Daytona 500
Live Text
Sort by
Crash
The Petty team is patching Ambrose's car up to get him out again. The mechanics are dubious but the Aussie reckons it will be OK.
To make things even more tense, rain is inching closer to the circuit, and some teams are urging their drivers to save fuel in case it's possible to get to the end without another stop.
Yellow flag
It's Earnhardt leading Biffle, Edwards, Johnson and Kenseth under yellow with 37 laps left.
Crash
That started with Dillon tagging Larson, who then spun into the wall and collected Ambrose, Kahne and others along the way.
Several cars are getting caught up in repeated shunts tonight.
Crash
Ambrose, Annett among those also involved.
Yellow flag
Another big crash, Larson in the thick of it.
Quote
Patrick is talking to reporters after being passed fit in the medical centre:
"I'm just upset. It was the best car I'd had all week and it seemed like we could catch whoever and move around and move forward. It felt like everything was going pretty well."
"I'm just upset. It was the best car I'd had all week and it seemed like we could catch whoever and move around and move forward. It felt like everything was going pretty well."
Earnhardt gets clearly ahead now.
Earnhardt manages to get alongside him on the inside eventually, the two stay side by side.
Outside NASCAR, you'd call what Biffle's doing 'weaving'.
Biffle is moving down the track to block off anyone attempting to get a run on the inside. Not subtle but it's working.
Biffle finally manages to get cleanly ahead and pull down the track, as Hendrick team-mates Johnson and Earnhardt chase him.
Then it's Keselowski and Edwards side by side for third, Hamlin and Kenseth side by side for fifth.
Then it's Keselowski and Edwards side by side for third, Hamlin and Kenseth side by side for fifth.
Nothing to choose between them up front, Biffle leading Earnhardt by inches.
Green flag
Back to green with 47 laps to go, Biffle versus Earnhardt for the lead.
Crash
NASCAR officially upgrades that crash to a 13-car shunt in its records, noting that Scott clipped Harvick initially before sliding into Almirola.
Quote
More from the two-time 500 winner turned part-time racer/team boss and pundit:
"There are a lot of lanes and people are trying to use every one of them. I know how intense it's going to get as we get near lap 200 and I wish I was in the middle of it."
"There are a lot of lanes and people are trying to use every one of them. I know how intense it's going to get as we get near lap 200 and I wish I was in the middle of it."
Quote
Here's Waltrip's description of the shunt:
"They crashed ahead of us, I saw it and let off, and I got clobbered. It was like the guy never knew there was a wreck."
"They crashed ahead of us, I saw it and let off, and I got clobbered. It was like the guy never knew there was a wreck."
Biffle eschews tyres and gets out ahead of Earnhardt, then it's Johnson, Edwards and Kenseth.
Pitlane is open, all the leaders come in.
Crash
A total of 12 cars caught up in that crash. Almirola and Patrick probably had the worst damage.
Under yellow with 53 laps to go, it's Earnhardt leading Biffle, Edwards, Johnson then Kenseth.
Crash
As Almirola spun back down the track, it was Dillon and Patrick he speared straight into.
Crash
Damage for Menard and Allgaier too.
Crash
That started with Almirola and Scott bouncing off each other and spinning into the pack.
Austin Dillon was among those collected.
Austin Dillon was among those collected.
Yellow flag
Multi-car crash. Patrick, Waltrip, Almirola, Gilliland, Allmendinger, Newman among those involved.
Edwards spends a lap in the lead before sliding and letting Earnhardt back in front. Edwards regains momentum to battle Biffle.
Had a few quite settled laps up front, with Earnhardt narrowly leading Edwards, Biffle and Logano, then Johnson and Logano.
Roush boys Edwards and Biffle draft past Johnson into second and third behind Earnhardt.
Breaking news
The Stewart-Haas crew is replacing the fuel cell on Tony Stewart's Chevrolet back in the paddock.
Earnhardt has a slight lead as Johnson and Edwards in second and third are caught behind the lapped car of Almirola.
Earnhardt takes the lead from Johnson as the field settles down after the stops.
Quote
A downcast Bowyer confirms he's out with an engine failure:
"It's just a frustrating day. First the rain... if we were going to blow up, we should've blown up four hours ago and I could've been at home watching.
"Everybody's out there having fun, we've broken our toy."
"It's just a frustrating day. First the rain... if we were going to blow up, we should've blown up four hours ago and I could've been at home watching.
"Everybody's out there having fun, we've broken our toy."
Rain
More rain is approaching... how many of the final 70 laps will we run?
Childress rookie Brian Scott briefly picks up the lead as the final pitstops of this cycle take place.
Trouble for Bowyer. He's getting out of the car and the bonnet is up in pitlane.
The pack is broken up at present as the pitstops are quite well spread. Another big group now dives for the pits, with Patrick locked up on both front wheels for a while. The pit entry is definitely slippery.
Johnson is drafting behind Kyle Busch (who is a pitstop ahead of the champion) as he prepares to lap the Toyota, though for now he's comfortable behind it.
Earnhardt is second, Kurt Busch pits from third.
Earnhardt is second, Kurt Busch pits from third.
Keselowski slows to pit, followed by Logano, so Johnson retakes the lead.
Kahne takes his penalty while swearing on the radio. Probably fair enough.
Stewart's car is being worked on in the pitlane. This is not a great comeback for the three-time champion.
By: Matt Beer, Dan Cross
Published:
Lap:
