It took a three hour rain delay and 400 miles, but Dale Earnhardt, Jr. scored his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win of the season in Sunday night’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Actually, it was Monday morning – 2:41 am to be precise – when the checkered flag flew. Earnhardt held off Denny Hamlin on a green-white-checkered finish.
While Earnhardt scored the victory, all eyes were on the carnage going on behind him.
It all broke loose when Hamlin spun off the front bumper of Kevin Harvick near the front of the pack, sending Hamlin around and into Austin Dillon. The contact launched Dillon’s car into the catch fence, ripping both the fence and Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet to pieces.
When Dillon’s car came to rest, it was then struck by the out of control car of Brad Keselowski. Moments later, crew members from several teams rushed to Dillon’s car, helping him climb from the wreck uninjured other than a bruised tailbone and a bruised arm.
Jimmie Johnson finished in second, with Hamlin third, Harvick fourth and Kurt Busch in fifth. Dillon was credited with seventh.
Afterwards, Earnhardt, Jr. and Johnson talked to the media about their races.
Saturday night's NASCAR Xfinity Series race was just as wild, as two major crashes decimated the field, including one that eliminated most of the lead pack with a handful of laps to go. That opened the door for Austin Dillon to score the win.
Afterwards, Dillon spoke to the media about the win, as did his grandfather and car owner, Richard Childress. We also heard form second place Elliott Sadler, with Dawsonville’s Chase Elliott in third.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Xfinity Series both head for the Bluegrass State, as both series will be in action at the Kentucky Speedway this weekend. WDUN will have live coverage of the weekend’s action.
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