Throughout the years, NASCAR and its fans have witnessed several close finishes. But have they ever seen a three-wide finish before? Probably not! And this time, the three-way tussle was between the reigning Cup Series champ Ryan Blaney, two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch, and Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez. The closing moment of the Ambetter Health 400 was so intense that even Dale Earnhardt Jr. had to call the race “bada**”.
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It was one of the closest finishes in the history of NASCAR. Needless to say, Suarez was ecstatic. “It was a very special moment,” said the Mexican driver. “I was just hoping. I saw the tower and thought I was first. I thought I had it but then they said there was a review.” The photo-finish was so wild that ex-racer and now, FOX commentator Clint Bowyer posted on X, “By far the best race I’ve got to call since being in that booth. It was so exciting at the end that it made it hard to talk. Still wound up!!! The boys put on a show today. “
By far the best race I’ve got to call since being in that booth. It was so exciting at the end that it made it hard to talk. Still wound up!!! The boys put on a show today. 👏 https://t.co/iLGnaGjBjJ
— Clint Bowyer (@ClintBowyer) February 26, 2024
Fellow driver Ryan Blaney congratulated Suarez on his dramatic finish at the 1.54-mile racetrack in Hampton, Georgia. “What a race! That’s one of the most “have you ever, no I’ve never” Lightning McQueen/King/Chick Hicks thing you’ll ever see. Congrats to my amigo
@Daniel_SuarezG on the W. Hope everyone enjoyed it!” he wrote. For Hendrick Motorsports ace Kyle Larson, it was the most fun race that he had ever run on a drafting track.
Daniel Suarez is not satisfied with a spot in the playoffs
The second career win in the 253 starts that he has made at the Cup level surely calls for celebration. The last time Suarez was seen in victory lane was back at Sonoma in June 2022. One could only imagine what this triumph means for the #99 Chevy driver. Interestingly, he wants more.
Suarez is now locked in the opening round of the playoffs along with William Byron, thanks to NASCAR’s current playoff format. But he is not going to sit back and relax. “Some people actually told me you can relax, now you’re in the playoffs,” Suarez exclaimed. “Hell no! My goal is to win more than one race. This is not relaxing here. The goal is for you to not be surprised when the 99 is in victory lane.”
3-WIDE AT THE LINE! WHAT A FINISH. Repost to congratulate Daniel Suárez on his Atlanta Motor Speedway WIN! pic.twitter.com/RdewRqJiwg
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 26, 2024
Thankfully, Suarez got the push from his fellow Chevrolet driver, Kyle Busch. Busch said that he felt good about being able to compete and still help his Chevy team partner. “Shows that when you do have friends and you can make alliances that they do seem to work, and that was a good part of today,” he added.
