The 2022 NASCAR Daytona 500 ended after more than three and a half hours of racing and, of course, crashes. Team Penske’s rookie Austin Cindric grabbed his first ever Cup Series trophy.
Martin Truex Jr. won Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the race, but that didn’t help him much. Cindric took the lead after a crowded final lap with his Ford and kept it until the checkered flag was waved. Bubba Wallace with his Toyota and Chase Briscoe with another Ford completed the podium. Just half a car's length separated the winner from the runner-up.
Ryan Blaney had a real chance at winning. Unfortunately for him and his team, he was blocked and lost complete control of the car in the final lap. That’s when Cindric narrowly edged Bubba Wallace and won.
This event also brought more frustration for Hendrick Motorsports. The Chevrolets have won the pole position in seven of the last eight Daytona races, but since Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s win in 2014 they haven’t managed to climb on that coveted first place.
There were ten yellow flags waived during the 2022 NASCAR Daytona 500 and the race was stopped once for officials to clean the debris on track as Lap 191 was the only red flag.
The race had 13 leaders and the lead changed 35 times until Team Penske’s Cindric won.
But fans aren’t happy. They started accusing Austin Cindric of “dirty plays” with some even saying he didn’t deserve to win. Boos were heard even from those attending the race live. But the results are in and there’s nothing that can be done about it. The junior got an impressive win and has left a mark.
As Lugano put it, the next-gen car really allowed for better “bumping and banging.” At the same time, drivers were able to remain safe when they crashed. NASCAR officials said they’ll continue to monitor the car’s performance and check for any issues that may appear. They’ll also keep a close watch for how teams find their own rhythm in trying to make their cars go faster. This Daytona 500, however, offered them an important chance from an analytical standpoint, one which will prove useful in the weeks to come.
This 2022 NASCAR Daytona 500 was the 64th annual race. It will go down in history as the most high-profile, highly competitive car event of the year for Americans everywhere.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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