2012 Daytona 500

The 2012 Daytona 500 was the first stock car race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The 54th iteration of the event, it was held between February 27–28, 2012 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, before a crowd of 140,000. The 202-lap race was won by Matt Kenseth driving for Roush Fenway Racing for his first win of the season and his second Daytona 500 victory. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished second and Greg Biffle came in third.

2012 Daytona 500
Race details[1][2][3]
Race 1 of 36 in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Date February 27 (February 27)–28, 2012
Location Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida
Course Permanent racing facility
2.5 mi (4 km)
Distance 202 laps, 505 mi (812.718 km)
Scheduled Distance 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Weather Warm with temperatures approaching 80.1 °F (26.7 °C); wind speeds up to 12 miles per hour (19 km/h)[4]
Average speed 140.256 miles per hour (225.720 km/h)
Attendance 140,000
Pole position
Driver Roush Fenway Racing
Time 46.216
Qualifying race winners
Duel 1 Winner Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing
Duel 2 Winner Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing
Most laps led
Driver Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing
Laps 57
Winner
No. 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing
Television in the United States
Network Fox
Announcers Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds
Nielsen Ratings
  • 8.0/14 (Final)
  • 7.7/13 (Overnight)
  • (13.699 million)[5]

The race was scheduled for February 26 but heavy rain forced NASCAR officials to delay it until February 27 at 7:02 p.m. EST. Carl Edwards, who won the pole position by posting the fastest lap in qualifying, was immediately passed by Biffle before the first turn. Biffle maintained this position until he was passed by Regan Smith on lap eleven. Denny Hamlin took over the lead after a second caution period and led the race for 57 laps, during which Biffle also led. Matt Kenseth assumed the first place on lap 146 and maintained it until a seventh caution period twelve laps later. The race was stopped for two hours and five minutes after Juan Pablo Montoya hit a jet dryer on lap 160, causing fuel to seep onto the track and catch fire. Kenseth regained the first position at the lap 166 restart, and maintained it during the remaining thirty-four laps to win the race.

The race had ten cautions and saw twenty-five lead changes by ten different drivers. The result meant Kenseth led the Drivers' Championship with 47 points, five ahead of Earnhardt, Biffle, and Hamlin. Jeff Burton followed in fifth place on 41 points. Ford led the Manufacturers' Championship with nine points, three ahead of Chevrolet in second. Toyota was third with four, and Dodge was in fourth. The race attracted an average of 13.69 million television viewers, with 36.5 million watching part or all of the race, making it the second most-watched 500 in history.

Background

Daytona International Speedway, where the race was held

Daytona International Speedway is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races.[6] The layout used for the Daytona 500 is a four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.0 km) superspeedway.[7] Daytona's turns are banked at 31 degrees, and the front stretch—the location of the finish line—is banked at 18 degrees.[7] Trevor Bayne was the race's defending winner.[8]

The Daytona 500 was conceived by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., who owned the Daytona International Speedway.[9] The race was first held in 1959; it is the successor to shorter races held on beaches around Daytona Beach, Florida.[10] The race has been the opening round of the NASCAR season since 1982.[11] Since 1988 it has been one of four events that require cars to run restrictor plates; alongside the 400-mile (640 km) summer Daytona race and the two races at Talladega Superspeedway.[12] The Daytona 500 offers the most prize money of any auto race held in the United States.[9]

On February 20, 2011, NASCAR's vice president of operations Steve O'Donnell announced that the 2012 Daytona 500 would be moved from its traditional President's Day weekend slot to the final Sunday of February. The decision was based on the possibility of an extended National Football League schedule; the Daytona 500 was moved to avoid a potential clash with the Super Bowl. This shortened the NASCAR season by one week; the company planned to maintain momentum during the early part of the year.[13]

After the two-car style draft—also called tandem racing—dominated races held on restrictor plate tracks during 2011, NASCAR reduced the size of the radiators from five liters to two and the air intakes were moved towards the cars' fascia section. The size of the restrictor plate was reduced by 164 inch (0.4 mm) and the cars were required to run with softer springs and a smaller rear spoiler. These changes were intended to reduce the effectiveness of two-car style drafting and to make the cars more challenging to turn. Sprint Cup Series director John Darby stated, "We want to be able to give the teams more options when it comes to drafting and we want to be able to reduce the difference in the speeds between the tandem style of racing and more of the pack style of racing that the fans are accustomed to seeing".[14]

