2018 Daytona 500

The 2018 Daytona 500, the 60th running of the event, is a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held on February 18, 2018, contested over 207 laps -- extended from 200 laps due to an overtime finish, on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) asphalt superspeedway. It was the first race of the of the the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.
==Report==
===Background===
thumb|Daytona International Speedway, the track where the race was held
Daytona International Speedway is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the others being Michigan International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.
===Notes===
This was the first Daytona 500 race since 1982 where none of the cars were sponsored by beer companies.
Also this Daytona 500 saw an strange sight of only 40 cars (The maximum field and no extra cars) entering the race, thus making no teams in a “go or go home” position for the first time.
===Entry list===
No. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer
00 	Jeffrey Earnhardt 	StarCom Racing 	Chevrolet
1 	Jamie McMurray 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	Chevrolet
2 	Brad Keselowski 	Team Penske 	Ford
3 	Austin Dillon 	Richard Childress Racing 	Chevrolet
4 	Kevin Harvick 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford
6 	Trevor Bayne 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford
7 	Danica Patrick 	Premium Motorsports 	Chevrolet
9 	Chase Elliott 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet
10 	Aric Almirola 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford
11 	Denny Hamlin 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota
12 	Ryan Blaney 	Team Penske 	Ford
13 	Ty Dillon 	Germain Racing 	Chevrolet
14 	Clint Bowyer 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford
17 	Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford
18 	Kyle Busch 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota
19 	Daniel Suárez 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota
20 	Erik Jones 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota
21 	Paul Menard 	Wood Brothers Racing 	Ford
22 	Joey Logano 	Team Penske 	Ford
23 	Gray Gaulding 	BK Racing 	Toyota
24 	William Byron (R) 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet
31 	Ryan Newman 	Richard Childress Racing 	Chevrolet
32 	Matt DiBenedetto 	Go Fas Racing 	Ford
34 	Michael McDowell 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford
37 	Chris Buescher 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	Chevrolet
38 	David Ragan 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford
41 	Kurt Busch 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford
42 	Kyle Larson 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	Chevrolet
43 	Darrell Wallace Jr. (R)	Richard Petty Motorsports	Chevrolet
47 	A. J. Allmendinger 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	Chevrolet
48 	Jimmie Johnson 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet
51 	Justin Marks (i) 	Rick Ware Racing 	Chevrolet
62 	Brendan Gaughan 	Beard Motorsports 	Chevrolet
66 	Mark Thompson 	MBM Motorsports 	Ford
72 	Corey LaJoie 	TriStar Motorsports 	Chevrolet
78 	Martin Truex Jr. 	Furniture Row Racing 	Toyota
88 	Alex Bowman 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet
92 	David Gilliland (i) 	RBR Enterprises 	Ford
95 	Kasey Kahne 	Leavine Family Racing 	Chevrolet
96 	D. J. Kennington 	Gaunt Brothers Racing 	Toyota
Official entry list	Official entry list 	Official entry list 	Official entry list
==Practice==
===First practice (February 10)===
Kyle Busch was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 45.058 seconds and a speed of 199.743 mph (321.455 km/h).
