Dodge day at Daytona.

Monday, 18th February 2008

Last lap heroics sees Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch lead Penske 1-2 in Daytona 500.

Previous Page

Biffle led the field to the lap 154 restart followed by Kyle Busch, Stewart, Earnhardt Jr, Kenseth and Ryan Newman but Busch was quickly ahead thanks to a typical Daytona bump draft from his teammate Stewart. But if Busch thought the previous good behaviour demonstrated by the field would continue for the remaining 40-odd laps he would be sadly mistaken as, on lap 161, the yellows were out again when David Ragan slid up the track coming off turn four and pinched his own Roush-Fenway teammate Kenseth into the outside wall.

Thankfully everyone else missed the accident and nearly everyone elected to pit for fresh rubber except for Earnhardt Jr, who assumed the lead when the race restarted with 35 laps to go. As expected, numerous different pit strategies served to shuffle the order with Kasey Kahne and Stewart taking turns in the lead as Earnhardt Jr struggled to keep his tyres in good order. Earnhardt Jr and Stewart traded the lead, and some paint, several times before the caution flags were waving again on lap 176, this time for Jimmie Johnson’s turn two spin and once again the majority of the field, but not Dale Jr, chose to pit.

The next restart, on lap 180 would prove too much for Earnhardt Jr old tyres and the #88 Hendrick Chevrolet was swamped by Clint Bowyer when the race went green again. However Bowyer’s lead lasted less than a lap as a tap from Juan Montoya heading towards turn one on lap 181 sent the #07 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet spinning into the infield and brought out the yellow flags again and it was now Newman who assumed top spot for the first time.

Newman held onto the lead for three quarters of a lap on the restart until a great three-wide move from Bowyer’s teammate Jeff Burton propelled the #31 Chevrolet to the front. Just as Burton surged ahead the four wide racing behind the leaders ended with Kevin Harvick shoving Dave Blaney into the outside wall in turn three, taking Mark Martin with him and bringing out yet another yellow flag.