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Following an intense NASCAR Cup race at Daytona, Harrison Burton claims his first victory, marking Wood Brothers’ 100th Cup win. Read what the drivers had to say about the thrilling race and their performances.
What Drivers Said After Harrison Burton’s Daytona NASCAR Cup Victory
Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup race at Daytona International Speedway was nothing short of dramatic, culminating in a thrilling victory for Harrison Burton. The race was filled with intense competition, numerous incidents, and a mix of emotions from the drivers who participated. Here’s what some of the drivers had to say following the event, where Burton secured his first career win and delivered the 100th Cup victory for Wood Brothers Racing.
Harrison Burton — Race Winner:
Harrison Burton couldn’t hold back his emotions after crossing the finish line, securing a significant win for both himself and his team. “I cried the whole victory lap,” Burton admitted. This victory was particularly meaningful for Burton, who had recently faced the uncertainty of losing his spot with the Wood Brothers team. “Obviously, I got fired from this job. I wanted to do everything for the Wood Brothers that I could. They’ve given me an amazing opportunity in life. To get them 100 on my way out is amazing. We’re in the playoffs now. Let’s go to Darlington and see what happens.”
Burton’s victory was a testament to his perseverance and dedication, coming in his 98th start at Daytona. His ability to outmaneuver one of NASCAR’s best, Kyle Busch, in the final moments of the race, was nothing short of remarkable. “It’s been the hardest three years of my life, obviously the hardest three years for some of these guys’ lives. To win the way we just did, beat the best in the business, Kyle Busch, across the line, it’s pretty fantastic.”
Kyle Busch — Finished 2nd:
Kyle Busch expressed frustration after finishing second, narrowly missing out on a victory. “It’s just frustrating. We’ve led races here at Daytona going into the last restart and haven’t been able to pull off a victory. Not sure what it is; what I’m doing wrong or what it is that I’m missing,” Busch remarked, reflecting on his near-miss.
Busch acknowledged the chaotic nature of the final laps, where he was unable to maintain the necessary momentum to secure the win. “It seems like the energy broke up off of Turn 2 and the No. 20 (Christopher Bell) got crooked and wasn’t on my rear bumper the way we needed to be. The outside lane just went by. I wanted to get up in front of the No. 21 (Harrison Burton) because I knew the momentum was coming there. But I knew the No. 20 was a better friend. It just didn’t work out.” Despite his disappointment, Busch remains a formidable competitor and will undoubtedly use this experience to fuel his future races.
Christopher Bell — Finished 3rd:
Christopher Bell finished third, but like Busch, he was left with a sense of what could have been. “I’m bummed about it – you want to push the leader out and have a shot to win it yourself. I just never really felt in control,” Bell explained. He acknowledged his struggles with handling the car, which prevented him from making a stronger push for the win. “I was always chasing my Interstate Batteries Camry – so I was never confident behind the 8 (Kyle Busch) and pushing him. Disappointed with that last green-white-checkered, but overall, a great day.”
Bell’s performance was commendable, but the lack of control he felt during the race clearly impacted his ability to contend for the victory. Despite the frustration, he recognized the positives from the day, stating, “It is one of those races where when we look back at it, we will be happy – but right now it stings.”
Ty Gibbs — Finished 5th:
Ty Gibbs was pleased with his fifth-place finish, especially considering the chaotic nature of the race’s final moments. “I’m glad that we got to finish this race. It just got kind of messy there at the end, which is similar to what happens at all of these races,” Gibbs commented. His focus on having a clean race and securing valuable points was evident in his post-race reflections. “I just was happy to have a good, clean day – good points day.”
Gibbs’ steady approach to the race paid off, allowing him to avoid the major incidents that plagued others and finish strong. His performance at Daytona shows that he is learning quickly and adapting well to the challenges of NASCAR’s top series.
