Fuel Savings Allow Castroneves to Go the Distance for Kentucky Win

Photo Credit: Dana Garrett

With three races remaining in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series as cars arrive for the season's last night race at Kentucky Speedway. Besides the aspirations of 20-plus regular competitors wanting to end the year off on a high note, a contentious overall points fight is brewing between current leader Will Power and reigning IZOD IndyCar champ Dario Franchitii. Optimizing his chance to collect a 3rd overall IndyCar title in 4 years, Franchitti's win at the last round in Chicagoland brought the driver of Target/Chip Ganassi's #10 car just 23 points away from Penske Racing's best hope.

In qualifying for the Kentucky Indy 300 on the 1.5 mile oval gave a snapshot of what could be a very extraordinary event. As the green flag dropped at Kentucky Speedway, wildcard Ed Carpenter led the 27-car field to the start. Immediately fighting off the charge of Penske Racing's Will Power, Carpenter would lead the first lap which was unfortunately greeted with the race's first yellow flag. The #5 KV Racing Technology vehicle of Takuma Sato crashed in turn 4 failing to complete a single lap in the Kentucky Indy 300.

After cleaning up the #5 car, racing action resumed on lap 9 with Carpenter out front. However, Ed Carpenter's reign in the lead in the Vision Racing car would come to an end when Panther Racing's Dan Wheldon passed him for lap 11. Under the Vision Racing/Panther Racing alliance that granted Carpenter a ride through the final races of the 2010 season, Wheldon's 43-lap lead in the #4 car after the #20 car allowed the Panther Racing team to stay out front for the first 54 laps.

Photo Credit: Ron McQueeney

Nearing the end on fuel and tires under green, the front-running teams shot to pit road. The well-funded, well-trained #12 Penske Racing and #9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing crews performed effectively as the night hit the Kentucky Speedway. With Power and Dixon benefiting from their crew armed with almost a season worth of experience, the Ed Carpenter and the Vision Racing team appeared to have suffered from their limited 2010 race schedule. Entering lap 50 second behind Dan Wheldon, Carpenter dropped to 10th place once leaving pit lane. The #6 Penske Racing car of Ryan Briscoe and Paul Tracy driving the #24 Dreyer and Reinbold Racing machine would lead during the pit stop exchange before the #12 of Will Power found himself out front. Taking the lead on lap 61, Power found himself in a unusually strong position on an oval track this season. The #12 Verizon Penske Racing car spent 83 laps in the 1st place position with 81 of those laps occurring consecutively after the first pit stop.

With only two cautions flying in the Kentucky Indy 300, the final caution flew on lap 80 brought out for a multiple car crash involving the #6 of Ryan Briscoe, the #14 of Vitor Meira and the #78 of Simona de Silvestro. Created in turn 3, the incident occured when Meira attempted to pass de Silvestro on the inside while the faster Briscoe steered to the outside of both drivers. Contact was made between the #78 and #14 which would also catch the #6 as a bystander. Insisting that Vitor Meira was aggressive on passing, de Silvestro expressed deep regret for Ryan Briscoe being wrecked. "I knew that Ryan (Briscoe) was on the outside and he kind of stuck his nose in there. I didn't see him, and I didn't know he was there. I'm really sorry if I was in the way." Apart from a long caution, only the cars suffered any serious damage with all three drivers checked and received at the medical center.

Photo Credit: Ron McQueeney

Running clean and green through the second half, the Kentucky Indy 300 was shaping into a possible fuel economy run as pit stops within the lap 140-150 range left many teams on the edge of running to the finish or requiring a stop-and-go stop for fuel. As the numbers were being crunched by IZOD IndyCar race team engineers for each car, Dan Wheldon past Will Power to retake the lead through pit stops. In fact, Power's #12 car began showing troubles keeping his same pace as he fell down in the order of the top-5 cars. "The Verizon car was great out front. I had a little understeer back in traffic." Power commented on the problems through his last run. This was compounded by a near miss incident where the Australian get loose on track. Power, who finished 8th at the end said in post-race ".... I think I hit some oil from an earlier incident between Turns 3 and 4".

