Good morning and welcome to a postponed Tuesday edition of Monday Morning Pit Box following the 66th running of the Daytona 500. In MMPB, we break down the previous NASCAR Cup Series race from the perspective of the crew chief, analyzing race-changing pit calls, pit stops, and pit road penalties.
They say good things come to those who wait. After being postponed a day due to rain, the 66th Daytona 500 delivered plenty of thrills and a new Daytona 500 champion in William Byron. There were also plenty of pit road mistakes and strategy shake-ups that shaped the outcome of the Great American Race. Here are the main pit road plotlines coming out of the World Center of Racing:
Kyle Busch Gets Burnt by Pit Road Errors
Kyle Busch entered Speedweeks on a mission to begin his 20th full-time Cup Series season by filling the one big hole left on his resume: a win in the Daytona 500. For Rowdy, Monday was his 19th (or 20th depending on whether or not you count 2015) attempt to capture the Harley J. Earl Trophy.
Busch proved he had the speed in his No. 8 Chevrolet, placing eighth in single-car qualifying on Wednesday (Feb. 14). However, racing is a team sport, and the No. 8 pit crew did not bring their “A” game to Daytona International Speedway.
Busch’s pit road woes began on lap 67 when he stopped for service following a sixth-place finish in stage one. The No. 8 team got pegged for a safety violation due to too many men over the wall, forcing Busch to restart at the tail of the field. Undeterred, Busch sliced and diced his way back through the pack to take the lead on lap 109. Busch stayed near the front to place fourth in stage two.
The ensuing pit stop on lap 133 proved disastrous when the crew had another lapse in execution. The front tire changer failed to get the lug nut tight on the left front, bringing Busch back down pit road to get the wheel tight. While Busch managed to stay on the lead lap, he once again had to restart towards the back, taking the lead on lap 149.
That set the stage for the third and final pit error for the No. 8 team, and this one arguably was on Busch. Instead of pitting with a pack, Busch came down for his final stop on lap 180 with only Denny Hamlin joining him. With only one other car to draft with coming off pit road, Busch and Hamlin lost a great deal of track position. This time, Busch did not fight back to the front, settling for a 12th-place finish and another missed chance at the…
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