30 Oct The Latest: Cup Series race at Daytona begins a day late

5:30 p.m.

Justin Haley has won the rain-shortened Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway, his first at NASCAR’s top level.

Haley took the lead under warning – Kurt Busch surrendered the top spot when he pitted for new tires – and was declared the winner after heavy rain followed two lightning delays. You will find 33 laps left when the 160-lap race was halted.

Haley was 27th when chief Austin Dillon triggered a 17-car crash which took out almost half the field and the majority of the top contenders. He passed a number of wrecked automobiles and then several more that left pit stops.

The 20-year-old Haley won’t lock at a place in the playoffs, however. He is a fulltime driver in the second-tier Xfinity Series and has been making his third Cup Series beginning – all for newcomer Spire Motorsports. The team’s No. 77 Chevrolet can secure a postseason bid, but only if it winds up in the top 30 in points.

However, it was a fitting end for the closing July race in NASCAR’s most famous track.

The event, which was postponed a day because of rain, has been plagued by inclement weather and filled with unpredictable winners in the past couple of decades. It’s moving to late August in 2020 – the regular-season finale – included in NASCAR’s major schedule shake-up.

William Byron finished second, followed by seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and Ty Dillon. Manufacturer Chevrolet won for the second successive week and took the top four places.

Ryan Newman was fifth in a Ford.

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4:30 p.m.

Drivers Bubba Wallace and Daniel Hemric entertained fans during two lightning flaws by throwing a soccer across the trail and into the stands.

Wallace and Hemric every had a few errant throws and got booed a bit.

But it surely gave fans a reason to stick around for more than an hour without any racing.

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3:18 p.m.

Lighting has stopped the NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway with Justin Haley at the lead.

The 20-year-old Haley is a part time motorist for newcomer Spire Motorsports. He finished second in Friday night’s second-tier Xfinity Series race while forcing for Kaulig Racing. This is his third Cup Series start.

Kurt Busch was leading the 400-mile race following a 17-car wreck. But Busch ducked onto pit road for fuel under caution. That left Haley front, and as soon as the red flag was pulled because of a nearby lightning strike, it left Busch in 18th. As automobiles were parked and coated on pit road.

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3 p.m.

With dark clouds looming and the end of the race in sight, pioneer Austin Dillon wrecked almost half the area at Daytona International Speedway.

“The Big One” occurred on Lap 119 in Turn 1 and involved 17 cars – many of them at the front of the area.

Clint Bowyer was pushing Dillon to the front on the exterior and made a hard move left to attempt and pass the leader. Dillon turned left in No. 3 Chevrolet, tagged Bowyer and then began spinning and taking out rivals.

“I guess that he didn’t need me to pass him,” Bowyer said.

All four Joe Gibbs Racing automobiles – Deny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and defending race winner Erik Jones – were involved. So were Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott.

“I was being aggressive and trying to keep the lead,” Dillon said.” That is exactly what you get.”

Kurt Busch managed to get through this melee unscathed.

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