In a restrictor plate odyssey that began in the 2001 Daytona 500, Busch has finished second in NASCAR’s grandest race three times and has 12 top-5s and 16 top-10s.
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In terms of race winners, the No. 2 has been driven to Victory Lane by some of the most revered names in NASCAR history. The final two laps came on a green-white-checkered finish with Kurt Busch maybe the best challenger before he got turned by Logano. Course going fishing off a win another championship and I think guys who put you guys at pocono are full of bloodshed in the view of the ramp up without his right to the chase is start right now.
“Three wins at the midpoint in the season”, Keselowski said after the race. “And as soon as you can just see energy in the field kind of build, I guess that’s what was being discussed”.
Prior to Saturday night, Keselowski hadn’t even been close to winning at Daytona. “I could never get to him when I had runs”.
“It just didn’t work out with him (Logano) trying to drive straight through us”, Busch said. “We’ve had some good cars over the years at probably Loudon, Kentucky and a handful of other races, but this is definitely the best vehicle I’ve ever had at Daytona, and I’m glad I didn’t waste it”.
“I believe in my team and my team believes in me and we went to work and we put together a better auto”. “He was pretty smart about where he positioned his auto on the racetrack, and I could see that, and I tried to do some of those same things, but man, it just never really worked for me as good as he could handle it”.
Together, in this 50th anniversary season of Team Penske, Keselowski and Logano are a massive part of the 100th win.
“It was a solid night for us”, Dillon said.
After dominating the first half of the race, Keselowski lost the lead on pit road after a wreck on lap 20 that involved almost half of the 40-car race field on lap 90. Jamie McMurray got loose in Turn 1, then he moved hard left, banged into Kyle Larson, and then spun in front of much of the field after getting tapped from behind by Jimmie Johnson.
“The 1 (McMurray) was in the outside lane, and I was in the middle”, Johnson said.
“This is racing, and unfortunately some people have different ideas”, Penske said. Dale Earnhardt Jr., the defending race victor, placed 21st. Keselowski led Kurt Busch, with Kyle Busch was in third and Logano was fourth. And the vehicle was strong I think it was a complete vacuum here tonight and that it couldn’t come at a better time and you know.
“But when we have a great vehicle like we did (Saturday), I feel like I can compete and make a run for it”.
Penske is used to defending Logano, who was hyped as the next big thing as a teen (hence the early nickname “Sliced Bread”), then was recruited to the Penske team by Keselowski when Logano was on his way out at Joe Gibbs Racing. He got past Busch for the lead with 22 laps to go and didn’t look back. Busch was running inside an undulating top five when Keselowski’s Team Penske teammate, Logano, made contact with him from behind.
Larson was sixth and the highest finishing Chevrolet.
Tony Stewart, seeking his fifth victory in his final race at Daytona, was in contention until a late accident.
“Miserable night”, Earnhardt tweeted.
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Both Busch and Gibson pointed the finger at Joey Logano, who they cited for being too aggressive in going for the win as Logano tagged Busch’s rear bumper off Turn 4 causing him to slide through the frontstretch infield. Casey Mears ran into the back of him and Stewart’s auto turned into traffic then back into the wall.
