Erik Jones Survives to Win First NASCAR Race at Daytona [VIDEO, PHOTOS]

Posted on July 9, 2018

Erik Jones survived a race of attrition under the lights Saturday night (7/7) at Daytona to win his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in the Coke Zero Sugar 400!

The race at Daytona International Speedway began with a salute to the United States of America’s military as part of the July 4th celebration for the Nation’s birthday just a few days before. When the green flag dropped it did not take long for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to make the statement that he would be the car to beat to win the race. Ricky won the first stage of the race on his way to leading a race high 51 of the 160 scheduled laps in the race.

During the second stage of the race on lap 54 Ricky made light contact to Brad Keselowski’s car sending it spinning into the wall at the front of the field and touching off the “big one” that caused 22 cars to receive some damage and several cars getting massive damage. Erik Jones was one of the cars with some light damage after the wreck.

There was a total of 10 caution flags during the race including one on lap 155 which sent the race into NASCAR’s overtime of a green-white-checkered finish. Before the cars could get to the final lap of the first overtime attempt, the tenth and final caution flag flew to give the fans another re-start and the race a second overtime attempt.

This time the cars did make it to the white flag meaning the next flag (checkered or yellow) would end the race. Erik Jones was able to race his slightly damaged car to the front of the field and take the lead on that final lap. It would be the only lap he would lead in the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, but it was the most important as it gave him his first win in NASCAR’s top division.

Martin Truex Jr. came across the finish line second with AJ Almendinger scoring the third place finish. Kasey Kahne took home fourth place and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five. See the complete race results for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 here.

Kyle Busch left Daytona with the lead in the point standings. Kevin Harvick sits on second place with Martin Truex Jr. in third, Joey Logano in fourth and Brad Keselowski in fifth. See the complete Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series point standings here.

There are just eight races remaining in the regular season for drivers to either win a race or accumulate enough points to make the playoffs. The next chance for them comes under the lights Saturday night again in this week’s Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at Kentucky Speedway.

By: Buck Stevens

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2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 07: A flyover is performed prior to the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 07: A flyover is performed prior to the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com/by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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