NASCAR Nation-And Your 2009 Daytona 500 winner Is…the Rain.

Actually, that title goes to Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 Dewalt Ford team, who were leading when NASCAR called the race 48 laps early. But that wasn’t without plenty of action, and a bit of controversy.
Mayetta, NJ native Martin Truex Jr. led the field to the checkered flag, but it was Kyle Busch who soon took control. Tire problems continued to prove troublesome for the driver as they have all weekend (seven different teams were forced to backup cars), causing several cautions for blown tires.
But the hardest hit of the day came on lap 80, when Sprint Cup Series rookie Joey Logano, driving the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, made contact with Scott Speed and Greg Biffle and went spinning hard into the inside retaining wall. Logano was okay.
And then, the big one.
Following a restart with 75 laps to go, drivers knew the rain was coming, and drivers seemed to be handling their machines as if it were the last lap. Brian Vickers and Dale Earnhardt Jr., both racing one lap down from the leader, were racing very aggressively toward the front of the pack for the opportunity to be the first car a lap down, making them eligible for the lucky dog award.
After a series of moves and blocks between the two, a wreck ensued, collecting Earnhardt Jr. and Vickers as well as Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Robby Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, Scott Speed, and Carl Edwards.
This drastically changed the look of the leader board, where Elliot Sadler, Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, AJ Allmendinger, and Clint Bowyer suddenly found themselves. With 55 laps to go, Kenseth got a large push from Harvick, moving him past the No. 19 of Sadler. Allmendinger soon followed, and when Aric Almirola brought out a caution with 53 laps to go, the field rolled down pit road and came to a stop, and rain overtook the skies.
Many drivers climbed out of their cars and gathered on pit road and waited for an announcement from NASCAR. But Matt Kenseth did not. He remained in his car, as his anxious supporters waited for the call as well.
When NASCAR finally made the race official, Kenseth climbed from his car with tears in his eyes.
“I’ve had a lot of great opportunities in my life—from my family getting me in racing and really … all the sponsors that we have that have stuck by us and made this happen in an up-and-down economy,” Kenseth said. “Man, I don’t know. Winning the Daytona 500 is definitely a dream moment. It’s just an unbelievable feeling,” he added.
Harvick was second, with Allmendinger in third, Sadler in fourth, and Bowyer in fifth. Martin Truex Jr. finished 11th after leading just the first lap.
Nationwide Series: Tony Stewart wrecked his Sprint Cup Series car in morning practice Saturday, but not even that could keep him out of the Nationwide Series victory lane. Stewart, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, passed 23 cars in 11 laps to remain in contention and win theCamping World 300. Carl Edwards was second, followed by defending champion Clint Bowyer in third, Kyle Busch in fourth, and Greg Biffle in fifth.
Camping World Truck Series:
Todd Bodine entered the NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway last Friday as the defending race champion, winner of the last three restrictor plate races, and coming off a third place finish is the final standings for 2008 – and he was without a sponsor.
But his empty yellow hood managed to make a statement. Bodine rebounded from an early penalty to lead a race high 25 laps en route to his first win of 2009. Kyle Busch was second, with Terry Cook in third, rookie J.R. Fitzpatrick in fourth, and Ron Hornaday rounding out the top five.
Coming Up: All three series head across the country to the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California for a weekend of triple-header action. Don’t miss any of the excitement as NASCAR gets into full swing!
Bruce Knoll, 16, of Eldora, can be contacted by email at bknoll jr4cmcherald@yahoo.com