Austin Dillon wins first Daytona 500 in Stunning Finish

Austin Dillon earned his second career victory on Sunday and his first in the Daytona 500. Dillon and leader Aric Almirola made contact entering turn three that ultimately sent Almirola into the outside wall. Dillon went on to cross the finish line and earn his second career victory.

" I guess I could have lifted and given it to him," Dillon stated in the post-race media availability. "I guess that was my other option, give up a Daytona 500 ring that I'm wearing.  I don't know, I'm glad he's not mad.  If he needs to do it to me at Talladega for everybody to feel good, I've got a Daytona 500 championship trophy, ring, whatever.  I don't care.  I've got the 3 back in Victory Lane at the date.  It feels pretty good."

While first place was way out there, the real battle was for second between both Darrell Wallace Jr. and 2016 Daytona 500 Champion Denny Hamlin. Wallace edged Hamlin for second by mere inches.

"It looked kind of like the same move he pulled on Ryan at Martinsville if I remember correctly last year with that mayhem.  But you know, if I did -- if that happened, okay, so be it, but it just seems like he got off of me a little bit and then turned back into me.  I know the cars drive crazy and whatnot and they're a handful, but it just didn't seem like that right away, but it was tough to see from that angle anyways."

2015 Daytona 500 Champion Joey Logano finished fourth followed by Chris Buescher.

The race was slowed by cautions a total of 8 times for 37 laps. The lead was changed 24 times across 14 drivers with Ryan Blaney leading the most laps at 118.

Results from Daytona

  1. Austin Dillon
  2. Darrell Wallace Jr. 
  3. Denny Hamlin
  4. Joey Logano
  5. Chris Buescher
  6. Paul Menard
  7. Ryan Blaney
  8. Ryan Newman
  9. Michael McDowell
  10. AJ Allmendinger
  11. Aric Almirola
  12. Justin Marks
  13. Trevor Bayne
  14. David Gilliland
  15. Clint Bowyer
  16. Jamie McMurray
  17. Alex Bowman
  18. Martin Truex Jr. 
  19. Kyle Larson
  20. Gray Gaulding
  21. Jeffrey Earnhardt
  22. Mark Thompson
  23. William Byron
  24. DJ Kennington
  25. Kyle Busch
  26. Kurt Busch
  27. Matt DiBenedetto
  28. Brendan Gaughan 
  29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 
  30. David Ragan 
  31. Kevin Harvick
  32. Brad Keselowski
  33. Chase Elliott
  34. Kasey Kahne
  35. Danica Patrick
  36. Erik Jones
  37. Daniel Suarez
  38. Jimmie Johnson
  39. Ty Dillon
  40. Corey LaJoie
Photo Credit - Jonathan McCoy/The Motorsports News Source and Rubbings Racing

Comments

Post a Comment