Pos 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer 	Time 	Speed
1 	18 	Kyle Busch 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	45.058 	199.743
2 	11 	Denny Hamlin 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	45.085 	199.623
3 	19 	Daniel Suárez 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	45.088 	199.610
Official first practice results	Official first practice results	Official first practice results	Official first practice results	Official first practice results	Official first practice results	Official first practice results
===Second practice (February 10)===
William Byron was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 44.625 seconds and a speed of 201.681 mph (324.574 km/h)
Pos 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer 	Time 	Speed
1 	24 	William Byron (R) 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	44.625 	201.681
2 	17 	Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford 	44.632 	201.649
3 	22 	Joey Logano 	Team Penske 	Ford 	44.641 	201.608
Official second practice results	Official second practice results	Official second practice results	Official second practice results	Official second practice results	Official second practice results	Official second practice results
==Qualifying==
Alex Bowman scored the pole for the race with a time of 46.002 and a speed of 195.644 mph (314.858 km/h)
===Qualifying results===
Pos 	Car no. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer 	Time 	Speed
1 (1) 	88 	Alex Bowman 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	46.181 	46.002
2 (2) 	11 	Denny Hamlin 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	46.201 	46.132
3 (1) 	48 	Jimmie Johnson 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	46.420 	46.217
4 (2) 	18 	Kyle Busch 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	46.366 	46.224
5 (1) 	24 	William Byron (R) 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	46.328 	46.261
6 (2) 	20 	Erik Jones 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	46.513 	46.279
7 (1) 	19 	Daniel Suárez 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	46.412 	46.280
8 (2) 	4 	Kevin Harvick 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	46.420 	46.281
9 (1) 	17 	Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford 	46.313 	46.381
10 (2) 	9 	Chase Elliott 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	46.534 	46.413
11 (1) 	22 	Joey Logano 	Team Penske 	Ford 	46.422 	46.437
12 (2) 	21 	Paul Menard 	Wood Brothers Racing 	Ford 	46.470 	46.584
13 (1) 	10 	Aric Almirola 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	46.539 	—
14 (2) 	3 	Austin Dillon 	Richard Childress Racing 	Chevrolet 	46.546 	—
15 (1) 	12 	Ryan Blaney 	Team Penske 	Ford 	46.577 	—
16 (2) 	14 	Clint Bowyer 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	46.658 	—
17 (1) 	41 	Kurt Busch 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	46.678 	—
18 (2) 	95 	Kasey Kahne 	Leavine Family Racing 	Chevrolet 	46.694 	—
19 (1) 	2 	Brad Keselowski 	Team Penske 	Ford 	46.698 	—
20 (2) 	6 	Trevor Bayne 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford 	46.781 	—
21 (1) 	31 	Ryan Newman 	Richard Childress Racing 	Chevrolet 	46.816 	—
22 (2) 	42 	Kyle Larson 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	Chevrolet 	46.817 	—
23 (1) 	1 	Jamie McMurray 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	Chevrolet 	46.836 	—
24 (2) 	34 	Michael McDowell 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford 	46.899 	—
25 (1) 	43 	Darrell Wallace Jr. (R) 	Richard Petty Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	46.938 	—
26 (2) 	78 	Martin Truex Jr. 	Furniture Row Racing 	Toyota 	47.002 	—
27 (1) 	13 	Ty Dillon 	Germain Racing 	Chevrolet 	47.074 	—
28 (2) 	7 	Danica Patrick 	Premium Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	47.081 	—
29 (1) 	37 	Chris Buescher 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	Chevrolet 	47.095 	—
30 (2) 	47 	A. J. Allmendinger 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	Chevrolet 	47.144 	—
31 (1) 	62 	Brendan Gaughan 	Beard Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	47.398 	—
32 (1) 	51 	Justin Marks (i) 	Rick Ware Racing 	Chevrolet 	47.464 	—
33 (2) 	32 	Matt DiBenedetto 	Go Fas Racing 	Ford 	47.675 	—
34 (2) 	96 	D. J. Kennington 	Gaunt Brothers Racing 	Toyota 	47.848 	—
35 (1) 	00 	Jeffrey Earnhardt 	StarCom Racing 	Chevrolet 	47.866 	—
36 (1) 	92 	David Gilliland (i) 	RBR Enterprises 	Ford 	47.884 	—
37 (2) 	66 	Mark Thompson 	MBM Motorsports 	Ford 	48.267 	—
38 (2) 	72 	Corey LaJoie 	TriStar Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	48.372 	—
39 (2) 	23 	Gray Gaulding 	BK Racing 	Toyota 	0.000 	—
40 (1) 	38 	David Ragan 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford 	0.000 	—
Official qualifying results	Official qualifying results	Official qualifying results	Official qualifying results	Official qualifying results	Official qualifying results	Official qualifying results
==Can-Am Duels==
The Can-Am Duels are a pair of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races held in conjunction with the Daytona 500 annually in February at Daytona International Speedway. They consist of two races 60 laps and 150 miles (240 km) in length, which serve as heat races that set the lineup for the Daytona 500. Both races sets the lineup for positions 3–32. The first race sets the lineup for cars that qualified in odd–numbered positions on pole qualifying day. The second race sets the lineup for cars that qualified in even–numbered positions. Positions 33–36 are filled by the four drivers that posted the fastest lap in pole qualifying that didn't lock in a position in the Duel's. Positions 37–40 are set by the four cars highest in the 2017 owner's points that didn't lock in a position in the Duels and weren't among the cars that posted the four fastest timed laps in pole qualifying.
