Gaunt Brothers Racing (GBR) and D.J. Kennington recovered from an early accident to finish 24th in Sunday’s Daytona 500.
Just after the first quarter of the race, Kennington was involved in a three-car accident in which his Lordco/Castrol Toyota Camry sustained damage to its left front and left side. The GBR pit crew provided patchwork repair, though the quick fix didn’t ameliorate the damage’s effect on aerodynamic balance.
Fortunately, attrition was high during The Great American Race, as three more multi-car accidents throughout the day worked in the team’s favor. Kennington completed 201 out of 207 laps — the 500-mile event was extended due to a late-race accident — to finish 24th among the 40-car field.
“We finished 24th in our second Daytona 500. It’s a testament to all the guys on the Lordco/Castrol Toyota Camry crew,” said GBR owner Marty Gaunt. “We were caught in a wreck early in the race and were able to repair the car. A lot of cars that got wrecked were out for the duration and never got to complete all 500 miles. To finish 24th is a good day. Now we can go home, rebuild and get ready for our next speedway event.”
Prior to the accident, Kennington, who became just the sixth Canadian to make multiple Daytona 500 starts, was happy with the handling condition of his Toyota Camry, a focus of the team following Thursday’s qualifying race.
“We had a decent car. We could’ve raced with them, I think,” said Kennington. “But we’ll take it and run with it. We almost went the distance.”
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