Clash at Daytona Results: February 9, 2021 (NASCAR Cup Series)

The first race of the NASCAR Cup Series season ends with fireworks in the final corner!

Tonight, it’s the 2021 debut for the NASCAR Cup Series. The field is set to tackle the Daytona Road Course for the first time in in the All-Star type event.

View full 2021 Clash results from Daytona below.

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Things of note: Erik Jones makes his debut in the No. 43 machine. Ty Dillon will run the event in the 23XI Racing machine as the team enters their first race. Alex Bowman is making his debut in the No. 48 after Johnson’s retirement at the end of the 2020 season.

The 21 car field is set. Chase Elliott will move to the rear after unapproved adjustments after inspection. Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman lead the field to the green flag. 35 laps of stock car racing are up next…

The Clash
Race Report

Green flag, Ryan Blaney leads into turn one. Tyler Reddick drives it deep on the outside to make it three wide for 2nd but Hamlin takes that spot.

Lap 1, Hamlin is beating on the rear bumper of Blaney in turn five. He looks inside of Blaney into turn six and Hamlin takes the lead as they head into turn two of the oval.

Joey Logano jumps the curb into turn 13. He’s collected heavy left front splitter damage.

Lap 3, Kevin Harvick is in the grass. He spun the tires through the dirt in the backstretch bus stop and spun.

Lap 7, Matt DiBenedetto has missed the chicane. He’s forced to come to a complete stop to serve a penalty. Joey Logano heads to the pit lane as does Kurt Busch.

Caution

Lap 8, the caution is out for dirt and grass on the track. Hamlin pits from the race lead and brings many with him.

Hamlin restarts 6th. Five cars stayed out as Blanehy inherits the front.

Green, Ryan Blaney cooks turn one and locks up the brakes! Blaney falls to 10th as Tyler Reddick takes over the race lead. Harvick gets shoved off the track and into the grass in the process.

Lap 12, Brad Keselowski has a run on Reddick into turn one. He clears him to take the lead. Hamlin follows him through and takes 2nd.

Lap 13, Hamlin is all over Keselowski fot the race lead. Hamlin works to his outside in turn five and he has the inside lane into turn six, Hamlin is clear and returns to the lead.

Lap 14, Hamlin wiggles out of the bus stop. Martin Truex Jr works to his inside and takes the lead as they roll onto the banking. Truex Jr started 18th on the field.

Competition caution

Lap 16, Chase Elliott hits the pit lane as does Kurt Busch and Ryan Blaney. Soon after, the competition caution is out.

Martin Truex Jr missed the chicane after the caution is out! Truex Jr will be sent to the rear of the field for the restart.

Most of the field hits the pit lane. Kurt Busch is off first with 2 tires. Hamlin is off 3rd, the first with 4 tires.

Green flag, Kurt Busch cooks the tires into turn one! He forced to abort the corner. Kurt Busch does a complete loop and drops from 1st to last. Hamlin takes over the race lead.

Caution

Lap 22, Cole Custer was running 6th. He’s come to a stop on the chicane but he’s having trouble getting the car to fire.

The caution is out for Custer’s stalled machine. As he sits there, his car has caught fire. William Byron has lost his left rear tire under yellow. Joey Logano will go to the tail of the field as he didn’t enter the pits in single file order.

Green, Hamlin leads into turn one. Truex Jr locks up the brakes and shoves Austin Dillon into the corner in the process.

8 to go, Truex Jr looks to the inside of Hamlin into turn three. Hamlin hangs with him as they roll through the infield section. Hamlin defends into turn six but Truex Jr crosses under him and takes the lead.

Caution: Race leader in the wall

Martin Truex Jr clips the dirt through the bus stop. He spins sideways and slams the wall! The caution is out as the race leader is bent. Blaney has been handed the lead as Truex Jr heads to the garage.

Ryan Blaney leads most of the field to the pit lane. Blaney is off first with four tires. Blaney restarts 7th. Chase Elliott leads them to the restart.

Green, Elliott leads into turn one. Kurt Busch runs wide and Joey Logano takes over 2nd.

4 to go, Chris Buescher is around with help from Tyler Reddick. No caution.

3 to go, Ryan Blaney is on the bumper of Elliott for the race win.

2 to go, Blaney works outside of Elliott into turn four. Elliott gets loose on the inside as they run side by side for the race lead. Blaney has the inside on the next corner and he completes the pass.

Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott - Daytona Road Course - NASCAR Cup Series
Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott – Daytona Road Course – NASCAR Cup Series Credit: DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 09: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford, and Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 Llumar Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Clash at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway on February 09, 2021 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

1 to go, Elliott drives it deep into turn one and closes right to his rear bumper. Blaney gets loose and Elliott looks to his inside but Blaney shuts the door.

Elliott closes to his bumper into the bus stop. Elliott looks to his inside into the turn 13 chicane. They bang doors and Blaney is around! Both cars slow in the contact and Kyle Busch drives by both of them.

Kyle Busch wins the Busch Clash at Daytona!

Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney crash in The Clash at Daytona - NASCAR
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 09: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Great Lakes Flooring Ford, and Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 Llumar Chevrolet, wreck as Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, drives past to win the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Clash at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway on February 09, 2021 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

Clash at Daytona Results
February 9, 2021
NASCAR Cup Series

Pos | Driver

1. Kyle Busch
2. Chase Elliott
3. Joey Logano
4. Tyler Reddick
5. William Byron
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Alex Bowman
8. Erik Jones
9. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
10. Matt DiBenedetto
11. Austin Dillon
12. Aric Almirola
13. Ryan Blaney
14. Ryan Newman
15. Kevin Harvick
16. Chris Buescher
17. Brad Keselowski
18. Ty Dillon
19. Kurt Busch
20. Cole Custer
21. Martin Truex Jr

Kyle Busch is victory lane in the Clash at Daytona - NASCRA Cup Series
Kyle Busch is victory lane in the Clash at Daytona – NASCRA Cup Series Credit: DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 09: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Clash at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway on February 09, 2021 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Clash at Daytona
Video (Full Race)
February 9, 2021
NASCAR Cup Series
Links

Daytona International Speedway | NASCAR

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