===Duel 1===
====Duel 1 results====
Pos 	Grid 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer 	Laps
1 	8 	12 	Ryan Blaney 	Team Penske 	Ford 	63
2 	6 	22 	Joey Logano 	Team Penske 	Ford 	63
3 	13 	43 	Darrell Wallace Jr. (R)	Richard Petty Motorsports	Chevrolet 	63
4 	5 	17 	Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford 	63
5 	9 	41 	Kurt Busch 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	63
6 	11 	31 	Ryan Newman 	Richard Childress Racing 	Chevrolet 	63
7 	20 	38 	David Ragan 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford 	63
8 	4 	19 	Daniel Suárez 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	63
9 	12 	1 	Jamie McMurray 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	Chevrolet 	63
10 	15 	37 	Chris Buescher 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	Chevrolet 	63
11 	14 	13 	Ty Dillon 	Germain Racing 	Chevrolet 	63
12 	16 	62 	Brendan Gaughan 	Beard Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	63
13 	18 	00 	Jeffrey Earnhardt 	StarCom Racing 	Chevrolet 	63
14 	1 	88 	Alex Bowman 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	63
15 	17 	51 	Justin Marks (i) 	Rick Ware Racing 	Chevrolet 	63
16 	10 	2 	Brad Keselowski 	Team Penske 	Ford 	57
17 	19 	92 	David Gilliland (i) 	RBR Enterprises 	Ford 	47
18 	3 	24 	William Byron (R) 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	38
19 	2 	48 	Jimmie Johnson 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	8
20 	7 	10 	Aric Almirola 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	8
Official race results	Official race results	Official race results	Official race results 	Official race results 	Official race results	Official race results
===Duel 2===
====Duel 2 results====
Pos 	Grid 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer 	Laps
1 	5 	9 	Chase Elliott 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	60
2 	4 	4 	Kevin Harvick 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	60
3 	3 	20 	Erik Jones 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	60
4 	8 	14 	Clint Bowyer 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	60
5 	2 	18 	Kyle Busch 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	60
6 	7 	3 	Austin Dillon 	Richard Childress Racing	Chevrolet 	60
7 	6 	21 	Paul Menard 	Wood Brothers Racing 	Ford 	60
8 	10 	6 	Trevor Bayne 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford 	60
9 	1 	11 	Denny Hamlin 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	60
10 	15 	47 	A. J. Allmendinger 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	Chevrolet 	60
11 	12 	34 	Michael McDowell 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford 	60
12 	13 	78 	Martin Truex Jr. 	Furniture Row Racing 	Toyota 	60
13 	9 	95 	Kasey Kahne 	Leavine Family Racing 	Chevrolet 	60
14 	14 	7 	Danica Patrick 	Premium Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	60
15 	17 	96 	D. J. Kennington 	Gaunt Brothers Racing 	Toyota 	58
16 	19 	72 	Corey LaJoie 	TriStar Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	58
17 	20 	23 	Gray Gaulding 	BK Racing 	Toyota 	55
18 	18 	66 	Mark Thompson 	MBM Motorsports 	Ford 	32
19 	16 	32 	Matt DiBenedetto 	Go Fas Racing 	Ford 	11
20 	11 	42 	Kyle Larson 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	Chevrolet 	11
Official race results	Official race results	Official race results	Official race results	Official race results 	Official race results	Official race results
===Starting lineup===
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer 	Notes
1 	88 	Alex Bowman 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	Fastest in pole qualifying
2 	11 	Denny Hamlin 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	Second in pole qualifying
3 	12 	Ryan Blaney 	Team Penske 	Ford 	Duel race #1 winner
4 	9 	Chase Elliott 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	Duel race #2 winner
5 	22 	Joey Logano 	Team Penske 	Ford 	Second in Duel 1
