Daytona 500: Kurt Busch celebrates long-awaited victory

Kurt Busch made a beautiful pass on the final lap at Daytona International Speedway to win his first Daytona 500.

The Daytona 500 started off calmly but ended in chaotic fashion over the last two stages at Daytona International Speedway. Somehow surviving the many waves of crashes on the track, Kurt Busch put himself in good shape on the final lap after he made a beautiful pass in front of Kyle Larson to take the lead.

This win for Kurt Busch was a long time coming for both him and the Stewart-Haas Racing team. Sunday’s late-race pass earn Busch his first career Daytona 500 win in 18 tries. It’s also Stewart-Haas Racing’s first Daytona 500 victory as a team. Both of these accomplishments made hands-on owner Tony Stewart very pleased. Busch’s spotter, who had a tough task all day keeping the car out of danger, was pumped when they crossed the finish line first.

Sunday’s win was just the beginning for Busch. He did the traditional victory lap and burned some rubber on a Daytona International Speedway track that saw a lot of wear and tear from the crashes today. After that, Busch headed to pit row to celebrate the big win with his team.

In the first official race of the season, Busch took home the gold. He earned a big win along with championship and playoff points. Essentially his win on Sunday guarantees him a spot in the playoff races at the conclusion of the season. Yet Busch’s Stewart-Haas Racing team won’t get content as they head to Atlanta for next week’s race.

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Coincidentally, Busch is sponsored by Monster Energy who became the main Cup Series sponsor in the offseason. Monster Energy officials earned a double win with one of their drivers winning and the Daytona 500 being a must-watch race on Sunday. In celebration of his big win, Busch took a big chug of a Monster Energy drink.

Busch earned arguably his biggest win of his career. He and the No. 41 team workd well throughout the race. Communication and teamwork are key to success in NASCAR and that was evident by Busch’s team on Sunday.