CUP: Sunday Daytona Notebook (UPDATE 12)

Sprint Cup

CUP: Sunday Daytona Notebook (UPDATE 12)

Jimmie Johnson wins the Daytona 500...

Tom Jensen | Posted February 24, 2013 Daytona Beach, FL

Jimmie Johnson leads Dale Earnhardt Jr. across the finish line at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Other Speedweeks 2013 Notebooks
SATURDAY, FEB. 23
FRIDAY, FEB. 22
THURSDAY, FEB. 21
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20
TUESDAY, FEB. 19
MONDAY, FEB. 18
SUNDAY, FEB. 17
SATURDAY, FEB. 16
FRIDAY, FEB. 15
THURSDAY, FEB. 14

VIDEO Jimmie Johnson: NASCAR Victory Lane

VIDEO Chad Knaus: NASCAR Victory Lane

PHOTOS: Johnson Wins Tense Daytona 500

RESULTS: Daytona 500

VIDEO:Johnson Wins Tense Daytona 500

PHOTOS: 55th Daytona 500

[SUNDAY 4:30 pm ET]

CHECKERED FLAG — Jimmie Johnson holds on to win over Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle, Regan Smith, Danica Patrick, Michael McDowell and JJ Yeley. Wow.

[SUNDAY 4:30 pm ET]

COUNT IT DOWN — Lap 193. Caution for debris. A piece of aluminum hit the nose of leader Jimmie Johnson’s car. The order is Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer and Danica Patrick.

[SUNDAY 4:10 pm ET]

GO TIME — On Lap 173, the top nine cars all pit for what should be the final pit stop of the day. Several drivers take fuel only.

Moments later, Martin Truex Jr., who had been second, reports his engine blowing up. Unbelievable turn of events for Toyota.

Then, on Lap 176, Jeff Burton smacks the frontstretch wall to bring out a caution. Brad Keselowski leads Michael Waltrip, Jimmie Johnson, Marcos Ambrose, Greg Biffle and Denny Hamlin.

[SUNDAY 3:52 pm ET]

TOYOTA TRAUMA — After dominating for most of the race, Matt Kenseth pits on Lap 150 with a vibration and heavy smoke from his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. His chances of victory are gone. Two laps later, Kyle Busch pits with a blown engine. A stunning turn of events for the fastest cars in the race.

[SUNDAY 3:42 pm ET]

VIDEO: Edwards Out Again

[SUNDAY 3:32 pm ET]

BELTING THE BLUES — On Lap 137, Trevor Bayne runs into the back of NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski, triggering a wreck that takes out teammates David Ragan and David Gilliland, as well as Carl Edwards, Terry Labonte and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. All seven of those cars are Fords, a brutal moment for fans of the Blue Oval. And for Edwards, it’s the fifth wreck he’s been in at Daytona since testing last month.

[SUNDAY 3:23 pm ET]

GREEN-FLAG STOPS — Matt Kenseth pitted from the lead on Lap 127, taking several of the other Toyotas with him, including his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin. Kenseth appears to be in great shape to win his third Daytona 500 in the last five tries. After the stops cycle through, Kenseth leads Hamlin, Bowyer and Kyle Busch.

[SUNDAY 3:04 pm ET]

VIDEO: Danica Patrick Leads

[SUNDAY 2:54 pm ET]

MAKING HISTORY — On Lap 90, Danica Patrick takes the lead after a restart following a caution for debris. In the process, she becomes the first woman in history to lead a green-flag lap in NASCAR Sprint Cup history.

[SUNDAY 2:43 pm ET]

PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS — A bad green-flag pit stop on Lap 72 dropped Kyle Busch from second place all the way to 31st. Pole-sitter Danica Patrick, meanwhile, reported a slight vibration she felt under her throttle pedal. On a happier note, Matt Kenseth’s earlier vibration disappeared with a fresh set of tires.