In preparation for the race and to test the new car package, NASCAR held several test sessions on January 12–14, 2012. Test sessions began at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) (UTC-05:00), and were paused at midday for a lunch break. They then resumed at 1:00 p.m. EST, before concluding at 5:00 p.m.[15] 31 drivers participated in the first session on the morning of January 12; Jeff Gordon was quickest with a speed of 192.773 mph (310.238 km/h), while Kyle Busch had the highest speed of 202.402 mph (325.734 km/h) during the second session in the afternoon.[15] At the end of the second session, NASCAR announced that the opening of the restrictor plate would be increased by 132 inch (0.79 mm) to be 1516 inch (2.4 cm) wide and the pressure release valve settings were reduced from 30 psi (2.1 bar) to 25 psi (1.7 bar).[16]

On the second day, NASCAR allowed drivers to draft in packs to check the cars' responses. During the third session on the morning of January 13, in which 32 drivers took part, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer were both quickest with a speed of 204.722 mph (329.468 km/h), and Kurt Busch recorded the fastest speed of 206.058 mph (331.618 km/h) in the fourth session held in the afternoon.[17] Ryan Newman and Casey Mears decided to leave after the session.[18] During the fifth session, held on the morning on January 14, 30 drivers took part; Kasey Kahne and Gordon were both quickest with a speed of 201.545 mph (324.355 km/h). After the session, Danica Patrick, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. left the circuit and NASCAR increased the pressure value from 20 psi (1.4 bar) to 25 psi (1.7 bar). Gordon was fastest in the sixth and final session held in the afternoon, with a speed of 200.562 mph (322.773 km/h).[18]

During the 2012 Budweiser Shootout, some of the cars' engines overheated while driving in packs; NASCAR increased the engines' pressure release values from 25 psi (1.7 bar) to 28 psi (1.9 bar) to help reduce overheating and alleviate the effects of driving at high temperatures.[19]

Practice and qualification

Carl Edwards qualified on pole, the eleventh of his career.

Seven practice sessions were held before the race. The first two were held on February 18 and ran for 120 and 105 minutes each. The next two on February 22 were shortened to 90 minutes each. Two days later, two more practice sessions were scheduled, which both ran for 60 minutes. The final practice session was held on February 25 and ran for 60 minutes.[2] Greg Biffle was fastest with a time of 46.537 seconds in the first session, 0.011 seconds faster than Marcos Ambrose. Jeff Gordon (with a time of 46.596 seconds) was third, with Bayne, Paul Menard and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the next three positions. Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Aric Almirola and Carl Edwards rounded out the session's top ten drivers.[20] In the second practice session, Biffle remained fastest with a time of 46.574 seconds, with Bayne 0.021 seconds slower than Biffle's lap time. Truex was third quickest, ahead of Stewart and Mark Martin. Menard, Edwards, Ambrose, Gordon and A. J. Allmendinger completed the top ten ahead of qualifying.[21]

Forty-nine cars were entered in the qualifier, according to NASCAR's qualifying procedure forty-three were allowed to race. Each driver ran two laps, and unlike most races during the season, the qualifying session determined the first two positions, while the rest of the drivers qualified by the 2012 Gatorade Duels.[22] Edwards clinched his eleventh pole position of his career, his first in the Daytona 500,[23] with a time of 46.216 seconds.[24] The time had the fastest recorded average speed since Jeff Gordon's pole lap in the 1999 race.[2] He was joined on the front row of the grid by teammate Biffle.[24] It was the first time since the 2007 race that Ford cars had the top two starting positions.[2] Bowyer who recorded the 22nd fastest time, had his car twice fail the post-race inspection for height sticks and was required to start at the rear of the field in the second Gatorade Duel race.[23] After the qualifier, Edwards commented, "It's huge to start this year for us and this company with the run today. This is the result of a lot of hard work this offseason and we are now ready to focus on how to win this Daytona 500."[23]

Kenseth was quickest in the third practice session, with a time of 44.809 seconds. Bayne was second quickest with a lap 0.009 seconds slower. Stenhouse (who set a time of 44.849 seconds) was third fastest, ahead of Ambrose and Martin. Bowyer, Michael McDowell, Kevin Harvick were in the next three positions. Menard and Kahne followed in the top ten.[25] Brad Keselowski slowed to avoid Newman which caused Bowyer to turn into Keselowski, sending him spinning into the grass on the backstretch. Keselowski's car had sustained minor damage which meant he was not required to use his back-up car as mechanics were able to repair the damage.[2][26] Almirola led fourth practice (where twenty-five drivers took part) with a lap of 45.065 seconds, nearly one-tenth of a second faster than David Stremme. David Ragan was third ahead of Robert Richardson Jr. and Biffle.[27] During the session (where drivers ran in packs and drafted off each other),[2] Juan Pablo Montoya made contact with Kahne, who was sent spinning into the grass on the frontstretch which caused parts of his car's nose to be torn off. Kahne was required to use his back-up car for the rest of Speedweeks.[26] Stewart and Kenseth were the winners of the Gatorade Duels.[28] The qualifying grid was finalized with Stewart in third and Kenseth in fourth. Earnhardt, Regan Smith, Ambrose, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton and Elliott Sadler completed the top ten. The drivers that failed to qualify were Michael Waltrip, Richardson, Bill Elliott, Mike Wallace, Kenny Wallace and J.J. Yeley.[29] After the duels, Patrick, David Gilliland, Montoya and Menard went to back-up cars because they were involved in wrecks during the first duel.[30]

