63rd Running of the event, held in Daytona Beach, Florida
The 2021 Daytona 500 , the 63rd running of the event , was a NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on February 14–15, 2021 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida . Contested over 200 laps on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) asphalt superspeedway, it was the first race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. In one of the biggest surprise upsets in Daytona 500 history, Michael McDowell , driving for Front Row Motorsports , won after Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski wrecked battling for the lead on the final lap.[ 13] [ 14] McDowell was a 100–1 underdog, making his 358th Cup Series start and driving for a team with only two previous Cup Series victories.
Report
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida that is one of six superspeedways , the others being Auto Club Speedway , Pocono Raceway , Indianapolis Motor Speedway , Michigan International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway .
Background
Daytona International Speedway , the circuit where the 63rd annual Daytona 500 took place
The program cover for the 2021 Daytona 500.
Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway .[ 15] The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long.[ 16] The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees , while the front stretch , the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.[ 16] The race will be the return of multiple retired drivers, such as 2010 winner Jamie McMurray [ 17] and Derrike Cope , the 1990 winner.[ 18] The race will also be the debut of drivers Anthony Alfredo , Chase Briscoe , Austin Cindric [ 19] and Noah Gragson .[ 20] Although Gragson missed the race due to Crashing in duel 2. The race will also be the debut of many new teams, most notably 23XI Racing .[ 21]
This is the first Daytona 500 without two-time Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson since 2001 .
Entry list
(W) denotes past 500 winner.
(R) denotes rookie driver.
(i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
First practice (February 9)
Bubba Wallace was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 45.057 seconds and a speed of 199.747 mph (321.462 km/h).[ 22] This was the first practice session for a NASCAR Cup Series race in almost a year, the last one being at the 2020 March Phoenix Race .
Qualifying
Alex Bowman won the pole
Alex Bowman scored the pole for the race with a time of 47.056 and a speed of 191.261 mph (307.805 km/h).[ 23]
Electrical problems for Derrike Cope and multiple inspection failures for Noah Gragson kept them from taking a timed lap.
Qualifying results
Bluegreen Vacations Duels
The Bluegreen Vacations Duels are a pair of NASCAR Cup Series races held in conjunction with the Daytona 500 annually in February at Daytona International Speedway. They consist of two races 60 laps and 150 miles (240 km) in length, which serve as heat races that set the lineup for the Daytona 500. The first race sets the lineup for cars that qualified in odd-numbered positions on pole qualifying day, while the second race sets the lineup for cars that qualified in even-numbered positions. The Duels set the lineup for positions 3–38, while positions 39 and 40 are filled by the two "Open" (teams without a charter) cars that set the fastest times in qualifying, but did not lock in a spot in the Duels.
Duel 1
Duel 1 results
Pos
Grid
Driver
Team
Manufacturer
Laps
Points
1
2
10
Aric Almirola
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
60
10
2
4
20
Christopher Bell
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
60
9
3
12
6
Ryan Newman
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
60
8
4
11
22
Joey Logano
Team Penske
Ford
60
7
5
5
37
Ryan Preece
JTG Daugherty Racing
Chevrolet
60
6
6
17
96
Ty Dillon (i)
Gaunt Brothers Racing
Toyota
60
0
7
8
5
Kyle Larson
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
60
4
8
6
99
Daniel Suárez
Trackhouse Racing Team
Chevrolet
60
3
9
14
34
Michael McDowell
Front Row Motorsports
Ford
60
2
10
18
77
Jamie McMurray
Spire Motorsports
Chevrolet
60
1
11
3
47
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
JTG Daugherty Racing
Chevrolet
60
0
12
9
21
Matt DiBenedetto
Wood Brothers Racing
Ford
60
0
13
7
11
Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
60
0
14
13
41
Cole Custer
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
60
0
15
16
8
Tyler Reddick
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
60
0
16
10
33
Austin Cindric (i)
Team Penske
Ford
59
0
17
15
43
Erik Jones
Richard Petty Motorsports
Chevrolet
59
0
18
19
00
Quin Houff
StarCom Racing
Chevrolet
58
0
19
20
66
Timmy Hill (i)
MBM Motorsports
Ford
57
0
20
1
48
Alex Bowman
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
56
0
21
21
51
Cody Ware
Petty Ware Racing
Chevrolet
56
0
22
22
52
Josh Bilicki
Rick Ware Racing
Ford
14
0
Official race results
Duel 2
Duel 2 results
Pos
Grid
Driver
Team
Manufacturer
Laps
Points
1
4
3
Austin Dillon
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
63
10
2
2
23
Bubba Wallace
23XI Racing
Toyota
63
9
3
3
4
Kevin Harvick
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
63
8
4
8
18
Kyle Busch
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
63
7
5
5
9
Chase Elliott
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
63
6
6
9
12
Ryan Blaney
Team Penske
Ford
63
5
7
17
7
Corey LaJoie
Spire Motorsports
Chevrolet
63
4
8
6
36
David Ragan
Front Row Motorsports
Ford
63
3
9
7
1
Kurt Busch
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chevrolet
63
2
10
15
17
Chris Buescher
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
63
1
11
13
2
Brad Keselowski
Team Penske
Ford
63
0
12
14
19
Martin Truex Jr.