Without cautions, green flag pit strategy entered into effect in the races final 10 laps. Wheldon and Franchitti dropped into the pits by 196 for a quick splash of ethanol making it look less evident that lead cars would chance a winning run on a fuel gamble. Carpenter attempted to run his #20 car as close as possible to the checkered flag but just didn't have the reserves to go all the way. The one and only cars in the contending pack to make a fuel economy attempt was Helio Castroneves. Slowing drastically to a pace which involved laps more than 10 mile per hour than the leaders, Castroneves' skilled fuel consuming abilities allowed his #3 Penske Racing car to capture victory.

After a magnificant qualifying effort to grant his #20 car a pole, Ed Carpenter backed up his effort from Friday with a 2nd place in Saturday night's race. Carpenter finishes ahead of Panther Racing's Dan Wheldon who has now secured 2 top-3 results in the past 2 IZOD IndyCar races. In 4th place, the 26th place starting Andretti Autosport car of Tony Kanaan rocketed early in the race to an excellent efforton the night. In fact, after an overall dismal time trial for Andretti Autosport, 3 of the 4 cars finished in the top-9 after 200 laps in Kentucky. Marco Andretti 6th and Danica Patrick 9th, Ryan Hunter-Reay suffered a late-race mechanical issue on his #37 machine. Completing the Kentucky Indy 300's top-5 was Dario Franchitti who gained a small but possibly important 5 points on Will Power in the overall championship.

More than a month passing since his explosive objection to a penalization for blocking at the Edmonton Honda Indy, Helio Castroneves' emotions were more devoted to joy as he celebrates with his #3 Penske Racing team sharing the victory lane at Kentucky. Winning a Barber Motorsport Park earlier this season, Castroneves also becomes the only Penske Racing driver so far this year to win on a road course and an oval. Sitting mathematically a non-factor to the 2010 IZOD IndyCar overall championship in 4th place, Helio Castroneves could easily set sights on the AJ Foyt trophy for oval points scored in the season. The #3 Penske Racing driver is only 29 points away from leader Dario Franchitti for that honour.

Heading to the land of the rising sun next, the 2nd to last round of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season takes place at the Twin-Ring Motegi circuit.


2010 IZOD IndyCar Series
Kentucky Indy 300
Kentucky Speedway
Race Results


1. 3 Helio Castroneves/Brazil/ Penske Racing
2. 20 Ed Carpenter/United States/ Panther/Vision Racing
3. 4 Dan Wheldon/England/ Panther Racing
4. 11 Tony Kanaan/Brazil/ Andretti Autosport
5. 10 Dario Franchitti/Scotland/ Target/Chip Ganassi Racing
6. 26 Marco Andretti/United States/ Andretti Autosport
7. 9 Scott Dixon/New Zealand/ Target/Chip Ganassi Racing
8. 12 Will Power/Australia/ Penske Racing
9. 7 Danica Patrick/United States/ Andretti Autosport
10. 36 Bertrand Baguette/Belgium/ Conquest Racing
11. 22 Justin Wilson/England/ Dreyer and Reinbold Racing
12. 24 Paul Tracy/Canada/ Dreyer and Reinbold Racing
13. 19 Alex Lloyd/England/ Dale Coyne Racing
14. 34 Tomas Scheckter/South Africa/ Conquest Racing
15. 77 Alex Tagliani/Canada/ FAZZT Race Team
16. 2 Raphael Matos/Brazil/ de Ferran Dragon Racing
17. 06 Hideki Mutoh/ Japan/ Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing
18. 32 Mario Moraes/Brazil/ KV Racing Technology
19. 18 Milka Duno/Venezuela/ Dale Coyne Racing
20. 02 Graham Rahal/United States/ Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing
21. 37 Ryan Hunter-Reay/United States/ Andretti Autosport
22. 67 Sarah Fisher/United States/ Sarah Fisher Racing
23. 14 Vitor Meira/Brazil/ AJ Foyt Racing Enterprises
24. 6 Ryan Briscoe/Australia/ Penske Racing
25. 78 Simona De Silvestro/Switzerland HVM Racing
26. 8 EJ Viso/Venezuela/ KV Racing Technology
27. 5 Takuma Sato/Japan/ KV Racing Technology

Fireworks All Around at Daytona as Harvick Claims Coke Zero 400

Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/ Getty Images for NASCAR

Through the month of June, some NASCAR fans could argue that the latter 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup shows have equated to less than stellar competitions. With two events ending during suspect debris flag cautions which created a last race dash for the checkered flag, the art of active passes for the lead (not just exchanges due to pit stops) appeared to be a dying art form in this most popular stock car racing series. The Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway a potent counter to the rather dull racing action.

