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NASCAR - Sprint Cup - Daytona 500 Preview
From The Sports Network
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| DATE: Sunday, February 26th |
| SITE: Daytona International Speedway (1959) -- Daytona Beach, Florida |
| TRACK: 2.5-mile tri-oval - 3,800 feet (Frontstretch); 3,000 feet (Backstretch) |
| CAPACITY: 147,000 (Grandstand Seating) |
| ANNUAL: 54th |
| TELEVISION: FOX |
| ANNOUNCERS: Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds |
| RADIO: Motor Racing Network (MRN)/SirisuXM Satellite |
| START TIME: 1 p.m. (ET)/Green Flag: 1:29 p.m. (ET) |
| DEFENDING CHAMPION: Trevor Bayne |
| RUNNER-UP: Carl Edwards |
| POLE WINNER: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Finished 24th) |
| LAPS: 200 |
| MILES: 500 |
| QUALIFYING RECORD: Bill Elliott, 1987 (210.364 m.p.h.) |
| RACE RECORD: Buddy Baker, 1980 (177.602 m.p.h.) |
| TOTAL PURSE: $19,142,601 (2012 figures) |
| PAYOUTS: 1st Place - $1,431,325; 2nd Place - $1,050,075; 3rd Place - $759,600 |
| 2011 Finish |
| Finish | Driver | Start | Finish | Driver | Start |
| 1 | Trevor Bayne | 32 | 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 13 |
| 2 | Carl Edwards | 22 | 7 | Regan Smith | 5 |
| 3 | David Gilliland | 39 | 8 | Kyle Busch | 10 |
| 4 | Bobby Labonte | 31 | 9 | Paul Menard | 19 |
| 5 | Kurt Busch | 3 | 10 | Mark Martin | 17 |
| 2011 Daytona 500 Facts and Figures |
| AVERAGE SPEED: 130.326 m.p.h. |
| TIME OF RACE: 3 hours, 59 minutes, 24 seconds |
| MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.118 second |
| CAUTION FLAGS: 16 for 60 laps (race record) |
| LEAD CHANGES: 74 among 22 drivers (race record) |
| POLE WINNER: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (186.089 m.p.h.) |
| Past Daytona 500 Winners (Starting Position) Car -- Speed |
| 2011 -- Trevor Bayne (32nd) -- Ford -- 130.326 m.p.h. |
| 2010 -- Jamie McMurray (13th) Chevrolet -- 137.284 m.p.h. |
| 2009 -- *Matt Kenseth (39th) -- Ford -- 132.816 m.p.h. |
| 2008 -- Ryan Newman (7th) -- Dodge -- 152.672 m.p.h. |
| 2007 -- Kevin Harvick (34th) -- Chevrolet -- 149.335 m.p.h. |
| 2006 -- Jimmie Johnson (9th) -- Chevrolet -- 142.667 m.p.h. |
| 2005 -- Jeff Gordon (15th) -- Chevrolet -- 135.173 m.p.h. |
| 2004 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (3rd) -- Chevrolet -- 156.345 m.p.h. |
| 2003 -- *Michael Waltrip (4th) -- Chevrolet -- 133.870 m.p.h. |
| 2002 -- Ward Burton (19th) -- Dodge -- 142.971 m.p.h. |
| 2001 -- Michael Waltrip (19th) -- Chevrolet -- 161.794 m.p.h. |
| 2000 -- Dale Jarrett (1st) -- Ford -- 155.669 m.p.h. |
| 1999 -- Jeff Gordon (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 161.551 m.p.h. |
| 1998 -- Dale Earnhardt (4th) -- Chevrolet -- 172.712 m.p.h. |
| 1997 -- Jeff Gordon (6th) -- Chevrolet -- 148.295 m.p.h. |
| 1996 -- Dale Jarrett (7th) -- Ford -- 154.308 m.p.h. |
| 1995 -- Sterling Marlin (3rd) -- Chevrolet -- 141.710 m.p.h. |
| 1994 -- Sterling Marlin (4th) -- Chevrolet -- 156.931 m.p.h. |