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
63
0
13
20
53
Joey Gase
Rick Ware Racing
Ford
63
0
14
10
16
Kaz Grala
Kaulig Racing
Chevrolet
63
0
15
11
14
Chase Briscoe (R)
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
61
0
16
18
13
Garrett Smithley (i)
MBM Motorsports
Ford
61
0
17
21
15
Derrike Cope
Rick Ware Racing
Chevrolet
59
0
18
22
62
Noah Gragson (i)
Beard Motorsports
Chevrolet
56
0
19
1
24
William Byron
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
56
0
20
12
42
Ross Chastain
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chevrolet
56
0
21
16
38
Anthony Alfredo (R)
Front Row Motorsports
Ford
35
0
22
19
78
B. J. McLeod (i)
Live Fast Motorsports
Ford
35
0
Official race results
Starting lineup
Pos
Driver
Team
Manufacturer
Notes
1
48
Alex Bowman
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
Fastest in pole qualifying
2
24
William Byron
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
Second in pole qualifying
3
10
Aric Almirola
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
Duel 1 Winner
4
3
Austin Dillon
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
Duel 2 Winner
5
20
Christopher Bell
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
Second in Duel 1
6
23
Bubba Wallace
23XI Racing
Toyota
Second in Duel 2
7
6
Ryan Newman
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
Third in Duel 1
8
4
Kevin Harvick
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
Third in Duel 2
9
22
Joey Logano
Team Penske
Ford
Fourth in Duel 1
10
18
Kyle Busch
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
Fourth in Duel 2
11
37
Ryan Preece
JTG Daugherty Racing
Chevrolet
Fifth in Duel 1
12
9
Chase Elliott
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
Fifth in Duel 2
13
5
Kyle Larson
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
Seventh in Duel 1
14
12
Ryan Blaney
Team Penske
Ford
Sixth in Duel 2
15
99
Daniel Suárez
Trackhouse Racing Team
Chevrolet
Eighth in Duel 1
16
7
Corey LaJoie
Spire Motorsports
Chevrolet
Seventh in Duel 2
17
34
Michael McDowell
Front Row Motorsports
Ford
Ninth in Duel 1
18
36
David Ragan
Front Row Motorsports
Ford
Eighth in Duel 2
19
77
Jamie McMurray
Spire Motorsports
Chevrolet
Tenth in Duel 1
20
1
Kurt Busch
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chevrolet
Ninth in Duel 2
21
47
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
JTG Daugherty Racing
Chevrolet
Eleventh in Duel 1
22
17
Chris Buescher
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
Tenth in Duel 2
23
21
Matt DiBenedetto
Wood Brothers Racing
Ford
Twelfth in Duel 1
24
2
Brad Keselowski
Team Penske
Ford
Eleventh in Duel 2
25
11
Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
Thirteenth in Duel 1
26
19
Martin Truex Jr.
