Denny Hamlin Wins Daytona 500, Newman Taken to Hospital Following Accident

Originally written for CLNS Media.

Denny Hamlin won the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 on Monday night from Daytona International Speedway.

Hamlin won his third Daytona 500 on Sunday following a photo finish with Ryan Blaney.

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Hamlin, who was one of the favorites going into the weekend, said it was unexpected to win his second-consecutive Daytona 500.

“I knew [Ryan Newman and Blaney] were going to come with a big run right there; my job was to just not put a block that was going to wreck me,” Hamlin said.  “I got to the 12 [of Blaney’s] bumper, got to pushing him there and I knew I was going to give him a big run.”

Hamlin’s celebration was subdued as teams waited to hear any information on Newman, who wrecked coming to the checkered flag.  Newman was turned into the outside wall, flipped and was hit in the driver’s side by Corey LaJoie. 

Newman was extracted from his car by safety personnel and taken to the local hospital.

Drivers up and down pit road were worried about Newman’s condition.

“We pushed Newman there to the lead, and then we got a push from the 11 [of Hamlin],” Blaney said after finishing second.  “I made a move off turn four on Newman and he blocked it.  I kind of went low and he blocked that, so then I was committed to just pushing him to the win; I guess we got our bumpers hooked up wrong.”

“I hope he’s alright; it looked pretty bad.”

“Number one, we’re praying for Ryan,” Hamlin said.  “I think we take for granted sometimes how safe the cars are.”

Unofficial results:

1. Denny Hamlin

2. Ryan Blaney

3. Chris Buescher

4. David Ragan

5. Kevin Harvick

6. Clint Bowyer

7. Brendan Gaughan

8. Corey LaJoie

9. Ryan Newman

10. Kyle Larson

11. John Hunter Nemechek

12. Austin Dillon

13. Justin Haley

14. Michael McDowell

15. Bubba Wallace

16. Brennan Poole

17. Chase Elliott

18. Erik Jones

19. Matt DiBenedetto

20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

21. Christopher Bell

22. Aric Almirola

23. Joey Gase

24. Alex Bowman

25. Ross Chastain

26. Joey Logano

27. Timmy Hill

28. Tyler Reddick

29. Ryan Preece

30. Ty Dillon

31. Reed Sorenson

32. Martin Truex Jr.

33. Kurt Busch

34. Kyle Busch

35. Jimmie Johnson

36. Brad Keselowski

37. Cole Custer

38. BJ McLeod

39. Quin Houff

40. William Byron

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Jones Survives the Carnage to Win Busch Clash

Originally written for CLNS Media.

Erik Jones drove a battered car to victory lane in Sunday afternoon’s season-opening Busch Clash from Daytona International Speedway.

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Jones won the exhibition race with a car that had been involved in multiple accidents.  Jones was one of just six cars still running at the end of the race, and he and his teammate Denny Hamlin linked up to go to the front.

Jones said his damaged car helped him stay connected with Hamlin on the final lap.

“Honestly, my car was so draggy it wasn’t too much for him to stay connected and he was able to push us home,” Jones said.  “Huge thanks to Denny…he stuck with us there that whole last lap.”

The race had numerous wrecks that took out the majority of the 18-car field, including favorites Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott and defending Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch. 

Hamlin said the reason for the carnage was lead cars throwing late blocks on the competition.

“I think everyone’s got to realize that these late blocks just don’t work,” Hamlin said.  “The way they used to drive superspeedway races where you really had time to see the runs coming…it just doesn’t work.”

“It causes the carnage...if you don’t want to finish, you continue to do the same thing over and over.”

The Busch Clash was the first event in NASCAR’s week-long buildup to the Daytona 500 on February 16th.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Alex Bowman qualified on the front row for Sunday’s race, and the rest of the field will be set on Thursday during the Bluegreen Vacations Duels.

Unofficial results:

1. Erik Jones

2. Austin Dillon

3. Clint Bowyer

4. Kyle Larson

5. Ryan Newman

6. Denny Hamlin

7. Chase Elliott

8. Ryan Blaney

9. Joey Logano

10. Aric Almirola

11. Jimmie Johnson

12. Kurt Busch

13. Kevin Harvick

14. William Byron

15. Alex Bowman

16. Martin Truex Jr.

17. Brad Keselowski

18. Kyle Busch

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Logano Wins Advanced Auto Parts Clash at Daytona

Originally written for CLNS Radio.

Joey Logano won the rain-delayed Advanced Auto Parts Clash on Sunday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway.

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Logano took the lead on the last lap when Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin got together racing for the lead.  Logano said he was going to push his teammate Keselowski to the front, but could foresee the wreck at the end of the race.

“I knew Brad was going to make the move, and I was just going to follow him through,” Logano said.  “But when I saw the 11 [of Hamlin] coming down, I immediately went to the top; the writing was on the wall what was going to happen.”

“Kind of was the right place at the right time.”

Joe Gibbs Racing dominated throughout the race, with the four-car team of Matt Kenseth, Daniel Suarez, Kyle Busch and Hamlin running in the top five during most of the day.  Logano said he knew a strong team would have to work together to break up the stronghold the Toyotas held on the lead.

“I knew the only way we were going to beat those Gibbs cars was to break them up, and we had to be a better team than they were,” Logano said.  “We were able to break them up and get ourselves up there to make the big move at the end of the race.”

Hamlin ended up finishing 13th as a result of his accident, but he said he wouldn’t have done anything differently at the end of the race.

“There’s really not much I could do differently to defend,” Hamlin said.  “I was in a bad spot there.”

“We lined up so well as Toyota teammates throughout the race that once those guys started breaking that up…when they were able to get up there that really put us at a speed differential.”

Unofficial results:

1. Joey Logano

2. Kyle Busch

3. Alex Bowman

4. Danica Patrick

5. Kevin Harvick

6. Brad Keselowski

7. Chase Elliott

8. Daniel Suarez

9. Chris Buescher

10. Jamie McMurray

11. Matt Kenseth

12. Austin Dillon

13. Denny Hamlin

14. Kyle Larson

15. Martin Truex Jr.

16. Jimmie Johnson

17. Kurt Busch  

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