6 	4 	Kevin Harvick 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	Second in Duel 2
7 	43 	Darrell Wallace Jr. (R) 	Richard Petty Motorsports	Chevrolet 	Third in Duel 1
8 	20 	Erik Jones 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	Third in Duel 2
9 	17 	Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford 	Fourth in Duel 1
10 	14 	Clint Bowyer 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	Fourth in Duel 2
11 	41 	Kurt Busch 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	Fifth in Duel 1
12 	18 	Kyle Busch 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	Fifth in Duel 2
13 	31 	Ryan Newman 	Richard Childress Racing 	Chevrolet 	Sixth in Duel 1
14 	3 	Austin Dillon 	Richard Childress Racing 	Chevrolet 	Sixth in Duel 2
15 	38 	David Ragan 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford 	Seventh in Duel 1
16 	21 	Paul Menard 	Wood Brothers Racing 	Ford 	Seventh in Duel 2
17 	19 	Daniel Suárez 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	Eighth in Duel 1
18 	6 	Trevor Bayne 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford 	Eighth in Duel 2
19 	1 	Jamie McMurray 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	Chevrolet 	Ninth in Duel 1
20 	47 	A. J. Allmendinger 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	Chevrolet 	10th in Duel 2
21 	37 	Chris Buescher 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	Chevrolet 	10th in Duel 1
22 	34 	Michael McDowell 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford 	11th in Duel 2
23 	13 	Ty Dillon 	Germain Racing 	Chevrolet 	11th in Duel 1
24 	78 	Martin Truex Jr. 	Furniture Row Racing 	Toyota 	12th in Duel 2
25 	62 	Brendan Gaughan 	Beard Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	12th in Duel 1
26 	95 	Kasey Kahne 	Leavine Family Racing 	Chevrolet 	13th in Duel 2
27 	00 	Jeffrey Earnhardt 	StarCom Racing 	Chevrolet 	13th in Duel 1
28 	7 	Danica Patrick 	Premium Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	14th in Duel 2
29 	51 	Justin Marks (i) 	Rick Ware Racing 	Chevrolet 	15th in Duel 1
30 	96 	D. J. Kennington 	Gaunt Brothers Racing 	Toyota 	15th in Duel 2
31 	2 	Brad Keselowski 	Team Penske 	Ford 	16th in Duel 1
32 	72 	Corey LaJoie 	TriStar Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	16th in Duel 2
33 	24 	William Byron (R) 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	18th in Duel 1
34 	23 	Gray Gaulding 	BK Racing 	Toyota 	17th in Duel 2
35 	48 	Jimmie Johnson 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	19th in Duel 1
36 	32 	Matt DiBenedetto 	Go Fas Racing 	Ford 	19th in Duel 2
37 	10 	Aric Almirola 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	20th in Duel 1
38 	42 	Kyle Larson 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	Chevrolet 	20th in Duel 2
39 	92 	David Gilliland (i) 	RBR Enterprises 	Ford 	Qualifying speed
40 	66 	Mark Thompson 	MBM Motorsports 	Ford 	Qualifying speed
Official starting lineup	Official starting lineup	Official starting lineup	Official starting lineup 	Official starting lineup	Official starting lineup
==Practice (post–Duels)==
===Third practice (February 16)===
Daniel Suárez was the fastest in the third practice session with a time of 45.036 seconds and a speed of 
Pos 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer 	Time 	Speed
1 	19 	Daniel Suárez 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	45.036 	199.840
2 	11 	Denny Hamlin 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	45.058 	199.743
3 	78 	Martin Truex Jr. 	Furniture Row Racing 	Toyota 	45.069 	199.694
Official third practice results	Official third practice results	Official third practice results	Official third practice results	Official third practice results	Official third practice results	Official third practice results
===Fourth practice (February 16)===
Daniel Suárez was the fastest in the fourth practice session with a time of 44.296 seconds and a speed of 199.840 mph (321.611 km/h).