Edwards was fastest in fifth practice with a 45.301 seconds lap, one-thousand of a second in front of Almirola. Ambrose (with a lap of 46.067) was third quickest, ahead of Montoya and Biffle. Kahne and Gordon were sixth and seventh quickest, within one second of Edwards' time.[31] Kyle Busch (with a time of 45.026) led the sixth session ahead of Joey Logano who set an identical time to Kyle Busch. Kurt Busch had the third-fastest time. Denny Hamlin was next with a 45.204 seconds lap ahead of Stewart who set a lap of 45.308 seconds. Truex, Stenhouse, Allmendinger, Kesleowski and Gordon followed in the top ten.[32] Gilliland's lap of 44.969 seconds topped the final practice session (where thirty-seven drivers participated), followed by Bayne and Stenhouse. Almirola and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top five drivers, claiming the fourth and fifth positions respectively.[33] During the final practice session, Kurt Busch hit a bird which tore a small hole in the bottom of his radiator causing water to be drained from his car. He changed his car's engine because the damage could not be repaired.[34]

Qualifying results

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Reason Grid
1 99Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFordPole Winner1
2 16Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFordOutside Pole Winner2
3 14Tony StewartStewart-Haas RacingChevroletDuel Race 1 Winner3
4 17Matt KensethRoush Fenway RacingFordDuel Race 2 Winner4
5 88Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevroletSecond in Gatorade Duel 15
6 78Regan SmithFurniture Row RacingChevroletSecond in Gatorade Duel 26
7 9Marcos AmbroseRichard Petty MotorsportsFordThird in Gatorade Duel 17
8 48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletThird in Gatorade Duel 28
9 31Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevroletFourth in Gatorade Duel 19
10 33Elliott SadlerRichard Childress RacingChevroletFourth in Gatorade Duel 210
11 98Michael McDowellPhil Parsons RacingFordDuel Race 1 transfer11
12 20Joey LoganoJoe Gibbs RacingToyota12
13 29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet13
14 18Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota14
15 22A. J. AllmendingerPenske RacingDodge15
16 24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet16
17 7Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsDodgeDuel Race 1 transfer17
18 39Ryan NewmanStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet18
19 1Jamie McMurrayEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet19
20 5Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20
21 6Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord21
22 55Mark MartinMichael Waltrip RacingToyota22
23 2Brad KeselowskiPenske RacingDodge23
24 36Dave BlaneyTommy Baldwin RacingChevroletDuel Race 2 transfer24
25 34David RaganFront Row MotorsportsFord25
26 56Martin Truex Jr.Michael Waltrip RacingToyota26
27 43Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord27
28 51Kurt BuschPhoenix RacingChevrolet421
29 10Danica PatrickTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet371
30 15Clint BowyerMichael Waltrip RacingToyota28
31 11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota29
32 47Bobby LabonteJTG Daugherty RacingToyota30
33 38David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord391
34 87Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsToyotaDuel Race 2 transfer32
35 42Juan Pablo MontoyaEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet411
36 13Casey MearsGermain RacingFord34
37 27Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet431
38 93David ReutimannBK RacingToyota36
39 83Landon CassillBK RacingToyota31
40 21Trevor BayneWood Brothers RacingFordSpeed – 193.61538
41 26Tony RainesFront Row MotorsportsFordSpeed – 192.53433
42 30David StremmeInception MotorsportsToyotaSpeed – 191.96340
43 32Terry LabonteFAS Lane RacingFordChampion's Provisional35
Failed to qualify
44 09Kenny WallaceRAB RacingToyotaSpeed – 191.567
45 40Michael WaltripHillman RacingToyotaSpeed – 191.180
46 97Bill ElliottNEMCO MotorsportsToyotaSpeed – 189.950
47 37Mike WallaceRick Ware RacingFordSpeed – 189.853
48 23Robert Richardson Jr.R3 MotorsportsToyotaSpeed – 188.438
49 49J. J. YeleyRobinson-Blakeney RacingToyotaSpeed – 187.954
1 Car moved to the back of the grid for going to a backup car (#10, #27, #38, #42), changing engines (#51).
Source:[29]