With much ado about racing on the 31 year old asphalt surface, a sense of nostalgia hung over the 2.5 mile superspeedway compounded with Dale Earnhardt Jr's victory in a Wrangler-sponsored #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. As the green green dropped for the Coke Zero 400, attention was turned to the present and a 90-minute race delay due to a light rain shower.

Setting the field on points based on a Friday rain-out of qualifying, the #29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevy of Kevin Harvick led the 43-car field to green. From the start, Harvick was destined to prove that the appointed pole position was worthy for himself and the RCR team. Briefly breaking away with a four-car pack, challengers to Harvick came fast and often. On lap 11, Jeff Gordon took the lead in the #24 Chevrolet for one lap and then Kyle Busch's #18 Toyota surged forward to a few laps prior to the competition caution.

With the field coming to the attention of their pit crews, Kevin Harvick's #29 retook the lead through a two-tire pit stop advantage over Kyle Busch. As the green flew, the field of Sprint Cup cars continued to fight hard within the Coke Zero 400. Surprises added to the lead pack of this Daytona restrictor plate event as Elliott Sadler, Martin Truex Jr and Sam Hornish Jr were enjoying season-best runs through the early stage of the Daytona Sprint Cup race.

Into the initial laps of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, tires became a major buzz subject. On lap 28, contender Kyle Busch brought his Interstate Batteries Toyota to the attention of his Joe Gibbs Racing crew citing a loose wheel. After the stop, Kyle Busch in the #18 Toyota would rejoin the race in 38th place benefiting at least from the long 2.5 mile oval keeping him on the lead lap.

Kevin Harvick, able to retain the lead early in the run taking only right-side rubber only, began falling prey to the cars wearing four tires as the #29 was failing to keep grip on the paced Daytona surface. Harvick would fall to 14th while Kurt Busch driving the #2 Miller Lite Dodge led the pack. Sadler also led the race within the first 1/4 distance in his #19 Ford but the Penske Racing NASCAR teams came on strong as the #2, #12 and #77 would lead.

With pit stops occurring 30 laps prior, top cars such as the #48 Chevy of Jimmie Johnson and the #17 Ford of Matt Kenseth pitted with concerned with their tires. In fact, on the #17 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford, a massive chunk was missing out of one tire. On lap 59, a yellow flag fell on the field when debris from the #46 car lost right front tire. NASCAR waited several laps aon flying the caution same race teams were making pit stops.

On the resatrt on lap 64, Montoya sends the Target #42 Chevrolet to the lead. Having started the race from the rear in a backup car, #11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin had progressed quickly into the top-5 by lap 65. By lap 77, Hamlin claimed the lap lead allowing him to score five bonus points to the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. Showing some consistent strength, the Joe Gibbs Racing organization found their way to the front. Recovering from the tire problem of lap 28, Kyle Busch would resume leadership of the Coke Zero 400 right before the event's halfway mark ahead of Jimmie Johnson and Sam Hornish. The lead would be jockeyed around as the field neared green flag pit stops.

Amongst the exchange of cars reentering the track on lap 104, Kyle Busch was turned by the #42 of Juan Pablo Montoya down Daytona's superstretch. Acquiring hard front end damage, the #18 was retired on the apron of turn 3 with an understandably disgruntled Kyle Busch stepping out of his #18 Toyota. Sarcastically remarking that he wrecked himself, Busch left little hide his emotions of what he felt was avoidable contact from the #42 Chevy.

