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Daytona winners and losers

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The NASCAR America crew run through their winners and losers from the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.

WINNERS

Justin Haley — His complicated relationship with Daytona took a turn no one could have expected. A year after he crossed the finish line first there in the Xfinity Series race but was penalized for going below the double yellow line and not given the win, Haley was the recipient of a well-timed lightning strike that occurred just after he assumed the lead under caution when others pitted. When rain prevented the race from resuming, Haley joined the list of winners at Daytona.

William Byron — Runner-up finish was a career-high (and first top-five finish) that left him smiling but also thinking what if.

Ty Dillon — Fourth-place finish was a career-high and marked his first top-five finish.

Corey LaJoie — Avoided the big wreck late and finished a career-high sixth. He had never finished in the top 10 in 74 previous Cup starts.

Kaulig Racing — Organization scored its first Xfinity Series win Friday, sweeping both stages and going 1-2 with Ross Chastain and Justin Haley.

Stephen Leicht — He crossed the finish line sixth but moved up to fifth when third-place finisher AJ Allmendinger’s car was disqualified for failing inspection after the race. That gave Leicht his first top five in the Xfinity Series since 2007.

LOSERS

Brad Keselowski — He delivered his message in practice to William Byron and then saw his race end with an early accident that left him with a 39th-place finish and confused why his car jumped out after he said he got a “real straight push” from Kevin Harvick.

Kurt Busch — Rotten luck in pitting just after the field got the signal of one lap to go until the restart and then lightning stopped the race. Had the lightning happened maybe 30 seconds earlier, Busch would have stayed out and won the race and secured a playoff spot.

Landon Cassill — His 11th-place finish on his 30th birthday Sunday was his best of the season so it’s hard to be critical of Cassill but he was second during the final caution and followed Busch on to pit road just before the lightning strike that delayed and eventually led to the race ending early. Cassill expressed how heartbroken he was on Twitter.