NASCAR Full Race Replay: 2005 Daytona 500

blackboards welcome to back to the great American race and the Daytona 500 we count you down 17 states represented today in this race with drivers from California and Missouri six different two drivers from each of those states and we have six drivers competing in their first Daytona 500 ever winning Martin Truex junior leading the way from the tenth spot on the grid right now let's pause and reflect as we take you down trackside for the opening ceremonies ladies and gentlemen will you please rise and remove your hats as the Military District of Washington joint armed forces color guard presents our nation's colors and now will you please welcome dr. Tim MacNeil as he delivers today's invocation let us pray we celebrate O God today the spirit of America and celebrate this great American race we pray for these ambassadors of speed grant them courage wisdom and valor as they run the race before us in grant that we may be ambassadors of a new era building bridges of Hope promise in peace throughout all the nations Shalom and all men and now please welcome back actress singer Vanessa Williams as she performs our National Anthem [Music] you see by the dawn's lots of at the time [Music] [Applause] that up [Music] [Applause] [Music] fifteen sees a pendulum Airport base the great American race and all our troops everywhere around the world watching we salute you and the Armed Forces television network duck Fisher over in the Middle East is father Ted works with us and we're all proud this broadcast in high definition or than 17 million dollars on the line no matter what the result it's worth the ride [Music] [Music] 1785 miles an hour it's the greatest stock car race in the world since 1959 25 different drivers of choice the Harley J Earl trophy a witness event not only makes your season and makes your career today two of NASCAR's most prolific wheelman Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace hook begin their final season by doing something they've never done before win the great American race a football team get six months leading up to the Super Bowl that is two weeks sound 132 crew members change teams and they will get their first race together today the Super Bowl of NASCAR today's race seen in a hundred and fifty countries in 23 different languages in the grandstands fans from 20 different countries including Australia Japan Mexico Switzerland even Sweden at 200 thousand fans here at attendance watching drivers go 200 miles per hour we'll be back foxsports lock up ship activate auto the great American race let's go down to the track for the command and now for the most famous words in motorsports from the action-adventure film Sahara opening April 8th in theatres everywhere actor Matthew McConaughey start your [Applause] an emotional command - from Matthew now the guys will call the race and they're getting fired up the voices of nascar on foxh darrell waltrip letter McReynolds it's also walk up in mike joy hey Mike you guys ready to go we've been waiting all winter for this Chris and that was 16 years ago Darrell you and me and victory lane we only had one microphone then but Scott runs up to me this morning he's five years old he goes dad in tell me this is the Daytona 500 listen I know how it feels listen and I laid awake all night long I didn't sleep at all that night I prayed I prayed for my car I pray for my team I was so nervous and that's why every driver feels when you start this race anticipation you're anticipating so many things you you borrow trouble you think of every possible scenario that could go wrong what's gonna happen in my car what's going to happen to my crew what's gonna happen when when somebody bump drafts me are they gonna hit me too hard and wreck me so many things go through your mind but you know what at the end of the day and were you an hour it's all about relief I am so relieved to finally have won the Daytona 500 it's the biggest day of a drivers life but Larry McReynolds you have two of those championship rings as crew chief with Davey Allison and Dale Earnhardt what did winning this race mean to you well Mike it's something I thought about when I was a little boy coming to here sitting in the grandstands it's something I have thought about working on those short track cars around Birmingham the first 11 years I came here as a crew chief and you would be pumped up to win it and then you'd leave here and saying you know what we'll get him next year and finally in 1992 one that Daytona 500 number two Davey Allison you feel like your career is complete and to come back for a second time in 1998 and when it would Dale Earnhardt and I put this ring on and it's one other than my wedding ring it's one of my most prized possession because winning the Daytona 500 twice is two of the most special moments in my career and in my life nobody else might kiss his ring but I it's the biggest single-day of any stock car racers career the Daytona 500 Budweiser official beer of NASCAR proud sponsor of the Budweiser pole award given to the fastest qualifier at each Nextel Cup race Budweiser congratulate s' Dale Jarrett there is the last man to win the Daytona 500 from the pole Dale Jarrett a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 here's how they will line up today alongside Jarrett Jimmie Johnson winner of four of the last six Nextel Cup races in row two the winners of Gatorade duel at Daytona Michael Waltrip Tony Stewart Row 3 defending 500 champ Dale Earnhardt jr. with Jeff Burt new leader of the Childress team perhaps Mike Skinner and Kevin LePage too dark horses in dodges Row 5 the rocket Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr the Busch Series champion row six Ricky Rudd in his 28 500 and Scott Riggs who made his Nextel Cup debut here last year the champion of the series Kurt Busch and the prior champ Matt Kenseth Jeff Gordon two times a Daytona 500 champion Scott Wimmer who was third last year a brace of dodges in row nine Jamie McMurray Sterling Marlin Kyle Busch younger brother of the Series champ and Bobby Labonte a past champion Kenny Wallace in his ninth 500 and Bobby Hamilton Jr Greg Biffle who won the July race here a year ago who has a third-place finish in this race Travis Quaffle a truck series champ and jeff marina Busch Series champion Carl Edwards graduates from the Truck Series and Brian Vickers two years ago the Busch champion Casey Mears and Kevin Harvick back at Pro 15 then veteran Ken Schrader and Mark Martin in his final 500 appearance in the seventeenth row Kyle Petty passes to the dodges and time trials Joe Nemechek in a backup car Mike Bliss moves over to the 0 team and Rusty Wallace in his final 500 appearance Kasey Kahne with almost runner-up finishes last year five of them and Dave Blaney Elliott said their transmission trouble forces him to the rear alongside Jason Leffler nanoo Joe Gibbs ride Boris said the road racing expert and John Andretti finally Mike Wallace got the final transfer spot speed to break into this race the peel rolls out and we will - and we'll be back for the start of the 47th annual Daytona [Music] [Music] nascar on foxh welcome to back to the 47th annual Daytona 500 pace cars lead the field and Darrell gets a chance to talk to one of the sentimental favorites in today's race buddy you're sitting out there get ready to run your last 500 what's going through your mind well I'm thinking I'm in good shape here I've got the best team in the business behind me with the Viagra team got the best car I've ever driven Daytona and I got a bunch of good race cars and drivers behind me and in front of me he's got the work cut out for me but we got to race these guys so I'm looking forward to today I think this could be a father to you mark to you personally what would this mean golly Darrell you know what it means you've got one of these trophies do not don't buddy it's a big old trophies that would be probably the most to be just look at that look at that trophy on a on any given day you got the horse to do it with bud set up in there and go hard okay let's have a look at the all-new chevy corvette pace car looking back at Dale Jarrett man [Music] here's Matt yo Mike earlier this week Jeff Gordon told me today he's not a drive for five not a fit Nextel Cup Series championship but he wants to get owner Rick Hendrick his fifth Daytona 500 victory as a car owner his team began building this very race car six and a half months ago hundred of hours have gone into this race car several trips of the Windtunnel all in winning this race this car they hope to leave here to put in Daytona USA and leave here also with a lot of momentum going for that fifth championship and today it's all about winning the great American race to Jeannie Zelasko oh yes how big is this race turn Busch told me it is an honor and a privilege to be the Nextel Cup champion but he admitted there would be a hole in his career definite unfinished business if he walked away without a Daytona 500 victory he hopes to take care of that unfinished business today with what he told me was one of the best cars he has ever brought to teenee let's talk about momentum Tony Stewart led nearly half the race here a year ago but trailed behind Dale Earnhardt jr. at the start/finish line he was second on Thursday he bought one of the qualifying races yesterday he won a Busch Series race here the first time he's ever done that today he wants to go to the victory lane in the Daytona 500 for the first time in the great American race Nick burn twice today Rusty Wallace starts his 23rd and final Daytona 500 he retires from driving after this year he's come close before in 1999 he led more than half the laps he's finished as high as third he races today in the backup car the primary car demolished on Thursday I talked to rusty moments ago he said he has all the confidence in the world that today will be his day that that backup car is good enough