With a restart on lap 111, Montoya led over Mark Martin #5 Chevy (Martin's pit stop timing allowed him to gain this position). Well past halfway in the Daytona 400 mile race, the early tire issues seemed to have settled itself out. However, on lap 114 Matt Kenseth barely avoided setting off what could have been a multi-car crash through master car control. Experiencing a second tire related problem , the #17 Ford of Kenseth rejoined the field cleanly but an accident was destined to transpire within the Sprint Cup field on lap 116. In turn 3, the #6 Ford team of David Ragan had his second crash of the weekend when he collided with the #1 Chevy of Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray.

Multi-car organizations were a major factor for the Coke Zero 400. First with Penske Racing and then with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team that would emerge supreme at the end was Richard Childress Racing. While Kevin Harvick and the #29 team showed power early, the entire three-car team united at the front through the last 1/4 distance as #31 of Jeff Burton and the #33 belonging to driver Clint Bowyer began swapping the lead within the most aggressive final stints of the Coke Zero 400. Hoping to spoil the effort was the #2 of Kurt Busch who took the lead as a caution again flew on lap 141. The #17 Ford was finally claimed after averting so many potential wrecks. The #5 of Mark Martin and the #19 of Elliot Sadler were also involved in this incident which would only be a precursor to what would be a big wreck a few circuits following a lap 146 restart.

Running down the Daytona superstretch, Kurt Busch and Jeff Burton heatedly fought for position rubbing into each other. Burton got wobbly but caught his #31 car but contact was made once again with the #2 Dodge sending Kurt Busch sideways into the turn 3 infield. As the result of the contact up front, a chain reaction caused the #83 Toyota being driven by Reed Sorenson to be turned while traveling down the backstretch. This triggered a massive pile-up amounting to a wall of cars through turn 3 collecting at least 16 cars including the winner of the last two Cup races Jimmie Johnson.


Photo Credit: John Harrelson/ Getty Images for NASCAR

Phenomenally, coming through the wreck nearly unscathed was the #88 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr. While never having an ideal handling car within the Coke Zero 400, the Hendrick Motorsport #88 car was lucky for a change to not be caught in misfortune.

Necessitating a red flag to clean up the chaos, Mark Martin returned to he pit road with his #5 car on fire as some fast-acting members of the #48 helped removed the driver from the car. Fortunately, Martin was none the worst for wear following the scary ordeal. Involved in the accident, the #2 Dodge of Kurt Busch left with minor damage but with the persistent efforts of his Miller Lite Penske Racing pit crew was returned to racing action.

Creating a 8 lap dash to settle this NASCAR Sprint Cup race, the green flag flew with Clint Bowyer restarting on the outside as the #99 Ford of Carl Edwards started on the inside. The Richard Childress Racing three-car group all hung together in the draft making the efforts of other cars difficult. However, showing up to the front at just the perfect time, Jeff Gordon brought his #24 Chevrolet in front of Burton breaking the three-way draft on lap 156 and would swim to the lead one lap later. Just before the RCR team could retaliate, caution came out timely on lap 158 when the #77 of Hornish swept up to teammate Kurt Busch's #2 car out of turn 4 tapping himself into a wreck which involved the #19 Ford of Elliott Sadler who retired in the tri-oval after such a promising race early.

With a green-white-checker restart, the #29 of Kevin Harvick returned to the front surging past the #24 with a push from Kasey Kahne's #9 Ford. Into the last lap, the potential winner Clint Bowyer was sent out of control down the Daytona backstretch through a frenzy to the checkered flag. Since the accident happened as the field was already passing the #33 Chevy, no caution allowed the field to race back to the finish line for position. At the line, Kevin Harvick brought his #29 RCR Chevy home first followed by Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon. With many cars lost due to accidents, cars continued to wreck as they past the start/finish line.

After 4 and half hours which involved rain, a red flag and one of the most exciting 400 miles (actually 415 miles following 6 extra laps created by the green-white-checker restart) Daytona Sprint Cup race has ever experienced on the 2.5 mile superspeedway, Kevin Harvick took his second win of the season padding a healthy point advantage over 2nd place in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup standings.

Finishing fourth and now 11th in NASCAR Sprint Cup driver's points, Dale Earnhardt Jr ended up with his best performance in the last quarter of the season but your would not have been able to tell by the #88 Chevy driver's post-race interview. Describing as team as 'lucky rather than good' for the night, he confessed that the wrecks allowed the Hendrick Motorsport car to rise at the end. Though 4th at Daytona, Earnhardt Jr was unable to lead a single lap in the Coke Zero 400.