Race

The 2012 Daytona 500 was the first race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and was televised live in the United States by Fox.[1] The race was due to start at 1:00 p.m. EST,[2] but heavy rain prompted NASCAR officials to delay it until the afternoon of February 27, making it the first Daytona 500 to be postponed; because of this, wrestler John Cena, who was supposed to drop the green flag, was in Portland for a WWE commitment.[35] Further rain fell during February 27, delaying the race until 7:02 p.m. EST, making it the first race to start in primetime.[36] Pastor Sonny Gallman of Central Baptist Church, Daytona, began the pre-race ceremonies with the invocation. Daytona Beach resident Melisa TenBroeck performed the U.S. national anthem, and Wood Brothers Racing co-founder Leonard Wood gave the command for the drivers to start their engines.[35] During the pace laps, Patrick, Menard, Montoya and Gilliland moved to the back of the grid because they had switched to their backup cars; Kurt Busch did the same because he had changed his car's engine.[3][37] Kahne did not move to the rear because he changed to his backup car before the Gatorade Duels.[34]

Weather conditions at the start of the race were cloudy with the air temperature at 69 °F (21 °C).[37] Biffle accelerated from the start line quicker than his teammate Edwards, leading him at the first turn. At the start of lap two a five car crash was triggered by Sadler making contact with Johnson in the tri-oval; Johnson's car spun sideways and caught those of Patrick, Kurt Busch, Ragan and Bayne. The incident triggered the first caution of the race and the pace car.[35] Johnson and Ragan were forced to retire but Patrick, Bayne and Kurt Busch drove back to their garages for repairs.[37] The race restarted on lap seven with Biffle leading Kenseth. On the eleventh lap, Smith had moved into the lead position; one lap later Biffle moved back into the lead in turn three with aid from teammate Edwards. On lap 13, Newman looped his car on the backstretch without making contact with the wall; a second caution was issued, during which the leaders, including Biffle, made pit stops. Menard and Hamlin—both of whom chose not to pit—led the field back to speed at the restart;[35] by the end of the lap Hamiln had the lead.[37] Hamlin began to pull away from the rest of the field, with Menard in his tow as the leaders began to run in single file.[35] After starting the race in 26th, Truex had moved up 18 positions to eighth by lap 21, and Bowyer had moved up 20 positions to be running in tenth.[37]

Biffle tried to pass Truex for seventh on the 23rd lap but Truex kept the position. Both drivers continued to battle for the next two laps. By lap 25, Hamlin was still leading with Menard, Ragan, Logano, Jeff Burton, Ambrose and Truex in the top seven positions. Bayne rejoined the race on lap 37. On lap 44, Burton, with assistance from Biffle, moved into the lead on the outside of the exit of turn two. Hamlin, who had dropped to third, attempted a passing manoeuvre around the outside for the lead one lap later but dropped to sixth.[35][37] Green flag pit stops began on lap 56; most of the leaders, including Burton, made pit stops on lap 59. Gordon moved into the lead on lap 61 and began to pull away from Burton. Three laps later, debris was reported in turn two, triggering the third caution. Some drivers, including Gordon, made pit stops for fuel during the caution.[35] During Kenseth's pit stop on lap 66, his team made repairs to his car, which had a water pressure problem. His mechanics changed the car's water and Kenseth rejoined the race in 33rd.[35][38]

Burton led the field at the restart, followed by Biffle, Ambrose, Truex and Kyle Busch.[35] Biffle passed Burton to gain the lead in turn one,[37] with Ambrose moving into second by turn three. Burton had dropped to sixth position by lap 76; Truex had moved ahead of Biffle around the outside for the lead on the same lap. Biffle reclaimed the lead momentarily on lap 78 but Truex overtook him. Three laps later, the fourth caution of the race was prompted when Jeff Gordon's engine exploded and flames appeared from his car going into turn three. Most of the drivers, including Truex, made pit stops under caution.[35][37]

Terry Labonte chose not to stop and led the field at the lap 86 restart, followed by Biffle, who reclaimed the lead one lap later. Ambrose made contact with Terry Labonte coming off the fourth turn on lap 88 and rested at the side of the pit road; the race's fifth caution was issued. Some drivers chose to pit under caution. The race restarted on lap 92 with Biffle leading from Ambrose and Truex. Eight laps later, Truex, assisted by Hamlin, passed Biffle going into the third turn to take the lead and earned $200,000 for leading at the halfway point. On the 102nd lap, Stewart took over the lead on the backstretch before Hamlin went underneath him betweens turns three and four to reclaim the first position. Two laps later, Truex had moved back into second place. By lap 110, pole position driver Edwards was running in 21st and was reporting fluctuations in his car's fuel pressure.[35][37]

