Mother Nature’s fireworks stole the show not once, but twice at the Daytona International Speedway over the Fourth of July weekend handing Justin Haley his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in only his third Cup Series start at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 under a rain-soaked red flag on lap 127 of a scheduled 160. And that was not the most incredible thing that happened Jul 7.
In a race that featured all the intricacies of teamwork NASCAR has to offer, from manufacturer to owner to driver it was an 18-car accident, the dreaded “Big One,” that started an incredible chain of events that ended with Haley in the winner’s circle.
After weather delayed the race by almost 24-hours, thunderstorms remained in the Daytona area all of Sunday afternoon and the always present threat of another weather stoppage loomed large as the race got closer to the finish line.
Justin Haley escapes “Big One” to win at Daytona