Just when you thought NASCAR was about to die, they do something pretty interesting. Trevor Bayne, who turned 20 just one day before the Daytona 500, won that race in a green-white-checker overtime finish. Bayne’s win gives the sport an unlikely hero and another top-flight star heading into the Sprint Cup Series schedule.
Bayne, making only his second Sprint Cup start, drove a near mistake-free race in a fast car but also benefited from attrition on a day in which Daytona 500 records were set for lead changes (74), different leaders (22) and caution flags (16) and matched for most caution laps (60).
By the time Bayne led the leaders to the line on a second attempt at a green-white-checkered finish, most of the favorites were either in the garage or had damaged race cars – the blame going, in part, to the risky two-car draft hookups that were made possible on Daytona’s $20 million new pavement.
So that “racing three-wide” stuff was either a really good or really bad idea, depending on how much you like guys winning races in only their second Sprint Cup start ever. Bayne was just ten years old when Dale Earnhardt was involved in a fatal crash in Daytona a decade ago, and he’s the sports newest star…at least until IBM creates a computer that can race with the best. It can’t do any worse than Danica Patrick.
Complete Daytona 500 Results:
FIN | ST | CAR | DRIVER | MAKE | SPONSOR | PTS/BNS | LAPS | STATUS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 32 | 21 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center | 0 | 208 | Running |
2 | 22 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Aflac | 42/0 | 208 | Running |
3 | 39 | 34 | David Gilliland | Ford | Taco Bell | 41/0 | 208 | Running |
4 | 31 | 47 | Bobby Labonte | Toyota | Kroger / USO | 41/1 | 208 | Running |
5 | 3 | 22 | Kurt Busch | Dodge | Shell / Pennzoil | 40/1 | 208 | Running |
6 | 13 | 42 | Juan Montoya | Chevrolet | Target | 39/1 | 208 | Running |
7 | 5 | 78 | Regan Smith | Chevrolet | Furniture Row Companies | 38/1 | 208 | Running |
8 | 10 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | M&M’s | 37/1 | 208 | Running |
9 | 19 | 27 | Paul Menard | Chevrolet | Peak / Menards | 36/1 | 208 | Running |
10 | 17 | 5 | Mark Martin | Chevrolet | GoDaddy.com | 34/0 | 208 | Running |
11 | 15 | 43 | A.J. Allmendinger | Ford | Best Buy | 34/1 | 208 | Running |
12 | 29 | 09 | Bill Elliott | Chevrolet | Security Bene fit / Rydex / Billboard.com |
32/0 | 208 | Running |
13 | 25 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Office Depot / Mobil 1 | 31/0 | 208 | Running |
14 | 34 | 6 | David Ragan | Ford | UPS “We Love Logistics” | 31/1 | 208 | Running |
15 | 43 | 32 | Terry Labonte | Ford | U.S. Chrome | 30/1 | 208 | Running |
16 | 30 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Dodge | Speed Energy | 29/1 | 208 | Running |
17 | 6 | 33 | Clint Bowyer | Chevrolet | Cheerios / Hamburger Helper | 28/1 | 208 | Running |
18 | 14 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | Bass Pro Shops / Tracker | 27/1 | 208 | Running |
19 | 20 | 56 | Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota | NAPA Auto Parts | 26/1 | 208 | Running |
20 | 36 | 77 | Steve Wallace | Toyota | 5-Hour Energy | 0 | 208 | Running |
21 | 18 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | FedEx Express | 24/1 | 207 | Running |
22 | 21 | 39 | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | U.S. Army | 24/2 | 206 | Running |
23 | 38 | 20 | Joey Logano | Toyota | The Home Depot | 21/0 | 206 | Running |
24 | 1 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | Amp Energy / National Guard | 21/1 | 202 | Accident |
25 | 11 | 4 | Kasey Kahne | Toyota | Red Bull | 19/0 | 199 | Running |
26 | 42 | 36 | Dave Blaney | Chevrolet | Golden Corral | 19/1 | 198 | Accident |
27 | 23 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Lowe’s / Kobalt Tools | 17/0 | 189 | Running |
28 | 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | Drive to End Hunger | 17/1 | 173 | Running |
29 | 16 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Dodge | Miller Lite | 16/1 | 166 | Accident |
30 | 24 | 00 | David Reutimann | Toyota | Aaron’s Dream Machine | 14/0 | 164 | Running |
31 | 27 | 83 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | Red Bull | 13/0 | 160 | Running |
32 | 40 | 38 | Travis Kvapil | Ford | Long John Silver’s | 0 | 153 | Accident |
33 | 37 | 71 | Andy Lally * | Chevrolet | Super Eco-Fuel Saver | 11/0 | 149 | Running |
34 | 9 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Crown Royal Black | 10/0 | 133 | Accident |
35 | 26 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | 3M | 9/0 | 126 | Accident |
36 | 4 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | Caterpillar | 9/1 | 92 | Engine |
37 | 35 | 9 | Marcos Ambrose | Ford | Stanley | 7/0 | 82 | Running |
38 | 28 | 37 | Robert Richardson Jr. | Ford | North Texas Pipe | 0 | 45 | Accident |
39 | 41 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | Toyota | AM FM Energy | 0 | 29 | Accident |
40 | 8 | 115 | Michael Waltrip | Toyota | NAPA Auto Parts | 4/0 | 28 | Accident |
41 | 12 | 192 | Brian Keselowski* | Dodge | K-Automotive Motorsports | 3/0 | 28 | Accident |
42 | 7 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | Budweiser | 3/1 | 22 | Engine |
43 | 33 | 46 | J.J. Yeley | Chevrolet | Red Line Oil | 1/0 | 10 | Engine |