1)
Michael McDowell won the Daytona 500 thanks to a fiery last-lap crash that knocked out the leaders.
The 36-year-old Arizona native withstood two of the biggest annual challenges at Daytona International Speedway — wrecks and rain —to earn the first NASCAR Cup Series victory of his career. Both of those obstacles started early.
The first big wreck happened on lap 14, as Tampa’s Aric Almirola battled for second. Cristopher Bell nudged Almirola from behind, forcing the No. 10 Ford to veer right into pole-sitter Alex Bowman.
“Unbelievable,” Almirola told his team on the radio. “Unbelievable.”
The pile-up collected 16 drivers. Among them: Ryan Newman, who survived a vicious crash in last year’s 500, and former Cup champions Martin Truex Jr. and Kurt Busch.
Almirola, a Hillsborough High alumnus who grew up rooting for the Bucs and Lightning, had hoped to become the latest addition to Champa Bay. Instead, he finished 34th in the 40-car field.
After the collision came the condensation. Rain brought out the red flag for five hours and 40 minutes, leading the matinee to turn into a primetime showcase that ended after midnight. At least two drivers — Chase Briscoe and Ross Chastain — passed the time by snagging meals from nearby drive-thrus.
When the rain disappeared in the evening, the elements were still an issue; fog limited spotters’ visibility during the second stage.
A wreck on lap 112 weakened the field more. Christopher Bell — who led 32 laps through the first two stages — lost control of his No. 20 Toyota thanks to a flat tire. The ensuing four-car incident also damaged Kyle Larson, who spent most of the second stage among the leaders.
As the race settled down, some of the perennial contenders stayed near the front. Two-time defending race champion Denny Hamlin won both of the first two stages. Former race and series champion Kevin Harvick, wasn’t far behind.
Neither was Bubba Wallace. The 2018 runner-up had one of the night’s best cars, on a new team (23XI Racing) co-owned by Hamlin and basketball legend Michael Jordan.
The Tampa-born Hamlin led 98 of the first 180 laps but fell into trouble with pit-stop strategy. The field made their final stops by car manufacturer —Fords on one lap, followed by Chevrolets on the next and Toyotas soon after. When Hamlin and the other Toyotas returned to the track, they were stretched out and left without drafting partners. That aerodynamic disadvantage allowed the Ford pack led by Joey Logano to take the lead. Hamlin dropped outside the top 10.
From there, Logano and Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski were involved in a fiery last-lap crash. McDowell’s No. 34 Ford went by unscathed and was leading when the caution flag flew, giving McDowell the first victory of his Cup career.