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
Twelfth in Duel 2
27
41
Cole Custer
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
Fourteenth in Duel 1
28
53
Joey Gase
Rick Ware Racing
Ford
Thirteenth in Duel 2
29
8
Tyler Reddick
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
Fifteenth in Duel 1
30
14
Chase Briscoe (R)
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
Fifteenth in Duel 2
31
43
Erik Jones
Richard Petty Motorsports
Chevrolet
Seventeenth in Duel 1
32
15
Derrike Cope
Rick Ware Racing
Chevrolet
Seventeenth in Duel 2
33
00
Quin Houff
StarCom Racing
Chevrolet
Eighteenth in Duel 1
34
42
Ross Chastain
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chevrolet
Twentieth in Duel 2
35
51
Cody Ware
Petty Ware Racing
Chevrolet
21st in Duel 1
36
38
Anthony Alfredo (R)
Front Row Motorsports
Ford
21st in Duel 2
37
52
Josh Bilicki
Rick Ware Racing
Ford
22nd in Duel 1
38
78
B. J. McLeod (i)
Live Fast Motorsports
Ford
22nd in Duel 2
39
33
Austin Cindric (i)
Team Penske
Ford
Qualifying speed
40
16
Kaz Grala
Kaulig Racing
Chevrolet
Qualifying speed
Did not qualify
41
96
Ty Dillon (i)
Gaunt Brothers Racing
Toyota
42
13
Garrett Smithley (i)
MBM Motorsports
Ford
43
66
Timmy Hill (i)
MBM Motorsports
Ford
44
62
Noah Gragson (i)
Beard Motorsports
Chevrolet
Official starting lineup
Practice (post–Duels)
Second practice (February 13)
Brad Keselowski was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 45.826 seconds and a speed of 196.395 mph (316.067 km/h).[ 24]
Final practice (February 13)
Final practice session scheduled for Saturday was cancelled due to rain.
Race
Teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano wrecked on the final lap
Alex Bowman started on pole, as the race was under threat from rain and thunderstorms. Derrike Cope cut a tire and hit the wall on lap 3, ironically during the lap 3 tribute to Dale Earnhardt , who cut a tire allowing Cope to win the 500 thirty-one years earlier , to bring out the first caution while causing damage to Bubba Wallace. On lap 14, "The Big One" struck in turn 3 as Aric Almirola and Bowman got turned into the outside wall collecting 16 cars. Two laps later, the race was red-flagged for 5 hours and 40 minutes due to rain and lightning. The race restarted with Kevin Harvick as the leader. Defending winner Denny Hamlin won stages 1 and 2 as Christopher Bell lost a left-rear tire and spun collecting Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Jamie McMurray in stage 2. The final stage remained caution-free as Hamlin, in contention to win the race for the third consecutive time, pitted from the lead on final pit stops but fell back to 13th as the pack got single file with Joey Logano leading. On the last lap, Brad Keselowski attempted to pass Logano on the backstretch but the two collided, creating a fiery crash sending Keselowski into the catchfence and collecting Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric, Kyle Larson, Ryan Preece, Ross Chastain and Cole Custer. Michael McDowell, who was third at the time, dodged the final lap crash to win his first career victory under caution as well as earning Front Row Motorsports' third Cup victory.
