NASCAR: 5 biggest stories from the 2021 Daytona 500

NASCAR started their season Sunday afternoon, and while a rain delay had everyone waiting until 9 pm to get started, there were a lot of different stories from the Daytona 500 when all was said and done. In fact, between Michael McDowell winning the race in surprise fashion and the last lap crash, there is a lot to unpack here.

Furthermore, with just how different this whole season is, there are a myriad of storylines that are coming out of this race. Things that the casual fan might not have caught right away, but are still important to the overall picture.

With that being said and another Daytona 500 behind us, here are the 5 biggest stories after the Daytona 500. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to let us know if there is anything we missed.

---

#5 Several top NASCAR stars behind the eight ball after Daytona 500

NASCAR Cup Series 63rd Annual Daytona 500

Although the Daytona 500 was nothing short of a dream for NASCAR driver Michael McDowell, it was an absolute nightmare for drivers trying to compete for a championship this year. In fact, between a big accident at the beginning of the race, and the last lap crash that will go down in the history books, there are a lot of cars outside the 16-driver cutoff line for the playoffs.

Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Matt Dibenedetto and Alex Bowman are all on the outside looking in. Of course, there are still 25 more races to go before NASCAR decides their championship field, but Daytona was a perfect chance to nab a victory.

In the end, the Daytona Road Course race next weekend will serve as the first big test for the drivers listed above. If they can bring home the car in one piece, they might be able to nab a good points day. If they somehow fall victim to the chaotic nature of road course racing, however, they could be even further behind.

#4 Chase Elliott comes close to tasting first Daytona 500 victory

NASCAR Cup Series 63rd Annual Daytona 500

NASCAR driver Chase Elliott seemed to have all the potential in the world to win Sunday's Daytona 500, but never really got the opportunity to prove it. In fact, between many of his teammates getting wrecked out in the 2 big wrecks of the evening, and other cars having drafting partners, Elliott was at a distinct disadvantage.

With that being said, however, Elliott did once again put himself in a position to win the race, even challenging McDowell for the lead, but it wasn't meant to be. In fact, NASCAR would rule that McDowell was ahead at the time of the final caution, and handed the Arizona driver his first Cup Series victory.

In the end, there will always be other opportunities to win the Daytona 500, and other NASCAR races, but it still has to hurt coming so close to achieving that early in your career. This might even be 1 of those things that follows Elliott's career for quite a while, and will definitely be brought up when he returns to the speedway in August.

#3 Bubba Wallace sits 8th in NASCAR points standings with 23XI Motorsports

NASCAR Cup Series 63rd Annual Daytona 500

Despite finishing 17th in the NASCAR Cup series opener, and becoming the first African American driver to lead a lap at Daytona, Bubba Wallace still didn't have the debut he was looking for with 23XI Racing. In fact, a loose wheel and an unscheduled pitstop with 20 laps to go pretty much ended his day.

Fortunately for Bubba Wallace, his good showing during the first 2 stages earned him enough points to place him 8th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. Again, not the debut the team was looking for, especially with the kind of speed they had all weekend, but 8th place for a new team is still a good start to their first season.

In all honesty, Bubba Wallace might be sitting pretty in points right now, but it's going to come down to whether he can be consistent or not. That journey will start at the Daytona road course, where Bubba Wallace will have to show off his road racing chops to his new team and hopefully earn some points in the process.

#2 Denny Hamlin dosen't get his NASCAR 3 peat.

NASCAR Cup Series 63rd Annual Daytona 500

NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin was looking for a 3 peat in Sunday's 63rd annual Daytona 500, but fell short of the mark after a pit stop mistake left him back in the pack. Of course Hamlin was able to recover and finish 5th, but it still had to hurt knowing he was so close to a spot in NASCAR history.

Keep in mind that only 2 drivers have managed to win the Daytona 500 3 times and that was Sterling Marlin and Cale Yarbrough. Again, Hamlin was very close to acheiving a very crucial mark in NASCAR history, but his pitting mistakes pretty much doomed his streak.

In the end, Hamlin has a lot to be proud of coming out of speedeeks. In fact, between him finishing 5th in the first race of the season and sitting 2nd in points, 1 could almost argue that the championship is his for the taking early on this season. It's all a matter of what Hamlin manages to do from here though.

#1 NASCAR Caution confusion causes rift with Chase Elliott fans

NASCAR Cup Series 63rd Annual Daytona 500

Although NASCAR ultimately declared Michael McDowell the winner of 63rd annual Daytona 500, it took several minutes to make the call. While the Fox Sports booth was already calling McDowell the winner, fans still held out hope that the defending Cup Series champion managed to pass him before the caution.

Unfortunately for fans of Chase Elliott, that never ended up happening, and McDowell was considered the race winner when the caution light came on. This is a part of NASCAR's rule to freeze the field when an accident happens on the last lap, and declare whoever is out in front as the winner.

In the end, it was Michael McDowell who earned the honor, but fans seeing Elliott somewhat take the lead as the caution unfolded left them a little angry. Some even questioned NASCAR's decision-making. Of course some of this has to do with the bias of Elliott fans, but it is still sad that they couldn't just let McDowell have his big win.