5:30 p.m.
Justin Haley has won the rain-shortened Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway, his first at NASCAR’s top level.
Haley took the lead under warning – Kurt Busch surrendered the top spot when he pitted for new tires and was declared the winner after heavy rain followed two lightning flaws. There were 33 laps left when the 160-lap race was halted.
Haley was 27th when leader Austin Dillon triggered a 17-car crash which took out almost half the area and most of the top contenders. He passed a range of wrecked cars and then several more that left pit stops.
The 20-year-old Haley won’t lock in a place in the playoffs, however. He is a full-time driver at the second-tier Xfinity Series and has been making his third Cup Series beginning – for newcomer Spire Motorsports. The team’s No. 77 Chevrolet can procure a postseason bid, but only as long as it winds up in the top 30 in points.
Nonetheless, it was a fitting end for the closing July race at NASCAR’s most famous track.
The event, which was postponed a day because of rain, has been plagued with inclement weather and filled with unpredictable winners in the past couple of years. It is moving to late August in 2020 – the regular-season finale – as part of NASCAR’s major schedule shake-up.
William Byron finished second, followed by seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and Ty Dillon. Manufacturer Chevrolet won for the second successive week and took the top four spots.
Ryan Newman was fifth in a Ford.
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4:30 p.m.
Drivers Bubba Wallace and Daniel Hemric amused lovers during two lightning delays by throwing a football across the trail and into the stands.
Wallace and Hemric each had a couple of throws and even got booed a little.
But it surely gave fans a reason to stick around for at least an hour without any racing.
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3:18 p.m.
Lighting has halted the NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway with Justin Haley at the lead.
The 20-year-old Haley is a part time motorist for newcomer Spire Motorsports. He finished second in Friday night’s second-tier Xfinity Series race while forcing for Kaulig Racing. That is his third Cup Series start.
Kurt Busch was leading the 400-mile race after a 17-car wreck. But Busch ducked onto pit road for fuel under warning. That left Haley front, and when the red flag was pulled because of a nearby lightning strike, it left Busch in 18th. As cars were parked and covered on pit road.
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3 p.m.
With dark clouds looming and the close of the race in sight, leader Austin Dillon wrecked nearly half the area at Daytona International Speedway.
“The Big One” occurred on Lap 119 in Turn 1 and involved 17 cars – many of them in the front of the area.
Clint Bowyer was pushing Dillon into the front on the outside and made a tough move left to try and pass the leader. Dillon turned left No. 3 Chevrolet, branded Bowyer and then began spinning and taking out rivals.
“I guess he didn’t want me to pass him,” Bowyer said.
All four Joe Gibbs Racing cars – Deny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and defending race winner Erik Jones – were included. So were Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott.
“I was being aggressive and trying to keep the guide,” Dillon said.” That is exactly what you get.”
Kurt Busch managed to get through the melee unscathed.
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