Trevor Bayne Wins 2011 Daytona 500, Becomes Youngest-Ever Winner Of NASCAR’s Premier Race

Anyone who has spent time around Trevor Bayne knows the driver is a devout Christian who enjoys discussing his faith. But after he became an overnight celebrity with his Daytona 500 victory, he’s been able to spread his message to a bigger audience.

That attracted two media outlets to NASCAR’s Tuesday teleconference who don’t typically call in: Christianity Today and Sports Spectrum, which bills itself as the “No. 1 Christian sports magazine.”

David Gilliland had one of the best finishes of his NASCAR career in Sunday’s Daytona 500, yet it was largely overlooked.

As it turns out, apparently there’s only room for one underdog – even after finishing third.

Trevor Bayne wasn’t kidding when he said he had no clean clothes after winning the Daytona 500 on Sunday night. The 20-year-old hadn’t expected to win the race – and go on the whirlwind media tour that followed – so he didn’t bring anything to wear.

Fortunately, being a Daytona 500 winner has its perks. Bayne has “people” to take care of those problems for him.

Sunday’s Daytona 500 was an incredible blend of old and new. Rookie Trevor Bayne somehow stole the show with an amazing and unexpected run, and he did so while driving for Wood Brothers Racing.

Wood Brothers Racing is one of NASCAR’s oldest and most legendary teams, but the family-run team has fallen on hard times in recent years. Very hard times, in fact.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s Daytona 500 was shaping up for a memorable finish on the 10th anniversary weekend of his father’s death in the same race.

Ultimately, it just wasn’t meant to be.

With 37 laps to go in the 2011 Daytona 500, it’s anybody’s race – and we have absolutely no idea who’s going to win.

There have been a race-record 61 lead changes (and counting), breaking the previous record of 60 set back in 1974. But there have also been a Daytona 500 record for cautions (12 and counting).

Daytona International Speedway has a stunned feel at the moment, as an unexpected “Big One” has struck the Daytona 500 early.

Michael Waltrip got teammate David Reutimann loose and spun him in Turn 3 and sending the No. 00 car crashing into the rest of the field.

Your first option is you can hate it. You can get upset that the famous pack racing is gone, scream at your TV and make angry phone calls to NASCAR about how they’ve ruined the Daytona 500.

Your second option is you can accept it and deal with it. Some of you can even grow to like it, though only about one quarter of you say you do right now.

Danica Patrick recorded her career-best finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on Saturday at Daytona International Raceway, finishing 14th and leading a lap under green.

Here are some of her comments after the race:

Clint Bowyer held a late lead and fended off charges from drafting partner Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, and Joey Logano — but it was Tony Stewart who made the move at the right moment to win today’s DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway.

A last lap run by Logano failed when he got loose in a turn and hit a wall, opening the door for Stewart and his drafting partner Landon Cassill to make a run at the Bowyer-Earnhardt team. And in the final turn, Stewart nudged just ahead of Bowyer, taking the checkered flag with no more than inches to spare.

For those of you who are regulars in our SB Nation race chats each week, welcome back. With the start of a new season, we’re going to try something new.

Beginning with today’s Gatorade Duels, we’re teaming up with CBSSports.com – specifically, the site’s Pete Pistone and Brian De Los Santos – to bring you an enhanced chat format.

We’re getting bombarded with questions about what Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s practice wreck means for the Daytona 500 starting lineup. Here’s what we know:

Where they’ll start

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrecked his 2011 Daytona 500 pole-winning car on Wednesday afternoon after a practice incident, forcing him to start in the back of the field for NASCAR’s biggest race.

Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. – his hunting buddy and frequent drafting partner – both spun and had damage after Earnhardt Jr.’s two-car draft with Jimmie Johnson went awry.

Surprise! When NASCAR Sprint Cup teams showed up at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday morning following a two-day break, they were handed a smaller restrictor plate for the 2011 Daytona 500 and the rest of Speedweeks.

The new plate is 1/64 smaller than the one used in the first part of the week (including the Bud Shootout), and various reports say it will cut anywhere from eight to 15 horsepower from the engines.

When Dale Earnhardt Jr. was told recently that he looked unhappy, he promised that was hardly the case. He was happy, he said, even if he didn’t show it.

But if he got back to the track and started winning again, Earnhardt Jr. said the old Dale – the smiling, jubilant personality who grew a massive fan base – would quickly return.

It’s been called “The Great American Race,” and it takes place at a venue calling itself “The World Center of Racing.” But when it comes down to it, there’s only one word you need to get excited for this week:

Daytona.