One of the most coveted races, the Daytona 500, concluded on Sunday, February 20th. The event started as expected, with fans praying for their favorite drivers to race in a safe manner. However, after a few laps, it became clear that the fans' prayers weren't answered.
The Great American Race turned into an incident-filled contest, with 25 out of 40 cars involved in a crash at some point during the 500-lap event.
The festivities started on lap 44 after Chase Briscoe, driving the #14, was tapped from behind. This left him spinning on the Daytona International Speedway. Luckily for Briscoe, he avoided any critical damage and was able to continue participating in the Daytona 500.
Watch the incident below:
Justin Haley was next in line after his car tire disappeared into the grass with over 100 laps to go. However, the biggest crash of the night came a little later.
With 62 laps to go, the Daytona 500 finally had a customary multi-car incident after Harrison Burton's car went airborne and flipped on the backstretch. Burton's car was so severe that it could not be fixed in the team garage. His medical condition was given first priority and he went straight to the driver care center.
Watch the eight-car wreck below:
Denny Hamlin, driving the Toyota #11 for Joe Gibbs, was also caught up in Burton’s mess. He accrued his first retirement from the Daytona 500 as a result of the incident. Joey Logano was also involved in an incident, after his come-back attempt left four cars spinning, including Tyler Reddick and Kurt Busch.
On lap 191, Daytona 500 pole winner Kyle Larson bumped into Kevin Harvick, who went ahead and tapped Austin Cindric, who later took the checkered flag. The crash involved several cars, leading NASCAR to red-flag the race.
Watch the incident below:
NASCAR fans react to 8-car Daytona 500 crash
The eight-car wreck involving Harrison Burton and Brad Keselowski, among others, was a major point of discussion during the Great American Race. Fans had a range of opinions on the incident and many took to social media to share their thoughts.
Reddit user u/ClayGCollins9 thought Brad Keselowski was to blame, saying:
"Keselowski has to be more careful there. You can’t go pushing a rookie that hard for that long. Way way too early to try a move like that."
Another user, u/Icommentoncrap, was surprised at the outcome of the crash, writing:
"I'm suprised that Burton didn't flip more. That car nearly went over a few more times and Byron is wrecked again on the back stretch. Burton gonna need to figure it out though because he was squirrley all day."
The wreck ended any fighting chance the rookie Burton had of winning the Daytona 500. To make matters worse, another Cup Series rookie, Austin Cindric, took home the checkered flag.
Also Checkout : 2022 Nascar Cup Series Results