5:30 p.m.

Justin Haley has won the rain-shortened Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway, his first in NASCAR’s top level.

Haley took the lead under caution – Kurt Busch surrendered the top spot when he pitted for tires and was declared the winner after heavy rain followed two lightning delays. You will find 33 laps left when the 160-lap race was halted.

Haley was 27th when leader Austin Dillon triggered a 17-car crash that took out almost half the area and most of the top contenders. He passed a number of wrecked automobiles and then several more that made pit stops.

The 20-year-old Haley will not lock at a spot in the playoffs, however. He’s a fulltime motorist at the second-tier Xfinity Series and has been making his third Cup Series beginning – for newcomer Spire Motorsports. The group’s No. 77 Chevrolet can secure a postseason bid, but only as long as it ends up in the top 30 in points.

Nonetheless, it was a fitting ending for the closing July race in NASCAR’s most famous track.

The event, which was postponed a day due to rain, has been plagued by inclement weather and full of unpredictable winners in recent decades. It’s moving to late August at 2020 – the regular-season finale – as part of NASCAR’s major schedule shake-up.

William Byron finished second, followed by seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and Ty Dillon. Manufacturer Chevrolet won for the second successive week and took the top four spots.

Ryan Newman was fifth in a Ford.

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4:30 p.m.

Drivers Bubba Wallace and Daniel Hemric amused lovers during two lightning delays by throwing a football throughout the trail and into the stands.

Wallace and Hemric every had a couple of throws and got booed a little.

But it certainly gave fans a reason to stick around for more than an hour with no racing.

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3:18 p.m.

Lighting has halted the NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway with Justin Haley at the lead.

The 20-year-old Haley is a part time motorist for newcomer Spire Motorsports. He finished second in Friday night’s second-tier Xfinity Series race while forcing for Kaulig Racing. That is his third Cup Series start.

Kurt Busch was leading the 400-mile race after a 17-car mess. But Busch ducked onto pit road for fuel under caution. That left Haley front, and as soon as the red flag was brought out due to a nearby lightning strike, it left Busch in 18th. As cars were parked and coated on pit road.

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3 p.m.

With dark clouds looming and also the end of the race in sight, pioneer Austin Dillon wrecked nearly half the field at Daytona International Speedway.

“The Big One” happened on Lap 119 in Turn 1 and involved 17 cars – many of them at the front of the field.

Clint Bowyer was pushing Dillon into front on the outside and made a tough move left to attempt and pass the pioneer. Dillon turned left No. 3 Chevrolet, tagged Bowyer and then started spinning and taking out competitors.

“I guess he did not need me to pass him,” Bowyer said.

All four Joe Gibbs Racing cars – Deny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and defending race winner Erik Jones – were involved. So were Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott.

“I was being aggressive and trying to keep the lead,” Dillon said.” That is what you get.”

Kurt Busch was able to get through this melee unscathed.

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