Don't know if anyone saw this over the weekend but the last few corners made the whole thing worth watching
Clint Bowyer in the number 07 Jack Daniels car finished the race upside down and on fire in 18th place, what a way to finish the race
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'Demons' haunt Daytona finish
Five pileups in the final 50 laps -- including a seven-car crash on the last lap -- made the Daytona 500 a wrecking spree, changing the fortunes of several drivers.
BY BRIAN COSTA
Miami Herald Writer
DAYTONA BEACH - One car was in the infield, upside down and engulfed in flames. Others were still smoking as they slid to a stop. The cars of three former Cup champions already were back in the garage, smashed beyond repair.
By the time Kevin Harvick crossed the finish line to win the Daytona 500 on Sunday, the carnage left behind was remarkable, even for a track with a history of massive wrecks.
Five wrecks in the final 50 laps made the first three-quarters of the race almost irrelevant. As quickly as some drivers went from the top 10 to the garage, others went from the back of the pack to the leaderboard.
''It was the wildest thing I've ever been a part of,'' Harvick said. ``A bunch of demons came out after dark. It was just kind of survival of the fittest at that point.''
Harvick was not so much fit as he was fortunate to be in front of a final-lap crash that ensnared several drivers. Kyle Busch, who began the lap in second place, started it when he wiggled loose and bumped into Matt Kenseth. The ensuing wreck left Clint Bowyer's No. 07 car upside down and on fire.
The only consolation for Bowyer and the others was that on the six-year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's death here, none of them was seriously injured.
Only two of the day's six cautions came in the first 150 laps of the 200-lap race. But as the number of laps remaining went down, so did the sun, giving drivers more confidence -- perhaps too much -- in the track's condition.
''What happens is, as the track cools down, the track gets a little more grip,'' said Jeff Burton, who finished third. ``As the laps wind down, the risk vs. reward ratio starts to change. And people do things that they otherwise wouldn't do. It's really wild.''
The race took its first major twist on the 153rd lap, when Tony Stewart's car wiggled and Kurt Busch tapped him from behind, sending both into the wall and to the garage. The early ending was especially disappointing for Stewart, who had just completed a surge from the back of the field to the lead.
''I got us to the back and was proud how we got back to the front,'' Stewart said. ``We'll just come back next year and get one.''
Stewart was soon joined in the garage by Jimmie Johnson, whose bid to repeat as Daytona 500 winner ended when he spun out on Lap 174. In the process, Johnson took out Tony Raines, Jeff Green, David Reutimann and Denny Hamlin.
And things only got messier from there. With 14 scheduled laps left, Reed Sorenson made contact with Carl Edwards, causing a five-car accident. Then, with four scheduled laps left, Jamie McMurray got loose and slammed into the wall, also taking out Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Raines.
By that point, it seemed only fitting that another wreck would affect the end of a two-lap overtime shootout.
''I was ahead of it all,'' runner-up Mark Martin said. ``So it was pretty decent up there where I was sitting.''
Sitting next to Martin at a postrace news conference, Burton interrupted, ``It was very entertaining behind you.''
Clint Bowyer in the number 07 Jack Daniels car finished the race upside down and on fire in 18th place, what a way to finish the race
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Demons' haunt Daytona finish
Five pileups in the final 50 laps -- including a seven-car crash on the last lap -- made the Daytona 500 a wrecking spree, changing the fortunes of several drivers.
BY BRIAN COSTA
Miami Herald Writer
DAYTONA BEACH - One car was in the infield, upside down and engulfed in flames. Others were still smoking as they slid to a stop. The cars of three former Cup champions already were back in the garage, smashed beyond repair.
By the time Kevin Harvick crossed the finish line to win the Daytona 500 on Sunday, the carnage left behind was remarkable, even for a track with a history of massive wrecks.
Five wrecks in the final 50 laps made the first three-quarters of the race almost irrelevant. As quickly as some drivers went from the top 10 to the garage, others went from the back of the pack to the leaderboard.
''It was the wildest thing I've ever been a part of,'' Harvick said. ``A bunch of demons came out after dark. It was just kind of survival of the fittest at that point.''
Harvick was not so much fit as he was fortunate to be in front of a final-lap crash that ensnared several drivers. Kyle Busch, who began the lap in second place, started it when he wiggled loose and bumped into Matt Kenseth. The ensuing wreck left Clint Bowyer's No. 07 car upside down and on fire.
The only consolation for Bowyer and the others was that on the six-year anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's death here, none of them was seriously injured.
Only two of the day's six cautions came in the first 150 laps of the 200-lap race. But as the number of laps remaining went down, so did the sun, giving drivers more confidence -- perhaps too much -- in the track's condition.
''What happens is, as the track cools down, the track gets a little more grip,'' said Jeff Burton, who finished third. ``As the laps wind down, the risk vs. reward ratio starts to change. And people do things that they otherwise wouldn't do. It's really wild.''
The race took its first major twist on the 153rd lap, when Tony Stewart's car wiggled and Kurt Busch tapped him from behind, sending both into the wall and to the garage. The early ending was especially disappointing for Stewart, who had just completed a surge from the back of the field to the lead.
''I got us to the back and was proud how we got back to the front,'' Stewart said. ``We'll just come back next year and get one.''
Stewart was soon joined in the garage by Jimmie Johnson, whose bid to repeat as Daytona 500 winner ended when he spun out on Lap 174. In the process, Johnson took out Tony Raines, Jeff Green, David Reutimann and Denny Hamlin.
And things only got messier from there. With 14 scheduled laps left, Reed Sorenson made contact with Carl Edwards, causing a five-car accident. Then, with four scheduled laps left, Jamie McMurray got loose and slammed into the wall, also taking out Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Raines.
By that point, it seemed only fitting that another wreck would affect the end of a two-lap overtime shootout.
''I was ahead of it all,'' runner-up Mark Martin said. ``So it was pretty decent up there where I was sitting.''
Sitting next to Martin at a postrace news conference, Burton interrupted, ``It was very entertaining behind you.''
Looks like the crash i passed on the A2 the other week
I love the smell of napalm in the morning, it smells like ... victory!
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