for him to finally win the Daytona 500 mike thanks dick all right Darrell we know how much it went it means to win the Daytona 500 now but how do you put yourself in a position to win well first of all Mike no driver is going to tell you this is just another race because everybody knows they didn't and the odds favor some the God's favor others how you get yourself in a position is you got to be it this is a long race 500 miles you got to be there at the end you got to make great pit stops and he's got to make good decisions in the pits and you know in most sports you can make a mistake at the beginning of the event the middle of event maybe even near the end of the event and you can still come back recover and win the event but in this race where these 43 cars are going to be racing at over 190 miles per hour one mistake by the driver the crew or someone else and you'll be like I was those first 11 years you'll have to come back twelve months later try it again [Music] fans are invited to participate in the singular virtual crew chief during today's Daytona 500 stay tuned for details on how to play watch for your chance to win your own singular number 31 500 miles at Daytona 200 laps of racing pit road speed 55 miles now at the pace car runs 65 will need to stop every 30 35 laps pretty important element would talk about mistakes a lot of pit stops today four four tiles from whew those crews have to be on the mark and that driver has to be able to mark coming on and off pit road Darrel months of planning massaging and preparation it all comes down to this we're ready to go DW I've been waiting for several months several weeks [Applause] [Music] [Applause] didn't take long for things to get three-wide did it he's been smiling about that race car all week long and right now these guys 36 races someone would like to get those five lowest Boyd's Horta championship here on his first lap leave that lap jumping out in the middle is how you go from third to no telling where because it's hard to get that sucker we're there but early in the race when they're lined up like this that's that someone was Jimmy Johnson his Lowe's Chevrolet Leeds the first laps from Dale Jarrett he gets it to run some time you think gosh I can pass everybody out here but you just hit a wall of air in the car just bogs down [Music] Jarrid lines up behind Johnson Tony Stewart number 20 right there takes about a lap or two for these things we really get up to speed takes about five or six laps or driving really start knowing what he's got what kind of handling package how good he's gonna be look at the run our but posted her though has at the bottom bill chaired that 88 car he's got him lined up behind him he wants to get back up there illegal this is the pissed [Music] done in two races he's falling back to the field every race even out there Larry's hanging in there Johnson's number 48 drops to the low side mid pack there's still three wide get to see positions change 43 cars 39 positions changed on that lap right there now this is when you've got to stay with the pack you don't want people to get it they don't you don't want to pack the breakaway from you don't tear it Gerry was here yeah he is I think he got the down three really upset his car the 88 car the UPS car Dale chair but the reason this is so dicey right now it's early in the race so much there's so much wind and air blowing off of these race cars that it'll just suck you into the guy beside you tony stewart forges to the front yesterday in the Busch Series race he got tapped and slid across the infield grass in turn one popped back up on the racetrack losing only six positions and gained six [Music] now let's see what squirrel duck tail jaren here know something did cuz he got down on the apron almost and went to the back their genius got him bad loose that was a little more than a pump if I just heard Dale Jarrett say on the radio I'm having to live when I get into the entrance of the turns that's why you saw what you just did at home can't he's doing that and pour laps into the race later on in a run that's how bad that car is I guess and it's kit came back to 30th place right now but all 43 cars are running right now within three and a half seconds of each other there you can see right there there you see the throttle if the cars handling good you'd see it over here 100% wide open all the way around this you see he has the cars not him and it's gonna make for a long day he's going to have to make a lot of pit stops work on that car every chance he gets you know what that feels like fast car can't drive Dale Jarrett in one lab plummeted from to 30th but he's done that in three other events Mike he wasn't on the part for the bunchy down to 150 and now he's on the pole today jason leffler showing us some foot camp both feet working the gas and dragging the brake that's how you keep from losing oh man she's got to drag that break he's got quite a bit of pressure with that left foot on the brake this the number 11 FedEx car the new Joe Gibbs entry for 2005 touching the brake to slow you down lifting off the club when you let off the throttle it's like a four-cylinder it just won't go again it takes too long for DeWine back up three cars trying to break away at the front of the field Stewart winner two years ago Michael Waltrip and surprising Scott ray in the number-10 Valvoline chevy in third he has been strong all through testing and all week here my brother was so confident that he had the car to beat today and he's right there I mean he jumped three wide him to get go but here he is with Tony Stewart looks like he's more been good DW he's right on the yellow line where he's been able to run all week his spotter Joey Meyer just told him the aide of Dale jr. can I hear his spotter if he gets their CD in his [Music] michael hasn't said much of the radio that car is just glued to the bottom and that's what you want you want a car that will stick to the bottom and go wherever you want to but the quickest way around here and that yellow line down on the left side there is your best friend you driver in car five this year terry labonte splendor london a partial schedule Kyle Busch comes out of the Busch Series he's the new driver that bright yellow Kellogg's car that just brushed off the wall and why is that yellow line your best friend because they can't go below it to make a pass on the way nice to have you with us the Daytona 500 on Fox Tony Stewart leading Michael Waltrip lap 11 with Jeff Hammond Chris Byers from the Hollywood hotel and this more than any other race on track teamwork is pivotal yeah I think we saw that early on Michael Waltrip tried to go in the middle and Dale Earnhardt's that night there yet you can't hunt you Matt but Michael was able to get hooked up now you run seconds but you've got to have a good dance partner to run well earlier Darrell talked with Mark Martin of sentimental favorite in the repaired car steady thought he had a car capable of winning he's doing all right he's doing all right he worked his way up to 17th right now but he's been up and down but he's been able at least getting at top 20 and keep things close I think is so important for his confidence as well as the teams early on in this race let's head back upstairs to Mike like a tightly wound watch the field uncoils and the laps tick away as you watch from our Quaker State aerial coverage Tony Stewart Michael Waltrip Jimmie Johnson Kurt Busch has moved to fourth displacing Scott Riggs to fifth and last year's third place finisher Scott Wimmer in six now what what you want to watch for folks is as these cars run you'll start to see the front group here looks like start to ease away from everybody else the reason being watch them come off of turn two and off of turn four gods have got good handling cars they will accelerate out of that corner and put some distance between the guy behind them guys it don't that means they're lifting a little bit peddling it if you will and they're going to lose ground in a hurry another thing that will help those top 12 as we see one of those top 12 Jeff Gordon 24 car moves the high side if those guys can stay lined up and running a single-file the way the draft works here they'll pull away from that group that's back there caused a lot of turbulence right in side by side normally you have three groups here you got the group up front that handles great can run wide open all the way around the track then you got a middle group that's kind of playing with the throttle and losing ground and then you got two stragglers at the back Mark Martin started 30 smoke smoke out of the 18 car over learn forward that's big Bobby Labonte going up smoke out both tailpipes caution flag that looks terminals coming out both sides of the car which is where the exhaust pipes off what's the old saying Mike or their smoke there's shrapnel bobby labonte in Joe Gibbs interstate Chevrolet was way up in the high group Mark Martin Ricky Rudd 21 had just gone by his teammate Jason Leffler in the 11 when that comes out the tailpipe there's nothing good going on inside that engine yeah my old crew chief Jacob do you say she just came Awad the body in his 13th Daytona 500 and we're under the first caution of the day and we're about halfway through this first fuel run we still have 42 cars on the lead lap which would exclude Bobby Labonte I would say because of that a lot of teams need to make their cars better pit road will be a very busy place probably filling up with fuel four tires and a lot of adjustments for a lot of these teams we welcome Office Depot to the NASCAR Nextel Cup family small business owners can visit their local office Depot to find out how their business can be designated official small business of NASCAR and be featured on the 99 office depot car the winner will be announced under the lights at Darlington Bay 7 Jeanne boy a reminder for Jimmie Johnson as he does make his way in to be