Clash at Daytona results, highlights from 2021 NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race

The first race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule didn’t disappoint.

The 2021 Busch Clash at Daytona featured several spin-outs, cautions and a final-lap pass as Kyle Busch stole a win, giving Joe Gibbs Racing its 10th all-time victory in the event. The fact the Clash is a non-points event didn’t stop racers from trying some truly inspired racing.

That’s even true for Kyle Busch, who didn’t lead a single of the 35 laps … until the final few hundred feet. He can thank a spin-out between friends Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney for the last-second win.

MORE: NASCAR schedule 2021: Date, time, TV channels for every Cup Series race

Sporting News tracked live updates and highlights from Tuesday’s 2021 Clash at Daytona. Check them out below:

Clash at Daytona 2021: Results

Clash at Daytona 2021: Highlights

All times Eastern

8:59 p.m.: Neither Elliott nor Blaney happy with how things turned out at the end:

8:45 p.m.: Incredible! Elliott spins Blaney out on the frontside chicane and allows Kyle Busch to sneak in and steal the Daytona Clash!

8:44 p.m.: Blaney has the lead coming out of the backside chicane.

8:44 p.m.: Elliott nearly takes a turn too wide in the bus stop but manages to distance himself. They’re back onto the oval, and he has a sizeable lead.

8:43 p.m.: There’s the white flag with Blaney in the lead and Elliott in hot pursuit.

8:42 p.m.: Blaney with some aggressive driving on Turn 5 and he takes the lead over from Elliott with just two laps to go.

8:40 p.m.: Elliott and Blaney lead with three laps to go; Elliott has roughly a 30-second lead.

8:39 pm.: Chris Buescher spins after contact with Bowman out of the chicane. No caution.

8:37 p.m.: Elliott and Logano in the top two positions with four to go. Elliott in the lead by over a second.

8:35 p.m.: They’re knocking out two laps under caution, leaving five laps remaining coming out of the caution. Chase Elliott, Kurt Busch and Logano are in the top three positions coming out of the restart.

8:31 p.m.: Fourteen cars are pitting under caution heading into the last laps.

8:29 p.m.: That’s the fourth caution by the way. Seven laps remaining.

8:26 p.m.: Incredible. Truex spins into the wall coming out of the backstretch chicane. There’s a lot of dirt and mud down there. His night is done; just wasn’t meant to be.

8:26 p.m.: And Blaney moves into second place in front of Hamlin.

8:25 p.m.: Truex and Hamlin are fighting for the lead on the infield with just eight laps to go … and there’s Truex with the lead on the oval!

8:24 p.m.: Unrelated, but this is a very cool camera angle.

8:22 p.: And there’s Truex moving into second place with just nine laps to go. Excellent positioning by him after his penalty on the caution.

8:19 p.m.: No issues on Turn 1 out of the restart — drivers taking note from the previous two mishaps by Blaney and Kurt Busch.

8:17 p.m.: Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon start in the top three positions in the restart. Byron, meanwhile, starting in the back at 20; Custer’s night is done.

8:13 p.m.: Now Byron, in 18th place at the restart, is driving without a rear driver-side tire. Doing a lot of damage to his frame. Something must have happened to cause him to lose air in it during the caution pit stop.

That’ll be another lap under the caution flag while he gets back into the pit.

8:07 p.m.: And there’s the third caution of the night, on Lap 22. Now there’s smoke and flames coming from his car. That’s probably his night.

8:06 p.m.: Cole Custer, in seventh place, is the next racer to miss the chicane. He had time to restart, but his car isn’t moving. Might be a caution.

8:05 p.m.: Hamlin has lead 12 of 20 laps in the Clash.

8:02 p.m.: Hamlin, Blaney and Logano in the top three positions, respectively, heading back onto the oval.

8 p.m.: And another issue on Turn 1! Kurt Busch was the leader on the restart and took it too fast. There was no correcting for him. He had to drive back around and is now squarely in last place.

8 p.m.: Reddick’s car stalls coming out of the pit stop in the caution. He’ll start the race in 19th place.

7:55 p.m.: Truex on the call to his crew chief said he was looking for the pace car and just missed the chicane.

7:54 p.m.: Big oof for Truex. Bowman also heading to the rear for not serving his pass through before the caution.

7:51 p.m.: Lap 15 caution flag is out with Truex in the lead and Hamlin in second place.

7:49 p.m.: Alex Bowman is penalized for going too fast on pit road.

7:47 p.m.: Truex is now in the lead after overtaking Hamlin on the oval on Lap 14.

7:41 p.m.: And disaster for Blaney! He was leading heading into Turn 1 off the green flag but had too much speed heading into Turn 1, forcing him to overcorrect and collide with Martin Truex Jr. Disastrous blunder. Now Kyle Reddick is in the lead, with Blaney falling to 14th.

7:40 p.m.: Green flag again.

7:39 p.m.: Scratch the previous entry on Logano; he’s moved to the rear coming out of the caution for having too many crew members over the wall.

7:35 p.m.: The majority of racers are taking their pit stop with the caution, including Hamlin. Because this isn’t an event caution, no fuel can be added.

7:34 p.m.: There’s a caution in effect; crews are sweeping at the bus stop, where plenty of dirt has been kicked up by racers.

7:33 p.m.: Logano’s pit crew looking good.

7:28 p.m.: DiBenedetto isn’t the only one pitting; Logano is as well for overheating issues. Kurt Busch is coming in for service as well.

7:27 p.m.: Oh, now Matt DiBenedetto has missed the front chicane turn. He’s served with a stop and go penalty, forcing him to pit on Lap 6. Not ideal.

7:25 p.m.: Hamlin, meanwhile, has led every lap thus far (five through). He has over a second lead over Blaney in second place.

7:20 p.m.: And now Kevin Harvick is in the grass exiting the bus stop on Lap 3. No caution. He’s in last place heading into Lap 4.

7:19 p.m.: Looks like Joey Logano already has some nose damage after hitting the curb on the front straightaway; the Fox Sports 1 telecast is reporting that he’s talked to his crew chief that the car feels and is handling differently.

7:16 p.m.: Denny Hamlin takes an early lead over pole position holder Ryan Blaney coming out of the infield.

7:15 p.m.: And there’s the green flag! Let’s see how the racers adjust to moving through the infield … and they all made it through Turn 1.

7:14 p.m.: Chase Elliott, originally slated to start at the seventh position, has been moved to the rear by NASCAR for inadmissible adjustments to his car.

7:09 p.m.: Engines fired:

7:04 p.m.: Our first look at Clint Bowyer in the Nascar on Fox booth:

Clash at Daytona start time 2021

• Date: Tuesday, Feb. 9
• Start time: 7 p.m. ET
• TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S.), TSN3/4 (Canada)
• Live stream: Fox Sports Go
• Radio: MRN

Clash at Daytona 2021: Format, lineup, entry list

The Busch Clash is scheduled for 35 laps (126.3 miles), with a scheduled caution at Lap 15. Drivers for the invitational must meet at least one of the following criteria to compete:

• Pole winner from any race last season
• Past Clash winner who raced full time last season
• Past Daytona 500 winner who raced full time last season
• Past Daytona 500 pole winner who raced full time last season
• Qualified for last season’s Cup Series playoffs
• Won a Cup Series race in 2020
• Won a Cup Series race stage in 2020

Twenty-four drivers were eligible to race in the Clash after the end of the 2020 Cup Series season, but three won’t race on Tuesday: Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer.

Below is the starting lineup for the 2021 Busch Clash at Daytona, the positions for which were drawn at random on Monday.

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