Update: Parker Retzlaff has reached out to Sportsnaut and said he didn’t hear any such order on the first channel and that ‘of course, I don’t want to hurt a Chevy but I also don’t want to wreck the field trying to push the 20 to help the 8.’
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At the end of a race, there really are no true alliances, and everyone is on their own agenda.
That was no more apparent than on Saturday night at Daytona when Parker Retzlaff pushed Harrison Burton to the win past Kyle Busch on the final lap.
This was a notable narrative because Retzlaff, making his second career start, was driving a Beard Motorsports No. 62 that has a significant alliance with Richard Childress Racing.
Busch, seeking a first win of the season that would earn the two-time champion a playoff berth and snap the longest winless streak of his career, drives for Richard Childress Racing.
So naturally, approaching what would become the final restart of the race, there was communication on the Beard Motorsports radio that said ‘do not push the 21.’ He ultimately did, believing it to be his best chance to possibly win the race, because he very much had a shot.
He also says he didn’t hear any order about Busch and conceded that it might have been over the second channel between the spotter and crew chief.
What was he hoping for?
“My best case scenario is (Burton) gets clear and I get clear with him and I can drop down in front of (Busch) and then kind of put it in my hands with racing (Christopher Bell) or (Burton) to try and get to his left for a right rear and race to start finish line.
“I knew as soon as I didn’t get there or I didn’t get myself clear that I was gonna kind of be in a position where I needed those two to do something to slow down a big run to get myself there.”
Short of a very bold, low percentage block, Busch didn’t have a lot of options as Burton rocketed by.
“I mean, you’re wide open. You’re just doing everything you can,” Busch said. ”You’re relying on everything happening behind you and unfortunately, (Bell), something happened off of (Turn) 2 where he got squirreled up and wasn’t to my rear bumper, and then he was below the yellow line, and I don’t know what was going on. Completely killed the bottom lane and the outside just rolled and once we got to Turn 4, there just wasn’t enough energy with enough cars from behind me. I was relying on my own draft to try to pass (Burton) and that happens so slow …
“Besides wrecking him (Burton), nothing to do in that situation. I could have jumped up in front of (Burton) and probably taken that, but I don’t know that he would have kept straight on me. I had more trust in (Bell) there being a better ally, but didn’t work out.”
As for Retzlaff?
“I don’t think I’ve ever raced with Parker,” Busch said. “I’ve seen him on the Xfinity side, but I don’t think I’ve ever run a race with him. But all things considered, it just doesn’t matter who they are. They’re just cars at that point.”
And despite the shared Childress affiliation, Retzlaff viewed Busch as just another racer too.
“I’m very close to all the RCR guys with Team Dillon Management doing all my stuff, so definitely not what I wanted to do but I didn’t want to also not give myself a shot” Retzlaff said. “These guys work too hard to not have a shot to win this race.”
He faded to seventh over the final half lap, still a solid result, but he said the result left him more disappointed than prideful.
He had a chance.
“Disappointment,” Retzlaff said. “I knew he went down the backstretch as soon I got him clear that I gave myself a shot. And, again, I’ve seen how hard these guys work. I mean, Darren (Shaw) does most of it all himself and he’s a great guy, this is a great family and I just wanted to give them a win.”