Stage Results
Stage One
Laps: 65
Pos
Driver
Team
Manufacturer
Points
1
11
Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
10
2
37
Ryan Preece
JTG Daugherty Racing
Chevrolet
9
3
3
Austin Dillon
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
8
4
5
Kyle Larson
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
7
5
33
Austin Cindric (i)
Team Penske
Ford
0
6
20
Christopher Bell
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
5
7
23
Bubba Wallace
23XI Racing
Toyota
4
8
22
Joey Logano
Team Penske
Ford
3
9
42
Ross Chastain
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chevrolet
2
10
41
Cole Custer
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
1
Official stage one results
Stage Two
Laps: 65
Pos
Driver
Team
Manufacturer
Points
1
11
Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
10
2
4
Kevin Harvick
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
9
3
23
Bubba Wallace
23XI Racing
Toyota
8
4
9
Chase Elliott
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
7
5
3
Austin Dillon
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
6
6
22
Joey Logano
Team Penske
Ford
5
7
34
Michael McDowell
Front Row Motorsports
Ford
4
8
5
Kyle Larson
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
3
9
18
Kyle Busch
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
2
10
2
Brad Keselowski
Team Penske
Ford
1
Official stage two results
Final Stage Results
Michael McDowell won his first Cup race in his 358th start
Stage Three
Laps: 70
Pos
Grid
Driver
Team
Manufacturer
Laps
Points
1
17
34
Michael McDowell
Front Row Motorsports
Ford
200
44
2
12
9
Chase Elliott
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
200
42
3
4
3
Austin Dillon
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
200
48
4
8
4
Kevin Harvick
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
200
42
5
25
11
Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
200
52
6
11
37
Ryan Preece
JTG Daugherty Racing
Chevrolet
200
40
7
34
42
Ross Chastain
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chevrolet
200
32
8
19
77
Jamie McMurray
Spire Motorsports
Chevrolet
200
29
9
16
7
Corey LaJoie
Spire Motorsports
Chevrolet
200
28
10
13
5
Kyle Larson
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
200
37
11
27
41
Cole Custer
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
200
27
12
9
22
Joey Logano
Team Penske
Ford
199
33
13
24
2
Brad Keselowski
Team Penske
Ford
199
25
14
10
18
Kyle Busch
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
199
25
15
39
33
Austin Cindric (i)
Team Penske
Ford
199
0
16
5
20
Christopher Bell
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
199
26
17
6
23
Bubba Wallace
23XI Racing
Toyota
198
32
18
21
47
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
JTG Daugherty Racing
Chevrolet
198
19
19
30
14
Chase Briscoe (R)
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
197
18
20
28
53
Joey Gase
Rick Ware Racing
Ford
196
17
21
35
51
Cody Ware
Petty Ware Racing
Chevrolet
196
16
22
20
1
Kurt Busch
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chevrolet
195
15
23
38
78
B. J. McLeod (i)
Live Fast Motorsports
Ford
195
0
24
37
52
Josh Bilicki
Rick Ware Racing
Ford
194
13
25
26
19
Martin Truex Jr.
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
193
12
26
2
24
William Byron
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
191
11
27
29
8
Tyler Reddick
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
188
10
28
40
16
Kaz Grala
Kaulig Racing
Chevrolet
114
9
29
33
00
Quin Houff
StarCom Racing
Chevrolet
37
8
30
14
12
Ryan Blaney
Team Penske
Ford
14
7
31
22
17
Chris Buescher
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
14
6
32
36
38
Anthony Alfredo (R)
Front Row Motorsports
Ford
14
5
33
23
21
Matt DiBenedetto
Wood Brothers Racing
Ford
14
4
34
3
10
Aric Almirola
Stewart-Haas Racing
Ford
13
3
35
1
48
Alex Bowman
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
13
2
36
15
99
Daniel Suárez
Trackhouse Racing Team
Chevrolet
13
1
37
18
36
David Ragan
Front Row Motorsports
Ford
13
1
38
7
6
Ryan Newman
Roush Fenway Racing
Ford
13
1
39
31
43
Erik Jones
Richard Petty Motorsports
Chevrolet
13
1
40
32
15
Derrike Cope
Rick Ware Racing
Chevrolet
3
1
Official race results
Race statistics
Lead changes: 22 among 13 different drivers
Cautions/Laps: 7 for 40
Red flags: 1 for 5 hours, 40 minutes and 29 seconds
Time of race: 3 hours, 27 minutes and 44 seconds
Average speed: 144.416 miles per hour (232.415 km/h)
Television
Since 2001 —with the exception of 2002 , 2004 and 2006 —the Daytona 500 has been broadcast on Fox in the United States. The booth crew consisted of longtime NASCAR lap-by-lap announcer Mike Joy , three-time Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer . Jamie Little , Regan Smith and Vince Welch handled pit road for the television side. 1992 and 1998 Daytona 500 winning crew chief Larry McReynolds provided insight from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte.