advised it's gonna be a little difficult getting out actually guys are talking about making no adjustments to the car out of the stuff that you might expect give him some fuel give him four tires Jimmy has been saying that the car is actually loose and someone is behind him but it's it's not bad when he's free but he is tight and three and four so they've just decided that they said to go in for tires and fuel and let the car work its way out and learn our jr. struggled in practice here but he's got the car much fashion that does work with the engine and Junior's happy with the car Steve Tony Stewart says he's just a little snug in traffic our tires are a small air pressure adjustment man this will be a more tired Michael watery inner pit road in the second position he said he's lost grip it's tight and loose he really wanted to fix the loose and we're really helping with other car is very strong Jeremy Mayfield's team may have rolled the dice on two tires that looked like almost everyone else got four see a lot of adjustments being made on Dale Jarrett's car the UPS car member are but pole-sitter started in the first position he had almost went to the complete back of the field I think Scott Wimmer in the 22 actually won the battle quite sure he probably just changed right-side tires there's Wimmers cap Dobbs number 22 Bobby Hamilton Jr Jimmie Johnson third off pit road we're under caution in the Daytona 500 on five the Daytona 500 on Fox is brought to you by FISA proud sponsor of NASCAR by two Tylenol Extra Strength rapid release Joe team tylenol think fast by four winner of back-to-back NASCAR Nextel Cup championships and by next to go to foxsports.com to find out how you could be the Nextel fan of the week [Music] couple hundred thousand bath of attendants Armed Forces watching across the globe and millions of viewers everywhere moments ago we saw Kyle Petty stay out pick up some bonus points right during the he did decided not to fit well he was already a ceccolini the pack anyway so probably pretty smart move ELISA going on pit road and get caught facing the same come down pit row to get some bonus points and more importantly he gets himself a little bit of television time but I think this is a good move right now so we see Kevin Harvick also making a second pit stop right there it kind of tootle his car a little bit but well Kevin Harvick can't have any friends when it comes to drafting after what we saw during the Gatorade duel on Thursday I think you'll find some friends because I think he's probably got a pretty good race car and he will find guys and will use him the least get to the front and they'll kick him off to the side because they can under our first caution of the day let's go back upstairs to Mike Darrell little area see Jimmie Johnson right here now a lot of cars elected to change this to right-side tires a little surprised because I talked to Chad Knaus his crew chief this morning and he said you know I'm thinking four tires every time we come to pit road but another thing to help these guys Chad Knaus his crew chief these guys are able to pick their pit selection by how they qualify and this would be like the 48 car he had an opening in front of him when you have 41 cars on pit road at one time basically it's very easy to get blocked in when you try to pull out and he had an open here so that helps speed up their their pit road time but one thing I noticed looking at that camera shot of him in the car there that car is so neutral he's not having a look normally got to hold it up in the racetrack he's just kind of floating along there that car is really neutral [Music] watch the 1 and the 11 trying to squeeze out whoa you don't want to damage that right front fender I tell you that'll just kill your car Truex in the 1 left were in the 11 green flag and Scott Wimmer who took two tires is out in front bill Davis won the Daytona 500 with Ward Burton a couple of years back Ward ride less at the start of this season and hoping to hook on with a good team as soon as an opening permits but Wimmer is out front the old one of Joe Nemechek is stored one lap down right now if you got a good race car you want this they just go green stay green green green you got a car light Dale Jarrett need some services and some work done on it you'd like to see a caution about every 20 laps so he'd get the fits and work on Mark Martin started 32nd he is up to 16th in his final 500 Rusty Wallace also in his last Daytona 500 runs in 32nd in the zero-one card joe nemecheck I wondered how he got a lap down he pitted out of his pit box and got a one-lap penalty Michael Waltrip in the 15 car he's gathered a little group on the hot side with Kurt Busch in the 97 Scott Riggs in the 10 and they're making a run on that grief on the high side it looks like Tony and Michael got a little something going Michael sat there behind Tony earlier Tony Stewart in the 20 car and followed Michael followed Tony now it looks like a reverse Rhodes that's Mike Skinner in the 23 a former pole sitter for the 500 but it looks like it's that outside lane that's moving so Wimmer goes up top to pick them up we were finished third here last year in the Daytona 500 that car has always been good here at Daytona but Michael Waltrip in the 15 Tony Stewart McCoy decided to go up to the hot side and just before turn it off in the turn three Tony gave Michael quite a shot to catapult him off into turn three Wimmer closed the door he got him behind Michael and left Tony hanging see our Fox Trax with Jeff Gordon in the 24 car we talked about racing this close at 190 hundred 91 miles per hour all day long you're hear us talking about three wide four wide the racetrack is plenty wide enough for that but we'll get excited because you know what that's where you can get in trouble and cause that big wreck if you make one mistake in the track dad and they got this mindset of bump-drafting and they're doing it everywhere around the racetrack side by side the 48 of Johnson the 97 of Kurt Busch right together right how they finished up last season Jeanne will be happy to know that I went up to Jack and I was the crew chief for the 48 car of Jimmie Johnson and asked of okay buddy why did you go from four tires to two tires as originally planned with Jimmie was making his way to the pits he said why not this morning he told me to Larry Mac he'd go in for he said look I'm trying to keep Larry back on his toes just experimenting for later in the race both Bill Davis racing cars took out two tires that last stop for track position both were on the tight side both raised the track bar because two tires would normally tighten you out more as you can see Wimmer on the bottom still running in second Skinner with new Argent mortgage colors hoping to put together hit me at 12 to 15 race deal with this team but Wimmer starting to lose the 48 in the 20 and troubles continue for the pole sitter Dale Jarrett he was extremely tight all kinds of changes rubber in the right rear spring the biggest adjustment was he could not see his Pitt sign for board it's brown ups on the Edit orange fluorescent tape to that Pitt signboard he almost missed it he got back on the racetrack as there you see his pit board he almost missed his pit board he told the guy seconds ago they're all driving past me dick Berggren well Earnhardt jr. has had problems with his radio the crew needs to here's the driver so the driver can tell the crew how the car is behaving so they can make proper adjustments during pit stops crew couldn't hear jr. so they have changed channels they're now on the backup Channel and everybody can hear everybody just fine we've talked about teammates hooking up Jimmie Johnson Jeff Gordon they're on the inside have found each other and now can try to work together to get to the front it isn't that's a great that's what teammates are all about the other thing is you heard him talking about junior couldn't hear they can't hear junior that's not so bad the main thing is if he can hear that spotter and he can hear the crew chief he doesn't necessarily have to be able to talk to them as long as he can hear them yeah the crew chief is important to these drivers they're like the head coach but that spotter up here it's his eyes his senses he's like the defensive and offensive coordinator all in one yeah a lot of times you don't really want to hear what the driver has like I've been there now time for our singular virtual crew chief question to vote text the word crew to 191 on your singular wireless phone or go to foxsports.com you'll be entered to win your own singular number 31 what's more important today handling or horsepower taking it a snail Jarret he can answer that pretty easily answer call 24 laps complete of 200 michael waltrip ass champion of the Daytona 500 bleeding Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch [Music] Calamity intern for you see it unfolding as Ricky Rudd and Boris said and the number four of Mike Wallace half crashed I think Wallace got the worst of it his lucas oil car is already in the garage ricky rudd for the Wood Brothers there is Kyle Busch who is involved this is what we were talking about just a little while ago one mistake by one driver that tight of a pact speeds over 190 miles per hour one mistake six seven eight cars involved the Wood Brothers of Stewart Virginia have won this race with AJ Foyt they won it with Cale Yarborough tiny line that won't win it today right side of your screen I think I saw a tire looked like a rubber came out for the left rear of Ricky Rudd's car maybe or somebody's car can't tell for sure which one looks like he definitely got in trouble looks like he almost corrected it Darrell and then it shot back up the racetrack right in the middle of the racetrack that's where everyone else got involved I think Larry I glimpsed the casing of the tire coming off see down at the bottom down there there it goes see it rolling off into the