Pos 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer 	Time 	Speed
1 	19 	Daniel Suárez 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	44.296 	203.179
2 	31 	Ryan Newman 	Richard Childress Racing 	Chevrolet 	44.347 	202.945
3 	34 	Michael McDowell 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford 	44.364 	202.867
Official fourth practice results	Official fourth practice results	Official fourth practice results	Official fourth practice results	Official fourth practice results	Official fourth practice results	Official fourth practice results
===Final practice (February 17)===
Darrell Wallace Jr. was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 45.696 seconds and a speed of 203.179 mph (326.985 km/h).
Pos 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer 	Time 	Speed
1 	43 	Darrell Wallace Jr. (R) 	Richard Petty Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	45.696 	196.954
2 	19 	Daniel Suárez 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	45.795 	196.528
3 	31 	Ryan Newman 	Richard Childress Racing 	Chevrolet 	45.810 	196.464
Official final practice results	Official final practice results	Official final practice results	Official final practice results	Official final practice results	Official final practice results	Official final practice results
==Race==
=== Stage 1 ===
Alex Bowman led the field to the green flag at 3:05 pm. The first caution of the race flew on lap 9 when Corey LaJoie blew an engine in Turn 2. Denny Hamlin was penalized one lap for pitting outside the box during the caution. The flag was out for three laps.
The race restarted a few laps later. On lap 30, Kyle Busch's left rear tire went flat, and he dropped from 5th to 38th to get the tire changed, and the second caution of the race flew on lap 52 when Kyle Busch spun out, apparently due to the same tire problem he had on lap 30. The first 10 cars did not stop to pit, waiting instead for the end of the first stage.
The race restated on lap 56 and it remained green for 5 laps.
Towards the end of stage 1, the third caution of the race flew for a multi-car wreck involving William Byron, Erik Jones, Ty Dillon, Daniel Suárez, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson. It was the third car Johnson wrecked this week. Johnson, Suarez, Jones and Dillon are out of the race. "It is disappointing for this Lowes team and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for all the work they put into it," Johnson said. "But we'll get this Camaro ZL1 dialed in for Atlanta and take it over there." Said Suarez: “It looked like the 17 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) just got freed up there by the 12 (Blaney), unfortunately. We tried to check up and everybody got stacked up, and caused a big wreck. It’s unfortunate because the DEWALT Camry was definitely fast – we just didn’t get to the end to see what we could really do. We were in position I thought to have a good race. We were staying upfront and out of trouble, it just didn’t work out.”
2017 Daytona 500 winner Kurt Busch won Stage 1, his first stage win ever, which is worth 10 points toward seasonal standings. But he missed his box coming in to the pits and was penalized. Alex Bowman led five laps. Denny Hamlin won the free pass under caution.
=== Stage 2 ===
The race restarted on lap 67 and Ryan Blaney took the lead. He led a total of 26 laps.
Debris on the track brought the fourth caution of the race on lap 93, from William Byron's car. The caution lasts from lap 94 to 97, four laps. Martin Truex Jr. took the lead after choosing not to make a pit stop.
