Race Comments: Before a capacity crowd of 180,000 - Matt Kenseth won the rain-shortened Daytona 500, his 17th win in 329 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Prior to the green flag the following drivers dropped to the rear for the reasons indicated: #14-Stewart, #17-Kenseth, #29-Harvick, #34-Andretti, #39-Newman, #77-Hornish, #82-Speed (backup cars).
Failed to Qualify: (13) #87-Joe Nemechek, #08-Boris Said, #09-Brad Keselowski, #27-Kirk Shelmerdine, #71-Mike Wallace, #37-Tony Raines, #73-Mike Garvey, #75-Derrike Cope, #23-Mike Skinner, #51-Kelly Bires, #46-Carl Long, #64-Geoff Bodine, #57-Norm Benning.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 51 Mins, 40 Secs.
Average Speed: 132.816 MPH
Margin of Victory: Caution
Caution Flags: 8 for 35 laps: Laps: 9-10 (#8 spun turn 3 [None]); 27-29 (Competition [None]); 56-59 (#28 accident turn 1 [66]); 82-85 (#20 accident turn 4 [34]); 120-123 (Debris [24]); 125-132 (#2,7,11,18,26,48,82,83,88,99 accident turn 2 [None]); 139-142 (#31,98 accident backstretch [88]); 147-152 (#8 accident backstretch [48]).
Lead Changes: 10 among 9 drivers: M. Truex Jr 1; M. Martin 2; Kyle Busch 3-52; D. Earnhardt Jr 53; T. Stewart 54-68; J. Gordon 69-82; Kyle Busch 83-120; B. Labonte 121; E. Sadler 122-145; M. Kenseth 146-152.
Coors Light Pole Award: Martin Truex, Jr, #1 (188.001 mph)
DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race: Denny Hamlin, #11
DOW Automotive Strategic Call of the Race: Matt Kenseth, #17
EA Sports Move of the Race: Matt Kenseth, #17
Goodyear Gatorback Fastest Lap: Mark Martin, #5 (189.187 mph, Lap 2)
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder: Matt Kenseth, #17
Mobil 1 Command Performance Driver of the Race: Michael Waltrip, #55
Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race: Kurt Busch, #2 (.009 seconds)
Raybestos Rookie of the Race: Scott Speed, #82
Sunoco Diamond Performance: Matt Kenseth, #17
WIX Lap Leader: Kyle Busch, #18 (88 Laps)
Logano wrecks to end his 1st Daytona 500
Rookie Joey Logano, the youngest driver to ever start the Daytona 500, was one of the first ones out of the race.
Logano wrecked his No. 20 Toyota on lap 80 on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. Fellow rookie Scott Speed nudged Logano from the side coming off turn four, then Greg Biffle tapped Logano from behind, sending him sliding into the inside wall.
It ended a wild week for the 18-year-old rookie. He wrecked early in the exhibition Budweiser Shootout, hit the wall during practice Wednesday, then came back to finish fourth in a 150-mile qualifying race the next day. But he had to step aside during practice Friday as teammate Kyle Busch got in and helped fine-tune his car.
On Saturday, Logano acknowledged, “It’s just not that easy.”
Jayski.com