Radio
The race was broadcast on radio by the Motor Racing Network —who has covered the Daytona 500 since 1970 —and was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio . The booth crew consisted of Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle and 1989 Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace . Longtime turn announcer Dave Moody was the lead turn announcer, calling the race from atop the Sunoco tower outside the exit of turn 2 when the field raced through turns 1 and 2. Mike Bagley worked the backstretch for the race from a spotter's stand on the inside of the track & Kyle Rickey called the race when the field raced through turns 3 and 4 from the Sunoco tower outside the exit of turn 4. On pit road, MRN was manned by Steve Post and Kim Coon.
MRN Radio
Booth announcers
Turn announcers
Pit reporters
Lead announcer: Alex HaydenAnnouncer: Jeff StriegleAnnouncer: Rusty Wallace
Turns 1 & 2: Dave Moody Backstretch: Mike Bagley Turns 3 & 4: Kyle Rickey
Steve Post Kim Coon
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings
Austin Dillon left the 500 as the points leader
Manufacturers' Championship standings
Note : Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.
References
^ "2021 schedule" . Jayski.com . Jayski's Silly Season Site . Retrieved January 11, 2021 .
^ "Daytona International Speedway" . NASCAR.com . NASCAR Media Group, LLC. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2021 .
^ "Entry List" (PDF) . Jayski.com . Jayski's Silly Season Site . February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021 .
^ "First Practice Results" . NASCAR.com . NASCAR . February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021 .
^ "Qualifying Results" . NASCAR.com . NASCAR . February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021 .
^ "Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 Results" . NASCAR.com . NASCAR . February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021 .
^ "Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 Results" . NASCAR.com . NASCAR . February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021 .
^ "Starting Lineup" . NASCAR.com . NASCAR Media Group, LLC. February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021 .
^ "Second Practice Results" . NASCAR.com . NASCAR . February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
^ "Daytona 500 Results" . NASCAR.com . NASCAR . February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021 .
^ "Points standings" (PDF) . Jayski.com . Jayski's Silly Season Site . February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021 .
^ "Daytona 500 TV viewers in the U.S. 2021" .
^ "Daytona 500 2021 Results: Michael McDowell Wins After Avoiding Final-Lap Crash" . BleacherReport.com . Retrieved February 15, 2021 .
^ "Michael McDowell emerges with Daytona 500 victory after massive crash on final lap" . USAToday.com . Retrieved February 15, 2021 .
^ "NASCAR Race Tracks" . NASCAR . NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2010 .
^ a b "NASCAR Tracks — The Daytona International Speedway" . Speedway Guide. Archived from the original on August 30, 2010. Retrieved August 15, 2010 .
^ Fair, Asher (19 January 2021). "NASCAR: Jamie McMurray lands 2021 Daytona 500 ride" . beyondtheflag.com . Beyond the Flag. Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ McCarriston, Shanna. "Derrike Cope, 62, will race in the 2021 Daytona 500 -- 31 years after he last won the race" . CBS Sports . Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ Fair, Asher (20 January 2021). "NASCAR: Austin Cindric lands 2021 Daytona 500 ride" . Beyondtheflag.com . Beyond the Flag. Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ Fair, Asher (14 January 2021). "NASCAR: 2021 Daytona 500 entry list continues to grow" . Beyondtheflag.com . Beyond the Flag. Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ Associated Press (14 December 2020). "23XI Racing fully funded for debut season with Bubba Wallace" . espn.com . ESPN. Retrieved October 18, 2022 .
^ Utter, Jim (February 9, 2021). "Bubba Wallace leads opening Daytona 500 practice" . Motorsport.com . Daytona Beach, Florida : Motorsport Network . Retrieved February 9, 2021 .
^ Utter, Jim (February 10, 2021). "Alex Bowman wins Daytona 500 pole in all-Hendrick front row" . Motorsport.com . Daytona Beach, Florida : Motorsport Network . Retrieved February 10, 2021 .
^ Utter, Jim (February 13, 2021). "Keselowski fastest in Saturday's abbreviated first Cup practice" . Motorsport.com . Daytona Beach, Florida : Motorsport Network . Retrieved February 13, 2021 .
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