Denny Hamlin started on the pole. The fans voted to set the starting line-up based on final practice speeds for the exhibition event. Hamlin was fastest and, thus, he started on point. The fans also voted for the segment format for the seventy five lap event. They decided to run a thirty lap first segment, a twenty five lap second segment, and a twenty lap dash for the third segment. All this would culminate in a great race and a lone winner. The drivers lined up side by side for the first time of the year and Hamlin took the green flag. He roared around the track and made it back to the flag to lead the first lap. On lap 2, Jamie McMurray sped past Hamlin and took his first lead on the night. The field then moved to the outside lane and ran single file for a few select laps. On lap 11, Kyle Busch moved out of the outside line and took the lead from McMurray. Shortly after that, a line began to form on the inside with Kevin Harvick leading it. The inside line pushed Harvick to the lead on lap 17. The outside and inside lines began to battle hard with the lead switching just about every lap as the first segment neared a close. Denny Hamlin took the lead outright on lap 24 with only six laps remaining. The laps clicked down and Hamlin held the lead as the field made its way down the backstretch looking for the end of the segment. One driver would not make it to the end of the first segment and his night would end in disaster.
Coming out of turn 4 to take the segment ending caution flag, Jimmie Johnson broke loose behind Denny Hamlin. Johnson's car went straight down the track as the field raced behind him. He worked hard to corral his car as the inside wall neared. Johnson slowed down significantly, but he made huge contact with the inside wall. He slid up the race track and came to a stop on the frontstretch grass. He had received heavy damage and he wouldn't return to the race. The wreck resulted in the first caution of the race on lap 29 and the subsequent end to the first segment of the event. Jamie McMurray, who had an overheating problem throughout the first segment, was able to get back on the lead lap. The end of the segment also brought a little bit of strategy with the first pit stops of the race. Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, and Danica Patrick took fuel only with Kevin Harvick taking two tires and the rest of the drivers taking four tires. It would be interesting to see how this strategy played out for all of these drivers.
The race went back green and Jeff Gordon was able to hold onto the lead after his pit stop strategy call. He wouldn't hold the lead long as Brad Keselowski used his strategy to move to the point on lap 32. On lap 35, Denny Hamlin made it back to the lead just before the second caution of the race waved on lap 36. Matt Kenseth went down on Joey Logano in the trioval. Kenseth went around and back up the track into Tony Stewart. Stewart went up the track towards the wall with Jeff Gordon on his bumper. The two piled hard into Carl Edwards just Kurt Busch piled into Gordon. Danica Patrick went around on the apron of the track just as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. slammed into Kurt Busch's back bumper. Stewart, Gordon, and Busch sat wedged against each other just as Stenhouse drove away. Stenhouse wouldn't make it far as he piled into Danica Patrick due to a blocked windshield. Every single driver involved was left with huge amounts of damage and none would return. Luckily, everybody climbed out of their cars after the very vicious wreck. The wreck resulted in a red flag, but all the teams were able to work on their cars. The wreck was cleaned up and the race went back green with Denny Hamlin hanging onto the lead. He wouldn't hold the lead too long as Joey Logano passed him on lap 44. Hamlin quickly surged back and took the lead on lap 46. Hamlin held onto the lead until the third caution of the race waved on lap 55. The caution waved to signal the end of the second segment. The fans decided to order the field to start the third segment based on where they came out after a mandatory two tire pit stop before the start of the segment. It would be interesting to see if the stops decided the race winner.
