2020 Daytona 500

The 2020 Daytona 500 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on February 16-17, 2020. The race lasted 209 laps on the  asphalt superspeedway. However, the race was originally going to be 200 laps. It was the first race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.

The race was started by President of the United States Donald Trump, who served as Grand Marshal, and the opening lap was paced by the official Presidential state car. Popular wrestler Sheamus drove the pace car for the opening laps. Two-time winner of the race Dale Earnhardt Jr. waved the green flag to officially start the race.

The race was to start February 16, but never-ending rain showers stopped the race on lap 20. The race was moved  4 p.m. on February 17, 2020. This being the second, he first time was in 2012.

Lots of the race was good until lap 185, a crash involved at least 20 cars on the backstretch. The race was stopped because of the crash. Denny Hamlin won the race by 0.014 seconds over Ryan Blaney on the second restart in overtime. Chris Buescher, David Ragan, and Kevin Harvick rdid not make it in the top five. On the final lap, Ryan Newman was involved in a serious crash and was immediately rushed to a local hospital. He was seriously injured in the crash, but the injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.Ryan Newman transported to hospital after crash at end of Daytona 500, Sporting News, February 18 2020
 Race 

 Stage Results 
Stage One
Laps: 65

PosDriverTeamManufacturerPoints19Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet10288Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet9310Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas RacingFord8422Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord7548Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6612Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord5747Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet4821Matt DiBenedettoWood Brothers RacingFord3917Chris BuescherRoush Fenway RacingFord21013Ty DillonGermain RacingChevrolet1Official stage one results

Stage Two
Laps: 65

PosDriverTeamManufacturerPoints111Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota10218Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota9347Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daughtery RacingChevrolet8419Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota7577Ross Chastain (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet0648Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet579Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet4812Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord3922Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord21017Chris BuescherRoush Fenway RacingFord1Official stage two results

 Final Stage Results 

Stage Three
Laps: 70
PosGridDriverTeamManufacturerLapsPoints12111Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota2095022712Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord2094331917Chris BuescherRoush Fenway RacingFord2093743036David RaganRick Ware RacingFord209335104Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFord2093262914Clint BowyerStewart-Haas RacingFord2093173962Brendan Gaughan (i)Beard MotorsportsChevrolet209083832Corey LaJoieGo Fas RacingFord20929976Ryan NewmanRoush Fenway RacingFord2092810842Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet20927112338John Hunter Nemechek (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord2092612133Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet20925133316Justin Haley (i)Kaulig RacingChevrolet2090142634Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsFord20923151143Bubba WallaceRichard Petty MotorsportsChevrolet20922163415Brennan Poole (R)Premium MotorsportsChevrolet2092117259Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20934181420Erik JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyota20819191621Matt DiBenedettoWood Brothers RacingFord2072120147Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet20629211795Christopher Bell (R)Leavine Family RacingToyota2051622510Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas RacingFord20523233751Joey Gase (i)Petty Ware RacingChevrolet203024288Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20322252077Ross Chastain (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet201026322Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord20020273266Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsToyota200028228Tyler Reddick (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1999293137Ryan PreeceJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet1988302413Ty DillonGermain RacingChevrolet1988314027Reed SorensonPremium MotorsportsChevrolet1926321519Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1861233181Kurt BuschChip Ganassi RacingToyota1844342818Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1841235648Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet184133692Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord1831371241Cole Custer (R)Stewart-Haas RacingFord1741383852B. J. McLeod (i)Rick Ware RacingFord1050393500Quin Houff (R)StarCom RacingChevrolet89140424William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet581Official race results

 Race statistics 

 Lead changes: 23 among 13 different drivers
 Cautions/Laps: 9 for 39
 Red flags: 3 (1 for weather, 2 for accidents)
 Time of race: 3 hours, 42 minutes and 10 seconds
 Margin of Victory: 0.014 seconds
 Average speed: 

 Post-race 
Right after the race was done, Hamlin and his crew did not know how serious Newman's crash. Instead, they started to celebrate the win, When he exited his car, the crowd booed him both on the infield grass and again in victory lane. Joe Gibbs gave an apology for the team's celebration, with Hamlin saying he was first notified when NASCAR canceled the tradition of interviewing the winner on the front-stretch before driving his car to victory lane

 Standings after the race 

Drivers' Championship standings
 Pos Driver Points 10px 1 Denny Hamlin 50 10px 2 Ryan Blaney 43 (–7) 10px 3 Kevin Harvick 39 (–11) 10px 4 Chris Buescher 38 (–12) 10px 5 Ryan Newman 36 (–14) 10px 6 Kyle Larson 35 (–15) 10px 7 Chase Elliott 34 (–16) 10px 8 David Ragan 33 (–17) 10px 9 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 32 (–18) 10px 10 Aric Almirola 32 (–18) 10px 11 Clint Bowyer 31 (–19) 10px 12 Austin Dillon 30 (–20) 10px 13 Joey Logano 30 (–20) 10px 14 Corey LaJoie 29 (–21) 10px 15 Bubba Wallace 28 (–22) 10px 16 John Hunter Nemechek 26 (–24)Official driver's standings

Manufacturers' Championship standings
 Pos Manufacturer Points 10px 1 Toyota 40 10px 2 Ford 35 (–5) 10px 3 Chevrolet 30 (–10)

Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.

 References 

Category:NASCAR races
Category:2020 in sports
Category:2020s in motorsport
Category:Daytona Beach, Florida