Bowyer started to slow on lap 127, running out of fuel. He could not go to pit road because two faster cars blocked his entry.[37] He coasted on the side of the track before stopping at turn two, triggering the sixth caution on the 129th lap. Most of the leaders, including Hamlin, made pit stops under caution. Martin led the field up to speed at the restart on lap 132; he was followed by Smith and Biffle.[35] On the next lap, Biffle, with aid from Hamlin, passed Martin for the lead going into the third turn.[37] Biffle lost the lead when Hamlin passed him on lap 138; five laps later his teammate Logano took over first place. Kenseth carried extra momentum and drove to the high side of the fourth turn to take the lead from Logano on the 145th lap. Two laps later, Earnhardt moved into second after passing Logano. The top fifteen drivers were separated by less than a second by lap 154.[35]

Stremme's engine failed on lap 157 and his car spun in front of a small pack of traffic after his car dropped oil on the track, causing the seventh caution. The leaders, which included Kenseth, made pit stops and some for two tires.[35][39] Under caution, Montoya reported to his team that he felt a vibration on his car after leaving pit road; he returned to his pit box on lap 159 where his pit crew checked underneath his car for the vibration which they could not find. He then drove at racing speed after rejoining the track at turn two to catch up with the pace car when a rear trailing arm on his car broke at turn three where two jet dryers were clearing debris. He lost control, skidded up the banking and collided with a trailer-mounted jet engine filled with 200 US gallons (760 l; 170 imp gal) of jet kerosene, destroying it and rupturing the fuel tank, which started leaking fuel onto the track. Montoya drifted down the track onto the infield grass.[39] Seconds later, Terry Labonte drove over the stream; a spark caused the fuel to ignite, creating a wall of fire across the track.[37] The conflagration caused a red flag to be shown.[35]

Over the course of two hours and five minutes, NASCAR officials extinguished the fire and cleaned and repatched the track. Montoya climbed out of his car on his own, but the driver of the safety truck, 52-year-old Duane Barnes, had to be assisted down the banking. Montoya and Barnes were taken to the nearby Halifax Medical Center for examination. The jet dryer and the truck it was attached to was removed from the track by two forklifts. Light rain hit at the track and later broke up.[35][40] Keselowski gained a large amount of attention during the red flag when he used an iPhone to photograph the accident scene and post it to Twitter.[41] Dave Blaney, Landon Cassill, Tony Raines and Gilliland were the leaders prior to the red flag, having not made pit stops under caution. Edwards and Kyle Busch removed tear-offs from their windshields and were required to go to the back of the field.[35]

The race resumed under caution at 11:57 p.m. EST.[35] Mears ran out of fuel at turn two and had to be pushed to pit road by the recovery truck.[37] Blaney, Cassill, Raines and Gilliland made pit stops for fuel, allowing Kenseth to take the lead for the lap 166 restart, ahead of teammate Biffle and Earnhardt in third, and maintained the lead for the next ten laps.[35] On lap 176, the eighth caution was issued after Mears made contact with Almirola, who regained control of his car, but Mears went into the side of Ambrose in the first turn. The restart was delayed for one lap because Logano was moved to the back of the field for failing to maintain car speed.[37] Kenseth led the field at the lap 182 restart, followed by Biffle.[35]

Matt Kenseth leads Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. through the tri-oval

Five laps later, however, a multi-car collision occurred on the frontstretch after Jamie McMurray cut a tire, veered off and collided with Kahne, triggering an eleven car chain-reaction accident involving Edwards, Stewart, Almirola, Keselowski and Smith. Earnhardt's and Stewart's cars sustained minor damage; the ninth caution of the race was issued.[37] The race restarted on lap 194, with Kenseth again leading. As the cars were running single file,[35] A second multi-car collision occurred on lap 197 the entry to turn one, collecting a total of 18 cars including Stewart, Blaney, Stenhouse, Cassill, Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman, triggered the final caution of the race.[37] At the lap 201 restart, a green–white–checker finish extended the race to 202 laps, with Kenseth leading Biffle, Hamlin, Earnhardt and Burton. Kenseth withstood pressure from Biffle and Earnhardt over the final two laps and crossed the finish line on lap 202 to win his second Daytona 500. Biffle weaved on the backstretch to block Earnhardt but the Hendrick Motorsports driver passed Biffle at the finish for second.[35] Hamlin finished fourth, and Burton was fifth. Menard, Harvick, Edwards, Logano and Martin completed the top ten finishers.[42] The race had a total of ten cautions and twenty-five lead changes among ten different drivers.[3]

After the race

I have to give a lot of credit to Doug Yates and the guys at the engine shop. We had great horsepower. I could get a pretty good start on the bottom and either Denny or Dale Jr. could push me for awhile and then they just couldn’t stay attached and I would get away from them just in time to get in front of Greg and the two of us together could make some unbelievable speed. I have to thank Greg. We worked together really good all day long. He had a really fast car all day as well.