off onto the apron I talked to Goodyear's Billy Hodges this morning and he said the tire problems of last week we're all taken care of they were confident of a good day but now I restart and do that now we've dropped the air pressure a little bit job baby great call they drop the air that was Kenny Wallace and his spotter well we're under caution that means pit stops and we've only ran like 11 laps but I think everybody's on pit road more tires more adjustments Nick over the course of the winter change pit crews with this make michael waltrip as well as most of the car shouldn't plan tired from a Quadra me said that the car was just way too loose up on the high side especially in the middle of three and four that's one of them over the two tires and a track bar adjustment to try to tighten that race car up so he can get back down on the bottom near that yellow line Kevin Harvick is in trouble on pit road he coasted in and there are they taping that car trying to get the hood open looks like they're doing some repair work on the front of that car he had he had fallen backwards back quite a bit have to push it back and then I'll take off working on Kyle Busch's car Mike Wallace is already gone to the garage after this one in turn four Bock glad to have you alarm for the Daytona 500 let's take a look at the all-new Chevy Corvette pace car and ricky rudd it is 28 Daytona 500 he's never won involved in what is at least a six car crash the first crash of the day yes as we said earlier the left rear tread on the left rear tire came off and the car went around went up it hit the 99 car and collected the four of Mike Wallace along with but looks like Boris said several other drivers trying to avoid accident it was nothing a trick you can do I mean was just totally out of control whatever the tire went down he just turned him right up into the 99 car Kyle Busch a 19 year old involved in this also Boris had his first Daytona 500 8:42 caught up at at a time listen to this spotter baby and the in-car camera on the levee card Jason leverage because he said man good job baby I mean he really did a good job about panic Michael Waltrip leading a Tony Stewart and it's interesting in the drivers meeting which they all gather right before the race here the Daytona 500 usually questions with David hoots the race director there were no questions from the drivers who just cautioned everybody be respectful from the first lap to the 200 yeah right now like I say this is nothing a tricky Road could have done about this he lost that left rear tire went up hit the side of Carl Edwards in it up in front of the four car as well as the 5 car of Kyle Busch around they went under our second caution of the Daytona 500 let's check in with Steve Byrne and Chris when Tony Stewart came to pit road he had radioed his crew chief Greg Zipadelli said it's just a tip tight so interesting strategy they took just two tires just two tires for Tony Stewart he told his crew good job boys man confusion here between the 29 of Kevin Harvick in the night of Casey came they thought the night of Cain was pulling out Harvick stopped it was kind of like one of those things a parking lot at a grocery store finally Harvick sitting the problem he has with the grill the piece of tape they're going to try to fix with safety wire he keeps coming up Mike like it's a wicker bill causing drag thanks man 29 laps complete second caution of the day Darrell one of the adjustments that the crews use all the time it's their best tool is air pressure more likely that was low air on that left rear tire that pulled that turret off the casing like that because it have not been that long since they made a pit stop now we've been talking about pit selection and winning the battle off pit road even though Michael Waltrip elected to only change two tires a lot like Paul Menard the Busch Series race yesterday and again you pick your pit by how you qualify this is the pit outline right here and Michael Walters right here once the pit stop was completed all he had to do is move that shorter distance do basically win the battle off pit road it paid off that time Ricky Rudd completes a stop his battered car will go back on track as we get ready to go green five different leaders of this race so far Tony Stewart Michael Waltrip Scott Wimmer Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Petty stayed out to lead a lap under caution before making a stop usually saying the start of these races five miles everybody's coming everybody's kind of pushing and shoving have a lot of caution early on then we'll get down to some green flag racing we need to mention Joe Nemechek in the old one car and he got back on the lead lap he received the free pass which is the thing that NASCAR does was it frees the field under caution whoever's the closest car to the leader lap down he gets back on the lead lap when a caution comes out 30 laps 75 miles complete you got your high-def TV you got your surround sound Dolby just crank it up all right [Music] Mark Martin started 30 seconds in a car he said was good enough to win the 500 even after we wrecked it Thursday they said don't try it off the backup car fix this one they did he is up to sixth place yeah he had started mauling her hooked up pretty well there he gave us everything a good shot going into three says I got a bumper and I'm not afraid to use it Steve they were very worried about all the body damage to that car but that's the car walk wore to race they had to body fabricators down from the shop in Mooresville North Carolina they worked as hard as they could to get that thing right that true trisys said the nose has to be right or we're in trouble well those fabricators have done the job so far and it can go either way you know they can fix the car and you can say man that's what I needed or you can hear the crew chief say well you know that's what you wanted old buddy and of course NASCAR would not let them take the car out of the garage and they have set hours if the garage is opening close but the biggest thing I think that Pat trice and Mark Martin estate that they made fitness car we're in championship form this year I got a close look at him down on the grin and it looks a lot better from the 20 feet away than it does from two but it'll do the job Rusty Wallace in his last 500 dick Berggren and during an earlier pit stop Mike one of the crew members accidentally knocked off the left side mirror from Rusty Wallace car on that more recent pit stop a crew member went at it came up with a hose clamp situation and got a new side mirror on the car many half a lap ago Michael Waltrip he'd his mic and said ask Tony if he needs me to do anything different I will they talk to Tony spotter relayed the message Tony said stay right where you are this is perfect for me that's what you want to hear that's a little coopertition going on there you see Casey Mears in the 41 car there he was stuck in the middle he was trying to get hit that we've been talking about teammates working together he was working to get hooked up as we cede to Helen our junior little bump draft here on Jeff Burton but he was trying to get hooked up with Jamie McMurray in more than the 42 of the 40 car his teammates but it just didn't work out they're coming off the last corner coopertition Darrel making new and maybe temporary friends working better working together for the betterment of somebody we look at Jeff Burton the 31 car there you were Tom at Dale Jarrett earlier that he wished he had a car that just handled a little bit I talked to Jeff Burton this morning he said Larry my car is not fast but it handles good as we see Matt Kenseth of the 17 car he's in trouble he almost stopped going into turn number three right shot the tire down right-side tires Oh tailpipe smoke or Tom Scott I think that's tires it's something else yep she use there there's the telltale sign they're going to go under the hood matt kenseth the 17th or so - pre-race favourites in early trouble Bobby Labonte and the 2003 Nextel Cup champion Matt Kenseth is being pushed behind the wall Michael Waltrip Tony Stewart Jeff Gordon three fast Chevy's out front [Music] at least six cars involved in that wreck not exactly a big one but one just to let everybody know where we stand it looks like double zero Kenny Wallace will be coming to pit road we've already seen early on a couple guys have some tire issues and he may have a flat on that Carlson Michael Waltrip has led since lap 20 were on lap 40 Dale Jarrett on the pole dropping back after starting the race as we get a look here there are more Chevy's in this race Jeff than any other manufacturer 20 in the field 14 Dodge nine Ford's right now Chevy leading the way in the top three yeah but you got a lot of guys right now trying to get hooked up work together as far as the Fords your concern so it's still a long ways to go problem for Ford Matt Kenseth let's check in on that with Jeanne Zelasko well thank you Chris Matt you and set it all the Speedweeks you've been down here this is the best car you have abroad today Tony what the heck you doing in the garage broke a connecting rod and engine so it's very disappointing we you know blew up before qualifying and broke a piston or something and now it broke again so we have a great engine program but this is a definitely disappointing way to start the season it's the best car I've ever had down here by far I felt like we could have really been a contender today we had a problem on the pit stop and got ourselves behind but we're still have plenty of time to get caught back up and disappointing way to start the season better looking Fontana Matt even in a backup car Kevin Harvick thought he had a great shot to win today sir repairs to the grille with a piece of tape and the safety wire did not hold the tape has flipped up now the crew is trying to build a piece of aluminum that will fit nicely aerodynamically in that grille crew chief