The Big Turning Point: The Daytona 500By Shania Strickland
Staff Reporter March 3, 2016 Feb. 21 was the 58th year for the Daytona 500. Thousands of people in the stands and millions at home were watching and cheering for their favorite driver.
The 43 divers lined up to win the Daytona 500. They practiced their tires off for this race that had many people on their toes. As the race begins they took off making their way around each other. Around lap 19 Chase Elliot in car 24 lost control of his car while “running in the middle of the pack of cars off turn 4” according to sbnation.com. Elliot walked out of his crash uninjured, but his Number 24 Chevrolet sustained extensive damage. A similar incident happened to another driver, Dale Earnhardt, who crashed on lap 169 and on turn 4. Earnhardt car took a left and crashed “nose-first” into the inside “retaining wall just before the pit road” according to sbnation.com. As they rounded the last lap Denny Hamlin took the lead. He won the race by .11 seconds followed close by Martin Truex, Jr. Many people, including Hamlin, were shocked how he won this race at age 35. It took Hamlin 11 tries to win his first Daytona 500. Practice is what helped him get past that line and win this amazing race. As he was getting his trophy he almost dropped it. He said, “it is very heavy.” He had help from having it fall. “He joked Tuesday on SportsCenter that he only had one good knee” according to espn.com. This race was a big turning point in history that millions of people enjoyed and are thrilled what he has in store for us the next time. |
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