Kenseth, speaking in victory line about his second Daytona 500 win.[43]

Kenseth appeared in the victory lane to celebrate his first victory of the season;[3] earning $1,589,390 for the victory.[42] Kenseth's victory was the 300th for his team Roush Fenway Racing in all three major series of NASCAR.[44] Following his win, Kenseth said, "It feels great. I wasn’t expecting to win when I woke up this morning. It feels good to be sitting here",[44] and, "I think the 16 [Biffle] had one of the strongest cars all week, and ours was right there as well. It took a long time to get to the front, but like Thursday, once we were in the front it was hard for anyone to get locked on to you."[45] Earnhardt, who finished in second place, said, "We couldn't ever get to Matt. I kind of waited until the last minute. I thought it was a great race. I want to thank the fans for sticking around on a Monday night and everyone who tuned in at home. Sorry about the delay and everything."[45] Biffle, who took third, said, "We had a great speed weeks. Coming out of here with a third place finish is really exciting for us."[43]

Juan Pablo Montoya (pictured in 2014) collided with a jet dryer which caused the race to be stopped and garnered much media attention.

Montoya expressed his surprise over the crash where he hit a jet dryer under the race's seventh caution, "I've hit a lot of things—but a jet dryer?".[46] He also said his helmet was singed in the fire and he suffered from an aching foot.[46] NASCAR President Mike Helton was also surprised over the incident, "You would think after 65 years and running all the races that NASCAR has run ... that you've seen about everything. You do think about, 'Oh, my gosh, if that can happen, what else can happen?' "[46] Barnes, who worked at Michigan International Speedway and was loaned to Daytona for the 500, thanked the fans and Montoya for their concerns.[40] International Speedway Corporation president Joie Chitwood III said that track officials abided by standard procedures when clearing the track, "The team was prepared. The expertise was there. The training was there. The teamwork with NASCAR was there."[39] A NASCAR spokesperson said, "Things were operating in a normal fashion ... it was an extraordinary circumstance that occurred when something went awry in the No. 42 car.", and, "Under caution, it is standard for a car to 'catch up' to the rest of the field, which is what the No. 42 car was doing."[39] Montoya's car was examined by NASCAR officials before it returned to Earnhardt Ganassi Racing's shop in Concord, North Carolina.[39] NASCAR did not fine Keselowski for tweeting during the red flag period and was allowed to keep his iPhone in his pocket for the rest of the season.[41]

Later in the week, track officials conducted a thorough analysis of the track in turn three and determined the damage was worse than originally thought. A second patch job was conducted for the track's upcoming Daytona Bike Week events in March. After the Bike Week, the affected area of track was completely removed and resurfaced by Lane Construction—the same company that resurfaced the entire track prior to the 2011 Daytona 500. Repairs were completed in time for the Coke Zero 400 in July.[47] From the Subway Fresh Fit 500 onward, NASCAR required that an additional pace car would be behind the last jet dryer on track in all three national series and jet dryer drivers were allowed to wear helmets and fire suits for extra protection.[48] The jet dryer incident was described as "one of the most bizarre events" in the history of NASCAR and the Daytona 500 by various American media organizations.[45][49]

Two days after the race, Hendrick Motorsports was penalized for Johnson's car.[50] The penalty, for "actions detrimental to stock car racing",[50][lower-alpha 1][51] included a $100,000 fine and a six-race suspension for crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec and the loss of 25 owner and driver points for Jeff Gordon and Johnson. Both Knaus and Malec were placed on probation until May 9, 2012, and were suspended from NASCAR until April 18, 2012.[50] Speed analyst and former driver Kyle Petty thought the penalties went too far, stating that the car was never raced and questioned why NASCAR issued the penalties.[52] Hendrick Motorsports immediately announced it would appeal the decision; Knaus and Malec were allowed to work with the team during the appeal.[51] The team lost the initial appeal on March 13, and made a final appeal to NASCAR National Commissioner John Middlebrook.[53] As a result of the final appeal held on March 20, Knaus and Malec's six-race suspension was lifted and the points penalties to Johnson and Jeff Gordon were rescinded; however, the $100,000 fine administered to Knaus was upheld.[54]