[SUNDAY 2:35 pm ET]

PHOTOS: Daytona 500 Early Wreck

[SUNDAY 2:25 pm ET]

VIDEO: Early Wreck

[SUNDAY 2 pm ET]

KAHNE CONTACT? — On Lap 33, Kyle Busch may have turned Kasey Kahne

Kasey Kahne spins in the early laps of the Daytona 500. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

heading into Turn 1, triggering a violent chain reaction that also took out two of the race favorites, Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick, as well as teammates Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray. Looks like Casey Mears, Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski had slight contact as well.

[SUNDAY 1:54pm ET]

YELLOW FLAG — The first caution of the day flies on Lap 28 for metal debris on the backstretch. It was a break for leader Jeff Gordon, who was able to pull behind the pace car and get debris off the grille of his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. All the leaders came down pit road, and after the stops, Gordon led Kasey Kahne, Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Gordon has led every lap so far.

[SUNDAY 1:57 pm ET]

PHOTOS: Daytona 500 Pre-Race

[SUNDAY 1:17 pm ET]

GO TIME — Engines are fired and cars are on the grid for the 55th Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Follow all the action live on FOX and FOX Deportes. And check back here for frequent updates.

[SUNDAY 12:06 pm ET]

VIDEO: Danica Patrick NASCAR RaceDay

[SUNDAY 10:46 am ET]

ANNETT RELEASED — Great news: Richard Petty Motorsports NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Michael Annett has been released from the Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Fla., today.

Annett was taken to Halifax after complaining of pain in his chest and sternum during a late-race accident in Saturday's Nationwide Series race at the Daytona International Speedway.

Annett will go back home to North Carolina today and be evaluated again later this week.

[SUNDAY 10:44 am ET]

VIDEO: NASCAR RaceDay: Daytona Pit Strategy

[SUNDAY 10:19 am ET]

CRASH REVIEW PLANNED — NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway will work together on a comprehensive review of Saturday’s terrifying last-lap accident in Saturday’s DRIVEFORCOPD 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the track.

Twenty-eight people were injured, two critically, when Kyle Larson’s car went into the catchfence near the crossover gate on the frontstretch. The front clip of Larson’s car was torn off and a tire from his car went into the grandstands.

The track was repaired overnight, with the crossover gate replaced with solid steel, covered by SAFER barriers. Sections of the catchfence were replaced as well.

DIS President Joie Chitwood and NASCAR Senior Vice President of Race Operations Steve O’Donnell both said there was no timetable on long the review process will take.

“We’ve worked closely together with the racetrack,” said O’Donnell. “We’re confident in the repairs that were put in place. It’ll be an ongoing process with us with the race track. We’ve got an R&D center in Concord, N.C., that specializes in looking at things like this. We’ll bring in the best and brightest, and anything that we can learn will be put in place.

“We’re ready to go racing at 1 o’clock today,” said O’Donnell, “But again, our thoughts are with those affected.”

Chitwood said he expects the Daytona 500 to be run as scheduled today.

“Incidents do happen, and I think those are the exception, though,” said Chitwood. “I think if you look at our 55 years in the business, we’ve got a pretty good safety track record. … I feel like we’re going to do a great job for our fans today. I think NASCAR’s going to give ‘em a great race, we’re going to give ‘em a great experience, and hopefully everybody’s looking forward to the 55th running of the Daytona 500.

[SUNDAY 8:44 am ET]

RACE DAY — The catchfence on the frontstretch of Daytona International Speedway has been repaired and the Daytona 500 will go on as scheduled, with a 1 p.m. start time. Pre-race coverage on FOX and FOX Deportes begins at noon.

All told, 28 people were injured in the last-lap crash during yesterday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race, which was won by Tony Stewart . Two of the 28 were critically injured, but all are reported in stable condition.

Michael Annett, who was injured in a late-race crash before the final lap wreck, spent the night in Halifax Medical Center in Daytona after complaining of chest and sternum pain.

The weather today in Daytona Beach is dicey. The forecast, according to weather.com, is for a 50 percent chance of intermittent thunderstorms. The good news is that thanks to NASCAR’s new Air Titan track drying system, the 2.5-mile DIS oval could be tried in much less time, perhaps as little as 30 minutes.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom Jensen

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