Aric Almirola Wins Eventful Race at Daytona

Aric Almirola, driver of the #43 United States Air Force Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 after the race was called for weather at Daytona International Speedway on July 6, 2014 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Photo by: Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images
Aric Almirola, driver of the #43 United States Air Force Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 after the race was called for weather at Daytona International Speedway on July 6, 2014 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Photo by: Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images

It was a rough weekend at Daytona International Speedway where Mother Nature and slick track conditions played a part in the abbreviated Coke Zero 400 on Sunday.

The driver who was happy to see rain come down was Richard Petty Motorsports’ Aric Almirola who took the famed No. 43 back to Victory Lane – the same place it was parked 30 years ago at Daytona when Richard Petty won his 200th race.

It took Almirola a while to get there.

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Regan Smith Wins Thriller in NASCAR Nationwide Series Opener at Daytona

2014 NASCAR Media Day - Portraits“How about that for redemption from last year?”

That’s what Regan Smith exclaimed after he just beat Brad Keselowski to the finish line by thismuch in Saturday’s DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway.

Keselowski had been leading the outside line for a good portion of the last few laps of the race when he used some side drafting and moved to the lead of the race in the bottom groove after getting some “bump drafting” help from Trevor Bayne.

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Kyle Busch Wins First NCWTS Race of the Season

Kyle Busch, driver of the #51 ToyotaCare Toyota, leads Timothy Peters, driver of the #17 Valvoline Toyota, to the finishline to win the Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway on February 21, 2014 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Photo by Jared C. Tilton Getty Images
Kyle Busch, driver of the #51 ToyotaCare Toyota, leads Timothy Peters, driver of the #17 Valvoline Toyota, to the finishline to win the Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway on February 21, 2014 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Photo by Jared C. Tilton Getty Images

Four feet was the distance between the winner and second place in the NextEra 250 at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS).

Timothy Peters had the lead going into the last four laps but it was a move by Kyle Busch at the last second that enabled him to get past Peters and win the race by .016 seconds!

There were two lines of racing throughout much of the contest with not much movement throughout the race. The top line didn’t work as well as the bottom groove as far as aerodynamics so racing sort of stalled as the laps ticked down.

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