N/A
The Big One wreaked havoc on the 2019 Daytona 500, but Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing emerged as the winners of a crash-filled finish to the Great American Race on Sunday.
Hamlin―who dedicated the 2019 season to the memory of J.D. Gibbs, a co-founder of the team―crossed the line in front of teammates Kyle Busch and Erik Jones.
Hamlin reflected on his second career Daytona 500 win with appreciation for the entire Gibbs family.
But the victory certainly didn't come easily. Not only did Kyle Busch and Joey Logano push Hamlin to the finish, but the final 10 laps also included three major incidents.
The Big One came first.
On Lap 191, Paul Menard clipped Matt DiBenedetto's right rear and caused a 22-car pileup that led to a red flag.
DiBenedetto led a race-high 49 laps but watched his Daytona dreams disappear in the Big One. Still, the No. 95 driver chalked up the unfortunate collision to nothing more than racing.
Menard's team, Wood Brothers Racing, sent out an apologetic tweet for the driver's role in the crash.
Defending champion Austin Dillon was part of the wreck and eventually crossed the line in 16th. Other notables caught in the carnage included Ryan Newman (14th), Ryan Blaney (31st), Aric Almirola (32nd) and Martin Truex Jr. (35th).
Four laps later, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. unsuccessfully tried to split Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick. The drivers had been eyeing top-10 finishes but only Larson (seventh) managed one.
On the ensuing restart, Clint Bowyer tried to pass Michael McDowell but cut up too soon and turned directly into William Byron and Chase Elliott. The crash also involved Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski and Landon Cassill and sent the race to overtime.
Hamlin, Busch and Jones led Logano and McDowell to the checkered flag. Ty Dillon, Larson, Ryan Preece, Jimmie Johnson and Ross Chastain rounded out the top 10.
The wild 10-lap finish trailed a relatively tame 190.
An early crash removed Kurt Busch from contention. Then with 41 laps to go, Cody Ware hooked BJ McLeod―two drivers five laps down―while heading toward pit road and slammed into Tyler Reddick, Stenhouse and Johnson.
Seven laps later, a caution for debris reset the field. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Jones were in front of Hendrick Motorsports drivers William Byron and Alex Bowman.
On the restart, though, Jones lost fuel pressure and cost the Hendrick teammates dearly. Bowman and Byron fell at least 10 spots apiece, and the drop effectively ensured the duo would be trapped in the Big One and other late crashes.
Kyle Busch and Blaney both picked up an additional 10 points by winning Stages 1 and 2, respectively.
The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series continues Sunday, Feb. 24, with the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.
J.D. Gibbs, the son of legendary Washington coach Joe Gibbs, died at the age of 49 on Friday as the result of "complications following a long battle with a degenerative neurological disease."
Joe Gibbs Racing announced the news via Twitter.
He was a co-founder of Joe Gibbs Racing and served in a number of capacities, from tire-changer to driver to president and co-chairman.
Gibbs made 13 NASCAR national series starts from 1998 through 2002, and while his driving career did not take off, he took his experience in stride.
"My dad, he fired me in a nice way," Gibbs said in 2014, per NASCAR.com's Zack Albert. "He gave me an office and said, 'Hey, you're now the president, because you're a horrible driver.'"
Per Albert, Gibbs' health became an issue in 2014. It was revealed in March 2015 that he was receiving treatments for his disease, which was limiting brain function, including speech and processing issues.
Doctors determined the cause of the disease to be "head injuries likely suffered earlier in life," according to ESPN's Bob Pockrass.
Along with his career in NASCAR, Gibbs was a quarterback and defensive back at the College of William & Mary from 1987 through 1990.
