Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was among the 40 drivers behind the wheel in the NASCAR season opener, Daytona 500 on Sunday 20th February.
The driver of Chevrolet No. 47 for JTG Daugherty Racing was leading in the restart running in the top five, with only five laps remaining to the checkered ground.
Running into the top five, he was determined and knew he could touch the checkered ground before everyone else.
However, his dream of winning this year’s Daytona was shuttered with a hard push from Brad Keselowski, driving Ford No. 6 for Roush Fenway. A clip shared by Fox on their Twitter page with the caption:
“Ricky Stenhouse Jr. into the wall”
The clip clearly shows how Stenhouse Jr. ended his race in an agonizing manner.
Many fans were not happy with the spin, with all fingers pointing to Brad Keselowski. A fan commented on the tweet stating:
“Brad always wrecking somebody. The second one of the day. Nascar? Anybody anybody?”
With 62 laps, the spin started with big names being involved in the wrecks. Harrison Burton was the center of attraction after his car went airborne after he was shoved by Brad Keselowski.
The incident also collected Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin, who were hoping to win the trophy for the fourth time.
As a result of the incident, Burton and Denny were sent out of the race in the early stages. Young Haley was also on the spot in the Daytona 500 after he accelerated until his car lost a wheel.
The 2022 Daytona 500 Speedweek winners
The 2022 Daytona 500 was one of a kind compared to the previous ones as it kicked off with the introduction of a new car, the Next Gen car. As it stands, full drivers were giving their best on the tracks, fighting hard to take the trophy.
The event started on a high note on February 16th with qualifying races, where the rules were also adjusted and cars had to run for two rounds before declaring the pole winner.
After two rounds, Kyle Larson carried the pole, with Alex Bowman joining him in the front row, both from Hendrick Motorsports.
The other cars proceeded to Blue Vacation Duels on February 17th to determine the rest of the line-up. In the Duels, Brad Keselowski powered his Ford No. 6 for Roush Fenway, followed by his teammate Chris Buescher.
After the two events were complete, it was time for the main event, the 64th Great American Race.
The green flag dropped at exactly 2:30pm on Sunday 20th February, and after 200 laps, Austin Cindric carried the day, winning the Daytona 500 as his first race in the NASCAR Cup Series.