Daytona Decided By Denny's Shoot-out Win!
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Lookout Tony Stewart, your new rookie teammate has a lot of muscle he's ready to flex this season.
Denny Hamlin shocked NASCAR on Sunday by beating Stewart and the rest of the big shots to steal a win in the exhibition Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.Hamlin led 16 of the 70-laps and was heading toward an easy win when Stewart, his veteran teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, used a wide pass to take the lead away from him with four laps to go. But seconds after Stewart moved to the front, the caution flag came out for debris on the track, setting up a two-lap shootout to the finish.
Stewart restarted on the bottom of the track, with Hamlin right next to him when racing resumed. Hamlin quickly moved out front, then held off challenges from Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win for the first time in NASCAR's top series.
As the baby-faced Virginian celebrated with burnouts on the front of the track, his parents sobbed in celebration.
"I can't believe it, it wasn't two years ago I that I was here as a visitor of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s," the 25-year-old said. "This is the first time I've even been to Victory Lane. I just can't believe it."
Earnhardt and Stewart, two of NASCAR's top restrictor-plate racers, finished second and third. Scott Riggs was fourth and defending race winner Jimmie Johnson was fifth.
Leading the race at lap 46, Tony Stewart led a pack of eight cars onto pit road, starting a trend with the next two lap leaders, Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr., pitting after leading a lap apiece. They relinquished the lead to Scott Riggs and Dale Jarrett who made a two-tire pit stop on lap 48. But rookie Denny Hamlin took over the top spot at lap 52, losing it once to Kyle Busch for a lap and then his mentor, Tony Stewart, with three laps to go.
But Denny Hamlin took the lead on the restart to win his first Nextel Cup restrictor plate race. For the second time in the race, Carl Edwards was penalized by NASCAR for passing under the yellow line when Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson tried to make pit stops. While protesting on the radio, Edwards was called to the NASCAR trailer at the end of the race and forced to make a pass-through penalty.
Jimmie Johnson got past Ken Schrader on the first circuit after the restart (lap 21). On the second lap, Kyle Busch got into Mark Martin who made a great save after sliding up the track. At the same time, Jeff Gordon blew an engine, bringing out a caution.
Segment 1 (Laps 1-20): Two-time Budweiser Shootout winner Ken Schrader got off to a fast start as the polesitter, holding off the field as Matt Kenseth's engine started overheating on lap 7. The 2003 Cup champ fell back through the field quickly.
Jimmie Johnson teamed up with Jeff Gordon to push their way to the lead on the high line at lap 13. Two laps later, Jamie McMurray got into Ryan Newman on the backstretch, taking out several cars. Carl Edwards went below the yellow line to avoid contact and was sent to the back of the field to start the second segment.
Segment 2 (Laps 21-72)
Caution 1/Lap 16-20: Jamie McMurray got bumped by Brian Vickers after Kyle Busch slam-drafted him on the backstretch. McMurray moved sideways into Ryan Newman. Brian Vickers spun into the wall. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jarrett and Scott Riggs were also involved. Kevin Harvick was also forced to the garage with a blown engine.
Caution 2/Lap 23-27: Jeff Gordon got into Matt Kenseth, stacking up behind Mark Martin who slid up the track when Kyle Busch got into the No. 6 driver. Gordon came to pit road with a hole in the oil cooler after getting into Matt Kenseth. Gordon was spewing engine smoke, ending his day early. Jamie McMurray got squeezed by teammate Martin into the wall and came to pit road.
Caution 3/Lap 67-70: Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman get into each other in the wall with Newman smoking his tires from fender rubs and putting down debris.
Lap leaders: Ken Schrader 1-12; Jimmie Johnson 13-15; Ken Schrader 16-20; Jimmie Johnson 21-27; Tony Stewart 28; Jimmie Johnson 29-31; Kyle Busch 32-34; Michael Waltrip 35-45; Tony Stewart 46-47; Jamie McMurray 48; Dale Earnhardt Jr. 49; Scott Riggs 50-51; Denny Hamlin 52-62; Kyle Busch 63; Denny Hamlin 64-66; Tony Stewart 67-70; Denny Hamlin 71-72
Out: Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers
Denny Hamlin shocked NASCAR on Sunday by beating Stewart and the rest of the big shots to steal a win in the exhibition Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.Hamlin led 16 of the 70-laps and was heading toward an easy win when Stewart, his veteran teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, used a wide pass to take the lead away from him with four laps to go. But seconds after Stewart moved to the front, the caution flag came out for debris on the track, setting up a two-lap shootout to the finish.