todd barry has instructed the guys get this piece of metal ready for their next pit stop hopefully it'll be a yellow so they have time fix it right now Kevin Harvick is trying to hold on to the draft the reason they want to run that tape on that front in the opening is the more you can tape that up without overheating - all in the water it aerodynamically really helps the car go through the air and they're trying to keep as much of that blocked up as they can Kyle Busch has gone to the garage joining Kenseth Mike Wallace Bobby Labonte Kenny Wallace went to the garage - Mike in the awarenss dream machine guys I'm pretty impressed with that 48 car Jimmie Johnson it was not that many laps ago he was back there running with Mark Martin in the six car he drove off by himself and left Mark Martin in comptes top 5 you see him behind Scott Riggs in the 10 car here Mark Martin leads the second group of cars and work I can't believe how calm he sounds out there at 190 miles an hour listen I really appreciate it it work wonderful if we keep everybody else but put a three-wide will be good and in so how the driver goes is how the team goes if the drivers calm and the driver is not excited about anything it's such a big confidence booster to the crew because they know that he's sitting out there that him any problems he's really happy marks number six and seventh place and he has brought the second group of four cars right up to the first it's now a 10 car lead draft in that mix Mike Skinner first of our dodge front runners in eighth and the rocket Ryan Newman in ninth Sterling Marlin 11th place best of the dodges right now and this is a good run for these dodges because they have the new charger they replace it with it from the intrepid and they built this car with downforce it helps a car stick to the racetrack they somewhat paid the penalty last week when you need a good slick car to qualify but I think as this racetrack really gets thick the car starts sliding around it looks like they're gonna race good pretty impressed with Mike Skinner because they were not even going to race down here based on how their test was about a month ago but they've come to life Jimmy Johnson the 48 the 10 of Scott Riggs side-by-side as they fight for fifth place while mark likes his car Mike is because it gets better and better in the long run maybe not all that fast on the starts but it looks like that's the kind of race car that you want for 500 miles 3 Wallace brothers started this race two of them are in the garage Jeanne yes and I've caught up with caddy and sometimes we have dreams and sometimes we have nightmares what happened sir I want to thank Michael Waltrip and Aaron's you know I mean it was a great day car was running great and no warning at all I guess something happened in the motor why did the crash avoided the crash you know I never a couple things that could've went either way this whole week but you know all I can tell you is everything was going great it was a real good day and it looked like everything it finally settled out I don't know what happened to Ricky there but we've ordered that big wreck and um man it was running you know handling really good that's what I was excited about no one at all we just um felt like it dropped a vowel or something but you know Dei builds great motors and we put quite a few laps on this one because it was the motor we ran in the 120 or 150 well if there is an upside star you can go back and root your brother on to try to win the Daytona 500 yes this is the agony of the pink but I'm thrilled to be here thank you these engines don't turn a lot rpm about 7000 they'll turn close to 10 next week in California but they go through what engine builders called harmonics and there's a certain rpm range for that engine is not happy and it gets a lot of vibrations in it you get it caught at rpm range very long it can break something and the reason they don't turn them as many here at Daytona is in will next week at Fontana they have that carburetor restrictor plate it takes about half the horsepower out of the motor [Music] there are your three lead cars in the Daytona 500 50 laps 125 miles in the books Michael Waltrip two-time winner leading the series champion Kurt Busch and yesterday's Busch Series winner Tony Stewart who leads the Koch family of drivers right now Stewart has won everything in open-wheel closed wheel racing but the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500 and the win he had yesterday you should have seen it it was a thing of you guys one of the best saves I've seen in years I mean to get down in the grass come back up on the racetrack and keep on going that was a lot of car control he only went from first to seventh despite that slide in the grass and then came back from 17th to win it in the last 10 laps to seem like it motivated one of the most surprising stories early in this race is Scott Riggs he's in only his second Daytona 500 in that white number 10 car in fifth place finished a disappointing 34th last February but he's been with the leaders all day 29 points the team sees a lot of potential in this young driver but he's hard on himself he and his wife took their young son Lane he's three years old to see rode on Monday and he said it did as much for him and it did for his son it helped him relax and focus with this race dick Berggren while the other surprises Dale Earnhardt he started in fifth spot he's all the way back to 16th he pronto is his new crew chief what's going on well he said the car was fine he got caught in a few bad spots didn't push the issue I think it's gonna be okay thinking you might see him starting to rumble he in a little bit okay Pete making his first start and a points race in the Nextel Cup Series with Dale Earnhardt jr. and dick that's exactly what he basically did for most of the race yesterday in the Busch Series race let the race wind down we know we have a lot of pit stops we have a long way to go just let things sort out just a little bit when you've got a good race car and you know you got a good team you don't have to panic you can just kind of ride along and enjoy the scenery time for the singular virtual crew chief question will Dale Earnhardt incorporated win its fourth Daytona 500 in five years text the word crew to 191 on your singular wireless phone or go to foxsports.com you'll also be entered to win your own singular number 31 car Jeff Gordon has been trying everything he knows to get to the front of the pack and he may have found a way and one thing these guys would like to do they would like to get somewhat single-file because the thing about it we're only about five to eight laps away from what would be a green flag pit stop and remember they're out there hunting over 190 miles per hour pit road speed is 55 miles per hour and you need to be single foul you don't want to cost yourself a bunch of time by getting all gathered up coming on the pit road and maybe even get into a property Jeff Gordon of the DuPont number 24 two-time 500 winner four-time Cup champion he is fighting his way up to third as the deal-making begins up and down watching the Daytona 500 on Fox [Music] it's been good stuff so far for michael waltrip leading Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson running third Ryan Newman who battled the flu along with the Mark Martin who's run rather well deals are being made right now Jeff Hammond it's time right now for a foot [Music] let's check in with Matt Yocum at genuine area crew member I'm Michael Walters he ran from pit stall one all the way down to pit stall 20 where Tony Stewart is pinning talk to Greg Zipadelli and Scott deal they were looking at pitting around lap 62 they worked so well together and remember the 15 team used to be Dale on our juniors team with Tony Eury jr. those guys worked well together with the 20 team last year they're looking at pitting again coming in Sterling Marlin Rusty Wallace Dave Blaney and Jason Leffler Brian Vickers was in a lap ago they are joined by Kyle Petty Jeff Green Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler on pit road and I think we need to explain why these guys will to pit in grooves why do they want to come in there when it would be much less congested by yourself the way the draft works here if you can pit together with a small group eight ten twelve cars when you leave pit road you get group backup you're going to run faster as a group probably two seconds faster than you would if you will by yourself now more than half of the dodges came in that lap do they not get quite as good gas mileage as the Chevy's are Ford's they are known not to get near as good as mileage [Music] I think Mike started on pit road and I'm not so sure that they need to get some kind of a transmission from the 24 group that maybe they were going to stay out another lap Mayfield's an along with Nemechek pole sitter Dale Jarrett John and Casey Mears is in Hamilton and Morris said we've been talking about this Darrell this is such a challenge for these drivers you've been out there for 35 laps and over 190 miles per hour you want to get as much as you can get on the pit road but you have to be the pit road speed 55 miles per hour to entrance pit road speed timed electronically rather than by stopwatch as in past years so by the time they get to those cones they've got to be bowed down and here come most of the leaders looks like about 12 14 15 cars in the lead to pax Jeanne she has been saved for quite a few laps but he can't keep it on the bottom they're gonna make a track bar adjustment air pressure adjustments as well try to free the car up guys Dale jr. got tipped into his pit stall but it's legal only the right rear tire is outside the stall so dick it's a legal stop but it's not pretty it's not pretty but the birdie wash bike that he had a chance to hit several of his new members even though these junior hitting nobody at that's most important nobody got