Jamie McMurray Overcomes Pothole, Holds Off Earnhardt Jr. To Win Daytona 500

After two attempts to finish the Daytona 500 under a green-white-checkered finish, the race finally reached a conclusion with Jamie McMurray holding off a charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win his first Daytona 500. Dale Jr. surged from 10th place to 2nd over the span of just one lap, but ultimately was unable to catch McMurray.

Here’s video of the thrilling final lap, which came about six hours after the race began (it was twice delayed because of a pot hole on the track):

A few months ago, Jamie McMurray’s NASCAR future was in doubt. His tenure at Roush Fenway Racing was over – thanks to the team contracting from five cars to four – and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to continue in Sprint Cup racing.

He turned to his old car owner Chip Ganassi, whom he had left for the greener pastures of the Roush mega-team a few years earlier. Ganassi was receptive to a reunion and, along with new sponsor Bass Pro Shops, decided to give McMurray another chance.

The Daytona 500 is in overtime.

A late wreck with Joey Logano and Bill Elliott has brought out a caution, extending the race past 500 miles.

There’s another patch on the track, which means the Daytona 500 is about to go back to the green flag.

This time, there’s a white substance on the track in Turn 2. Whatever it is, officials are hoping (maybe even on their knees praying) that the patch holds up long enough to finish NASCAR’s version of the Super Bowl.

The hole is back. The patch is gone.

Daytona’s broken track fix only lasted 39 laps, but there are still 39 to go in NASCAR’s Super Bowl and all the work from the previous repair has come undone.

After one hour, 40 minutes and 45 seconds, we’re racing again at Daytona.

There were 78 laps remaining when racing resumed, with Clint Bowyer leading the way.

At first it was a minor inconvenience. A hole opened up on the track, causing a red flag in the biggest race of the season.

But 70-plus minutes into the delay, it’s a flat-out embarrassment.

The Daytona 500 is being delayed by a broken track.

Yep, you read that right: Part of the track came apart in Turn 2, and safety workers are currently repairing it with 78 laps remaining.

There have been 15 different leaders so far in the Daytona 500, which is just past its halfway point in front of a capacity crowd of roughly 150,000.

Clint Bowyer led the 100th lap of 200, but Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick have all recently had the lead.

Brad Keselowski appeared to cut a tire in Turn 2 and spun, causing a six-car wreck just eight laps into the Daytona 500.

Keselowski’s wreck also impacted teammate Sam Hornish Jr., meaning two of Penske Racing’s three cars had damage in the incident.

Cars are rolling off pit road here at the Daytona 500, and pace laps are underway.

It’s a gorgeous, sunny day – a little on the cool side, but no sign of rain.

Today’s race day looks good – even if it is in the high 30s this morning at the track. Clear, cool conditions are expected for the race.

Keep checking back here for updates leading up to the race, as well as in-race commentary and analysis.

Tony Stewart has got this Nationwide thing at Daytona down to a science.

Now, if he could just win the Daytona 500.

Could Daytona be the scene of Richard Childress Racing’s rebirth?

Kyle Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., Regan Smith, Juan Pablo Montoya and Denny Hamiln rounded out the top 10.

Restrictor-plate race winners can be as random as plucking out a little white lotto ball. They can be big names or little names or no-names. It is luck and timing and being in the right place at the right time with the right dude behind you.

At least until this year’s Daytona 500, according to Tony Stewart.

A big green blob is hovering over Daytona International Speedway today, with more blobs of various green colors on the way (at least according to the radar).

That said, there hasn’t been any cars on track today so far at the place that bills itself as the “World Center of Racing.”

Duel #1

Jimmie Johnson (1^st): “As I went by the start/finish line sideways, I looked up and hoped that it was the checkered flag because I felt like I was going to spin out. I stayed on the gas, saved it. ... I think we put on one heck of a race.”

Michael Waltrip qualified for what could be his final Daytona 500 after all.

After sweating it out following his wreck in the first of two Gatorade Duel qualifying races, Waltrip made it in thanks to a strong run by his friend Scott Speed.

Jimmie Johnson won the first of two Gatorade Duel qualifying races on Thursday afternoon at Daytona, nipping Kevin Harvick at the line as fan favorite Michael Waltrip put himself in danger of missing the race.

Johnson, in his backup car, stayed out on the final pit stop and held off Harvick in what was the second-closest finish in Duel history.

Rumors floating around Daytona International Speedway would have you believe that other drivers aside from Danica Patrick participated in the two-hour Nationwide Series practice on Wednesday.

Actually, we can also tell you that Tony Stewart was fastest (as usual at Daytona – he’s won four of the last five Nationwide races), followed by Scott Lagasse Jr., Mike Bliss, Steve Wallace and Greg Biffle.

Denny Hamlin isn’t having any of NASCAR’s “Have at it” policy.

NASCAR promised to let drivers be more aggressive this season and open things up, but Hamlin said Wednesday that it’s nothing but a bunch of empty hype.

Ryan Newman is a burly, beefy guy who doesn’t exactly place an emphasis on time in the gym.

So when his wife Krissie tweeted the other day that she had gotten him to go swimming, it was clearly a big accomplishment.

Marcos Ambrose led the final practice for Thursday’s Gatorade Duel, bringing some Australian flavor to the run-up to the Great American Race.

A surprising Reed Sorenson, racing part-time in Sprint Cup this year for Braun Racing, was third, followed by Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth (who had been fastest in the first session).

After contact with Jeff Gordon resulted in a huge crash as Greg Biffle was running second in the waning laps of Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout, Biffle let Gordon off the hook.

At the time, Biffle told reporters he likely had a tire going down. Wednesday, he changed his tune.