The Daytona 500 has been plagued with a ridiculous amount of cautions, with nine yellow flags coming out as the race passes the halfway point. Because of engine trouble, spin-outs and wrecks, the field continues to be pared down, with just 25 cars on the lead lap now. Kyle Busch has the lead on lap 106 as he continues to avoid trouble.
Paul Menard is right on Busch’s tail, followed by Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano and Trevor Bayne. Enumclaw’s Kasey Kahne is sitting in 13 as he continues to run strong at Daytona International Speedway. After starting from the back of the pack, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still hanging around, sitting in 18th, but still within striking distance in the middle of the pack. Juan Pablo Montoya, once near the front, is the last car on the lead lap, 24 seconds off the pace.
Whether it’s the speed, the new racing surface or just the hazards of driving in the large pack, it’s been a caution-fest at Daytona all day, with no signs of slowing down. With great speed comes the hazard of overheating, and we’ve seen plenty of engines blow already today at Daytona. Speeds continue to push 195 miles per hour, with the top lap at 200 miles per hour on the day. With all the cautions, however, the average speed at Daytona has been right around 140 miles per hour for the day.
Drivers are continuing to try and avoid trouble and stay alive down to the wire, mostly jockeying for position until the final few laps. With the way things have gone at Daytona this week, expect a tight finish on the tri-oval.
For more on the race, check out our Daytona 500 StoryStream.