The race restarted on lap 98 and it remained green for 5 laps, another multi-car wreck brought out the fifth caution of the race, on lap 101 involving Chase Elliott, one of the favorites, Danica Patrick, racing for the final time in NASCAR, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, David Ragan and Kasey Kahne. The caution flag was out for laps 103 through 108. So far, 11 cars are out of the race. Keselowski was not happy. “The 24 got loose and spun out in front of us all and I got caught up in it," the pre-race favorite said. "It just really sucks. We had a great car and were in a great position. I guess that’s the way it goes. I went to pass the 24 on the bottom and he came down. I can’t tell if I made contact or not, but obviously he turned and there was nothing I could do. We were all wrecked.”
The race restarted on lap 109 and Ryan Blaney took the lead.
Ryan Blaney collects the 10 points for winning the second stage, and the sixth caution flew for the conclusion of the second stage.
=== Final stage ===
The race restarted on lap 127 and Denny Hamlin took the lead on lap 171. The seventh caution of the race flew on lap 191 when William Byron spun out in turn 4. The caution lasted for 3 laps.
The race restarted on lap 194 and it remained green for 6 laps.
On lap 199, the eighth caution of the race flew for a multi-car wreck in turn 3, also called The Big One. Defending Daytona 500 champion Kurt Busch tried to pass race leader Hamlin with two laps to go but contact from behind by Ryan Blaney turned Busch, leading to a melee. Alex Bowman, Brendan Gaughan, Matt DiBenedetto and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were also involved. The race then headed to overtime with Denny Hamlin and Aric Almirola on the front row.
=== Overtime ===
The race restarted with two laps to go, and Aric Almirola took the lead coming to the white flag, but could not block the right lane at the right time and Austin Dillon had a big run on Almirola eventually spinning Almirola out and Dillon drove on to score the victory and for the first time at the Daytona 500 the 3 went back to Daytona victory lane since 20 years when Dale Earnhardt Sr. took the 3 car to victory lane at the Daytona 500 in 1998.
==== Post race ====
"I did what I had to do at the end; I hated for the 10 (Almirola's Stewart-Haas Racing) guys," Dillon said immediately after performing a series of burnouts. "It's so awesome to take the 3 car back to victory lane 20 years after Earnhardt did it. "This is for Dale Sr. and all those Earnhardt fans. We're going to keep kicking butt the rest of the year."
===Race results===
====Stage Results====
Stage 1
Laps: 60
Pos 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer 	Points
1 	41 	Kurt Busch 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	10
2 	88 	Alex Bowman 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	9
3 	12 	Ryan Blaney 	Team Penske 	Ford 	8
4 	17 	Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford 	7
5 	78 	Martin Truex Jr. 	Furniture Row Racing 	Toyota 	6
6 	34 	Michael McDowell 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford 	5
7 	4 	Kevin Harvick 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	4
8 	9 	Chase Elliott 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	3
9 	21 	Paul Menard 	Wood Brothers Racing 	Ford 	2
10 	6 	Trevor Bayne 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford 	1
Official stage one results	Official stage one results	Official stage one results	Official stage one results	Official stage one results	Official stage one results
Stage 2
Laps: 60
Pos 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer 	Points
1 	12 	Ryan Blaney 	Team Penske 	Ford 	10
2 	21 	Paul Menard 	Wood Brothers Racing 	Ford 	9
3 	22 	Joey Logano 	Team Penske 	Ford 	8
4 	10 	Aric Almirola 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	7
5 	34 	Michael McDowell 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford 	6
6 	78 	Martin Truex Jr. 	Furniture Row Racing 	Toyota 	5
7 	43 	Darrell Wallace Jr. (R) 	Richard Petty Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	4
8 	6 	Trevor Bayne 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford 	3