Upon surprises in the top 10 were several cars including both Red Bull Racing cars (Reed Sorenson in 8th and Scott Speed in 10th) as well as the TRG Motorsports #71 Chevrolet piloted by Mike Bliss for the weekend. A team vacated by Bobby Labonte two races prior unsatisfied that the #71 Chevy was going to be a start-and-park machine too often, the TRG Motorsports team went to distance. Also going the distance was the Tommy Baldwin Racing #36 Chevrolet which charged from 39th to 13th. Driven by former Sprint Cup regular Steve Park, the race team is still well out of the top 35 in car owner points after too many struggles to begin the season.

Entering into the second half of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season next week at Chicagoland Speedway, Kevin Harvick now holds a commanding 212 point lead in the driver standings ahead of now 2nd place Jeff Gordon. Jimmie Johnson as well as #11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin lost considerable ground in the points since being caught on the major pile-up at Daytona.

Wade Cunningham Wins 2010 Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis

Photo Credit: Ron McQueeney


Coinciding with the final preparations of the Indy 500 at Friday's Carburetion Day, Firestone Indy Lights competitors earn the chance to claim a prized Indianapolis Motor Speedway victory with a 100 mile affair. The Firestone Freedom 100 for 2010 consisted of 16 cars and drivers (some competing on shoestring budgets) for the Indy Light series' biggest race on the 2.5 mile historic oval.

In Wednesday qualifying for the Firestone Freedom 100, English driver Pippa Mann took the pole with an average lap speed of 187.989 miles per hour. Her first Firestone Indy Lights pole, Mann became the first female driver at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to start 1st in an event. Unfortunately Pippa Mann's time in front didn't last long as her #11 car was bypassed early as Wade Cunningham and Charlie Kimball jetted out front.

A heartbreaking blow to a driver who had experienced a very short-lived led at Indy, Pippa Mann's 2010 Firestone Freedom 100 race would end way too early. Early jockeying for position caused Martin Plowman to force the #17 car of Jeff Simmons. Unable to keep control of his race vehicle, Simmons spin out of turn 1 on lap 3. Pippa Mann, directly behind Simmons at the time, was collected rendering her car out of competition. Mann, hardly able to work up a sweat in race after being the polesitter, was shaken mentally and physically by the accident. "I've got some pretty bruised feet, and I'm going to have a very sore neck tomorrow. I'm pretty angry, but I'm OK." Pippa Mann said following her retirement from the Firestone Freedom 100. Taking two top-5 starters out of the 40 lap event, this would be the only caution to fly through the Firestone Indy Lights race.


Photo Credit: Mike Young


While Charlie Kimball was able lead 2 laps on the day, Wade Cunningham in his #77 Sam Schmidt Racing car dominated the Firestone Freedom 100 leading all but the circuits Kimball claimed. Winning his third Freedom 100 race in 2010, Cunningham's previous Indianapolis oval wins fell on even numbered years (2006 and 2008). Though leading most of the 40 laps, New Zealand driver Cunningham credited the #23 of Kimball for "..driving a smart race and hanging back". In reality, Charlie Kimball's car was not a qualified match to the #77 of Cunningham. "The setup wasn't exactly where we wanted it to be. I ran out of tools about midway through the race." Kimball said adding praise to Wade Cunningham and his two prior victories at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Finishing third for Team Moore Racing was James Hinchcliffe who raced with a car he compared to "a rocket ship". While he was able to stay in the draft with Cunningham and Kimball, Hinchcliffe ran out of time as well as afoul of an uncooperate lapped car to cost the Canadian driver an even better finishing position. Dan Clarke and Martin Plowman rounded out the top-5 in the Firestone Freedom 100 race.

Current Firestone Indy Lights series points leader J.K. Vernay experienced a difficult race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In post race, Vernay stated that his #7 Sam Schmidt Racing machine lacked power throughout the event. Finishing 4 laps behind in 16th spot, J.K. Vernay struggles reshapes a large points lead for the Frenchman into a narrow 5 point margin over Charlie Kimball and 23 markers ahead of 3rd place in Indy Lights points James Hinchcliffe.

