It might have been the first race of the year for the NASCAR XFINITY Series, but Ryan Reed started the year with a win.
The Roush Fenway Racing driver made his way to the front in the Alert Today Florida 300 with a last lap pass on Brad Keselowski. While making his way to the checkered flag, Reed had hooked up with his Roush Fenway teammate Chris Buescher to make it a one-two finish for the team.
The win at Daytona was not only Reed’s first win at the track, but also his first career win in the XFINITY Series.
In Victory Lane, Reed couldn’t contain his excitement.
“Oh my god, we won Daytona,” said Reed after the race.
During his Victory Lane celebration, Reed spoke about his Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis four years ago and how he thought he wouldn’t be able to race again.
Closing out the top-five were Ty Dillon, Austin Dillon and Brad Keselowski.
Earlier in the race Buescher led a few laps while competing with Ty Dillon and teammate Darrell Wallace Jr. for the lead.
After missing the race last season, this year’s season opener was redemption for Buescher as he captured his first top 10 finish at Daytona.
Much of the race had gone caution free, but by lap 80 the first caution of the day came out after a tire went loose on pit road. That caution would be the turning point of the day.
Meanwhile rookie Daniel Suarez’s day didn’t go as he would have preferred in his XFINITY series debut. After being involved in a wreck in qualifying, Suarez was once again involved in a wreck at lap 93, the first big wreck that involved 11 cars that also sent Regan Smith airborne. Suarez also had issues during a green flag pit stop, driving through pit road and missing his pit stall.
The race went under the red flag following the lap 93 wreck.
The race’s second big wreck occurred with eight laps to go — involving 10 cars. In that wreck, Kyle Busch went sliding through the grass and hit an unprotected wall – bringing out the second red flag of the race. Busch was later taken to a hospital.
The XFINITY Series will now head to Atlanta, with Reed as the points leader.
Over the years her work has been featured in various publications, with some of most recent work being featured on NJTV News, RantSports and New Jersey Newsroom.
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