Sometimes in the middle of great celebrations, acts of class and good sportsmanship get lost. Such was the case in Daytona last weekend.
First there was Kyle Busch. He was desperate for a win to make the playoffs, and to keep his consecutive years with a win streak alive. Coming to the checkered flag, he had the opportunity to put a bumper to Harrison Burton, but didn’t. If it were Bristol, maybe. But, Busch knows how much damage you can do just getting someone squirrelly at speed at Daytona.
The collateral damage would have been massive.
Then there was Ross Chastain. Burton’s win moved Chastain from the “make it in the playoffs on points” to “he needs to win Darlington”. And, yet, there he was in Victory Lane congratulating the kid on his win.
Chastain is a guy who knows the disappointment of losing rides; and he could appreciate the joy Burton felt with that win…even though it potentially cost Chastain a lot.
So, file away these moments, they are far more prevalent than you may realize. They’re just not sexy enough to get the headlines.