KURT BUSCH DELIVERS DAYTONA 500 WIN AS STEWART-HAAS DEBUTS THEIR FORDS

By Bobby Bennett    Mon, 2017-02-27 09:37

 

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Jerry Markland/Getty Images

 

Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane with New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski after winning the 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 26, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Many will say Kurt Busch lucked his way into his first career win at Daytona International Speedway in the 59th running of the Daytona 500, the 2017 season opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

Not only was the win the first for Busch in the Daytona 500, it was also the first win in the event for car owner Tony Stewart.

“It has been a really long, hard winter, and I am so proud of everyone at SHR and Ford Performance,” said Stewart. “They really worked their tails off to get ready. Doug Yates and everybody at Roush Yates Engines brought unbelievable power all week. Had I known that all I had to do was retire, I would have retired 17 years ago if I knew that’s what it took to win the race.

“I ran this d***  race for 17 years and couldn’t win it,’ Stewart added. “Now, to win it as an owner … this is awesome.

Busch did not dominate the 200 lap, 500 mile race, but when push came to shove the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion showed he new how to make all the right moves.

The win is Ford’s 15th all-time triumph in “The Great American Race.” 

The Air Force Thunderbirds perform a flyover prior to the 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 26, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

“There is nothing predictable about this race anymore, and the more years that have gone by that I didn’t win I kept trying to go back to patterns that I had seen in the past. My mirror fell off with 30 laps to go and I couldn’t even see out the back,” said Busch, who won Ford’s last series championship in 2004.

 “It just got crazy and wild, and I am so proud of all the drivers at the end. We put on a show for a full fuel run, and nobody took each other out and it was one of the smartest chess games I have seen out there. All the hard work that Ford and SHR put into this -- this Ford Fusion is in Daytona’s victory lane.” 

Helping Busch get the checkered flag was fellow Ford driver Ryan Blaney. When Busch moved up the track to pass Kyle Larson Blaney went with him making sure the two Fords running tightly together would be faster than the single Chevrolet.

AJ Allendinger followed the same path to claim third, followed by Aric Almirola and Paul Menard finishing fifth. 

 
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