hurt but he ended up having to back the car up and you see right here he's about to lose the pack that he pitted with it's leaving pit road a lot of costly time he's probably going to go about a half a lap down because of that mistake here's Matt great stop Mike by the 15 team for Michael watch his car slightly on the tight side no chassis adjustment just air pressure the 24 car Jeff Gordon buries solid stop by the 24 truth Gordon said his car started to lose sight mean the back end wanted to come around and it started slow progress ty side as a fuel load burned off no major Justin Ford as well but the speeding police have a couple of victims Sterling Marlin Dave Blaney Elliott Sadler and Mark Martin Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson have all been nicked for speeding on pit road this pit stop right here they these guys have practice every since the end at the last year and it's a good feeling when you can fake people off pit road that pit stop feels like it flows with now he is Jeff Gordon we're on top of each other going out on the racetrack but the cooler heads prevail Michael in Jeff coats but for these drivers who got nicked for speeding on pit road by the electronic timing system it's a drive-through penalty at pit road speed so they have to come down pit lane at 55 miles an hour while everybody else is out there doing a buck 85 no cheeseburger either think about everyone has been to pit road it's set right now the leader of the race Scott Wimmer in the 22 car comes Jimmie Johnson he's coming in and Wimmer was in the last lap so here's Johnson along with Kurt Busch two of those who were penalized for being too fast either entering or leaving the pits the pit road speed limit is a safety rule 55 miles an hour to try to keep it safe for those over the wall crews these guys have had their 150s and the but you got to work off pit road because they all knew its electronically time I think they've been giving them a break but I bet you this morning they were all towed you got to live by the rule today boys there are the only good thing about the 48 having to make the pass from he happened he will have a friend with him Kurt Busch in the 97 and they'll be able to hopefully stay together so after the first round of green flag pit stops today 64 laps are completed Jeff Gordon the leader Tony Stewart and Michael Waltrip who led before pit stops they got a good stop there third Ryan Newman fourth does the leading Dodge Jeff Burton Chevrolet rounds out the top five and we like to walk up the 11 car the FedEx car to the NASCAR family remember every day is race day at FedEx Jason Leffler in the fifteen spot hanging in there we've had six liters with seven lead changes Jeff Gordon on top for now Dale Earnhardt jr. had some problems moments ago he has a new crew chief and a new pit crew but Jeff it wasn't the crew's fault when he got bumped going into the pits at about 55 miles per hour Jeff Burton right behind him no Jeff Burton right here Alison Dale jr. coming basically across Burton's nose that bright orange character he gives him a love tap and around he goes but the crew did an outstanding job watch right here they come off the wall they see the problem they react and they can teach well with their jobs I mean the jack man was coming alongside but otherwise they did a great job just getting him on my feet laughing and we'll ride it with the onboard camera this is how it looks from your juniors point of view yes exactly what happened after he came outside Lightning gun in the 31 car Burke was on the inside lane and they made contact right now yeah but Tony Stewart up behind a Jeff Gordon followed by Michael Waltrip Ryan Newman and Jeff Burton and Rusty Wallace trying to win that elusive Daytona 500 in his last ride up to six currently let's rejoin Darrell Aryan Lake you know any contact with Burton and Dale jr. the Jeff Burton wasn't supposed to be down underneath you Dale jr. like that he's supposed to stay out until he gets to his pit box and then turn in he was trying to get under jr. but Burton came out of the pits in fifth Ryan Newman the number 12 his fourth the last car in that lead draft Jeff Gordon two-time winner of this race Tony Stewart who has yet to win it Michael Waltrip a two-time winner and who wins the poll an incredible one out of every five times they run for the pole the rocket is fastest I just got a good feeling about him this year I'd say he's been so fast that car is so good and I think he's matured as a driver I think they're thinking big picture I think he's gonna have a great year here Steve to update some pit stops for us yeah my Tony Stewart has previous pit stop he took just two tires this time they put on four because the condition that he described as tight had gotten a little bit worse they had a great pit stop and the crew complement Tony back because he got on and off pit road very well meanwhile Scott Riggs really needed that pit stop they took four tires made an adjustment to the track bar Riggs said they had been going into a four wheel slide dick Berggren over the course of the winter many of the crews jumped teams what for what he thought Waller's crew they all stuck together they believed in their driver and when I walked into his pit this is what every one of them showed me a 12.9 stop and that is what has put rusty in the top ten he started way in the back of the pack with a backup car indict that was one of the things that had Rusty pumped up at the beginning of last year they had so many problems with pit crews they kept changing people moving people around and about halfway through the season they finally got a group they felt good about and he said they were consistently the end of last year kicking off those 1213 second stops and they just proves Larry just like you know now you got to have it all got to have a great driver got to have a good car but you've got to have a good pit crew to go with all that to complement everything and if you're one of those drivers who got nicked for speeding on pit road under green you got to have a caution fight it some of those were Jimmie Johnson Kurt Busch Mark Martin two-time winner of this race Sterling Marlin among those that got caught for speeding in the pit lane 55 miles an hour is the speed we're told there's no tolerance of that guy judge Johnson and company is losing about four or five tenths a lap to these first four up here yeah right now they're about 31 seconds behind the leaders and remember it takes about 48 seconds to get around this racetrack they're trying to get a little group together right now Jimmie Johnson in the 48 Kurt Busch in the 97 his teammate Martin Martin at 6:00 and Dave Blaney all pit road speeding offenders they've kind of latched up together but they've got a long way to go like Mike said I think it's going to take that caution to catch them up and we use the start/finish line as our point of reference so when I'm Jimmie Johnson my crew is saying the leader is at the line now and it's a sick feeling that every time he tells you that they're getting a little bit closer Jini fenders they are definitely in cahoots the 48 Jimmie Johnson contacting the 97 or Kurt Busch trying to get him to slow up a little bit the thought process is to wait for the six and then at some point the three of them will try to make a move and they have added dave blaney the black car the third Richard Childress car to that trio to try to work backup on the leaders and get cycled back with everyone who got on and off pit road without breaking the law well you know what they say misery loves company and that's definitely true industries and Darrell almost get a feeling that our four leaders right here start with Jeff Gordon in the 24 all the way back through Ryan into the 12 they're pretty content to run single fire out there because we've been talking all during the broadcast when you're single file with four cars that's the quickest lap times you're going to turn and they'd love to stay that way to continue to put distance on that group led by Jeff Burton the 31 oh yeah that's the conversation stay in line you use your hand signals you line up stay in line you tell the spotter to tell those guys that stay in line and get out Jeff Burton in the 31 leading this pack this is fit place on back this is the second group of cars with the one of Martin Truex the Busch champion the ten of Scott Riggs and 742 Jamie McMurray the 23 of Mike Skinner and Joe Nemechek who earlier got the free pass to get back on the lead lap now he's running in that top 10 76 laps complete in the great American race you're watching the Daytona 500 on Fox Fox ports by the have along with us from the Daytona 500 so race great from the great American race Dale Jarrett started on the pole and quickly fell to the back they learned our junior with a little hello mom how are you knocking the idiot Carter exact Bobby the body in the 18th card hips races an engine problem smoking and out of the race early feet while I turn for Ricky run his 28 Daytona 500 to the 21 car spinning circling because of a tire problem Elliott's a florist said Mike Wallace Kyle Busch all involves six cars get all that Matt Kenseth over points champ a connecting rod problem study in his best dates only forever but he's out of this race Dale Earnhardt jr. in the pits with Jeff Burton nudging him from behind cost him his crew had to react quickly Trump jr. back to 16th at the time and moments ago Ryan Newman to the 12th car running third there is the engineering degree doesn't help you there up against the wall in turn four coming off that corner right here good luck Brian decided to go to the outside of here Michael it arises there next thing you know there was contact made you can see starts move up off the floor right here on the high side of my quarter all upset by closer for deleting Stuart and Newman of just a different angle he's going up at 180 90 miles an hour 8580 found a