A lap 13 crash eliminated numerous cars from the Daytona 500(Photo: Getty Images)
During today’s race I will be offering a ‘Live Updates’ sort of blog presentation on this page that will feature updates of the significant moments within the Daytona 500, driver quotes from those moments, scanner chatter, and running orders throughout the day as well as the final finishing order.
These updates will be in addition to posts from @RichardAllenIDR & @ICTwebsite on Twitter.
Scroll through the page regularly as information will be added frequently.
The 63rd annual Daytona 500 will be aired live on Fox with ‘NASCAR Race Day’ beginning at 1:00pm(eastern). Actual race coverage begins at 2:30pm. Engines will be fired just before 3:00pm with the green flag set to wave shortly afterwards.
MRN will provide radio coverage of the race beginning at 1:30pm.
Denny Hamlin has won a total of three Daytona 500s, including the last two. Other former winners in this year’s race are Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, and Derrick Cope.
Hamlin’s three wins are the only victories in the Daytona 500 for Toyota. Chevrolet has won this race 24 times with the most recent by Dillon in 2018. Ford has 14 wins with the most recent by Busch in 2017.
The starting lineup was determined by a combination of qualifying, where the top-2 were locked onto the starting grid, and two ‘Duel’ races which set the remainder of the field.
Starting Lineup: 1. Alex Bowman(48), 2. William Byron(24), 3. Aric Almirola(10), 4. Austin Dillon(3), 5. Christopher Bell(20), 6. Bubba Wallace(23), 7. Ryan Newman(6), 8. Kevin Harvick(4), 9. Joey Logano(22), 10. Kyle Busch(18), 11. Ryan Preece(37), 12. Chase Elliott(9), 13. Kyle Larson(5), 14. Ryan Blaney(12), 15. Daniel Suarez(99), 16. Corey LaJoie(7), 17. Michael McDowell(34), 18. David Ragan(36), 19. Jamie McMurray(77), 20. Kurt Busch(1), 21. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.(47), 22. Chris Buescher(17), 23. Matt DiBenedtto(21), 24. Brad Keselowski(2), 25. Denny Hamlin(11), 26. Martin Truex, Jr.(19), 27. Cole Custer(41), 28. Joey Gase(53), 29. Tyler Reddick(8), 30. Chase Briscoe(14), 31. Erik Jones(43), 32. Derrick Cope(15), 33. Quin Houff(00), 34. Ross Chastain(42), 35. Cody Ware(51), 36. Anthony Alfredo(38), 37. Josh Bilicki(52), 38. B.J. McLeod(78), 39. Austin Cindric(33), 40. Kaz Grala(16)
Drivers having to drop to the tail of the field prior to the start due to various changes include: William Byron, Brad Keselowski, Chase Briscoe, Kaz Grala, Anthony Alfredo, Cole Custer, Ross Chastain, Erik Jones, and Martin Truex, Jr.
The weather forecast calls for scattered thundershowers this afternoon in Daytona Beach, FL.
The full race length is 200 laps(500 miles)
The end of Stage 1 will occur on lap 65.
The end of Stage 2 will occur on lap 130.
1:50- The No. 23 Toyota of Bubba Wallace failed pre-race inspection twice. A crew member has been ejected by NASCAR and the car will have to start from the tail.
2:45- Opening ceremonies underway.
2:55- Engines fired!
3:07- Green flag!
Lap 1- Alex Bowman leads Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch.
Caution on lap 2 for debris left from a blown tire on Derrick Cope’s car. Harvick leads Almirola, Bell, Newman, Bowman, Kyle Busch, Logano.
Bubba Wallace to pit road for damage to the left rear of his car. Possible contact with Cope. The 23 is back out at the tail of the field.
Lap 8- Back to green.
Lap 13- Huge crash. Looked like Almirola got a push from Christopher Bell which sent him spinning. Bowman, Truex, Blaney, Byron, Reddick, Kurt Busch, Suarez, Newman, DiBenedetto, Jones, Buescher, Ragan, McMurray all involved with most taking heavy damage.
Lap 15- Red flag for a lightning strike in the are. Cars will be on pit road until lightning/rain is done.
Current top-10 running order: 1. Harvick, 2. Bell, 3. Dillon, 4. Ky Busch, 5. Elliott, 6. Larson, 7. Preece, 8. Logano, 9. McDowell, 10. Stenhouse
3:40- Heavy rain falling at the track.
