Despite a new car, it was a typical Daytona 500. 500 miles of bump drafting plus a few crashes plus an exciting finish equals an exciting start to the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. In the end, it was rookie Austin Cindric holding off the field to win the Daytona 500 for owner Roger Penske on his 85th birthday. Bubba Wallace finished second for the second time in the Daytona 500 as Chase Briscoe, Ryan Blaney, and Aric Almirola rounded out the top five.
The action started on Lap 63 when Brad Keselowski got into Harrison Burton while going for the Stage 1 win. Brad K was able to keep going but the crash took three-time Daytona 500 champ Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Alex Bowman, and William Byron out of contention.
Take a look at the incident that brought out the yellow shortly before the end of Stage 1. #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/Rjq6Cn61wu
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 20, 2022
Stage 2 was relatively calm but things really got serious in Stage 3. With 50 laps to go, Tyler Reddick got loose and went into the wall collecting Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, and Martin Truex Jr. among many.
Caution is out with less than 50 laps to go at Daytona. pic.twitter.com/3gROzztXRc
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 20, 2022
A lot of the contenders were eliminated from competition with just 10 laps to go. Chris Buescher was tracking back and it looked like Kevin Harvick let up and was wedged in by the charging Kyle Larson. That impact took out Harvick and Larson along with Noah Gragson, Erik Jones, and Todd Gilliland. Chase Elliott spun but was able to keep going.
Big multi-car wreck takes out some big names. pic.twitter.com/TPuVT0XEgp
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 20, 2022
After a crash that took out Buescher and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., it was a two-lap overtime shootout in overtime. In the OT period, it was a lone Toyota driver (Bubba Wallace in third) sandwiched between seven Fords in the top nine.
Cindric and Blaney are Penske teammates but as last year showed, teammates who lead the last lap don’t necessarily get to the checkered flag first. As they came to the checkered flag, Cindric put one final block on Blaney and that triggered a multi-car crash behind him, but Cindric not only kept his car going but had enough speed to hold off Wallace to take the checkered flag in his eighth Cup start.
Retweet to congratulate Austin Cindric on his #DAYTONA500 win! pic.twitter.com/1MsVdRRMIJ
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 20, 2022
The 2020 Xfinity Series champion, Cindric grew up in a racing family. His grandfather, Jim Trueman, won the 1986 Indy 500 as a car owner just days before dying of cancer. His father, Tim Cindric, is the president of Team Penske and the strategist for Josef Newgarden over on the IndyCar side. Before this year’s ‘500, Tim was arguably the most well known “Cindric” in racing but there’s no doubt that Austin has surpassed that by becoming a Daytona 500 champion.
Daytona 500 champion Austin Cindric talks with Jamie Little. pic.twitter.com/or3dn7og7u
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 20, 2022