As this was the first race of the season, Kenseth led the Drivers' Championship with 47 points, followed by Earnhardt, Biffle and Hamlin, who were all tied for second on 42 points. Burton followed in fifth on 40 points.[55] Ford became leader in the Manufacturers' Championship with nine points. Chevrolet was in second with six points, Toyota in third place with four points, one point ahead of Dodge in fourth.[56] The race had an average television audience of 13.69 million viewers.[5] An estimated 36.5 million total viewers watched all or part of the race, which was a 22% increase from the previous year's event. It became the most viewed NASCAR race in Fox's history and was the network's highest rated Monday night since Game Five of the 2010 World Series sixteen months previously. The race garnered the highest ratings in the 18–49 demographic, and was also the second most watched Daytona 500 behind the 2006 race.[57] The race took three hours, thirty-six minutes and two seconds to complete, and the margin of victory was 0.210 seconds.[3]

Race results

Pos Grid No. Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points
1 417Matt KensethRoush Fenway RacingFord2024713
2 588Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20242
3 216Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord202421
4 3111Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota202422
5 931Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet202401
6 3727Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet202391
7 1329Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet20237
8 199Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord20236
9 1220Joey LoganoJoe Gibbs RacingToyota202361
10 2255Mark MartinMichael Waltrip RacingToyota202351
11 3015Clint BowyerMichael Waltrip RacingToyota20233
12 2656Martin Truex Jr.Michael Waltrip RacingToyota202331
13 79Marcos AmbroseRichard Petty MotorsportsFord20231
14 3247Bobby LabonteJTG Daugherty RacingToyota20230
15 2436Dave BlaneyTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet202301
16 314Tony StewartStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet202291
17 1418Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota20227
18 4332Terry LabonteFAS Lane RacingFord202271
19 4126Tony RainesFront Row MotorsportsFord20225
20 216Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord2024
21 1839Ryan NewmanStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet20223
22 3983Landon CassillBK RacingToyota20222
23 3338David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord20121
24 678Regan SmithFurniture Row RacingChevrolet200211
25 3613Casey MearsGermain RacingFord19919
26 3893David ReutimannBK RacingToyota19618
27 1033Elliott SadlerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1964
28 3487Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsToyota1944
29 205Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet18915
30 1198Michael McDowellPhil Parsons RacingFord18914
31 191Jamie McMurrayEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet18813
32 232Brad KeselowskiPenske RacingDodge18712
33 2743Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord18711
34 1522A. J. AllmendingerPenske RacingDodge17710
35 4021Trevor BayneWood Brothers RacingFord1644
36 3542Juan Pablo MontoyaEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet1598
37 4230David StremmeInception MotorsportsToyota1567
38 2910Danica PatrickTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet1384
39 2851Kurt BuschPhoenix RacingChevrolet1135
40 1624Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet8151
41 177Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsDodge253
42 848Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet12
43 2534David RaganFront Row MotorsportsFord11
Source:[3][42]
1 Includes one bonus point for leading a lap
2 Includes two bonus points for leading the most laps
3 Includes three bonus points for winning the race
4 Ineligible for championship points

Standings after the race

Footnotes

  1. The penalty was for unapproved car body modifications; a part of the car had been modified to enhance aerodynamic performance. Johnson's car was found to have issues with its c-pillars during a February 17 inspection.[51]