| 1993 -- Dale Jarrett (2nd) -- Chevrolet -- 154.972 m.p.h. |
| 1992 -- Davey Allison (6th) -- Ford -- 168.256 m.p.h. |
| 1991 -- Ernie Irvan (2nd) -- Chevrolet -- 148.148 m.p.h. |
| 1990 -- Derrike Cope (12th) -- Chevrolet -- 165.761 m.p.h. |
| 1989 -- Darrell Waltrip (2nd) -- Chevrolet -- 148.466 m.p.h. |
| 1988 -- Bobby Allison (3rd) -- Buick -- 137.531 m.p.h. |
| 1987 -- Bill Elliott (1st) -- Ford -- 176.263 m.p.h. |
| 1986 -- Geoff Bodine (2nd) -- Chevrolet -- 148.124 m.p.h. |
| 1985 -- Bill Elliott (1st) -- Ford -- 172.265 m.p.h. |
| 1984 -- Cale Yarborough (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 150.994 m.p.h. |
| 1983 -- Cale Yarborough (8th) -- Pontiac -- 155.979 m.p.h. |
| 1982 -- Bobby Allison (7th) -- Buick -- 153.991 m.p.h. |
| 1981 -- Richard Petty (8th) -- Buick -- 169.651 m.p.h. |
| 1980 -- Buddy Baker (1st) -- Oldsmobile -- 177.602 m.p.h. (race record) |
| 1979 -- Richard Petty (13th) -- Oldsmobile -- 143.977 m.p.h. |
| 1978 -- Bobby Allison (33rd) -- Ford -- 159.730 m.p.h. |
| 1977 -- Cale Yarborough (4th) -- Chevrolet -- 153.218 m.p.h. |
| 1976 -- David Pearson (7th) -- Mercury -- 152.181 m.p.h. |
| 1975 -- Benny Parsons (32nd) -- Chevrolet -- 153.649 m.p.h. |
| 1974 -- Richard Petty (2nd) -- Dodge -- 140.894 m.p.h. |
| 1973 -- Richard Petty (7th) -- Dodge -- 157.205 m.p.h. |
| 1972 -- A.J. Foyt (2nd) -- Mercury -- 161.550 m.p.h. |
| 1971 -- Richard Petty (5th) -- Plymouth -- 144.462 m.p.h. |
| 1970 -- Pete Hamilton (9th) -- Plymouth -- 149.601 m.p.h. |
| 1969 -- LeeRoy Yarborough (19th) -- Ford -- 157.950 m.p.h. |
| 1968 -- Cale Yarborough (1st) -- Mercury -- 143.251 m.p.h. |
| 1967 -- Mario Andretti (12th) -- Ford -- 146.926 m.p.h. |
| 1966 -- *Richard Petty (1st) -- Plymouth -- 160.627 m.p.h. |
| 1965 -- *Fred Lorenzen (4th) -- Ford -- 141.539 m.p.h. |
| 1964 -- Richard Petty (2nd) -- Plymouth -- 154.334 m.p.h. |
| 1963 -- Tiny Lund (12th) -- Ford -- 151.566 m.p.h. |
| 1962 -- Fireball Roberts (1st) -- Pontiac -- 152.529 m.p.h. |
| 1961 -- Marvin Panch (4th) -- Pontiac -- 149.601 m.p.h. |
| 1960 -- Junior Johnson (9th) -- Chevrolet -- 124.740 m.p.h. |
| 1959 -- Lee Petty (15th) -- Oldsmobile -- 135.521 m.p.h. |
| NOTE: * - Rain shortened. |
| Past Daytona 500 Pole Winners (Finish) |
| 2011 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr -- 24th |
| 2010 -- Mark Martin -- 12th |
| 2009 -- Martin Truex Jr -- 11th |
| 2008 -- Jimmie Johnson -- 27th |
| 2007 -- David Gilliland -- 8th |
| 2006 -- Jeff Burton -- 32nd |
| 2005 -- Dale Jarrett -- 15th |
| 2004 -- Greg Biffle -- 12th |
| 2003 -- Jeff Green -- 39th |
| 2002 -- Jimmie Johnson -- 15th |
| 2001 -- Bill Elliott -- 5th |
| 2000 -- Dale Jarrett -- 1st |
| 1999 -- Jeff Gordon -- 1st |
| 1998 -- Bobby Labonte -- 2nd |
| 1997 -- Mike Skinner -- 12th |
| 1996 -- Dale Earnhardt -- 2nd |
| 1995 -- Dale Jarrett -- 5th |
| 1994 -- Loy Allen Jr -- 22nd |
| 1993 -- Kyle Petty -- 31st |
| 1992 -- Sterling Marlin -- 35th |