Bubba Wallace — Finished 6th:
Bubba Wallace, who finished sixth, was candid about his performance and his frustrations. “Not good enough. Simple as that. Easiest way to put it,” Wallace said bluntly. Despite having a fast car, he felt that he and his team didn’t capitalize on their opportunities. “We had a fast Columbia Toyota Camry – just not good enough. You have one car (at 23XI Racing) fighting for a regular season championship and another car right around the bubble. It is unacceptable.”
Wallace took full responsibility for the team’s shortcomings, acknowledging the pressure he’s under as the playoffs approach. “I’ll take all of that weight on my shoulder – should have won multiple times this year and we haven’t. We don’t deserve to be here, and we are – I’ve got to go win next week. That’s it.” Wallace’s determination to improve and secure a win is clear as he looks forward to the next race.
Parker Retzlaff — Finished 7th:
Parker Retzlaff was thrilled with his seventh-place finish, exceeding his own expectations for the race. “Yeah, it was definitely a good run for the No. 62 Funkaway Chevy team. I’m happy with a top-10 finish,” Retzlaff shared. He entered the race hoping for a top-15 finish and was pleased with how the race unfolded. “Coming out of Turn 4 there, knowing I was third or maybe fourth to the No. 20 (Christopher Bell), I knew I had a shot. I’m happy we gave this team a shot.”
Retzlaff expressed gratitude to his team and sponsors, recognizing the effort that went into preparing his car. “We had an amazing car. Thank you to Darren (Shaw, crew chief) and everyone at Beard Motorsports; the Beard family for everything they’ve done and the support of Funkaway. I’m happy about it, but I still want more.”
Daniel Hemric — Finished 9th:
Daniel Hemric described the race as “chaotic,” but was ultimately satisfied with his ninth-place finish. “Speedway racing. It was chaotic. I thought we lined up pretty well there for the green-white-checkered and tried to formulate something going into (Turns) 3 and 4,” Hemric said. Despite the chaos, he managed to recover and finish in the top 10. “I made a move to separate and I got shoved. Luckily, I got a big shot coming to the line to even get back forward and get spots back into the top 10.”
Hemric acknowledged the support of his team and sponsors, adding, “All-in-all, it was a decent day for the No. 31 Cirkul Chevy team. Appreciate Cirkul and all they do for us; all the people we have here supporting us. Looking forward to going to one of the coolest race tracks in the country next weekend.”
Ross Chastain — Finished 12th:
Ross Chastain finished 12th and looked ahead to the next race with optimism. “I look at it like we have another chance to go win the Southern 500. That’s what I’m focused on this week,” Chastain stated. He recognized the importance of accumulating points throughout the race but remained focused on the bigger picture. “The points, they give them out at the stages and end of the race. If you run good, they give you a lot of them.”
Chastain reflected on the challenges he faced during the race, particularly the damage his car sustained. “(On the accident he was involved in) I was just hoping it would stay running, keep the water in it and be able to keep up with the pack. Looking at the car, it was amazing it did. The whole splitter is off of it; dragging the ground. Yeah, it’s pretty incredible that we were even able to finish.”
Joey Logano — Finished 31st:
Joey Logano’s race ended in disappointment after a wreck in the latter stages. “It’s speedway racing. It’s a lot of fun until it’s not,” Logano said, summarizing the highs and lows of racing at Daytona. Despite running in the top five for most of the race and winning a stage, Logano’s night ended prematurely due to an accident. “McDowell just got turned and came down in front of me with nowhere to go. I think he’s OK as well. Some pretty big hits there, and then horrible to see Josh Berry there a second ago upside-down into the wall.”
Logano expressed concern about the increasing number of cars flipping in recent races and called for more safety improvements. “We’ve got to figure out how to keep the cars on the ground. We’re not doing enough to fix that.”
Final Thoughts
The Daytona race was a rollercoaster of emotions for the drivers, from the elation of Harrison Burton’s first Cup victory to the frustrations of those who came close but fell short. Each driver’s reflections highlight the unpredictable nature of NASCAR racing, where preparation meets the chaos of high-speed competition. As the season progresses, the lessons learned at Daytona will undoubtedly influence the strategies and performances in the races to come, particularly with the playoffs just around the corner.
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