Tanner Foust won his third race of the 2016 Red Bull Global Rallycross season in what was a thrilling second final at Daytona.
The Volkswagen Andretti driver led home team mate Scott Speed who enjoyed something of a positive end to what was a difficult weekend for him.
The final was initially halted after less than a lap after Speed became stranded after hitting a tyre wall, collecting Austin Dyne who suffered damage in the incident which was severe enough to keep him from restarting with the rest of the field.
On the restart, Foust and Sebastian Eriksson made contact, as they had done in the first start, with Foust coming out on top despite getting extremely loose. Eriksson settled into second place with his Olsbergs Honda team mate Joni Wiman behind him in third.
The leading trio all took the joker a the earliest opportunity and began to look untouchable, with a charging Speed behind them. Further back, the three M-Sport Ford Fiestas of Patrik Sandell, and Chip Ganassi Racing‘s Brian Deegan and Steve Arpin were having a hard fought battle for the final top five spot.
Deegan would prevail after getting by Arpin, with Sandell dropping back due to a shredded tyre after contact coming off the jump which almost saw all three rivers stack on top of each other.
Up front though Foust was untouchable, and he took his second Daytona win in as many years and his third win of 2016. Scott Speed, despite suffering two fires in the first two days was on fire in this final, getting by the two Hondas to claim a remarkable second place finish ahead of Eriksson and Wiman. Deegan and Arpin, despite a hard fought battle held station for fifth and sixth.
Jeff Ward would come home in seventh, with Sandell, and Rhys Millen failing to finish
Daytona race winners Tanner Foust and Steve Arpin leave Florida sitting at the top of the points standings, with Foust holding a 32 point lead over Arpin. Scott Speed’s brilliant recovery in Daytona II leaves him in third, one spot ahead of Dallas race winner Patrik Sandell while Brian Deegan completes the top five.
The second GRC Lites final of the weekend was won by Tanner Whitten, ahead of Daytona I winner Oliver Eriksson, and Miki Weckstrom.
After his win and second place in Daytona, Oliver Eriksson leaves Florida with the championship lead. Former points leader Cabot Bigham has dropped to second, 16 points adrift of Eriksson and equal on points with third place Conner Martell. Miki Weckstrom sits fourth, one place ahead of Tanner Whitten who is only competing part-time this season.