Harrison Burton secured his first career victory at the Cup Series race in Daytona International Speedway in a thrilling event on Saturday night. Burton managed to edge out Kyle Busch in overtime, earning a coveted spot in NASCAR’s playoffs. Despite facing uncertainty about his future in the No. 21 Ford with Wood Brothers Racing next season, Burton was able to clinch the win by overtaking Busch on the final lap with a crucial assist from Parker Retzlaff.
Busch fiercely competed to regain the lead but was unable to surpass Burton, who expressed overwhelming emotions, admitting to tearing up during the victory lap. Burton’s father, former NASCAR driver Jeff Burton, called the race and conveyed his congratulations over the radio. The race marked Burton’s first victory in 98 Cup starts and marked the 100th win for the Wood Brothers team.
The race took a dramatic turn into overtime after Josh Berry’s No. 4 Ford flipped and collided with an inside retaining wall while upside down. Safety crews worked to upright the car, allowing Berry to emerge and flash a thumbs-up to the crowd. The incident occurred when Berry, leading the race with two laps remaining, was caught up in a multi-car crash initiated by Austin Cindric’s contact with Busch.
In light of recent flips in Cup cars, drivers raised concerns about vehicle liftoff potential. There was a moment of more potential danger when Michael McDowell’s No. 34 Ford appeared on the brink of flipping following contact with Logano. Fortunately, McDowell’s car stopped short of turning over. However, Berry was less fortunate, experiencing a dramatic flip during the race.
The playoffs picture in NASCAR has started to take shape, with 13 drivers already securing spots in the 16-man playoff field by clinching wins. A group of five winless drivers, including Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, and Bubba Wallace, are competing for the remaining four spots as the regular season finale approaches at Darlington Raceway next week.
The race was not without its share of early chaos, as a 17-car incident was triggered in the second stage, involving Noah Gragson and Corey LaJoie. The melee ended the night for several drivers, including Gragson, LaJoie, Elliott, Hamlin, and Preece. Additionally, Daniel Suarez faced a peculiar setback when his No. 99 Chevrolet caught fire on pit road, forcing an early end to his night after 37 laps due to a series of unfortunate events.
As the NASCAR season progresses, excitement builds for the upcoming showdown at Darlington Raceway for the regular-season finale, where drivers will battle it out for the remaining playoff berths.
