Now a driver, Austin Dillon earns first victory at Daytona

Austin Dillon has won the Xfinity Series race at Daytona worldwide Speedway by avoiding a late accident and then holding off the competition on a two-lap sprint to the finish.

Austin Dillon claimed victory in Saturday’s Subway Firecracker 250 after assuming control of the race just in time for a final green-white-chequered end to a hard, crash-filled night of racing under the floodlights at the 2.5-mile Daytona global Speedway.

Elliott Sadler finished second, followed by Chase Elliott, Kasey Kahne, Benny Gordon, David Ragan, Dakota Armstrong, Erick Jones, Harrison Rhodes and Ross Chastain in 10th.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned the pole for today’s race at Daytona (Fla.) global Speedway because his crew chief correctly predicted the weather.

After rain delayed the start by almost an hour, the XFINITY Series was ready to roll but the first caution slowed the action two laps into the race after Bobby Gerhart spun in Turn 4. “I’m just happy for my grandfather”. (15) drive by during the NASCAR Xfinity series auto race at Daytona Inter…

Childress won 34 races at Daytona with Earnhardt, and Dillon admitted he wasn’t sure if he should believe his grandfather’s projection for his own future.

“I told myself I was going to be aggressive and go for the win”.

“This is Daytona, man”, said Dillon, who claimed his his fifth victory in 90 series starts and his third of the season. “Obviously I mistimed it a little bit”.

“I’m not disappointed, I feel sick”, said Scott, who led a race-high 84 laps but finished 23rd.

“I think that we all need to just take a step and really pour every effort into everywhere around the race tracks”, Busch said at Daytona worldwide Speedway. – Scott, on his attempt to block Sadler.

Quote of the night: “I thought he’d have a good shot if he got the racing behind him and that’s what happened with the 9 (Elliott) and the 1 (Sadler) and he pulled it off. It’s great to win at Daytona”.

Greg Ives instructed Earnhardt to go flat-out at the start of Friday’s first practice session because the rules state the field will be set by practice times if a qualifying session is canceled. “The guys did a nice job fixing it and it was a good recovery considering where we were”, he added after being able to resume the race and finish in 12th position.