In some of the dramatic races of the season, 23-year-old second-generation driver Harrison Burton made a final lap go on two-time NASCAR Cup Sequence champion Kyle Busch in time beyond regulation at Daytona Worldwide Speedway to earn his first profession NASCAR Cup Sequence win and ship his legendary Wooden Brothers Racing workforce its historic a hundredth victory.
Huge wrecks, superb passes, and in the end some of the memorable and common victories of the yr characterised a busy, busy Coke Zero Sugar 400 on the Daytona excessive banks that had large impact on the NASCAR Playoff outlook now with solely a single race left to resolve which 16 drivers will advance to championship competition.
Burton bought an enormous push on the backstretch from a first-time NASCAR Cup Sequence starter, Parker Retzlaff, permitting Burton’s No. 21 Wooden Brothers Ford to tug alongside and in the end by race chief Busch who stayed on Burton’s bumper to the end line, however was unable to go him again.
HARRISON BURTON WINS AT DAYTONA! #NASCAR | NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/cEEClLuHi9
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 25, 2024
The win is an computerized ticket for Burton into the NASCAR Cup Sequence Playoffs after not even being among the many high 20 in factors coming into the race. It was a vastly common victory for the younger driver with a lot of his opponents coming by to congratulate him on pit street and in victory lane.
“That’s what the game is about,’’ Burton’s father, NBC Sports activities broadcaster and former NASCAR Cup Sequence standout Jeff Burton stated after high-fiving his colleagues within the tv sales space, overcome with emotion watching his son declare his first main race victory.
Harrison Burton was equally as emotional – claiming his win by a fraction of a second — 0.047s – over the two-time sequence champion Busch.
“I cried the entire victory lap,” Burton stated. “I clearly bought fired from this job and wished to do the whole lot for the Wooden Brothers I might; they’ve given me a tremendous alternative in life and to present the a hundredth [win] on my approach out is superb. We’re within the Playoffs now. Let’s go to Darlington and see what occurs.’’
On Saturday night time, the query, was “what didn’t occur?” The race featured 16 leaders and 40 lead modifications. The winner solely led a single lap. There have been two variations of the Daytona “Huge One” – multi-car accidents that, on this night time, eradicated one race chief after one other. Solely 5 vehicles took the checkered flag with out being concerned in some kind of incident.
Burton and Busch bought the possibility to settle the trophy after an accident on the entrance of the sector with solely two laps of regulation remaining compelled the time beyond regulation interval.
Late race chief, Staff Penske’s Austin Cindric was pushed from behind inflicting his No. 2 Ford to maneuver into Josh Berry’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford alongside him. The facet affect launched Berry’s Mustang airward sending it on a wild trip on the backstretch.
Berry, who led eight laps, earned his first stage win of the season and contended for the victory all night time, climbed out of the automotive on the backstraight with the assistance of the security workforce, then waved to the gang and acquired an enormous spherical of applause.
“I’m all good. Truly it most likely wasn’t as unhealthy because it regarded,’’ Berry stated after being checked within the infield medical heart. “However man, I’m bummed. We had a [great] night time going. We have been in place and actually pleased with the job I did tonight and the workforce did tonight. We have been in competition.’’
Solely seven laps earlier there was a 14-car crash on the entrance of the sector that eradicated one other race chief – pole winner Michael McDowell, whose No. 34 Entrance Row Motorsports Ford launched airborne, turned sideways and got here again down on all 4 tires, the melee amassing frontrunners Joey Logano – who led a race finest 34 of the 164 laps on the night time, Justin Haley, Kyle Larson and championship factors chief Tyler Reddick, amongst others.
Bubba Wallace, who’s in a decent three-car battle for the ultimate Playoff factors place, was concerned too, however his 23XI Racing workforce was capable of make fast repairs and return to the monitor. He completed sixth however continues to be on the surface wanting in for a Playoff place.
With Burton’s win, Wallace now finds himself ranked seventeenth within the standings – 21 factors off the tempo of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher, who’s holding down that sixteenth and last Playoff place after incomes a tenth place end Saturday.
Ross Chastain, the third driver in tight competition for the ultimate Playoff place based mostly on factors, rallied to complete twelfth. He’s ranked 18th, 27 factors behind Buescher.
Busch, who now has top-five finishes within the final three races, is actually in want of a victory subsequent weekend within the common season finale at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. He’s 106 factors under the cutoff line regardless of his latest string of robust finishes.
“Simply irritating, you recognize?’’ the Richard Childress Racing driver Busch stated of simply lacking out on the win, which might not solely have punched his Playoff ticket but in addition prolonged his streak of 19 seasons with at the very least one victory.
“We win races right here in Daytona going into the final restart however haven’t been capable of pull off the victory. Unsure what I’m doing improper or lacking,’’ Busch stated, explaining, “I wished to rise up in entrance of the No. 21 [Burton] as a result of I knew the momentum was coming there, however I knew the No. 20 [former teammate Christopher Bell] was a greater buddy [behind]. Simply didn’t work out, as normal.’’
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bell completed third, adopted by Rick Ware Racing’s Cody Ware and JGR’s Ty Gibbs. Wallace was sixth. Brad Keselowski was seventh, adopted by Retzlaff in his sequence debut, Daniel Hemric and Buescher.
The primary spherical of drama occurred on lap 61 when 17 vehicles have been concerned in an accident exiting Flip 4.
Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet triggered the accident in tight-quarter racing. It collected Chastain and compelled quite a few pit stops for the Floridian who’s attempting to earn one of many final factors positions within the Playoffs.
It additionally concerned championship frontrunners Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson to various levels.
Elliott and Hamlin needed to retire their vehicles with the injury and have been scored thirty sixth and thirty eighth respectively. Reddick nonetheless managed to complete twenty eighth. Larson, who was concerned in a number of incidents on the night time, completed twenty first.
Heading to the common season finale subsequent weekend, Reddick maintains a 17-point edge atop the standings over Larson. Elliott is now 18 factors again. The common season champion earns a priceless 15-point bonus to hold with him via the 10-race Playoffs.
The common season concludes with subsequent Sunday night time’s Prepare dinner Out Southern 500 on the historic Darlington Raceway (6 p.m. ET, USA Community, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Larson is the defending race winner.