| 1991 -- Davey Allison -- 15th |
| 1990 -- Ken Schrader -- 40th |
| 1989 -- Ken Schrader -- 2nd |
| 1988 -- Ken Schrader -- 6th |
| 1987 -- Bill Elliott -- 1st |
| 1986 -- Bill Elliott -- 13th |
| 1985 -- Bill Elliott -- 1st |
| 1984 -- Cale Yarborough -- 1st |
| 1983 -- Ricky Rudd -- 24th |
| 1982 -- Benny Parsons -- 26th |
| 1981 -- Bobby Allison -- 2nd |
| 1980 -- Buddy Baker -- 1st |
| 1979 -- Buddy Baker -- 40th |
| 1978 -- Cale Yarborough -- 2nd |
| 1977 -- Donnie Allison -- 30th |
| 1976 -- Ramo Stott -- 26th |
| 1975 -- Donnie Allison -- 28th |
| 1974 -- David Pearson -- 35th |
| 1973 -- Buddy Baker -- 6th |
| 1972 -- Bobby Isaac -- 33rd |
| 1971 -- A.J. Foyt -- 3rd |
| 1970 -- Cale Yarborough -- 37th |
| 1969 -- Buddy Baker -- 5th |
| 1968 -- Cale Yarborough -- 1st |
| 1967 -- Curtis Turner -- 25th |
| 1966 -- Richard Petty -- 1st |
| 1965 -- Darel Dieringer -- 2nd |
| 1964 -- Paul Goldsmith -- 3rd |
| 1963 -- Fireball Roberts -- 21st |
| 1962 -- Fireball Roberts -- 1st |
| 1961 -- Fireball Roberts -- 20th |
| 1960 -- Cotton Owens -- 40th |
| 1959 -- Bob Welborn -- 41st |
| Last Race Results |
| RACE: Budweiser Shootout (February 18th) |
| SITE: Daytona International Speedway -- Daytona Beach, Florida |
| MILES: 205 |
| LAPS: 82 |
| WINNER: Kyle Busch |
| RUNNER-UP: Tony Stewart |
| THIRD: Marcos Ambrose |
| FOURTH: Brad Keselowski |
| FIFTH: Denny Hamlin |
| POLE WINNER: Martin Truex Jr. (Finished 19th) |
| TIME OF RACE: 1 hour, 39 minutes, 7 seconds |
| AVERAGE SPEED: 124.096 m.p.h. |
| MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.013 second |
| CAUTION FLAGS: 5 for 23 laps |
| LEAD CHANGES: 26 among 13 drivers |
| LAP LEADERS: M. Truex Jr. - pole; D. Earnhardt Jr. 1-3; J. McMurray 4; J. |
| Logano 5; K. Harvick 6; D. Earnhardt Jr. 7-15; K. Harvick 16; J. |
| McMurray 17; M. Truex Jr. 18-22; J. McMurray 23-25; J. Gordon |
| 26-27; G. Biffle 28-33; A. Allmendinger 34; G. Biffle 35-36; J. |
| Montoya 37; J. McMurray 38-42; M. Truex Jr. 43-44; J. Johnson 45; |
| K. Harvick 46-47; J. Gordon 48-51; J. McMurray 52; G. Biffle |
| 53-61; J. Gordon 62-71; Kyle Busch 72-73; T. Stewart 74-80; M. |
| Ambrose 81; Kyle Busch 82. |
| Daytona 500 Entry List |
| Car | Driver, Hometown | Car/Name |
| 1 | Jamie McMurray (Joplin, MO) | Chevrolet/Bass Pro Shops |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hills, MI) | Dodge/Miller Lite |
| 5 | Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, WA) | Chevrolet/Farmers Insurance |
| 6 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Olive Branch, MS) | Ford/Ford EcoBoost |
| 7 | Robby Gordon (Orange, CA) | Dodge/Mapei/Menards/Speed Energy |
| 09 | Kenny Wallace (St. Louis, MO) | Toyota/American Ethanol |
| 9 | Marcos Ambrose (Launceston, Australia) | Ford/Stanley |
| 10 | Danica Patrick (Roscoe, IL) | Chevrolet/GoDaddy.com |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin (Chesterfield, VA) | Toyota/FedEx Express |
| 13 | Casey Mears (Bakersfield, CA) | Ford/GEICO |
