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| Hamlin wins Toyota’s first Sprint Cup race. |
Denny Hamlin won the first ever race for Toyota as he out muscled the field to win the second Gatorade Duel at Daytona. Gibbs Racing teammate Tony Stewart finished second in the one - two sweep for Toyota. Jeff Gordon finished third while Kasey Kahne and Mark Martin rounded out the top 5.
Dale Jarrett finished 9th and John Andretti 10th to race their way into the 500.
Jarrett, a three-time Daytona 500 winner and former NASCAR champion, stole the show in a green, white, checkered finish because just about everybody on the race track offered to help him clinch one of the two spots available to drivers out of the top 35 in points from last year. Jarrett's ninth-place finish made him the first of seven drivers trying to grab the two positions.
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| A long shot, Andretti makes the 500 |
Veteran John Andretti sped past David Reutimann on the last lap to grab the other spot. Reutimann joins Joe Nemechek as one of the two drivers earning spots in Sunday's 50th anniversary of the Great American Race.
A problem with a right front tire on Patrick Carpentier's Dodge ended his chances to make the race with three laps remaining. Carpentier slammed into the wall coming out of turn two after holding down one of the two spots available in the race for the highest finishers not in NASCAR's top 35 points.
Dave Blaney also showed he is going to be a factor in the 500, running with the leaders before suffering engine problems.
Hamlin's win was the first for Toyota in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race
Four cars had to start from the rear in the second race, including Stewart, Gordon and Hamlin because of engine changes, and Franchitti, who missed driver introductions.
Shortly after the green flag, front row starter David Reutimann joined the back of the pack after jumping the start. He received a pass through the pits penalty for crossing the start-finish before his teammate and pole-sitter Michael Waltrip. The pole-winner must cross the line first under NASCAR rules.
Waltrip led the first few laps with Blaney and Kenseth in tow. Kenseth took the lead on the 13th lap with Kasey Kahne on his bumper. Waltrip slipped to third.
On the 15th lap, Jacques Villeneuve lost control of his Toyota in turn four and slid up the track, collecting Stanton Barrett, Franchitti and Jamie McMurray in the process.
After a lengthy caution to clean up debris on the track, Kenseth took up where he left off before the caution flag, in front of the pack.
Results
| FIN |
ST |
CAR |
DRIVER |
MAKE |
SPONSOR |
PTS/BNS |
LAPS |
STATUS |
| 1 |
5 |
11 |
Denny Hamlin |
Toyota |
FedEx Express |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 2 |
8 |
20 |
Tony Stewart |
Toyota |
The Home Depot |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 3 |
6 |
24 |
Jeff Gordon |
Chevrolet |
DuPont |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 4 |
18 |
9 |
Kasey Kahne |
Dodge |
Budweiser |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 5 |
12 |
8 |
Mark Martin |
Chevrolet |
U.S. Army |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 6 |
9 |
6 |
David Ragan |
Ford |
AAA |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 7 |
21 |
29 |
Kevin Harvick |
Chevrolet |
Shell / Pennzoil |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 8 |
15 |
16 |
Greg Biffle |
Ford |
3M |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 9 |
14 |
44 |
Dale Jarrett |
Toyota |
UPS |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 10 |
25 |
34 |
John Andretti |
Chevrolet |
Makoto |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 11 |
20 |
18 |
Kyle Busch |
Toyota |
M&M's |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 12 |
2 |
00 |
David Reutimann |
Toyota |
Aaron's Dream Machine |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 13 |
1 |
55 |
Michael Waltrip |
Toyota |
NAPA AUTO PARTS |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 14 |
17 |
7 |
Robby Gordon |
Dodge |
