NASCAR's Biggest Winner's and Losers after the 2016 Daytona 500

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

By Richard Tix

Each NASCAR season starts with the Daytona 500 and only one driver, one Crew Chief, and one team can leave as winners of the "Great American Race." Denny Hamlin and crew is that team in 2016. They not only win one of the biggest races of the season, but they all but lock up a spot in the 2016 Sprint Cup Chase.

However, if we look past the technicality of the other 39 drivers actually losing the 500, we can look at how some teams really left a winner in different ways. Some, however, still came away losers and do not have a ton of moral victories to hang onto except that next week is a new race and a new start to 2016.


Sunday's Winners

Denny Hamlin

• As stated above for obvious reason's, Hamlin and crew are the big winners. He made the big move to end the race after a dominating day. The team did have a late race slip up on pit road, but the overcame it with a strong car and a strong move to go for the win late in the race.

Martin Truex Jr

• The guy who loses by 0.011 seconds rarely comes away a winner after a race and I am sure he didn't feel like a winner in the moment. However, the Furniture Row move from Chevy to Toyota could have been a slow transition, but after Daytona it looks like the move will work out. Truex, part of a single car shop, now seems to have four other teammates in JGR.

NASCAR Safety

• For all of speedweeks NASCAR's safety was on display. From 9 barrel rolls to Matt Dibenedetto hitting the wall head on, NASCAR's strives in safety were on display. Lucky for everyone that we have made such big moves and everyone could walk off mostly unharmed.

Toyota Racing

• I won't sit here and continue to label all the other JGR drivers, because each one left a "winner" from Daytona. Carl Edwards took a beat up Camry and had it up front at the end of the day. Kyle had no move after Denny took his move, but he was in contention and we already touched on Truex and race winner Hamlin. Atlanta will prove if the Toyota hot streak really is continuing from 2015, or if it was just a product of a superspeedway and teamwork.

Sunday's Losers

Jimmie Johnson

• Backup car. Charge to the front. Run up front for awhile. Pit crew over the wall too early. That was the race in a nut shell for JJ. Once he served that penalty it was too much too late for him to make up. Weird mess up for the #48 team.

Two ROY Candidates

• Chase Elliott and Chris Buescher make up two of the three best rookies in this ROY class and both had their Daytona 500 ended by wrecks. Chase started on the pole but his day ended very early when he got loose and his splitter and the infield grass took over and killed his car. Both were looking ahead to Atlanta far before most drivers on Sunday.

Dale Earnhardt Jr and "Amelia"

• I think everyone saw this coming when they came to #NBTW to read this. After the Duel win the take was who could beat Junior? Well, Toyota and JRG was who. After Jr lost the leas earlier in the race, he just wasn't able to get back through those Toyota's. In the end he got loose and Amelia took her tole and left him with a tough finish.