9 	3 	Austin Dillon 	Richard Childress Racing 	Chevrolet 	2
10 	11 	Denny Hamlin 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	1
Official stage two results	Official stage two results	Official stage two results	Official stage two results	Official stage two results	Official stage two results
===Final Stage Results===
Stage 3
Laps: 80
Pos 	Grid 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	Manufacturer 	Laps 	Points
1 	14 	3 	Austin Dillon 	Richard Childress Racing 	Chevrolet 	207 	42
2 	7 	43 	Darrell Wallace Jr. (R)	Richard Petty Motorsports	Chevrolet 	207 	39
3 	2 	11 	Denny Hamlin 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	207 	35
4 	5 	22 	Joey Logano 	Team Penske 	Ford 	207 	41
5 	21 	37 	Chris Buescher 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	Chevrolet 	207 	32
6 	16 	21 	Paul Menard 	Wood Brothers Racing 	Ford 	207 	42
7 	3 	12 	Ryan Blaney 	Team Penske 	Ford 	207 	48
8 	13 	31 	Ryan Newman 	Richard Childress Racing 	Chevrolet 	207 	29
9 	22 	34 	Michael McDowell 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford 	207 	39
10 	20 	47 	A. J. Allmendinger 	JTG Daugherty Racing 	Chevrolet 	207 	27
11 	37 	10 	Aric Almirola 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	206 	33
12 	29 	51 	Justin Marks (i) 	Rick Ware Racing 	Chevrolet 	206 	0
13 	18 	6 	Trevor Bayne 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford 	206 	28
14 	39 	92 	David Gilliland (i) 	RBR Enterprises 	Ford 	206 	0
15 	10 	14 	Clint Bowyer 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	206 	22
16 	19 	1 	Jamie McMurray 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	Chevrolet 	205 	21
17 	1 	88 	Alex Bowman 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	205 	29
18 	24 	78 	Martin Truex Jr. 	Furniture Row Racing 	Toyota 	205 	30
19 	38 	42 	Kyle Larson 	Chip Ganassi Racing 	Chevrolet 	204 	18
20 	34 	23 	Gray Gaulding 	BK Racing 	Toyota 	204 	17
21 	27 	00 	Jeffrey Earnhardt 	StarCom Racing 	Chevrolet 	204 	16
22 	40 	66 	Mark Thompson 	MBM Motorsports 	Ford 	203 	15
23 	33 	24 	William Byron (R) 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	203 	14
24 	30 	96 	D. J. Kennington 	Gaunt Brothers Racing 	Toyota 	201 	13
25 	12 	18 	Kyle Busch 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	200 	12
26 	11 	41 	Kurt Busch 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	198 	21
27 	36 	32 	Matt DiBenedetto 	Go Fas Racing 	Ford 	198 	10
28 	25 	62 	Brendan Gaughan 	Beard Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	198 	9
29 	9 	17 	Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 	Roush Fenway Racing 	Ford 	197 	15
30 	15 	38 	David Ragan 	Front Row Motorsports 	Ford 	107 	7
31 	6 	4 	Kevin Harvick 	Stewart-Haas Racing 	Ford 	105 	10
32 	31 	2 	Brad Keselowski 	Team Penske 	Ford 	102 	5
33 	4 	9 	Chase Elliott 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	101 	7
34 	26 	95 	Kasey Kahne 	Leavine Family Racing 	Chevrolet 	101 	3
35 	28 	7 	Danica Patrick 	Premium Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	101 	2
36 	8 	20 	Erik Jones 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	59 	1
37 	17 	19 	Daniel Suárez 	Joe Gibbs Racing 	Toyota 	59 	1
38 	35 	48 	Jimmie Johnson 	Hendrick Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	59 	1
39 	23 	13 	Ty Dillon 	Germain Racing 	Chevrolet 	59 	1
40 	32 	72 	Corey LaJoie 	TriStar Motorsports 	Chevrolet 	8 	1
Official race results	Official race results	Official race results	Official race results 	Official race results 	Official race results	Official race results	Official race results
===Race statistics===
* Lead changes: 14 among different drivers
* Cautions/Laps: 8 for 37
* Red flags: 0
* Time of race: 3 hours, 26 minutes and 15 seconds
* Average speed: 150.545 mph (242.279 km/h)
==Media==
===Television===
Since 2001—with the exception of 2002, 2004 and 2006—the Daytona 500 has been carried by Fox in the United States. The booth crew consisted of longtime NASCAR lap-by-lap announcer Mike Joy, three–time Daytona 500 champion Jeff Gordon, and 1989 race winner Darrell Waltrip. Pit road was manned by Jamie Little, Regan Smith, Vince Welch and Matt Yocum.
