In one of the most unlikely wins in recent NASCAR history, timing proved to be everything for 20-year-old Justin Haley, who was awarded the victory in Sunday’s rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Haley led only the final lap of the event, which was red-flagged because of lightning and then rain after 127 of a scheduled 160 laps. After a stoppage of more two hours, NASCAR attempted to dry the track at times, several more waves came through the area, prompting sanctioning body officials to end the event 33 laps shy of its scheduled 160-lap slate.
Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Jimmie Johnson took the two spots behind Haley, and Ty Dillon made it a sweep of the top four for Chevrolet the top four finishing spots in the 40-car field.
Ryan Newman led a three-car Ford contingent by finishing fifth, followed by Corey LaJoie and Aric Almirola. Eighth-place finisher Matt DiBenedetto was the highest-finishing Toyota driver, followed by ninth-place Matt Tifft and Kurt Busch in 10th place.
Click here for the full results.
POINTS
Joey Logano (25th Sunday) and Kyle Busch (14th) remained 1-2 in the NASCAR Cup standings after Daytona.
Logano leads Busch by 18 points. Kevin Harvick is third (75 points behind Logano), followed by Brad Keselowski (-87), Martin Truex Jr. (-103), Denny Hamlin (-112), Chase Elliott (-115), Kurt Busch (-136), Alex Bowman (-166) and Aric Almirola (-188).