For the second consecutive week, there was rain in the area for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, this time in Daytona Beach, Florida. The final running of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on the Fourth of July weekend was originally scheduled for Saturday evening, but Mother Nature again had other plans. The green flag would finally be dropped for the race at 1:04 P.M. on Sunday afternoon.
With qualifying on Thursday evening being canceled due to rain, the starting lineup would be set based on Owner's Points from the first 17 races of the season. Joey Logano of Team Penske would lead the field to the green as he started from the Busch Light Pole Position, and would lead for a grand total of 40 laps including a victory in Stage One.
Austin Dillon took control of the pack on lap 58 and paced the field for a race-high 46 laps including earning his second stage win of the season at the end of Stage Two.
Stage three would be the setting for "The Big One" that has become a regularity on the Super Speedway tracks. Clint Bowyer and his number 14 Stewart Haas Racing Ford would utilize the draft to get a run on Dillon. With inclement weather again in the area in Daytona Beach and Dillon's current points situation, he made a risky block on Bowyer in hopes to keep the lead and the two would make contact which triggered a pileup of 18 out of the 40 total cars in the field on lap 127. The crash would result in a red flag due to the carnage of all of the torn-up cars on the racing surface.
Unfortunately for the fans, the race would never go back green. Due to NASCAR's policy on lightning, each time there is a lightning strike within an eight-mile radius of the track there must be a 30-minute delay. During the lightning delays, a storm developed over the Atlantic Ocean and drenched Daytona International Speedway.
Who was leading the field during this delay? Justin Haley. Haley is an Xfinity Series regular for Kaulig Racing, who was making just his third career Cup Series start of Spire Motorsports. At just 20 years old, Haley is the third-youngest winner in the history of the highest level of NASCAR racing.
This was the second consecutive week with first time winners (Alex Bowman and Justin Haley) in the Cup Series for the first time since 2007 with Casey Mears and Martin Truex Jr.
Finishing in second behind Haley was William Byron, with Jimmie Johnson, Ty Dillon, and Ryan Newman rounding out the top five. Some other notable finishers are Kyle Busch in 14th, Truex Jr. in 22nd, Logano in 25th, Kevin Harvick in 29th, Dillon in 33rd, Chase Elliott in 35th, Ryan Blaney 36th, and Brad Keselowski in 39th.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series now heads to the Blue Grass State to Kentucky Speedway for the running of the Quaker State 400 on Saturday, July 13th at 7:30 P.M. Tune in to NBCSN to watch live.