Fox Television 	Fox Television
Booth announcers 	Pit reporters
Lap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Jeff GordonColor commentator: Darrell Waltrip	Jamie LittleRegan SmithVince WelchMatt Yocum
===Radio===
The race was broadcast on radio by the Motor Racing Network—who has covered the Daytona 500 since 1970—and simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. The booth crew consisted of longtime announcer Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and 1989 Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace. Longtime turn announcer – and prodigy of MRN co-founder Ken Squier – Dave Moody was the lead turn announcer. He called the Daytona 500 from atop the Sunoco tower outside the exit of turn 2 when the field was racing through turns 1 and 2. Mike Bagley worked the backstretch for the Daytona 500 from a spotter's stand on the inside of the track. Kyle Rickey called the Daytona 500 when the field was racing through turns 3 and 4 from the Sunoco tower outside the exit of turn 4. On pit road, MRN was manned by lead pit reporter and NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley. He was joined on pit road by Steve Post, Kim Coon and Alex Hayden.
MRN Radio 	MRN Radio 	MRN Radio
Booth announcers 	Turn announcers 	Pit reporters
Lead announcer: Joe MooreAnnouncer: Jeff StriegleAnnouncer: Rusty Wallace	Turns 1 & 2: Dave MoodyBackstretch: Mike BagleyTurns 3 & 4: Kyle Rickey	Alex HaydenWinston KelleyKim CoonSteve Post
==Standings after the race==
;Drivers' Championship standings
 	Pos 	Driver 	Points 	 	 	 	 	
 	1 	Ryan Blaney 	48 	 	 	 	 	
 	2 	Austin Dillon 	42 (–6) 	 	 	 	 	
 	3 	Paul Menard 	42 (–6) 	 	 	 	 	
 	4 	Joey Logano 	41 (–7) 	 	 	 	 	
 	5 	Darrell Wallace Jr. 	39 (–9) 	 	 	 	 	
 	6 	Michael McDowell 	39 (–9) 	 	 	 	 	
 	7 	Denny Hamlin 	35 (–13) 	 	 	 	 	
 	8 	Aric Almirola 	33 (–15) 	 	 	 	 	
 	9 	Chris Buescher 	32 (–16) 	 	 	 	 	
 	10 	Martin Truex Jr. 	30 (–18) 	 	 	 	 	
 	11 	Ryan Newman 	29 (–19) 	 	 	 	 	
 	12 	Alex Bowman 	29 (–19) 	 	 	 	 	
 	13 	Trevor Bayne 	28 (–20) 	 	 	 	 	
 	14 	A. J. Allmendinger 	27 (–21) 	 	 	 	 	
 	15 	Clint Bowyer 	22 (–26) 	 	 	 	 	
 	16 	Jamie McMurray 	21 (–27) 	 	 	 	 	
Official driver's standings	Official driver's standings	Official driver's standings	Official driver's standings	Official driver's standings	Official driver's standings	Official driver's standings	Official driver's standings	Official driver's standings
;Manufacturers' Championship standings
 	Pos 	Manufacturer 	Points 	 	 	 	 	
 	1 	Chevrolet 	40 	 	 	 	 	
 	2 	Toyota 	34 (–6) 	 	 	 	 	
 	3 	Ford 	33 (–7) 	 	 	 	 	
Official manufacturers' standings	Official manufacturers' standings	Official manufacturers' standings	Official manufacturers' standings	Official manufacturers' standings	Official manufacturers' standings	Official manufacturers' standings	Official manufacturers' standings	Official manufacturers' standings
*Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.
==Notes==
==References==