DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The first race for Spire Motorsports as a two-car operation saw the team place two cars in the top 10 at the finish of Sunday’s 63rd running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona Int’l Speedway.
The No. 77 Chevrolet wheeled by 2010 Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray and the No. 7 driven by Corey LaJoie finished eighth and ninth, respectively.
“Great way to start the year with our Spire Motorsports Chevy team,” LaJoie said after his fourth career top-10 finish. “You always want to be in position to contend for a win, but to finish ninth in my first race with the team is exactly what we set out to do. Good start in points and we’ll continue to get stronger over the course of the year.”
McMurray’s top-10 finish was unexpected after he was involved in a multi-car crash on lap 14. His No. 77 Chevrolet sustained major damage but following a lengthy red flag period for a storm that drenched the track, the Spire Motorsports team repaired his car and get him back out on track two laps down.
McMurray, who was making his first Cup Series start since 2019, was able to get both of his laps back thanks to a caution for a crash on lap 39 and the caution at the end of stage one on lap 67. After getting back on the lead lap, McMurray was involved in another accident on lap 113, but managed to avoid any major damage and continued on.
Prior to the Daytona 500, Spire Motorsports had only earned one top-10 finish in the team’s history, which was the rain-shortened victory earned by the team and driver Justin Haley in 2019 during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona Int’l Speedway.
• While Bubba Wallace failed to put his No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota in victory lane on Sunday, he still made a bit of history.
By leading the 129th lap, Wallace became the first African American competitor to lead a lap during the Daytona 500. Wallace was taken out of contention when he was forced to make a late pit stop for a loose wheel, dropping him a lap down to the rest of the leaders.
Wallace, who had to start at the rear of the field after his car failed pre-race inspection, finished 17th after being involved in the last-lap crash in turn three as the field raced toward the checkered flag.
• One day after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series opener, Austin Cindric turned even more heads with an impressive display in his first NASCAR Cup Series race.
Cindric was near the front of the field throughout the Daytona 500, even leading two laps near the midway point of the race in the No. 33 Team Penske Ford. He finished 15th after he was involved in the last-lap crash that included Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski.
Sunday’s Daytona 500 is one of approximately five NASCAR Cup Series races Cindric is expected to compete in this year as he prepares for his promotion to NASCAR’s top level in 2022.
• A number of drivers earned their best finishes in the Daytona 500.
In addition to race winner Michael McDowell and runner-up Chase Elliott, other drivers to earn their best Daytona 500 finishes included Ryan Preece (sixth), Ross Chastain (seventh), Cole Custer (11th), Christopher Bell (16th), Joey Gase (20th), Cody Ware (21st) and Quin Houff (29th).
• Thirteen drivers led laps during the Daytona 500. Denny Hamlin led the most laps at 98 while Bell (32), Joey Logano (26), Kevin Harvick (17), Kaz Grala (10), Austin Dillon (seven), Elliott (three), Cindric (two), Kyle Larson (one), Custer (one), Wallace (one) and Alex Bowman (one) also found their way to the front.
Race winner McDowell led only one lap, but it was the most important one. It was the third time in five years the Daytona 500 winner led only the last lap.
• Race winner Michael McDowell’s 358 starts before his first Cup Series victory are the second most in series history. Michael Waltrip won the 2001 Daytona 500 in his 463rd start.
• Sixty-two-year-old Derrike Cope, who made his final Daytona 500 start for Rick Ware Racing, made it only three laps before his race ended in a crash. Cope won the 1991 Daytona 500.
• Seven of the top-10 finishers drove Chevrolets. Race winner Michael McDowell was one of two Ford drivers in the top 10, while Denny Hamlin finished fifth as the only Toyota driver in the top 10 at the checkered flag.