DAYTONA BEACH — For all the damage that took place in Sunday's crash-filled Daytona 500, there was one piece of equipment Kurt Busch didn't mind losing.
His rearview mirror.
"That's an omen," Busch said, "because I'm not going to have to look at it anymore."
And on the final two turns, he didn't need to.
Busch passed Kyle Larson on Turn 2 of the final lap to lead the only one that mattered, holding off Ryan Blaney to win the 59th running of the Great American Race.
Just getting to that point was hard enough on its own.
First, Busch had to get his ride at Stewart-Haas Racing after the 2004 NASCAR Cup series champion dropped from the sport's power teams following a high-profile split from Team Penske in 2011.
Then Busch had to keep it, after NASCAR suspended him indefinitely over allegations of domestic violence in 2015. He missed that season's first three races, including the 500.
"I've been through some different patches here or there," said Busch, 38, who has three second-place finishes in the 500. "To have a team that believes in me, that's the most important part."
His spot on one of NASCAR's top programs put his No. 41 Ford in position to survive the drama that played out at a sold-out Daytona International Speedway in the debut race for Monster Energy, the new sponsor of NASCAR's top series.
The new rules that divided the 200-lap race into three segments revved up the intensity earlier than usual. Different strategies led to a mix of old and new tires, which might have played a role in the six wrecks that involved at least 31 of the field's 40 drivers.
The first big one, sparked by younger brother Kyle Busch's blown tire, ruined Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s return from a concussion. The second knocked out seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, and the fourth sidelined 2012 series champion Brad Keselowski.
"It was a wild day," said Tampa native Aric Almirola, who kept his car clean to finish fourth. "I can't believe how many cars were involved in wrecks here and there."
Including Kurt Busch.
His car was among the 17 damaged when Trevor Bayne nudged Johnson on Lap 128. The nose and tail of the car were (relatively) clean, but the sides were trashed. With NASCAR's new five-minute limit for repairs, his crew didn't have much time to tape his front-right panel together and get back on the track. "We were that close to being eliminated," Busch said. "You keep rolling with it."
Even with 30 laps left, when the rearview mirror began dangling from one side. But at that point, Busch kept most of the action in front of him.
"It's probably the most patient way I've ever watched Kurt Busch run," said Tony Stewart, the car's co-owner who retired after last season having never won the 500 as a driver in 17 tries.
That patience, eventually, was rewarded, when one by one the drivers in front of him slipped.
First it was Joey Logano, the 2015 race winner who led 16 laps but faded with 25 to go.
Then it was pole-sitter Chase Elliott, who looked like he had the car to beat until his No. 24 Chevrolet ran out of gas with three laps left. And then it was last year's runnerup, Martin Truex, and Larson, who raced for the lead before both of their fuel tanks began sputtering.
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Explore all your optionsBusch's team thought they might be in trouble, too. Their calculations guessed he would come up half-a-lap short on gas.
Busch didn't care. He just kept charging.
His winning move came on the final lap, when he blew outside Larson in Turn 2 for his only lead of the race. Busch could only listen to his spotter tell him what was happening behind him.
"That's what Daytona's about," he said. "You have to roll with it."
Even without a rearview mirror.
Contact Matt Baker at mbaker@tampabay.com.