Stewart restarted on the bottom of the track, with Hamlin right next to him when racing resumed. Hamlin quickly moved out front, then held off challenges from Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win for the first time in NASCAR's top series.
As the baby-faced Virginian celebrated with burnouts on the front of the track, his parents sobbed in celebration.
"I can't believe it, it wasn't two years ago I that I was here as a visitor of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s," the 25-year-old said. "This is the first time I've even been to Victory Lane. I just can't believe it."
Earnhardt and Stewart, two of NASCAR's top restrictor-plate racers, finished second and third. Scott Riggs was fourth and defending race winner Jimmie Johnson was fifth.
Leading the race at lap 46, Tony Stewart led a pack of eight cars onto pit road, starting a trend with the next two lap leaders, Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr., pitting after leading a lap apiece. They relinquished the lead to Scott Riggs and Dale Jarrett who made a two-tire pit stop on lap 48. But rookie Denny Hamlin took over the top spot at lap 52, losing it once to Kyle Busch for a lap and then his mentor, Tony Stewart, with three laps to go.
But Denny Hamlin took the lead on the restart to win his first Nextel Cup restrictor plate race. For the second time in the race, Carl Edwards was penalized by NASCAR for passing under the yellow line when Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson tried to make pit stops. While protesting on the radio, Edwards was called to the NASCAR trailer at the end of the race and forced to make a pass-through penalty.
Jimmie Johnson got past Ken Schrader on the first circuit after the restart (lap 21). On the second lap, Kyle Busch got into Mark Martin who made a great save after sliding up the track. At the same time, Jeff Gordon blew an engine, bringing out a caution.
Segment 1 (Laps 1-20): Two-time Budweiser Shootout winner Ken Schrader got off to a fast start as the polesitter, holding off the field as Matt Kenseth's engine started overheating on lap 7. The 2003 Cup champ fell back through the field quickly.
Jimmie Johnson teamed up with Jeff Gordon to push their way to the lead on the high line at lap 13. Two laps later, Jamie McMurray got into Ryan Newman on the backstretch, taking out several cars. Carl Edwards went below the yellow line to avoid contact and was sent to the back of the field to start the second segment.
Segment 2 (Laps 21-72)
Caution 1/Lap 16-20: Jamie McMurray got bumped by Brian Vickers after Kyle Busch slam-drafted him on the backstretch. McMurray moved sideways into Ryan Newman. Brian Vickers spun into the wall. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jarrett and Scott Riggs were also involved. Kevin Harvick was also forced to the garage with a blown engine.
Caution 2/Lap 23-27: Jeff Gordon got into Matt Kenseth, stacking up behind Mark Martin who slid up the track when Kyle Busch got into the No. 6 driver. Gordon came to pit road with a hole in the oil cooler after getting into Matt Kenseth. Gordon was spewing engine smoke, ending his day early. Jamie McMurray got squeezed by teammate Martin into the wall and came to pit road.
Caution 3/Lap 67-70: Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman get into each other in the wall with Newman smoking his tires from fender rubs and putting down debris.
Lap leaders: Ken Schrader 1-12; Jimmie Johnson 13-15; Ken Schrader 16-20; Jimmie Johnson 21-27; Tony Stewart 28; Jimmie Johnson 29-31; Kyle Busch 32-34; Michael Waltrip 35-45; Tony Stewart 46-47; Jamie McMurray 48; Dale Earnhardt Jr. 49; Scott Riggs 50-51; Denny Hamlin 52-62; Kyle Busch 63; Denny Hamlin 64-66; Tony Stewart 67-70; Denny Hamlin 71-72
Out: Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers
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