Jim Beam |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 15 |
10 |
17 |
Matt Kenseth |
Ford |
DEWALT |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 16 |
4 |
28 |
Travis Kvapil |
Ford |
K&N Filters |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 17 |
13 |
38 |
David Gilliland |
Ford |
FreeCreditReport.com |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 18 |
22 |
49 |
Ken Schrader |
Dodge |
HealthLife.com |
PE |
64 |
Running |
| 19 |
7 |
10 |
Patrick Carpentier * |
Dodge |
Valvoline |
PE |
57 |
Off Track |
| 20 |
19 |
137 |
Eric McClure |
Chevrolet |
Hefty |
PE |
43 |
Out of Race |
| 21 |
3 |
22 |
Dave Blaney |
Toyota |
Caterpillar |
PE |
24 |
Out of Race |
| 22 |
24 |
31 |
Jeff Burton |
Chevrolet |
AT&T Mobility |
PE |
16 |
Off Track |
| 23 |
11 |
27 |
Jacques Villeneuve * |
Toyota |
Bill Davis Racing |
PE |
14 |
Out of Race |
| 24 |
16 |
26 |
Jamie McMurray |
Ford |
Crown Royal Cask No. |
PE |
14 |
Out of Race |
| 25 |
23 |
40 |
Dario Franchitti* |
Dodge |
Journey |
PE |
14 |
Out of Race |
| 26 |
|
150 |
Stanton Barrett |
Chevrolet |
NOS Energy Drink |
PE |
14 |
Out of Race |
Daytona 500 Lineup
| POS |
CAR |
DRIVER |
MAKE |
SPONSOR |
SPEED |
TIME |
BEHIND |
| 1 |
48 |
Jimmie Johnson |
Chevrolet |
Lowe's |
187.075 |
48.109 |
Leader |
| 2 |
55 |
Michael Waltrip |
Toyota |
NAPA AUTO PARTS |
186.734 |
48.197 |
-0.088 |
| 3 |
88 |
Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
Chevrolet |
AMP Energy / National Guard |
- |
- |
- |
| 4 |
11 |
Denny Hamlin |
Toyota |
FedEx Express |
- |
- |
- |
| 5 |
41 |
Reed Sorenson |
Dodge |
Target |
- |
- |
- |
| 6 |
20 |
Tony Stewart |
Toyota |
The Home Depot |
- |
- |
- |
| 7 |
12 |
Ryan Newman |
Dodge |
ALLTEL |
- |
- |
- |
| 8 |
24 |
Jeff Gordon |
Chevrolet |
DuPont |
- |
- |
- |
| 9 |
5 |
Casey Mears |
Chevrolet |
Kellogg's / CARQUEST |
- |
- |
- |
| 10 |
9 |
Kasey Kahne |
Dodge |
Budweiser |
- |
- |
- |
| 11 |
99 |
Carl Edwards |
Ford |
Office Depot |
- |
- |
- |
| 12 |
8 |
Mark Martin |
Chevrolet |
U.S. Army |
- |
- |
- |
| 13 |
43 |
Bobby Labonte |
Dodge |
Cheerios / Betty Crocker |
- |
- |
- |
| 14 |
6 |
David Ragan |
Ford |
AAA |
- |
- |
- |
| 15 |
42 |
Juan Montoya |
Dodge |
Texaco / Havoline |
- |
- |
- |
| 16 |
29 |
Kevin Harvick |
Chevrolet |
Shell / Pennzoil |
- |
- |
- |
| 17 |
187 |
Kenny Wallace |
Chevrolet |
Furniture Row |
- |
- |
- |
| 18 |
16 |
Greg Biffle |
Ford |
3M |
- |
- |
- |
| 19 |
77 |
Sam Hornish Jr.* |
Dodge |
Mobil 1 |
- |
- |
- |
| 20 |
44 |
Dale Jarrett |
Toyota |
UPS |
- |
- |
- |
| 21 |
15 |
Paul Menard |
Chevrolet |
PEAK / Menards |
- |
- |
- |
| 22 |
34 |
John Andretti |
Chevrolet |
Makoto |
- |
- |
- |
| 23 |
83 |
Brian Vickers |
Toyota |
Red Bull |
- |
- |
- |
| 24 |
18 |
Kyle Busch |
Toyota |
M&M's |
- |
- |
- |
| 25 |
1 |
Martin Truex Jr. |
Chevrolet |
Bass Pro Shops / Tracker |
- |
- |
- |
| 26 |
7 |
Robby Gordon |
Dodge |
Jim Beam |
- |
- |
- |
| 27 |
66 |
Scott Riggs |
Chevrolet |
State Water Heaters |
- |
- |
- |
| 28 |
17 |
Matt Kenseth |
Ford |
DEWALT |
- |
- |
- |
| 29 |
01 |
Regan Smith* |
Chevrolet |
Principal Financial Group |
- |
- |
- |
| 30 |
28 |
Travis Kvapil |
Ford |
K&N Filters |
- |
- |
- |
| 31 |
07 |
Clint Bowyer |
Chevrolet |
Jack Daniel's |
- |
- |
- |
| 32 |
38 |
David Gilliland |
Ford |
FreeCreditReport.com |
- |
- |
- |
| 33 |
70 |
Jeremy Mayfield |
Chevrolet |
Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon |
- |
- |
- |
| 34 |
22 |
Dave Blaney |
Toyota |
Caterpillar |
- |
- |
- |
| 35 |
19 |
Elliott Sadler |
Dodge |
Best Buy |
- |
- |
- |
| 36 |
31 |
Jeff Burton |
Chevrolet |
AT&T Mobility |
- |
- |
- |
| 37 |
96 |
J.J. Yeley |
Toyota |
DLP HDTV |
- |
- |
- |
| 38 |
26 |
Jamie McMurray |
Ford |
Crown Royal Cask No. 16 |
- |
- |
- |
| 39 |
45 |
Kyle Petty |
Dodge |
Wells Fargo |
- |
- |
- |
| 40 |
40 |
Dario Franchitti* |
Dodge |
Dodge Journey |
- |
- |
- |
| 41 |
78 |
Joe Nemechek |
Chevrolet |
Furniture Row Racing |
- |
- |
- |
| 42 |
00 |
David Reutimann |
Toyota |
Aaron's Dream Machine |
- |
- |
- |
| 43 |
2 |
Kurt Busch |
Dodge |
Miller Lite |
Champion's Provisional |
