17 driver got the 2017 NASCAR season started as the drivers were at the Clash At the Beach. A bunch of changes occurred in the off season changing the lineup for the event. Daniel Suarez is in the 19 car as Carl Edwards has retired. Alex Bowman is in place of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and for now his only shot in the #88 car.
Stewart Haas Racing has even made a big change as they are now driving Ford cars now.
The race is a two segment event with the first segment last 25 laps and the second segment lasting 50.
Brad Keselwoski started the race off leading laps as it only took a couple laps before it was three wide racing. Then at lap 9 it was Denny Hamlin and Brad Keslowski fighting for the race lead. Denny got to lead one lap briefly and then Brad was back to leading more and more laps. At alp 17 it was the first caution of the season as Kurt Busch fully wrecks his race car as Jimmie Johnson gets loose which causes Jimmie to smash right into Kurt Busch.
The caution brought in all the leaders with Kyle Busch winning the race off pit road with a 2 tire stop. Brad Keselowski picked up the first pit road penalty of the season as he went through too many pit boxes.
“I was in the low lane minding my own business,” said Kurt Busch.
It was a short run to the end of the first segment. Kyle Busch was leading laps and on lap 25 all the Toyota cars made a pit stop as the caution came out. Cars that did not pit take fuel only and Jamie McMurray won the race off pit road.
The second segment started with Denny Hamlin leading laps as up front as it moved to a single line of cars. Around lap 48 it got back to two wide race in the back and on the next lap Jimmie Johnson looses it once more and this time smashes the wall to bring out the caution.
Jimmie Johnson stated that he thought he was not going to turn around.
The caution brought in nine cars. With 21 laps to go the race restarted and Denny Hamlin was back to leading more laps. With 15 laps left it was caution time once more as Martin Truex Jr. tries to go low and just did not work causing him to spin out and smack the wall.
With 11 laps to go the race continued as the Joe Gibbs drivers were 1st-4th place in a single line for a few laps. With around five laps left Brad Keselowski along with Joey Logano start a real move to the high side that worked. Brad was able to get to second place and right behind Denny Hamlin for the race lead. On the final lap Brad tried to go for the race lead on bottom, but Denny Hamlin blocked it. Denny and his blocking just did not work and caused him to spin out and somehow wound up not even causing a major wreck. This left Joey Logano in the race lead with about a half left left. Alex Bowman then moved along side of Kyle Busch for second while Danica Patrick comes out of nowhere to get on top of both of those cars to try to get second, but ran out of time. Joey wins the race by almost a second.
Joey Logano stated that when Denny was going to the bottom he had to go to the top.
“Was able to have a rally fast car,” said Kyle Busch.
Denny Hamlin stated that it was not much he could do to defend Brad Keselowski.
“A nice way to start,” said Danica Patrick.
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