CP MOTORSPORTS - REED WINS ALERT TODAY FLORIDA 300

e NXS DIS 022115 VL ReedWhen the green flag dropped for the start of the Alert Today Florida 300 it not only signified a new season but a new era in NASCAR's secondary series. It marked the start of a ten year relationship with new title sponsor xfinity.

For the better part of the race it was a neat and clean affair. Then the fireworks were ignited in the closing laps of the Daytona showdown.

There were many first time feats accomplished during the Alert Today Florida 300 including race winner Ryan Reed notching his first career win in the xfinity racing series. The win for Reed, driver of the American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang, also becomes the fifth time a victor has notched his first XFINITY win at Daytona International Speedway.

 

 

 

e NXS DIS 022115 VL ReedRyan Reed, driver of the #16 Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR XFINITY Series Alert Today Florida 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 21, 2015 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)When the green flag dropped for the start of the Alert Today Florida 300 it not only signified a new season but a new era in NASCAR's secondary series. It marked the start of a ten year relationship with new title sponsor xfinity.

For the better part of the race it was a neat and clean affair. Then the fireworks were ignited in the closing laps of the Daytona showdown.

There were many first time feats accomplished during the Alert Today Florida 300 including race winner Ryan Reed notching his first career win in the xfinity racing series. The win for Reed, driver of the American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang, also becomes the fifth time a victor has notched his first XFINITY win at Daytona International Speedway.

Not only is Reed's victory his first it is also the first win for Roush Fenway Racing in the XFINITY Series at Daytona.

"Four years ago I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and thought I would never drive a race car again," Reed told TV reporters after the win, "And now I'm standing in Victory Lane at Daytona, it's unbelievable."

"Oh my God!," shouted Reed, "We won Daytona!"

Reed doubted at one point during the race's final laps whether he was still in contention for the victory.

"We got shuffled back in the pack so I thought let's just salvage a decent finish here," Reed exclaimed. "Then the wreck broke out and it left Keselowski out there on an island and we got a massive run and set him up perfect."

“I definitely had too big of a lead,” admitted Keselowski. “There’s only so much you can block and the run that the 16 had was just more than I could block without wrecking everybody, so that’s just part of it I guess.

"I just couldn't react fast enough to the field and I drove away," Keselowski told TV reporters , "It just allowed them to rubber band around me. That's the way the cards were dealt."

For the first 80 laps of Saturday's race there were no cautions. Then there were five cautions in the last 40 laps. The second caution of the race, which occurred when rookie Daniel Suarez, who started in a back up car due to a crash in Saturday's qualifying session, was spun around while drafting with Kyle Larson. While Larson was able to avoid the skidding Suarez, defending event champion Regan Smith and defending xfinity champion Chase Elliott were not so lucky.

Smith, driver of the Hellman's Chevrolet Camaro, was not pleased with the race Suarez was running.

Alert-Today-FL-300 C-DK"I don't know exactly what he was doing, " Smith said, "But I do know he was two laps down, I wish he could've just hung out in the back and let us race up front."

Chase Elliott and the crew of the NAPA Chevrolet Camaro attempted several times to patch up his ride but only provided the next caution of the race due to Barabond flying off his car. Elliott's race was cut short by the  next caution which saw Kyle Busch and Erik Jones both lose control of their Toyotas. The DNF is the first of Chase Elliott's XFINITY career.

"The guys did a good job putting it back together," Elliot said, "I hate it but it's a product of the type of racing we have to do out here."

Kyle Busch, driver of the Monster Energy Drink Toyota Camry and the winningest driver in the history of the XFINITY Series, appeared to get loose behind rookie Erik Jones and slid through the infield grass and made contact with an infield blocking concrete wall. Busch did exit the car but had to be helped onto a stretcher and then loaded into an ambulance with an apparent leg injury.

Busch was taken directly to Halifax Hospital where it was reported he was awake, alert and receiving treatment for a right leg injury. The team also announced Busch would not compete in the 57th running of the Daytona 500.

 

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