| 14 | Tony Stewart (Columbus, IN) | Chevrolet/Office Depot/Mobil 1 |
| 15 | Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS) | Toyota/5-Hour Energy |
| 16 | Greg Biffle (Vancouver, WA) | Ford/3M |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth (Cambridge, WI) | Ford/Best Buy |
| 18 | Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV) | Toyota/M&M's |
| 20 | Joey Logano (Middletown, CT) | Toyota/Home Depot |
| 21 * | Trevor Bayne (Knoxville, TN) | Ford/Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire |
| 22 | A.J. Allmendinger (Los Gatos, CA) | Dodge/Shell/Pennzoil |
| 23 | Robert Richardson Jr. (McKinney, TX) | Toyota/North Texas Pipe |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon (Vallejo, CA) | Chevrolet/Drive to End Hunger |
| 26 | Tony Raines (LaPorte, IN) | Ford/Front Row Motorsports |
| 27 | Paul Menard (Eau Claire, WI) | Chevrolet/Menards/Peak |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, CA) | Chevrolet/Budweiser |
| 30 | David Stremme (South Bend, IN) | Toyota/Inception Motorsports |
| 31 | Jeff Burton (South Boston, VA) | Chevrolet/Caterpillar |
| 32 | Terry Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX) | Ford/C&J Energy |
| 33 | Elliott Sadler (Emporia, VA) | Chevrolet/General Mills/Kroger |
| 34 | David Ragan (Unadilla, GA) | Ford/Scorpion Truck Bedliners |
| 36 | Dave Blaney (Hartford, OH) | Chevrolet/Ollie's Bargain Outlet |
| 37 | Mike Wallace (St. Louis, MO) | Ford/poynt.com |
| 38 | David Gilliland (Riverside, CA) | Ford/MHP/Power Pack Pudding |
| 39 | Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN) | Chevrolet/U.S. Army/Quicken Loan |
| 40 | Michael Waltrip (Owensboro, KY) | Toyota/Aaron's Dream Machine |
| 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya (Bogota, Colombia) | Chevrolet/Target |
| 43 | Aric Almirola (Tampa, FL) | Ford/Smithfield Helping Hungry |
| 47 | Bobby Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX) | Toyota/Kroger |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon, CA) | Chevrolet/Lowe's |
| 49 | J.J. Yeley (Phoenix, AZ) | Toyota/America Israel Racing |
| 51 | Kurt Busch (Las Vegas, NV) | Chevrolet/Hendrickcars.com |
| 55 | Mark Martin (Batesville, AR) | Toyota/Aaron's |
| 56 | Martin Truex Jr. (Mayetta, NJ) | Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts |
| 78 | Regan Smith (Cato, NY) | Chevrolet/Furniture Row Racing |
| 83 | Landon Cassill (Cedar Rapids, IA) | Toyota/Burger King |
| 87 | Joe Nemechek (Lakeland, FL) | Toyota/AM FM Energy Wood Pellet |
| 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Kannapolis, NC) | Chevrolet/Diet Mt. Dew/Nat Guard |
| 93 | David Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL) | Toyota/Burger King |
| 97 | Bill Elliott (Dawsonville, GA) | Toyota/AM FM Energy Wood Pellet |
| 98 | Michael McDowell (Glendale, AZ) | Ford/K-Love/Curb Records |
| 99 | Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO) | Ford/Fastenal |
| Leading Contenders (Finish the last nine years) |
