Tony Stewart took the opening Nationwide Series race of 2013 at Daytona, but the story became a last-lap wreck that sent Kyle Larson's car into the grandstand fence and injured 28 people.
Stewart's win in the season-opening Nationwide race at Daytona came on February 23, 2013, but a final-lap crash dominated the afternoon. Kyle Larson's car was launched into the catch fence, injuring 28 spectators, although nobody died. Richard Childress Racing's driver took the flag ahead of Sam Hornish Jr.
The 2013 DRIVE4COPD 300 was the first race of the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, held on February 23, 2013 at Daytona International Speedway. Tony Stewart of Richard Childress Racing won the 32nd running of the event, but the race is remembered for a last-lap crash that sent Kyle Larson's car into the catch fence and injured 28 people in the grandstands.
Where was the race held?
Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959 and has hosted the Daytona 500 ever since, as well as the season-opening event for NASCAR. The primary layout is a 2.500-mile (4.023 km) high-speed tri-oval. The track is operated by NASCAR under a lease with the City of Daytona Beach that runs until 2054.
The speedway also holds races for ARCA, AMA Superbike, IMSA, SCCA and motocross. Its other layouts include a 3.560-mile (5.729 km) sports car course, a 2.950-mile (4.748 km) motorcycle course and a 1,320 ft (402.3 m) karting and motorcycle flat-track.
The 180-acre (72.8 ha) infield contains Lake Lloyd, a 29-acre (11.7 ha) lake that has hosted powerboat racing. Dale Earnhardt is the track's winningest driver, with 34 career victories at Daytona across its series and races.
A last-lap wreck and a catch fence that failed, and a Nationwide opener that Stewart still managed to win.
How did qualifying set the grid?
Trevor Bayne won the pole with a time of 50.801 seconds, a speed of 177.162 mph (285.115 km/h). Mike Harmon, Robert Richardson Jr. and Blake Koch were sent to the back, with Richardson and Harmon missing the drivers' meeting and Koch having adjustments made outside the impound area.
Some drivers reached the field through owners' points rather than qualifying speed, and rookies were marked in the entry list.
How did the race open?
Tandem drafting dominated the opening laps. Bayne led the first lap with Parker Kligerman pushing him, and by lap four Stewart had taken the lead with Danica Patrick behind him. The lead changed hands quickly, with Kyle Busch, Stewart and Patrick trading the front.
The first caution came when Scott Lagasse Jr. was turned by Bayne near the start-finish line. The right-front splitter of Lagasse's car dug into the grass, and the damage forced him out of the race. Most of the field pitted for fuel during the caution, while Patrick stayed out to lead.
What happened in the middle of the race?
Racing restarted on lap 12, and Elliott Sadler moved to the front with Brian Vickers pushing him. Vickers took the lead on lap 18, and later Keselowski and Hornish Jr. swapped the top spot with a teammate push. On lap 30 Bayne and Kyle Busch passed Hornish Jr. three-wide, with Busch then leading Earnhardt Jr.
Patrick's engine failed on lap 31, which ended her race. A second caution came on the same lap when Regan Smith was turned by Sadler in turn 4. A rookie, Juan Carlos Blum, spun his car to avoid Smith and hit the inside wall, ending his run.
Kenseth passed Kyle Busch for the lead on lap 45, and Earnhardt Jr. took over on lap 58. Kahne led on lap 63, but the third caution came the next lap when a four-car crash broke out in the tri-oval. Mike Wallace moved down the track in front of Michael Annett, turned across his nose and into Kurt Busch, and clipped Reed Sorenson, who collected Joe Nemechek. Only Kurt Busch retired from that incident.
How did the closing laps unfold?
Earnhardt Jr. took the lead with a push from rookie Kyle Larson and led the field to the restart with 50 laps to go. Regan Smith challenged him with help from Kyle Busch, and several drivers traded the lead over the next few laps as they worked in pairs.
A fourth caution came with 36 laps to go, when smoke poured from Trevor Bayne's car. His engine was fine, but the driveshaft had broken, and he returned to the race 19 laps down. Keselowski took the front on the restart with 31 laps to go, and rookie Alex Bowman was right behind him.
Kyle Busch's engine blew with 21 laps to go, and the car caught fire, bringing out the fifth caution. Sorenson's engine also failed during that caution. Kligerman led the restart with 14 laps to go, and Sadler, pushed by Michael Annett, took the lead with 11 to go.
What caused the sixth caution?
With five laps to go, the sixth caution came when Michael Annett went up to follow Austin Dillon and turned Dillon into Elliott Sadler. Annett and Dillon spun up the track into the outside wall, and the field stacked up behind them. Annett hit the outside wall head-on at about 170 miles per hour, and he was taken to hospital.
Annett was released the same day with a bruised sternum, but he missed the next eight races. Aric Almirola and Reed Sorenson drove his car in his absence. The wreck collected 13 cars in total, including Sadler, Dillon, Kahne and Matt Kenseth.
What happened on the final lap?
The restart after the sixth caution set up a two-lap sprint to the flag. Stewart took the lead with Hornish Jr. pushing him, and on the last lap Regan Smith went to the front with Brad Keselowski behind him. Keselowski then made a move for the win, drove alongside Smith and turned him into the outside wall.
Hornish Jr. hit Keselowski from behind, which spun him and set off a 14-car pileup. Kyle Larson hooked onto Keselowski's passenger door, and the two cars spun 90 degrees. Brian Scott then hit Larson in the right rear, and Justin Allgaier struck him in the front while he was airborne, sending Larson's car up into the catch fence. The caution flew before Stewart reached the line, so Stewart was credited with the win.
Why was the catch fence so badly damaged?
Larson's car struck the crossover gate of the catch fence front-first, and the impact severed the front of the car, including both wheels and the engine. The gate was destroyed, and debris flew into the grandstands, some of it reaching the second level.
Larson was uninjured, as were the other drivers. In the grandstands, 28 people were injured, two of them in critical condition, but no one died. The engine and a wheel landed just short of the stands near the fence, and the camera above the finish line started to shake.
Final classification
| Position | Driver | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tony Stewart | Richard Childress Racing; 7th Daytona win in the last 9 Nationwide openers |
| 2 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Pushed Stewart on the final restart |
| 3 | Alex Bowman | Rookie; ran behind the leaders late |
| 4 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Led early and mid-race |
| 5 | Parker Kligerman | Led on the restart with 14 laps to go |
| 6 | Brian Scott | Hit Larson during the final-lap wreck |
| 7 | Justin Allgaier | Struck Larson while he was airborne |
| 8 | Eric McClure | Finished in the top ten |
| 9 | Robert Richardson Jr. | Started at the rear of the field |
| 10 | Travis Pastrana | Finished in the top ten |
What changed at Daytona and Talladega after the crash?
Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway added cables and tethers to their crossover gates. Daytona's were installed in time for the Coke Zero 400 in July, and the crash also led to a rule against consistent contact between cars in the turns at superspeedways, known as locking bumpers.
The picture of Larson's car torn apart by the fence is one of the best-known images in the sport's history.
