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SPORTS Monday 8 July 2019

Big rain and big wreck leads to Haley’s 1st career Cup win

By JENNA FRYER of this final Independence 500 winner, defended his NASCAR as an agency put a lot of money in a lot
AP Auto Racing Writer Day party at NASCAR’s racing. “I really thought representing drivers and of people’s pockets in this
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) birthplace. The race is be- it was kind of urgent be- sponsors but last year pur- garage. There’s a lot of
— Teeth chattering, hands people out there that think
shaking, stomach churn- we’re doing this as a cash
ing, Justin Haley anxiously grab the way the charter
waited for NASCAR to pull system works.
the plug on a rain-wrecked “Quite frankly, that’s not
weekend at Daytona Inter- true. Jeff Dickerson said,
national Speedway. ‘We believe in this sport.
A 500-1 longshot making We believe in the platform
just his third career Cup that NASCAR provides.’ This
start, Haley won the rain- is the American dream. We
postponed, rain-shortened did it early, and it’s not lost
race at Daytona on Sun- on me that luck was on our
day. He inherited the lead side today. But I’m not go-
after a 17-car accident ing to feel bad about at all.
decimated the field and a I’m going to love it. We’re
lightning strike forced NAS- going to continue to be the
CAR to stop the race. ‘Little Engine That Could’
Haley waited out the delay and build this thing as best
in a conference room in- we can and go from there.”
side the historic speedway, KESELOWSKI CRASH: Brad
admittedly too nervous to Keselowski has crashed out
do more than pray for the of five of his last six Cup rac-
skies to open and the race es at Daytona. His latest in-
to be called once and for cident occurred in the sec-
all. ond stage when his Ford
The wait of 2 hours, 12 min- turned right into the wall af-
utes was well worth it for the ter Kevin Harvick gave him
20-year-old Indiana native Justin Haley poses for photos with his trophy after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at a strong push from behind.
driving for first-year team Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, July 7, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. It was Keselowski who
Spire Motorsports. They cel- Associated Press set the tone for the rac-
ebrated in a makeshift in- ing earlier this week when
door victory lane and were ing moved next year to Au- cause of the lightning and chased one of the char- he refused to lift during a
warmly greeted by manu- gust as the regular-season rain coming,” he said. “It’s ters Furniture Row Racing Thursday practice session
facturer Chevrolet, which finale. part of this kind of racing. I left behind when the team when William Byron tried to
has now won two straight As the clouds darkened was being aggressive and folded at the end of last block him. Byron wrecked
races after a miserable over the track at the start trying to keep the lead.” As season. and Keselowski admitted
start to the season. of the third and final stage, he spoke, lightning crack- Team co-owners T.J. Pu- he was sending a message
“I had no expectation to drivers picked up the inten- led above his head, “and chyr and Jeff Dickerson that he’s not giving an inch
win this race,” said Haley, sity and started racing as if there’s a lightning strike took out a $6 million bank when drivers block on the
admitting he’d have quick- the event would end at the right there.” loan for the charter, hop- track.
ly been passed for the lead first drop of rain. With that, NASCAR had to ing the value of it would re- He was asked after Sun-
if the race resumed. Clint Bowyer pulled out of stop the race and bring the pay the note while helping day’s crash if his incident
“We were just trying to keep line and tried to pass Austin remaining cars to pit road them transition into a true was caused by Keselowski
the fenders on it. That was Dillon for the lead, but Dil- as a safety precaution. The race team. They needed blocking or Harvick pushing
the whole goal of the race, lon would not relinquish the move came just minutes the huge accident, Busch’s too hard.
to finish with no scratches. spot. His Chevrolet wiggled, after Kurt Busch, who had decision to pit and then yet “That would feel really
Yes, I really did pray for Bowyer hit him from behind slid through the massive another heavy rainstorm good for some people on
rain.” in his Ford, and because accident to take the lead, to become winners in their Twitter,” he said. “Nah, it
The race — the last sur- they were at the front of made a quick pit stop. 17th Cup race. looked like Kevin was trying
rounding the July Fourth the field, it caused a huge Busch relinquished the lead “It’s obviously a huge, huge to give me a really good
holiday at Daytona since wreck. because he thought the moment to win at the pin- push and just didn’t have
the event began in 1959 ”I guess he didn’t want me race was one lap away nacle of our sport, at Day- enough grip and I lost it.”
— was scheduled for Sat- to pass him,” Bowyer said. from resuming, and Xfin- tona no less. This is it. This is UP NEXT: NASCAR goes to
urday night but forced into “I got under him and he ity Series regular Haley cy- the World Center of Rac- Kentucky Speedway on
Sunday afternoon because blocked and he just finally cled into the lead. He was ing,” Puchyr said. “We just Saturday night, where Mar-
of persistent rain and light- wrecked us all.” making his third Cup start want to be in control of tin Truex Jr. routed the field
ning that washed out most Dillon, a former Daytona for Spire, which started in our own destiny. We’ve last season.q