| Driver | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Trevor Bayne | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | Won |
| Carl Edwards | --- | --- | 12th | 43rd | 23rd | 19th | 18th | 9th | 2nd |
| David Gilliland | --- | --- | --- | --- | 8th | 28th | --- | --- | 3rd |
| Bobby Labonte | 41st | 11th | 43rd | 35th | 21st | 11th | 22nd | 21st | 4th |
| Kurt Busch | 2nd | 16th | 2nd | 38th | 41st | 2nd | 10th | 23rd | 5th |
| Juan Pablo Montoya | --- | --- | --- | --- | 19th | 32nd | 14th | 10th | 6th |
| Regan Smith | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 37th | 21st | 39th | 7th |
| Kyle Busch | --- | --- | 38th | 23rd | 24th | 4th | 41st | 14th | 8th |
| Paul Menard | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 22nd | 38th | 13th | 9th |
| Mark Martin | 5th | 43rd | 6th | 12th | 2nd | 31st | 16th | 12th | 10th |
| A.J. Allmendinger | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 3rd | 32nd | 11th |
| Tony Stewart | 7th | 2nd | 7th | 5th | 43rd | 3rd | 8th | 22nd | 13th |
| David Ragan | --- | --- | --- | --- | 5th | 42nd | 6th | 16th | 14th |
| Clint Bowyer | --- | --- | --- | 6th | 18th | 24th | 4th | 4th | 17th |
| Jamie McMurray | 31st | 36th | 32nd | 37th | 31st | 26th | 37th | Won | 18th |
| Martin Truex Jr | --- | --- | 34th | 16th | 29th | 20th | 11th | 6th | 19th |
| Denny Hamlin | --- | --- | --- | 30th | 28th | 17th | 26th | 17th | 21st |
| Ryan Newman | 43rd | 31st | 20th | 3rd | 38th | Won | 36th | 34th | 22nd |
| Joey Logano | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 43rd | 20th | 23rd |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr | 36th | Won | 3rd | 8th | 32nd | 9th | 27th | 2nd | 24th |
| Kasey Kahne | --- | 41st | 22nd | 11th | 7th | 7th | 29th | 30th | 25th |
| Jimmie Johnson | 3rd | 5th | 5th | Won | 39th | 27th | 31st | 35th | 27th |
| Jeff Gordon | 12th | 8th | Won | 26th | 10th | 39th | 13th | 26th | 28th |
| Brad Keselowski | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 36th | 29th |
| Matt Kenseth | 20th | 9th | 42nd | 15th | 27th | 36th | Won | 8th | 34th |
| Greg Biffle | 21st | 12th | 25th | 31st | 25th | 10th | 20th | 3rd | 35th |
| Jeff Burton | 11th | 42nd | 29th | 32nd | 3rd | 13th | 28th | 11th | 36th |
| Marcos Ambrose | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 17th | 41st | 37th |
| Michael Waltrip | Won | 38th | 37th | 18th | 30th | 29th | 7th | 18th | 40th |
| Kevin Harvick | 4th | 4th | 28th | 14th | Won | 14th | 2nd | 7th | 42nd |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Danica Patrick | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Kyle Busch |
| Darkhorse - Jeff Burton |
| Last Week's Pick to Win (Kevin Harvick) - Finished 22nd |
| Last Week's Darkhorse (Kasey Kahne) - Finished 13th |
| NOTES: |
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The 2012 Sprint Cup regular season begins in earnest this week, as
NASCAR roars into Florida for the 54th annual Daytona 500.
