Harrison Burton grabs his first NASCAR Cup Sequence victory at Daytona Worldwide Speedway on Saturday night time within the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – In one of the vital dramatic races of the season, 23-year-old second-generation driver Harrison Burton made a last-lap cross on two-time NASCAR Cup Sequence champion Kyle Busch in time beyond regulation at Daytona Worldwide Speedway to earn his first profession NASCAR Cup Sequence win and ship his legendary Wooden Brothers Racing staff its historic one centesimal victory.
Harrison Burton Grabs His First NASCAR Cup Sequence Victory at Daytona
Massive wrecks, wonderful passes, and in the end one of the vital memorable and well-liked victories this 12 months characterised a busy, busy Coke Zero Sugar 400 on the Daytona excessive banks. The race had an incredible impact on the NASCAR Playoff outlook now with just one race left to determine which 16 drivers will advance to championship competition.
Burton obtained an enormous push on the backstretch from a first-time NASCAR Cup Sequence starter, Parker Retzlaff, permitting Burton’s No. 21 Wooden Brothers Ford to drag alongside and in the end by race chief Busch who stayed on Burton’s bumper to the end line, however was unable to cross him again.
The win is an computerized ticket for Burton into the NASCAR Cup Sequence Playoffs after not even being among the many prime 20 in factors coming into the race. It was a massively well-liked victory for the younger driver with lots of his opponents coming by to congratulate him on pit street and in victory lane.
“That’s what the game is about,’’ Burton’s father, NBC Sports activities broadcaster and former NASCAR Cup Sequence standout Jeff Burton mentioned after high-fiving his colleagues within the tv sales space, overcome with emotion watching his son declare his first main race victory.
Harrison Burton was equally as emotional – claiming his win by a fraction of a second – 0.047-second – over the two-time collection champion Busch.
“I cried the entire victory lap,” Burton mentioned. “I clearly obtained fired from this job and wished to do every little thing for the Wooden Brothers I may, they’ve given me an incredible alternative in life and to provide the one centesimal [win] on my approach out is wonderful. We’re within the Playoffs now. Let’s go to Darlington and see what occurs.’’
There was a number of Motion on Saturday Evening at Daytona
On Saturday night time, the query, was “What didn’t occur?” The race featured 16 leaders and 40 lead modifications. The winner solely led a single lap. There have been two variations of the Daytona ‘Massive One’ – multi-car accidents that eradicated one race chief after one other. Solely 5 vehicles made it to the checkered flag with out incident.
Burton and Busch have been in a battle to settle the trophy after an accident on the entrance of the sphere with solely two laps of regulation remaining pressured the time beyond regulation interval.
Late race chief, Group Penske’s Austin Cindric obtained a push from behind inflicting his No. 2 Ford to maneuver into Josh Berry’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford alongside him. The facet affect launched Berry’s Mustang airward sending it on a wild experience on the backstretch.
Berry, who led eight laps, earned his first stage win of the season and contended for the victory all night time, climbed out of the upside-down automobile on the again straight with the assistance of the protection staff, then waved to the group and obtained an enormous spherical of applause.
“I’m all good, truly it most likely wasn’t as unhealthy because it regarded,’’ Berry mentioned after being checked within the infield medical middle. “However man, I’m bummed. We had a helluva night time going. We have been in place and actually pleased with the job I did tonight and the staff did tonight. We have been in competition.’’
A Harrison Burton Victory Shakes Up the Race Outcomes and Level Standings
Solely seven laps earlier a 14-car crash on the entrance of the sphere eradicated one other race chief. The pole winner Michael McDowell, driver of the No. 34 Entrance Row Motorsports Ford launched airborne, turned sideways then got here again down on all 4 tires. The melee took out the frontrunner Joey Logano. He led a race-best 34 of the 164 laps on the night time. Amongst others taken out of competition have been Justin Haley, Kyle Larson, and championship factors chief Tyler Reddick.
Bubba Wallace, who’s in a good three-car battle for the ultimate Playoff factors place was within the melee, however his 23XI Racing staff was in a position to make fast repairs and return to the observe. He completed sixth however continues to be exterior the cutline for a Playoff place.
With Burton’s win, Wallace is ranked seventeenth within the standings – 21 factors off the tempo of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher, holding down that sixteenth and closing Playoff place after incomes a tenth-place end Saturday.
Ross Chastain, the third driver in tight competition for the ultimate Playoff place primarily based on factors, rallied to complete twelfth. He’s 18th, 27 factors behind Buescher.
Busch has top-five finishes within the final three races. He wants a victory subsequent weekend within the common season finale at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. He’s 106 factors beneath the cutoff line regardless of his current string of sturdy finishes.
“Simply irritating you realize,’’ the Richard Childress Racing driver Busch mentioned of simply lacking out on the win, which might not solely have punched his Playoff ticket but additionally prolonged his streak of 19 seasons with not less than one victory.
“We win races right here in Daytona going into the final restart however haven’t been in a position to pull off the victory, undecided what I’m doing mistaken or lacking,’’ Busch mentioned, explaining, “I wished to rise up in entrance of the 21 [Burton] as a result of I knew the momentum was coming there however I knew the 20 [former teammate Christopher Bell] was a greater pal [behind], simply didn’t work out. As ordinary.’’
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bell completed third, adopted by Rick Ware Racing’s Cody Ware, and JGR’s Ty Gibbs. Wallace was sixth. Brad Keselowski was seventh, adopted by Retzlaff in his collection debut, Daniel Hemric, and Buescher.
The primary spherical of drama got here on lap 61 gathering 17 vehicles in an accident exiting the fourth flip.
Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet triggered the accident in tight-quarter racing. The incident collected Chastain, forcing quite a few pit stops. The Floridian is making an attempt to earn one of many final factors positions within the Playoffs.
It additionally concerned championship frontrunners Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Larson in various levels.
Elliott and Hamlin needed to retire their vehicles with the harm and are thirty sixth and thirty eighth respectively. Reddick nonetheless managed to complete twenty eighth. Larson, who was in a number of incidents on the night time, completed twenty first.
Up Subsequent
Heading to the common season finale subsequent weekend, Reddick maintains a 17-point edge atop the standings over Larson. Elliott is now 18 factors again. The common season champion earns a beneficial 15-point bonus to hold with him via the ten-race Playoffs.
The common season concludes subsequent Sunday with the Prepare dinner Out Southern 500 on the historic Darlington Raceway (6 p.m. ET, USA Community, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Larson is the defending race winner.
Shane Van Gisbergen within the NASCAR Cup Sequence for 2025
Trackhouse Racing welcomes New Zealander Shane Van Gisbergen as their driver within the No. 88 Chevrolet for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Sequence season. The No. 88 is returning after NASCAR Corridor of Famers Dale Jarrett and Dale Earnhardt Jr. made it well-known. The latest outing for the No. 88 is with present Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman.
Van Gisbergen gained his first-ever NASCAR Cup Sequence begin, claiming the trophy within the inaugural Chicago Avenue Course race two years in the past. This 12 months, he’s working a full NASCAR Xfinity Sequence season, main the Playoff standings with a series-best three wins.
