NASCAR Misery Index: 5 saddest drivers after the Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, has an on track incident with Kasey Kahne, driver of the #95 Procore Chevrolet, and Danica Patrick, driver of the #7 GoDaddy Chevrolet, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 18: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Discount Tire Ford, pits during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) /

4. Brad Keselowski

People don’t win the Daytona 500 in a backup car too often, but Brad K appeared to be well on his way to adding his name to the short list. The pre-race betting favorite to win — a status that didn’t change after the Ford Fusions looked so good earlier in Speedweeks — Keselowski never lad any laps but was running comfortably in the top 5.

He wasn’t around for the end, though, making an unusual move to pull up to the back bumper of Chase Elliott at exactly the same time Elliott was trying to bump draft leader Ryan Blaney. That was never going to work out for everyone, and while the No. 9 took a much harder hit, the ensuing chain reaction ended the day for the 2 as well.

All Keselowski has to show for his Daytona efforts is two banged-up cars and a 32nd-place finish in the Great American Race, and you know he can’t be too happy about that.

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