Last year's Great American Race was one for the ages, as 20-year old Trevor
Bayne got the birthday present of a lifetime, defeating Carl Edwards by 0.118
of a second.
Just one day after turning 20, Bayne became the youngest winner in the 53-year
history of the race in just his second career start. Jeff Gordon held the
record when he won the 1997 Daytona 500 at the age of 25.
In a race that featured 74 lead changes, 22 different leaders and 16 cautions,
it was rookie Bayne who led the final six laps for the win.
Bayne inherited the lead for the first time when NASCAR penalized David Ragan
for changing his lane position just before the restart in the first of two
green-white-checkered attempts. Ragan held the top spot in the closing laps
when a multi-car wreck involving Kurt Busch, Regan Smith, Ryan Newman, Clint
Bowyer and Denny Hamlin occurred on the backstretch, setting up the initial
two-lap overtime finish.
Another accident on the backstretch, with this one involving race favorite Dale
Earnhardt Jr., set up the second two-lap sprint to the finish. Carl Edwards,
David Gilliland and Bobby Labonte made a last-lap effort to pass Bayne, but
Bayne remained in front of them to cross the finish line first.
Bayne will seek to become the first back-to-back champion of the Daytona 500
since Sterling Marlin accomplished the feat in 1994-95. Bayne became the tenth
different winner in the last ten Daytona 500s, as well as the 35th driver
overall in the 53-year history of the race.
In 2010, Jamie McMurray started 13th on the grid, but it was his late pass that
produced victory, as he edged Dale Earnhardt Jr by less than a second for his
fourth career Sprint Cup title.
In a race that featured 52 lead changes among 21 drivers, McMurray swept past
Kevin Harvick with just two laps remaining to claim the checkered flag by
0.119 of a second. Harvick, who led for the most laps (41), finished seventh.
Pole sitter Mark Martin, after leading twice for 11 laps, ended 12th.
When Matt Kenseth won in 2009, he avoided a major wreck during the mid-stages
of the race and then got help from Harvick to pass Elliott Sadler for the lead
on lap 146. He held the top spot just before the eighth and final caution came
for an incident involving Aric Almirola. Rain began falling on Daytona
International Speedway by lap 149 and the red flag was displayed three laps
later. NASCAR called the race shortly after, giving Kenseth his first victory
in the Daytona 500 in his 10th attempt. Kyle Busch, who led for a race-high 88
laps, failed to finish the race due to an accident.
Ryan Newman overtook Tony Stewart on the final lap in 2008 to record his 13th
career Sprint Cup title. Newman, who started in the seventh position on the
grid, edged Kurt Busch by less than a second, while Stewart placed third.
Newman led four times for a total of eight laps, while Kyle Busch, who placed
fourth, led eight times for a race-high 86 laps. Pole sitter Jimmie Johnson
finished 27th.
Harvick overcame Mark Martin in 2007 on the final lap to post a 0.090 of
a seconds victory for his 11th Sprint Cup title. Pole sitter David Gilliland
led for the first 18 laps, but Kurt Busch took over lead on three separate
occasions for a race-high 95 laps. Busch however, would begin to fade due to
tire problems and finished a disappointing 41st. Martin Truex Jr. replaced
Kyle Busch at the front of the pack, but he yielded to Martin on lap 176.
Martin held the lead for 26 laps, but Harvick, who led for just four total
laps, clipped the veteran to take the checkered flag. Harvick tied Benny
Parsons for fewest laps led by a winner. Parsons raced to victory in 1975.
