The last two Daytona 500s have featured a wild last-lap crash involving the leaders. In 2021, it was Team Penske teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano bouncing off each other as they approached Turn 3 running 1-2. The contact set in motion a multi-car wreck that collected numerous contenders and opened the door for Michael McDowell to sneak past and steal the win. Two years ago, Denny Hamlin picked up his third Daytona 500 triumph after Ryan Newman went airborne and crashed in spectacular fashion after a bump from Ryan Blaney with the checkered flag in sight.
Will this year’s installment of The Great American Race produce an equally chaotic ending? Don’t bet against it. There’s no race on the Cup schedule other than perhaps the season-ending Championship 4 race at Phoenix where the stakes are as high as they are in the 500. Every driver dreams of winning this race from the time he’s old enough to hold a steering wheel, and most drivers will stop at nothing to fulfill that dream.
Due in large part to the nature of the racing at Daytona, where drivers run three- and sometimes four-wide in a tight pack at speeds hovering around 200 miles per hour all race long, big wrecks — often of the violent nature — are unavoidable. While it’s possible that drivers could run the final laps of Sunday’s race without incident, it’s highly, highly unlikely. So buckle your seat belt and hold your breath, because if Sunday’s season opener is anything like the last two years, there’s going to be a lot of torn-up sheet metal and shattered dreams.