References

  1. "2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Schedule". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  2. "The Race: Daytona 500". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  3. "2012 Daytona 500". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  4. "Weather Information for Daytona Beach, Florida". Old Farmer's Almanac. Yankee Publishing. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  5. "2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup TV Ratings". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on July 8, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  6. "NASCAR Race Tracks". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
  7. ESPN SportsTravel (June 27, 2011). "Daytona International Speedway". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  8. "2011 Daytona 500". Racing-Reference. USA Today Media Sports Group. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  9. Nelson, Murry R. (May 23, 2013). American Sports: A History of Icons, Idols and Ideas. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 328–330. ISBN 978-0-313-39753-0. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  10. "Daytona 500 History". TicketCity. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  11. Bonkowski, Jerry (February 23, 2014). "Everything you've ever wanted to know about the Daytona 500 (well, almost)". NBC Sports. NBC. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  12. "Restrictor Plate History Chart". Jayski Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on May 5, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  13. Official Release (February 20, 2011). "2012 Daytona 500 pushed back by a week". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on June 22, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  14. Freeman, Glenn (December 16, 2011). "NASCAR announces changes to try and eliminate tandem drafting". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  15. "Daytona Testing Speeds – Day 1, – January 12, 2012". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. January 12, 2012. Archived from the original on January 15, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  16. NASCAR Series press release (January 14, 2012). "Series Daytona pre-season test notes, day 2". motorsport.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  17. "Daytona Testing Speeds – Day 2, – January 13, 2012". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. January 13, 2012. Archived from the original on January 15, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  18. "Daytona Testing Speeds – Day 3 – January 14, 2012". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. January 14, 2012. Archived from the original on January 17, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  19. Olson, Jeff (February 22, 2012). "Mechanic Carl? Edwards drops knowledge on overheating". USA Today. Gannett Company. Inc. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  20. "Practice 1 Timing and Scoring". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 18, 2012. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  21. "Practice 2 Timing and Scoring". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 18, 2012. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  22. Taliaferro, Matt (February 16, 2012). "Forty nine drivers are entered for NASCAR's 54th annual Daytona 500". Athlon Sports. Athlon Media Group. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  23. Wackerlin, Jeff (February 19, 2012). "Roush Fenway Sweeps Daytona Front Row". Motor Racing Network. International Speedway Corporation. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  24. Sporting Wire News Service (February 19, 2012). "Edwards, Biffle sweep Daytona front row for RFR". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  25. "Daytona 500 3rd Practice Speeds". Motor Racing Network. International Speedway Corporation. February 22, 2012. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  26. Gluck, Jeff (February 22, 2012). "Daytona 500 2012: Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski Crash In Practice". SB Nation. Vox Media. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  27. "Practice 4 Timing and Scoring". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 22, 2012. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  28. Diaz, George (February 23, 2012). "Gatorade Duels: Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth win". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  29. "Race Lineup". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  30. Wackerlin, Jeff (February 23, 2012). "Stewart and Kenseth Duel Winners". Motor Racing Network. International Speedway Corporation. Archived from the original on June 24, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  31. "Daytona 500 5th Practice Speeds". Motor Racing Network. International Speedway Corporation. February 24, 2012. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  32. "Practice 6 Timing and Scoring". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 24, 2012. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  33. "Practice 7 Timing and Scoring". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 25, 2012. Archived from the original on February 27, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  34. Rodman, Dave (February 25, 2012). "Gilliland feeling strong after Happy Hour effort". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  35. "Lap-by-Lap: Daytona". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 28, 2012. Archived from the original on February 28, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  36. Fryer, Jenna (February 27, 2012). "Daytona 500 start pushed back to 7 p.m. Monday". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  37. Joy, Mike; McReynolds, Larry; Waltrip, Darrell (February 27–28, 2012). NASCAR on Fox (Television production). Daytona Beach, Florida: Fox Broadcasting Company. Event occurs at 00:07:12–03:18:24 (excluding commercials) Stated by the forementioned individuals and on-screen rundown of positions.
  38. "Kenseth Wins Historic Daytona 500 For the Record Books". roushfenway.com. Roush Fenway Racing. March 1, 2012. Archived from the original on July 8, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  39. Utter, Jim (March 1, 2012). "A Juan-in-a-million accident". The Charlotte Observer. The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  40. Michigan International Speedway press release (February 28, 2012). "MIS update on Barnes' fiery escape from Daytona jet dryer". motorsport.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  41. Sandomir, Richard (February 28, 2012). "Stopped on the Track, Racing Ahead on Twitter". The New York Times. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  42. "2012 Official Race Results : Daytona 500". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  43. Ford Racing press release (February 28, 2012). "Ford teams Daytona 500 race notes, quotes". motorsport.com. Motorsport.com, Inc. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  44. Bernstein, Viv (February 27, 2012). "After Two Days of Delays, Kenseth Wins His Second Daytona 500". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  45. Ryan, Nate (February 28, 2012). "Matt Kenseth edges Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win Daytona 500". USA Today. Gannett Company, Inc. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  46. "Daytona 500: Juan Pablo Montoya's Fiery Crash". Fox News Latino. February 28, 2012. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  47. "Daytona to repave after Montoya crash". crash.net. March 16, 2012. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  48. Utter, Jim (March 4, 2012). "NASCAR announces safety changes". The Charlotte Observer. The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  49. Bruce, Kenny (April 20, 2012). "Bizarre Daytona 500 will be remembered". Sporting News. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  50. Official Release (February 29, 2012). "48 penalty brings six-race suspension for Knaus". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  51. Caraviello, David (March 1, 2012). "Big penalty sends Johnson into negative territory". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  52. Leistikow, Chad (March 1, 2012). "NASCAR docks Jimmie Johnson 25 points, suspends Chad Knaus". USA Today. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  53. Demmons, Doug (March 13, 2012). "Hendrick Motorsports loses its appeal of NASCAR suspensions". The Birmingham News. Advance Publications. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  54. Official Release (March 20, 2012). "Penalties rescinded on Knaus, No. 48 team". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  55. "2012 Official Driver Standings: Daytona 500". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  56. "Manufacturers' Championship Classification". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  57. "'12 Daytona 500 second-most watched in History". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 28, 2012. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
Previous race:
2011 Ford 400
Sprint Cup Series
2012 season
Next race:
2012 Subway Fresh Fit 500
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.