Busch Clash winner Eric Jones salutes the crowd. [Joe Jennings Photo]
By Joe Jennings
DAYTONA BEACH – Erik Jones proved you should never give up no matter how bleak it looks as the Michigan native somehow managed to thread his way through a brace of wrecks to win the 41st Annual Busch Clash at the Daytona Speedway.
Scheduled for 75 laps late race wrecks extended the made-for-TV event to 88 laps, making it the longest Clash in history.
Joe Gibbs Racing crew make repairs to winning Toyota of Eric Jones. [Joe Jennings Photo]
With a hood flapping, Jones inherited the lead on the last lap to chalk up win number. nine for Joe Gibbs Racing, the most in Clash history. Jones became the 24th different drive to win the race.
Toyota won for the fifth time.
The victor drove the battered Sport Clips Toyota.
Enabling Jones to gain the victory was a mighty push from teammate Denny Hamlin, who was one lap down in the six-car survivor’s field
Said the victor, “My teammate (Denny Hamlin) stuck with us the whole last lap. We didn’t have the fastest car. but we brought it home and that’s all that mattered. This feels really good.”
Hamlin added, “My car was really fast (until being caught in one wreck) and our FedEx team stuck with me and I am glad the team won.”
For the first five dozen laps, the teams and their drivers tried various strategies in search of the winning formula. With the race winding down, their good intentions yielded to wrecks, yellow flags, a race stoppage and frayed nerves.
Austin Dillon finished second in the only car without a scratch on it.
Clint Bowyer ended up third with Kyle Larson behind him.
Ryan Newman and Hamlin were the only other finishers.
Eighteen cars started the non-points race.
