Suárez took outside lane to top Busch, Blaney
Daniel Suárez, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch put their gas pedals to the floor as they led the pack to the start-finish line during the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday night.
All three drivers appeared to cross the line at the same time. Suárez took the outside lane, Busch tried to shoot the gap in the middle and Blaney sought to maintain the lead from the inside.
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Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet, crosses the finish line to win the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, on Feb. 25, 2024. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Suárez was declared the winner by 0.003 seconds.
"It was so damn close, man. It was so damn close," Suárez told FOX’s Regan Smith. "It was good racing. Ryan Blaney there, Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric was also doing a great job giving me a push. On the back straightaway, he didn’t give me a push because he knew I was going to pass his teammate. Man, what a job."
Blaney finished second and Busch finished third. Cindric finished in fourth and Bubba Wallace was in fifth.
Suárez and Wallace were among those in the massive wreck on Lap 2.
Atlanta Motor Speedway saw one of its biggest wrecks in the history of the track. Fourteen cars were caught up in the accident just as the pack crossed the start-finish line. It appeared that Todd Gilliland checked up, and it caused an accordion effect on the outside lane.
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Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout after winning the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, on Feb. 25, 2024. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Austin Dillon spun out and turned sideways, but other cars couldn’t get around him. Josh Williams, Daniel Hemric, Justin Haley, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, Noah Gragson, Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, Harrison Burton, Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek were also in the accident.
It was par for the course for the race as several more accidents occurred. There were 10 cautions over the course of the race along with 48 lead changes with 14 lap leaders.
Daytona 500 winner William Byron finished in 17th.
Joey Logano, who was assessed a pre-race penalty over a glove violation, moved quickly toward the head of the pack after he was able to get back on the lead lap amid the Lap 2 crash.
Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet, walks the grid prior to the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, on Feb. 25, 2024. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
However, he got into a crash of his own during the race and finished 28th.
Suárez now has two Cup Series wins and is in a good spot to make the NASCAR Playoffs.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