narrow bed for around here I'm sure he got his attention but Michael let it get back there in line and they're trying to line back up keep going Waltrip up to third Ryan Newman drops down to fourth and the Hollywood hotel continuing of this visa race break Joe Nemechek a guy who was so hot and bothered on Thursday after the Harvick incident with Jimmie Johnson in a backup car has worked his way back up toward the front only three times at Daytona 500 history as a driver one with a backup car right now they made a really good adjustment so far all this car they've been working her way back he's all the way back up to 11th right now but another guy we talked about early on Dale Jarrett it looked like he was going to be in trouble early on and again this team has made a lot of work on this race car and they've got him back up the fifth position shows good rebound by him six drivers in their first Daytona 500 ever including Martin Truex Jr the bush champion on the last year he started 10th let's check in on him he's up to six currently with Matt yoga very impressive run he is the second car in the second pack boat obey it was talking about your pack is the slower pack we're going to talk to the spotter on the 31 to see maybe if we should swap positions it pull the pack closer to the lead pack the car a little bit on the free side but Martin is having a great run thank you that this has been a piece of race break let's rejoin Darrell Larry and Mike 210 of 500 miles complete this next time around the front four have a six second breakaway on the second pack right now and I've been watching the ride Newman's car and as he goes by I can see the right side of it he visibly has a lot of damage to the right side of that race car there you can see where he scrubbed it up against the wall knocked all the lettering off the tires but it hadn't seemed to slowed him down too much although Michael and the other two cars Jeff Gordon Tony Stewart got away from him a little bit so there's a pack of four then there's a group of ten then another group of about 12 and way back are the drivers who've got gigged for speeding on pit road 32 seconds behind the leader come Kurt Busch Mark Martin Dave Blaney Jimmie Johnson and further back yet Travis Kvapil Sterling Marlin along with Kevin LePage Kevin Harvick and Mayfield debris on the racetrack will put us under caution for the third time today and that is a huge break for this group right here we talked earlier it was going to take a caution and especially see that red car right up in front of the leaders the 19 car he was about to go a lap down Jeremy Mayfield remember he was one of the teams that was caught speeding on pit road huge break for this group Elliott Sadler's well too Larry I think he's gonna get the lucky dog recess the starter reports debris in the trial the linear start finish and there's also debris on the racetrack out in the area of turn three so that puts us under caution for the third time today indeed elliott sadler the first car one lap down will get the free pass on this caution flag that took place between the trading and paint with Ryan Newman and Michael Waltrip Newman didn't realize how tight his race car had gotten he tripped it high that's what happened meanwhile Michael Waltrip says his car is on the tight side as well it sounds like all these cars experiencing what we expected Darrell the more rubbers laid on this racetrack the more heat that gets in everything the front end does not return no words the drivers turning the steering wheel and the Front's just slide up the racetrack well this came at a good time for a lot of guys I'm telling you how it's a bunch of guys back in the show I would say just like the last pit stop earlier caution I think everybody on the lead lap and everyone that's even a lap down will be the pit road for four tires fuel and adjustment we were very close to that next green flag pit stop now this brings 28 drivers right back up in touch with the leaders and I think some of them in the back Larry will see gamble with two tires to get track position I don't know Mike it's been so long since that left last pit stop I think with what we've seen the two tires on long runs I think this would be a good time we're almost halfway to get those four tires dick Berger well Jeff Burton just got congratulate about his crew chief Kevin handling for not getting caught speeding on the last pit stop it was a subtle reminder don't get caught this time Burton has pitted very very close to the wall he backs the car up that cost time this will not be the batteries offense Steve and make a track bar adjustment for Tony Stewart for tires his crew chief Greg Zipadelli saying watch your PIN Road speed and fat chip thorne to the last stop his car started out loose any adjustments are talking about a cheetah leads he's already bound away as Tony Stewart will beat everybody 13 seconds stop for Michael Waltrip they tried to tighten track bar to loosen him up as well one had a terrible time my Jeff Burke nice little did the pit box got it up again see a pit wall and they couldn't get to Jack gun to the left side really really hurt him watch this he's going pretty fast right here now they need to show me back he did spike up a little bit but not enough for them when the jack man comes around you'll see watch jack man cannot even read that long handle to jack it up one pump should get that jack up and you see he has to keep twisted and keep confident again mistakes on pit road he was a fifth place car that's gonna go from fifth to about twenty fifth unlike Michael Walzer scoop not a very happy group here here though are the kings of pit road this time around Tony Stewart's home beat both crew [Music] or going for its third straight Nextel Cup championship the last two Cup Series Jack Roush's teams Matt Kenseth the 2003 Kurt Busch in 2004 when you look at the rest of the guys driving the Fords people like pit bull principal Carl Edwards Mark Martin back his Ford is built for the road ahead with a stable of very talented drivers and Jeff Hammond you and I talked with Jack Roush this week with the familiar nickname Cat in the Hat and he said who thinks this is his best staple of driver junk Carl Edwards can learn from these veterans and right now you see where they're running currently the Daytona 500 Greg Biffle up to fourth are they doing an outstanding job and I must agree with Jack Roush he has got some outstanding drivers right now driving for him and they're gonna be tough to beat again Kurt Busch defending points Jim not a lot of love this week in terms of hey he's a guy you'd pick in this race today well when you come down here as hard to bet against guys like Earnhardt and Gordon when it comes to Daytona under caution getting ready to go what's rejoining Larry Darrell Mike well the whole pack is back together Chris 32 strong on the lead lap single-file in the outside lane for this restart Tony Stewart your leader Michael Waltrip second Jeff Gordon third Greg Biffle is the first Ford in fourth place Jamie McMurray the first Dodge in sixth place and dick Berggren problem on pit road yeah Boris said was having the front end aligned on his car he took off and when he did one of the pieces of equipment then they were using to align the front end got caught in the rear wheel and when that happened it went flying Chuck he thought whoo you see right here got hit in the ankle by that piece of flying metal as did Josh Yosh etho is with Boris car Yost is with the number 31 of Jeff Burton so the EMTs right now are looking at and one of those EMTs is by pit road spotter Jeff drops right in the middle of it trying to help Chuckie Thome thanks dick tony stewart will lead them down for this restart lapped cars in the inside row casey mears Bobby Hamilton Jr Brian Vickers Kenny Schrader Boris said and Ricky Rudd Stewart Waltrip and Gordon and Chevrolet is biffle's Ford Scott Riggs Chevy and Jamie McMurray and Rusty Wallace in dodges the front seven but for all the guys that would love to see that caution flag I'll tell you Ryan Newman look where he ended up Larry he is way back there I guess they had two different sets body to get the body work right on the side on the right side of the car and make sure that the wheels were aligned they'd also mention the Kyle Busch in the five cars back out there after major repairs 52 laps down as well as Mike Wallace and 462 laps down right now we only have three cars out of this race right Kyle Busch has come back on the racetrack trying to hold speed you see the speed climbing now up past 180 miles an hour as they come to full speed what do you say we turn that knob a little bit suits me let's crank it out [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] very quickly you see the field is split into two packs the haves and the have-nots let me tell you who has made the rebound of the day Dale Jarrett 88 all remember he was our buck Mullen said it started on the inside the front row we're riding with him here as we look back at Martin Truex Jr in the one little bump draft down the back straightaway they started on the pole they stayed up there for a little bit they got that hard hit from Dale Earnhardt jr. early in the race he went back to about 38 but now they have continued to improve that car Steve and he's up there in the top ten now and Larry Mack listen it is the last two pit stops they have done nothing but change four tires on Dale Jarrett every they added some tape to the nose and raise the track bar and they have marks inside that top-10 GD before th at Canal sever the positive presence reminded his driver after the last stop we are right back in this thing now good job of staying calm Jimmie Johnson to porches car little loose Nivea tracks bar and air pressure adjustments as well to the tires and words of wisdom just recently from canal said it is about to get wild and don't forget the 97 wants to work with you at 48 the lowest Chevy