Jamie McMurray Wins 2010 Daytona 500

Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR


With almost two weeks of preparation occuring during Daytona Speedweeks, the prized 500 mile season opening race at Daytona International Speedway was set to under clear blue skies of a cool Florida Sunday afternoon. The 52nd running of the Daytona 500 was started by Grand Marshall Junior Johnson, 1960 Daytona 500 winner and multiple time championship car owner in the Cup series. Having won his 1960 Daytona 500 race in a Chevrolet, Junior Johnson command went to the Hendrick Motorsport Chevrolets of Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr leading the 43-car starting field.


Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR


Unlike the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series races that proceeded the most anticipated Sprint Cup season opener, the first 2 laps of the race went without a yellow flag. However, even the traditionally more experienced drivers of NASCAR's big league series couldn't go 10 laps around the 2.5 mile before casualties mounted. Working lap 8, Brad Keselowski #12 Penske Racing Dodge lost control of through turn 4 colliding with the outside wall and collecting Max Papis, Mike Bliss, Regan Smith, and Keselowski's Penske Racing teammate Sam Hornish Jr. While these cars were able to complete more laps, the #13 Toyota of Max Papis would retire soon with engine failure and Mike Bliss fell out after a later single car crash.

While there were some multi-car accidents, the 2010 restrictor plate season opener did not involve any occurrences which could classify as 'the big one'. With a considerable amount of contenders remaining near the end of the 500 mile distance, at least 20 teams were able to post a charge for the lead including the #82 of Scott Speed, who gambled on staying out when the rest of the field made pit stops. In total, there was an amazing 52 lead changes between 21 drivers through the race with Harvick having led the most.

With the race starting under NASCAR's revised initiative to start races earlier in 2010, two red flags during the second half of the Daytona 500 actually led to the event finishing around the same time as the 2008 Daytona 500. Not because of wrecks, these red flags were both addressing a large hole that developed in the race surface through turn 2. John Andretti, driving the #34 Ford, was claimed as a victim of his torn up racetrack ending his 2010 race. Along with Andretti, the hole also cut down a right front tire on four-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson's #48 Chevrolet. Johnson's damage was repairable as his car was tended by the Hendrick Motorsport team. The first red flag within the 4th caution took 1 hour and 40 minutes as the crews of Daytona International Speedway worked hard to refurbish the area of race track. Regrettably, the racing action of the large NASCAR Sprint Cup field wore heavily on the asphalt patch as the surface began to break away after just 30 laps. A second red flag period to fill the hole with an epoxy patch saw the field remain still for an additional 40 minutes. Fortunately, this latest fix held through the duration of the 500 mile event.


Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR


With last year's Daytona 500 ending short of the full distance due to rainfall, many fans were frustrated with the speed which NASCAR called the race. Declaring the lead car Matt Kenseth the winner less than 30 minutes into the race stoppage, the rain showers actually began to let up. Mentioning the 2009 race, the 2010 edition of the Daytona 500 featured a much improved commitment to NASCAR fans by the stock car sanctioning body. In fact, NASCAR announced earlier this week another rule change to the green-white checkered procedure which expanded restart attempts from 1 to 3 tries per race. As the end of the 2010 Daytona 500 approached, this rule received its first trial run.

As the race neared its completed distance, caution #7 occurred on lap 194 when Occasional Elliott Sadler, who led 9 laps in the race, slid out of turn 2 downwards towards the #39 Chevrolet of Ryan Newman. The #37 Ford of Travis Kvapil was also collected the late accident but continued running. Restarting just before the 2 laps to go mark, the field was brought back under yellow when the #20 Toyota of Joey Logano, the #21 Wood Brothers Ford of Bill Elliott, and the #26 driven by Boris Said were wrecked in turn 3. This caution bred the first green-white-checker finishing attempt with Greg Biffle, who just skated by the #33 of Clint Bowyer just prior to the caution flag flying.

As the heap of Sprint Cup cars exited turn 2, Robert Richardson in the #38 as well as Kasey Kahne's #9 Ford were the casaulties in a caution that also involved Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. Yet to take the white flag, the #29 Chevrolet belonging to Kevin Harvick took the lead with the #1 Chevrolet of Jamie McMurray sneaking by Biffle for the front row position on the 2nd green-white checker attempt.