3:50- Rain appears to have slowed or stopped. Air Titans working to dry the track.
3:56- Reports are that rain has returned.
Quote from Alex Bowman regarding the big crash- “It looks like he(Almirola) kind of got turned sideways and there I was the guy that got ran into. Bummer, I hate it for Ally. Obviously, we had a really fast Camaro. The Chevrolet’s were working good together. Hopefully a Chevy still ends up in Victory Lane.”
4:38- NASCAR reporting just an occasional sprinkle all the way around the track.
Quote from Joey Logano, who was in the middle of three-wide when the lap 13 crash occurred- “It was real close. In the middle is sometimes the hardest place to avoid a crash. I saw a car going to the outside wall and my only chance was to go to the inside. The thing I noticed was how many cars went into the grass and destroyed their cars. That’s something to put in my memory bank.”
4:44- NASCAR sending the Air Titans back out to the track.
5:20- NASCAR still working to dry the track but there is a long way to go.
6:00- Raining again at the track.
6:30- NASCAR sending the Air Titans back on the track and declares that “Radar shows that we might have a window.”
8:00- Track workers report that they are making significant progress drying the track.
8:20- NASCAR hoping to restart the race around 9:00.
8:47- Drivers have been called to their cars.
The first stage still has 50 laps remaining.
9:07- Engines have fired! Red flag time was just over 5 hours and 40 minutes.
The 6-minute damage repair clock has expired for Buescher, DiBenedetto and Alfredo. They are eliminated from the race.
9:32- Going back to green on lap 30.
Lap 38 caution for crash involving Briscoe and Houff. Hamlin leads Keselowski, Wallace, Ky Busch, Logano, Preece, McDowell, Cindric, Harvick, Dillon.
Lap 50- Single-file around the top. Hamlin leads Ky Busch, Preece, Cindric, Dillon.
End of stage 1- Hamlin wins the stage over Preece, Dillon, Larson, Cindric, Bell, Wallace, Logano, Chastain, Custer.
Lap 77- Back to single-file on the top with Bell leading Ky Busch, Hamlin, Dillon, Cindric, Logano, Larson, Elliott, Wallace, Chastain.
Lap 100- The race is now official. Bell leads Ky Busch, Hamlin, Dillon, Cindric, Logano, Larson, Elliott, Chastain, and Preece.
Lap 111 caution for crash involving Bell, Stenhouse, Larson. All cars continue but damaged.
Lap 130- Hamlin wins stage 2 over Harvick, Wallace, Elliott, Dillon, Logano, McDowell, Larson, Ky Busch, Keselowski. Got racy at the end of the stage.
Taking the green with 64 laps to go.
Lap 140- Single-file around the top with Hamlin leading Harvick, Logano, Ky Busch, Cindric, Custer, Dillon, Elliott, Preece, McMurray
Lap 164 of 200- Hamlin leads Harvick, Logano, Ky Busch, Cindric, Custer
25 to go- Final pit stops complete. Logano now leads Harvick, Custer, Keselowski, Chastain, Dillon, Elliott, Ky Busch, Preece, Larson, Hamlin
10 to go- Logano leads Harvick, Keselowski, McDowell, Dillon
Big crash on the last lap when Keselowski and Logano got together. Michael McDowell gets his first career win.
Finish: 1. Michael McDowell, 2. Austin Dillon, 3. Chase Elliott, 4. Denny Hamlin, 5. Kevin Harvick, 6. Ross Chastain, 7. Ryan Preece, 8. Jamie McMurray, 9. Corey LaJoie, 10. Kyle Larson, 11. Cole Custer, 12. Joey Logano, 13. Brad Keselowski, 14. Kyle Busch, 15. Austin Cindric, 16. Christopher Bell, 17. Bubba Wallace, 18. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. , 19. Chase Briscoe, 20. Joey Gase, 21. Cody Ware, 22. Kurt Busch, 23. BJ McLeod, 24. Josh Bilicki, 25. Martin Truex, Jr., 26. William Byron, 27. Tyler Reddick, 28. Kaz Grala, 29. Quin Houff, 30. Ryan Blaney, 31. Chris Buescher, 32. Anthony Alfredo, 33. Matt DiBenedetto, 34. Aric Almirola, 35. Alex Bowman, 36. Daniel Suarez, 37. David Ragan, 38. Ryan Newman, 39. Erik Jones, 40. Derrick Cope