In 2006, Jimmie Johnson outran Casey Mears down the stretch to capture his
first career Daytona 500 win. Johnson, who had posted four straight top-five
finishes at this race, won under the caution in front of an estimated crowd of
175,000. Johnson led the race on four separate occasions for a total of 24
laps, as he won for the 19th time in his career. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who
finished eighth, led seven times for a race-high 32 laps. Pole sitter Jeff
Burton, who led for the first 18 laps, finished 32nd.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. captured the 2004 Daytona 500, crossing the finish line a
scant 0.273 of a second ahead of Tony Stewart. The prestigious victory was
"Junior's" first in the "Great American Race." Earnhardt Jr.'s win came
exactly six years to the day after his father, seven-time Sprint Cup champion
Dale Earnhardt, won his only Daytona 500. Earnhardt competed 19 times before
winning his only Daytona 500 (1998), the longest span of any of the race
winners.
Only eight of the 34 Daytona 500 pole winners have won the pole more than
once: Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborough and Bill Elliott (four); Fireball
Roberts and Ken Schrader (three); Donnie Allison, Dale Jarrett and Johnson
(two).
Seven Daytona 500 winners have won by a margin of one lap or more, most
recently by David Pearson in 1976. The winner of the Daytona 500 has gone on
to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship eight times: Lee Petty (1959),
Richard Petty (1964, 1971, 1974, 1979), Cale Yarborough (1977), Jeff Gordon
(1997) and Jimmie Johnson (2006). The last pole sitter to win this race was
Dale Jarrett in 2000. Only nine pole winners have captured the Daytona 500.
Chevrolet has 21 Daytona 500 wins, while Ford is second with 12. Twenty-six of
the 53 Daytona 500s have been won from the top-five starting positions. The
only Daytona 500s won from outside a top-10 starting position since 1980 were
by Derrike Cope (12th - 1990), Michael Waltrip (19th - 2001), Ward Burton
(19th - 2002) and Jeff Gordon (15th - 2005), Kevin Harvick (34th - 2007),
Kenseth (39th - 2009), McMurray (13th - 2010) and Bayne (32nd - 2011).
In 53 years, only three drivers have recorded consecutive wins at the Daytona
500, Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84) and Marlin (1994-95).
Jeff Gordon has had remarkable success at Daytona International Speedway.
"Speed Racer" has recorded six wins, 12 top fives and 19 top-10 finishes in 38
races at this track.
First held in 1959, the Daytona 500 has been the season-opener only since
1982. Bill Elliott has competed in the Daytona 500 29 times, more than any
other active drivers. Elliott has raced 59 times at DIS, with four wins and 24
top-10s. When Lee Petty captured the inaugural Daytona 500, he became the
first and only driver to win this race in his first appearance.
Six drivers have posted their career-first victory with a win in the Daytona
500: Tiny Lund (1963), Mario Andretti (1967), Pete Hamilton (1970), Derrike
Cope (1990), Sterling Marlin (1994), Michael Waltrip (2001) and Bayne (2011).
A.J. Foyt is the only Indianapolis 500 winner to go on to win the Daytona 500.
Foyt won at Indy in 1961 and at Daytona in 1965 and 1972. Mario Andretti also
won both races but his Daytona 500 victory (1967) came before his win at Indy
(1969).
Kevin Harvick's 0.020-second margin of victory over Mark Martin in the 2007
Daytona 500 was the ninth-closest overall since the advent of electronic
timing in 1993, and the closest in a Daytona 500. Six of the last 15 Daytona
500s have ended under caution (2009, 2006, 2003, 2000, 1998 and 1997). The
other eight have all had a margin of victory of less than three-tenths of a
second: 1996 -0.120, 1999 - 0.124, 2001 - 0.128, 2002 - 0.193, 2004 - 0.273,
2005 - 0.158, 2007 - 0.020, 2008 - 0.092, 2011 - 0.118.
Actors Jane Lynch and Kate Upton will be the Grand Marshal's of the race and
give the drivers the command to start their engines.
Danica Patrick will become the third female driver to compete in a Daytona 500
joining Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson
The next Sprint Cup Series race is the March 4 Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix
International Raceway. Jeff Gordon won last year's race there.
02/21 18:46:54 ET
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As of February 21, 2012, at 06:47 PM ET
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