On what proved to be the final restart, Greg Biffle's Ford pushed the #1 of McMurray around Harvick as the #29 Chevrolet found few drivers willing to draft with the Richard Childress Racing car. As the #1 car stormed to a small gap over the field on the backstretch, a hard-charging #88 Amp Chevrolet was making a powerful end of the race run. Starting a distant 10th on the restart, Dale Earnhardt Jr began to shove Clint Bowyer's #33 car up front gaining several positions through the tight draft. Through the final lap with the top-3 consisting of McMurray, Biffle and the underrated #56 of Martin Truex, Earnhardt was running 5th through the backstretch before he threaded his #88 car between Greg Biffle and Bowyer. With only Jamie McMurray left in front of him, the #1 Chevrolet was just too strong for the Hendrick-owned #88 car. As McMurray headed on to the checkered flag, the agression deeper in the field led to one last crash as Gordon was tapped by Denny Hamlin's #11 Toyota sending the two-time Daytona 500 winner into the turn 3 wall. With nowhere to go, the #7 of Robby Gordon would also received considerable damage.

With drivers in the final incident uninjured, Jamie McMurray was able to celebrate a very popular victory in his Earnhardt/Ganassi Racing Chevrolet on the frontstretch before motoring to Daytona's winner circle. Caught up in the win as well as the fact that too many people had him written off after being forced out of Roush/Fenway Racing, Jamie McMurray could barely hold his composure from the shear thrill of standing in victory lane.


Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR


This victory, worth over 1.5 million of a $10,549,893 purse, came in Jamie McMurray's first NASCAR Sprint Cup race driving a Chevrolet. Behind 2nd place Dale Earnhardt Jr, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, and David Reutimann rounded out the top 5 in that order.


NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 February 14th, 2010 Finishing Order

1) 1 Jamie McMurray         Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
2) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy / National Guard Chevrolet
3) 16 Greg Biffle         3M Ford 
4) 33 Clint Bowyer         Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
5) 00 David Reutimann         Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
6) 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
7) 29 Kevin Harvick         Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet 
8) 17 Matt Kenseth         Crown Royal Ford
9) 99 Carl Edwards         Aflac Ford
10) 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
11) 31 Jeff Burton         Caterpillar Chevrolet
12) 5 Mark Martin         GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
13) 98 Paul Menard         Peak / Menards Ford
14) 18 Kyle Busch         M&M's Toyota
15) 83 Brian Vickers         Red Bull Toyota
16) 6 David Ragan         UPS Ford
17) 11 Denny Hamlin         FedEx Express Toyota
18) 51 Michael Waltrip         NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
19) 82 Scott Speed         Red Bull Toyota
20) 20 Joey Logano         Home Depot Toyota
21) 71 Bobby Labonte         TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet
22) 14 Tony Stewart         Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet
23) 2 Kurt Busch         Miller Lite Dodge 
24) 19 Elliott Sadler         Stanley Ford
25) 26 Boris Said         Window World Cares Ford
26) 24 Jeff Gordon         Dupont Chevrolet 
27) 21 Bill Elliott         Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
28) 7 Robby Gordon         Monster Energy Toyota
29) 37 Travis Kvapil         Extenze Ford 
30) 9 Kasey Kahne         Budweiser Ford 
31) 38 Robert Richardson Mahindra USA Tractors Ford
32) 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford 
33) 55 Michael McDowell PRISM Motorsports Toyota
34) 39 Ryan Newman     US Army Chevrolet
35) 48 Jimmie Johnson     Lowe's Chevrolet
36) 12 Brad Keselowski     Penske Dodge 
37) 77 Sam Hornish Jr.     Mobil 1 Dodge
38) 34 John Andretti     Window World Cares Ford
39) 78 Regan Smith     Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
40) 13 Max Papis     GEICO Toyota
41) 47 Marcos Ambrose     Kroger Floral Toyota
42) 36 Mike Bliss     Wave Energy Drink Chevrolet
43) 87 Joe Nemechek     NEMCO Motorsports Toyota