It was a monster debut for Monster Energy in NASCAR.
Kurt Busch, who carries the Monster Energy livery on his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, won the 59th running of the Daytona 500 in dramatic fashion passing Kyle Larson on the last lap when Larson ran out of fuel. The Great American Race was the first points-paying race with Monster Energy as the new entitlement sponsor for the stock car series. There are just the third company to be the title sponsor of the series following Winston and Sprint.
The story about Busch is one of redemption and probably one you have read over and over at this point.
The more fascinating part of this Daytona 500 that got me thinking on Monday morning was the incredible amount of drama that the race induces each and every year. How many times does the race actually not live up to the hype and buildup? Remember one time a car even hit a jet dryer!
This year it was about new stage racing and the countless accidents that took out major contenders and the leaders running out of gas when it was all on the line.
“I’m still blown away by the amount of effort that it takes to win one of these races, let alone the Daytona 500,” said Busch. “This is very special.”
Special indeed. Even more special because rarely do you see a driver dominate the 500. It is nearly impossible. Chase Elliott looked like the winner. The 2nd-year Cup Series son of a legend was the leader in the final 100 miles and had the lead with three laps to go, only to run out of gas. Almost as if the racing gods are putting him through so many near-wins so that he can cherish the first one that much more.
That’s what happened to Dale Earnhardt in the Daytona 500. It took Earnhardt 19 tries before he finally won the biggest stock car race in the world. That was after winning just about every other race that was held at “The World Center of Speed.”
But back to Busch. He’s been through a lot these past few years. That includes being suspended for the 2015 Daytona 500 for an alleged domestic violence issue with his former girlfriend Patricia Driscoll. This claim turned out to be false and the latest of the saga had Driscoll being charged with stealing from a military charity she led in September of last year. Busch was reinstated after missing the first three races of the 2015 season.
Think of everything Busch went through and then what he went through in the crazy 500 on Sunday. He was involved in one of the big wrecks, but Tony Gibson and his crew were able to repair it before the new five minute clock ran out. He lost his rearview mirror with 30 laps to go. He benefited from nearly everyone in front of him running out of Sunoco fuel. Then he partied with Gronk in victory lane. Once again, it’s never easy or
drama-free in Daytona.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 26: 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. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
“Daytona’s always about survival. As I gave Tony Gibson a high five before we started the race, I said, It’s 90% protect the car, 10% go for aggression, race hard, and execute at the end. I’m thankful enough we didn’t have too much damage. The nose was clean and the tail was clean. Yeah, the sides were a bit wrinkled up. You just kind of let the rough edges drag and you go for it. There’s things that everybody has to go through to win this race. Usually there’s not a perfect car anymore.”
No driver could have said it better, especially those watching the end because their cars were too beat up to continue. (Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth just to name a few)
Just incredible stories all around with the Busch victory. There was his crew chief Tony Gibson who grew up in Daytona. What a fairy tale win for him.
“It doesn’t get any better than this,” said Gibson. “
“In today’s times to win, it’s so competitive, so hard to win. Each time you win, it means more because it’s harder and harder to win each time. You’re only as good as your last win. So this means more to me than anything I’ve done. I won the championship in 1992 with Alan Kulwicki, but this here is huge.”
Did I mention that Busch races for Tony Stewart, who in his first year strictly as a car owner won the 500 with his new manufacturer Ford.
“If I knew all I had to do was retire to get it done, I would have retired a long time ago (smiling).”
Despite winning the Cup championship three times and the Brickyard 400 twice in his home state of Indiana, Smoke never won the Daytona 500 as a driver.
“I mean, when you’ve grown up all your life as a racecar driver you want to win it as a driver. For every driver, there’s a point where you step out of the car and you do something different. To have an opportunity to come back this year as an owner and still have the opportunity to be where we’re at right now, I mean, that’s a pretty exciting feeling.”
And let’s not forget Monster. The brand that stirred up controversy by putting scantily clad women in Victory Lane which was the talk of Daytona all week leading up to the race.
“It’s incredible to have such a powerful brand share the car with Gene Haas. When you share a car like we do and when you’re in wrecks and they’re doing a super slow-mo of your car going through the grass, that’s what my bride, Ashley, has turned me into such a positive thinker. She’s like, That’s such great exposure for Monster.”
But nothing tops the exposure they will get for being on the winning Daytona 500 car.
Welcome to NASCAR Monster Energy and welcome to the Daytona 500 champions club Kurt Busch.
Speed For Thought 