Kyle Busch salvages 6th after crashes slow local drivers

Las Vegas Review-Journal

3 years ago

Kyle Busch climbs out of his car after NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race practice at Daytona Interna ... — Kyle Busch climbs out of his car after NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race practice at Daytona International Speedway, Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Kurt Busch on pit road during driver introductions before the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Noah Gragson takes off his helmet after a NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race practice Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Noah Gragson (62), Kyle Larson (5), Todd Gilliland (38) and Erik Jones (43) crash during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Kyle Larson (5) and Noah Gragson (62) crash during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Kurt Busch (45) and Joey Logano (22) spin during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Brad Keselowski (6) and Kyle Busch (18) lead a pack through the front stretch during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Nearly three-quarters of the drivers in Sunday’s Daytona 500 were involved in crashes.

Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Noah Gragson of Las Vegas were no exceptions.

Both Busch brothers were slowed by wrecks before Gragson was eliminated by one. Kyle Busch battled back to finish sixth, older brother Kurt wound up a lap down in 19th place and Gragson was credited with 31st among the 40 starters after being collected in a wreck with 10 laps to go while running in the lead draft.

Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion who was yet to win NASCAR’s marquee event in 17 tries, seemed happy with sixth after damaging the front end of his Toyota in a multicar pileup during which rookie Harrison Burton’s car tumbled onto its roof.

“Overall, a good day and a good effort,” Busch said after leading 28 laps and joining second-place Bubba Wallace as the only Toyota drivers among the top 10 in a race won by rookie Austin Cindric. “We were tore up most of the race so that was a good finish.”

Take a look at the incident that brought out the yellow shortly before the end of Stage 1. #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/Rjq6Cn61wu

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 20, 2022

Kurt Busch, the 2017 Daytona 500 winner and a former Cup Series champion, was knocked out of serious contention during another multicar mishap. But he said one of his biggest regrets was not being around at the end to perhaps push teammate Wallace to the win in cars co-owned by basketball legend Michael Jordan.

“Little things added up in the biggest race of the year, but glad we salvaged some points. Was rooting hard for @BubbaWallace, wish I was up there to push him!” Busch wrote on his Twitter account.

Gragson, racing in his first Daytona 500 and Cup Series race, charged from 39th qualifying spot to the top 10 in a car entered by Beard Motorsports, NASCAR’s smallest team, before being taken out.

“I think we were running sixth or seventh, and I got hooked in the right rear,” Gragson, 23, said. “It’s a challenge being part of a one-employee operation. So to be able to come out and run here and was looking to be in the top five.

”… I felt we put ourselves in all the right positions, just wrong place, wrong time at the end. “

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.