Daytona. The name in and of itself is the definition of Nascar. For almost sixty years drivers have battled at this wicked fast track, running full throttle for hundreds of miles. And since the first race here the finishes have been exciting. Well, the 2015 Coke Zero 400 didn’t disappoint.

The race was delayed untill 11:30 p.m. by rain. Yikes. Waiting that long is miserable. Trust me. I was there! But when the race finally got going, drivers gave the fans one heck of a show. Dale Earnhardt Jr. started on the pole, and ended up leading 96 of 160 laps. However, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: leading laps doesn’t win races.

On just the third lap several drivers wrecked. Many where visibly frustrated. Tony Stewart, who wasn’t actually involved, said over the radio, “What is the bonus for leading lap no. 2?”  That’s funny. Unknown to everyone in the stands, the entire race was destined to be a crazy event.

As the race progressed it was clear that the only safe place to be was at the front. And even there drivers weren’t particularly secure. Several multi-car accidents occurred over the course of the day. Many drivers opted to remain at the back of the pack for most of the race, and then charge to the front at the end.

That is just what happened. As the laps were winding down, a group of leaders broke away from the pack and attempted to leave the others in the dust. Well, that wasn’t going to happen. Tony Stewart, who has won 19 races at Daytona, led the trailing pack in a charge back to the front. However, just as the trailing back began to pass some of the leading drivers, Danica Patrick, who had been wrecked multiple times already, blew a tire and brought out a late race caution.

That set up a finish which will be remembered for years to come. It will be remembered among the famous finishes like the 1998 Daytona 500, or the 2003 Southern 500, both some of the best finishes in history. As the field took the green flag Dale Earnhardt Jr. lead Jimmie Johnson to the stripe.

Jr. managed to pull ahead of Jimmie and began to block him and Denny Hamlin, who appeared on the scene. Coming to the white flag, Dale Jr. was pouring his heart and soul into his car, smashing the gas pedal with every once of strength in his body. Again and again he blocked challenges from Johnson and Hamlin, and finally he crossed the finish line.

However, the night wasn’t destined to be remembered for his win. As the pack crossed the finish line Kevin Harvick accidentally spun Hamlin, who slid into traffic, wrecking almost every car in the field. As Denny slid into traffic, he slammed the number 3 of Austin Dillon. Dillon flew int the air, over the tops of at least 2 cars, and slammed the catch fence, ripping it to pieces. Dillon then landed on his roof and was slammed by Brad Keslowski’s no. 2 car.

The crowd was silent as they watched pit crews and medical teams rush to Dillon’s upside-down car. No one, not even the drivers, thought Dillon was alive. Who could survive such a horrendous wreck? As crews arrived the stands and teams held their breath. Suddenly, several crew members gave the crowd a thumbs up. He was okay! Even more shocking, Dillon simply climbed out of his car and walked away. The cheering grew to a roar as Dillon turned and waved to the crowd. Austin was credited with a seventh place finish. Not bad.

All in all it was a great race. Plenty of excitement, lots of great racing, a great winner, and a scary crash to cap it all off. What more can a Nascar fan ask for? 🙂