The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Daytona International Speedway for the final regular-season race of 2021. Tyler Reddick currently holds on to the final playoff spot based on points, but he will enter the weekend looking to solidify his spot with a win. According to NASCAR history, he stands in a favorable position to achieve this goal.
There have been several drivers throughout the history of stock car racing that have secured their first career win at the World Center of Racing. William Byron is one of the most recent examples, locking up his first trip to Victory Lane in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 29, 2020. However, he is far from the only driver to do so.
Another example is Erik Jones, the current driver of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. Back on July 7, 2018, he took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones secured his first Cup Series win and a trip to the playoffs.
The list of first-time winners also includes Michael Waltrip (2001), Greg Biffle (2003), Aric Almirola (2014), Jimmy Spencer (1994), Sterling Martin (1994), and many others. Johnny Rutherford was the first to win his first-career Cup race at Daytona, taking the checkered flag in 1963.
Older Drivers Can Achieve Their Goals at Daytona
Michael McDowell WINS the Daytona 500, under a caution, following this wreck on the final lap… 😱
Byron and Jones were relatively young when they won their first Cup Series races at Daytona. So was Justin Haley, who won the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 while competing on a part-time schedule. However, the most recent driver to win his first Cup race did so after making more than 300 starts at the top level.
Michael McDowell won the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 14, 2021, in wild fashion. He lined up behind Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski on the final restart of a wreck-filled race. Logano appeared to have the advantage heading toward the finish, but chaos unfolded and sent him off of the track.
McDowell pushed Keselowski from behind, who then pushed Logano. The collision sent the No. 2 Team Penske Ford sideways into the outer wall while the No. 22 Team Penske Ford went off the track and into the infield wall. A massive wreck collected several cars while McDowell, Chase Elliott, and Austin Dillon raced toward the finish line. The caution flag came out with McDowell in the lead and brought an end to the race.
McDowell entered the 2021 season with 357 Cup Series starts to his name and no wins. However, he kicked off the season with a Crown Jewel and a spot in the playoffs. Now he will pursue a championship for the first time in his career at the age of 36.
Reddick Has a Limited History at Daytona
While he has an opportunity to become the latest driver to lock up his first win at Daytona, Reddick will have to show that he can surpass his previous outings. He will also have to avoid the on-track incidents that have disrupted him in the past.
The Richard Childress Racing driver has a limited history of starts at Daytona in his two-year full-time Cup Series career. He has only competed on the 2.5-mile superspeedway four times, finishing outside of the top 25 every time.
The first three races came to an early end for Reddick. He crashed during the 2019 and 2020 Daytona 500s, heading to the garage fewer than 20 laps prior to the checkered flag. The 2020 Coke Zero Sugar 400 played out in a similar manner with Reddick crashing six laps shy of the race’s end.
Reddick completed the 2021 Daytona 500, but he fell out of contention very early in the race. Christopher Bell spun Aric Almirola on lap 14, sending the No. 10 spinning into the field and sparking a massive pileup. 16 cars sustained damage in the chaos, including Reddick’s No. 8. He made it back onto the track and completed the race but fell multiple laps behind the race leaders.
Reddick has shown improved speed in recent weeks, resulting in strong performances at Atlanta, Road America, and Watkins Glen. Continuing to contend early will play a significant role on his playoff chances, but Reddick will also have to avoid the inevitable wrecks.
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History Favors Tyler Reddick’s Playoff Pursuit at Daytona