Ryan Newman decided to take four tires while the rest of the drivers left in the race took only the required two tires. Denny Hamlin made it out first and he was in the lead as nine drivers took the green flag for the final segment. Jamie McMurray was able to take the lead from Hamlin as the race went back green. The nine drivers began to race hard as Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead on lap 57. Earnhardt held the lead just as the fourth caution of the event waved on lap 60. Kyle Busch tried to cut down the track in front of Brad Keselowski in turn 4, but the two made contact. Busch went down the track and spun around. He managed to maneuver his car enough to save it and only receive damage when he plowed through the grass. Busch would make it back on track to continue the event. None of the drivers came to pit road and the race was able to get back underway with Dale Earnhardt Jr. leading the field. Joey Logano was able to quickly take away the lead as the small field began to battle looking for the win. The battling became very heated and the fifth and final caution of the race waved on lap 65. Marcos Ambrose bumped Dale Earnhardt Jr. entering turn 1. Earnhardt went up the track and slammed into Ambrose. Both piled hard into the outside wall, but each drove away. Earnhardt was not too happy with Ambrose as they bumped on the backstretch. Earnhardt's damage was too heavy to return, but Ambrose would make his way back on track. None of the drivers came to pit road for tires and the line-up stayed the same. This left the race with only five laps to decide who would take home the first trophy of 2014.
The race went back green and Joey Logano was able to hold onto the lead. The eight cars left on track began to battle extremely hard coming down the stretch. A blanket could be thrown on top of all eight just as Brad Keselowski took the lead on lap 72. Cars began to shuffle from back to front and run three wide just as the race went to three laps to go. Keselowski hoped to stay in front, but Denny Hamlin was coming. He made his way to the lead with only two laps remaining. He began to cruise away from the field and took the white flag with a huge mass of roaring cars behind him. He made it smoothly through turns 1 and 2 with only Brad Keselowski pulling in closer to him. He passed through turns 3 and 4 with the lead and no one in position to pass him. Hamlin sailed through the trioval and took the first checkered flag of the 2014 NASCAR season. Hamlin was thrilled with winning a race to start off the season and he hopes to keep the momentum going throughout the year.
Only in NASCAR racing can you see an exhibition race filled with as much excitement and crazy moments as the actual events during the year. Wrecks, crazy racing, and a great finish are not off limits at Daytona even in an exhibition race like this one. This race holds a good bit more status this year than maybe in years past. The Duel races that set the field for the Daytona 500 will be held at night with pretty much the exact same characteristics as this Saturday night fight. All of the nineteen drivers involved will be starting in the Daytona 500 and will be battling hard much like they did in this very race. It just goes to show that when NASCAR holds an exhibition event, it means just as much as a points paying race. This race was also a big boost to the confidence of Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. Hamlin needed this momentum boost to get his 2014 started off with a bang to make sure a repeat of 2013 doesn't happen. Stewart needed this race that didn't mean anything in the end to jump back in a racecar for the first time since breaking his leg in a terrible sprint car crash last August. These two drivers amazing runs in this race could make them legitimate contenders in retribution years. Plus, the rest of the top tier drivers look good as they always do. It will definitely be an interesting time when the annual Daytona 500 goes green next Sunday. Will Denny Hamlin be able to repeat at Daytona, will another notable driver take victory, will Austin Dillon defy all odds and take a win in the famous number three, or will an underdog driver take an extremely memorable Daytona 500 win? This race was just a taste of all those things and we will have these questions answered in just one lone week.
(More Stats Down Below!)
Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 29- Jimmie Johnson got loose exiting turn 4 and slammed the inside wall.
2nd Caution: Lap 36- Matt Kenseth went down on Joey Logano in the trioval and went around on track. Kenseth went up the track and collected Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Danica Patrick along the frontstretch.
3rd Caution: Lap 55- End of the second segment of the exhibition event.
4th Caution: Lap 60- Kyle Busch spun around in turn 4 after contact with Brad Keselowski.
5th Caution: Lap 65- Marcos Ambrose bumped Dale Earnhardt Jr. entering turn 1 and the two made contact with the outside wall.
Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Denny Hamlin
2nd: Brad Keselowski
3rd: Kyle Busch
4th: Joey Logano
5th: Kevin Harvick
Notables Not in Top 5:
9th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
10th: Matt Kenseth
11th: Tony Stewart
12th: Jeff Gordon
14th: Kurt Busch
16th: Danica Patrick
17th: Jimmie Johnson
Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2014-01/X
-Image:
http://a.espncdn.com/media/motion/2014/0215/dm_140215_nscs_sprint_highlight/dm_140215_nscs_sprint_highlight.jpg
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