Michael Waltrip, driver of the #15 Aaron’s Toyota, walks on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida.Photo – Cliff Hawkins/Getty Image

Michael Waltrip didn’t have the fastest car in Sunday’s Daytona 500, but he managed to avoid the prolific multicar wrecks that peppered the first 150 laps of the race.

And when he took the checkered flag, Waltrip was eighth in his 30th and final trip around Daytona International Speedway in NASCAR’s most important race.

“Yeah, it’s going to be a great memory to have a top-ten,” Waltrip said. “I had so many times I was in the middle of a crash and just missed it. So you do a good job, and you get lucky—both. At the end, I just lost the draft, and that’s unfortunate, because I was able to weave my way past people.

“I had a really, really good handling car. I’m thankful that I survived, and I’m thankful for being able to run up front, and I’m happy about the finish. I’m ready for it to be my last one, so it’s going to be a good one to remember it by.”