of Jimmie Johnson was about 25th when he came into the pits on the caution flag he's now 13 well they had a great pit stop and we talked earlier he has that little bit of opening in front of him leaving and it does not block him in he has a kind of a free area to get out his pit box question when the race started everybody most everybody picked in economy in this race so I think that rebound is a came at a good time for him at 14 car john andretti that's a good run for this race car he's up there in the 13th position remember this is basically a brand new team this was a team that was not locked into the field they had to come down here and qualify they got in on their speed this is a good run for John has that Yates power under the hood the thing about teams like that Larry as you know they can they hang can they hang around there all day and be there to finish that's the big question John the nephew of Mario Andretti cousin of Michael driving for a team that did not exist September 1st the whole deals been put together since then but John white a veteran of both NASCAR and IndyCar races and he's won here before one here driving Pro kill y'all Gary Yarborough in the July race but this track has been about as slick as it is in July Larry with the no rain and a lot of rubber and that seemed to have just cured themselves Jason Leffler the third Joe Gibbs car the X star now running an 18th Matt Mike this team came to Daytona without us safety that they had to qualify on time to make sure that can make it in this race they've done everything right all Speedweeks Jason's having a very solid run what joint in between 11 and 20 a little bit on the loose sentiment an air-pressure wedge adjustment the same car Jason's driving today was the car that Tony Stewart nearly won this race one year ago meanwhile the 12 a Ryan new a lot of track position he's currently running just inside the top 30 and to pull out the fender lost a lot of time the 16 car Craig Biffle is on pit road they had a loose wheel had a great stop you can see why loose lug nuts mistakes on pit road just comes under green you see the whole field coming off turn four they will blow by him like he is sitting still he will be more than a lap down when this is all shake shakes out well what he hopes he can do Larry is get blended in here somewhere hang in there and maybe get the free pass when the caution flag comes out again and wait they're racing right now that's very possibly soon now just Gordon's just made a big dive out from underneath Michael Waltrip as they came out of the trial when they got lined back up at turn two a hello and good wishes to 84 year old Chris econo Mackay dean of racing journalists and broadcasters whose what's it like out there became a staple of early racing telecast governor jeb bush has proclaimed this chris economy day in the state of florida 96 laps complete closing in on half play and that is ton of 500 the Daytona 500 our parks is brought to you by Toyota choose any direction as long as it's moving forward to earth take the lead [Music] our aerial views of the Daytona International Speedway and the great American race brought to you by Quaker State nice to have you along here on Fox were halfway through this year's running the Daytona 500 don't think it's over the leader at the halfway point of this race has failed the win the last 12 times we've run the Daytona 500 Tony Stewart Michael Waltrip Jeff Ward all in Chevrolet right now we didn't saw a picture of the eight car dealer park juniors down low being pushed about Ryan Newman trying to make his way back up the front remember he got bumped on pit road and it has been at the back of the pack for a long period of time but now he's starting to march his way back to the front up to eighth position Tony Stewart took over on lap 88 we're on lap 101 Andy what was sentimental ride Rusty Wallace who had to start at the back of the pack hanging in there around the front yeah he's in a rotten outrun in fifth place and looking pretty racy right now as we look back here toward the back there's a lot of things been going on Rusty's tucked in behind Jeremy McMurray being followed by Martin Truex here a lot of strong race cars right now I'm now back with his lead pack you mentioned Jamie McMurray on the 42 car here's a guy talking about driver and how they have superstitions for the last a two years straight every racing will the same boxer underwear but he told me that in this race he'll he'll have fireproof underwear he hopes it brings him some good luck I hope so too makes me kind of nervous for that talk about get on the hot seat watch Michael Waltrip right now kind of look at inside of Toby school what really stopped running how the high side it looks like Kurt Busch is trying to make a move around Jamie McMurray Kurt Busch is running 7th right behind him Dale Earnhardt Jr who Jamie McMurray said he would like to draft with if they got near the front they're headed there now let's rejoin Larry Darrell and Mike Kurt Busch in Ryan Newman rocking it around the outside down and turned one Darrel when the two cars in the bottom lane got all clogged up yeah they did they got together down there had to get up out of the gas in the way in the outside lane was wide open and they come blasting through but guys we just restarted this race after that last caution 13 laps ago Ryan Newman restarted in 31st he's all the way up to seventh or eighth right now so if they had any problems with that car Matt Boren and the crew made the right adjustments on it the Dodge is marching toward the front look at Casey Cain's progress in that gold mango number nine Dodge Charger his backup car up to seventh place Tommy Bowen his crew chief this ho team they have had their work cut out for them all week long had to go to the backup cars you mentioned Mike it's been a struggle all week but here listen little past halfway he's marching to the front the nine car well this slow car right here they're coming up on is we're really going to bottle things up Ricky Rudd riki in the 21 car course he was involved in that wreck back on lap 26 when the left rear tire came off and we have caution on the Speedway again a debris caution and I think we'll have to see who maybe was the first car lap down because we had a few of them it'll be a big break for them it may have a lead been Greg Biffle in the 16 we'll have to see we're gonna have to go to the tape if we come across they're all wadded up good until there's debris about a hundred yards past the start/finish line to bring us under the fourth caution of the day could that have been that aluminum strip they fashioned for Kevin Harvick's grill perhaps and has that shape to it doesn't matter the car that drops the piece of debris is not charged or penalized but as a safety precaution the caution comes out now Mike I'll maybe go with a theory I think the front cars after 15 laps on these set of tires I think they will change for but like you said earlier maybe some of those guys back there trying to get back up to the front stay out of that eye of the storm they may roll the dice and change this to right-side tires because you don't need a full load of fuel here with only 15 laps since they were last on pit road yeah I think Jimmie Johnson is the guy who's really happy to see this caution because there was something wrong with whatever they did on the last stop Steve and Mike could be problems on that sixth car of Mark Martin he's been complaining the rear-end fan keeps shutting off so when they stop they're going to pull the right side window out they run one on the big track so super speedway so Mikayla keeps getting inside that car and see what's wrong with either the switch for the fans and they're like I guess we'll get Steve to check on that a little closer or is that defend maybe that's that's cooling the gear all as it goes through a cooler we'll have to have Steve check on that just a little bit a little bit deeper yeah because of the high gear that you run here in to Daytona we hardly we didn't use to run a fan but I'm getting a confirmation that said Jeanie well here comes the 97 of Kurt she's been complaining that the car drops home on the right rear like a downforce car so the decision is to make an air pressure adjustment to that right rear tire and to give him four tires as well Earnhardt jr. has put it toward the rear of his pit box so that Kyle Petty who is bidding in front of him doesn't block him on the bottom here screen Jeff Gordon it's a four-tire change meanwhile Michael Waltrip his carton was on the free side he found like the 24 2:24 corn was running over him almost entering the course making him loose they went down to the track guys I think Scott Weber in the 22 car as he did earlier in the race rolled the dice but talked about it 15 laps he won the battle off pit road by changing two right-side tires if I recall he did that last year late in the race he did it to hang in there and finish third Rusty Wallace in his final Daytona 500 he's run in the top ten just about all day this is his 23rd opportunity and final one to win the big race last year surprised third place finisher Scott Wimmer leads right now but Tony Stewart who was second in last year's Daytona 500 hanging in there he's second right now and what a stretch he's had this week it started in the Gatorade duel as he won the second race there and that's the whoops race yesterday that pass in the grass was racked through the dirt of the 33 car in the Busch Series his first ever Busch Series win after that super save and nineteen career wins and Cup racing never a restrictor plate race victory but as we take a look at what Tony has done from the fourth position he's in pretty good shape Jeff Hammond this is a visa race break and with his teammate out with a blown engine in Bobby Labonte should he be concerned in this way not right now not as strong as that race cars looked so far his car is really well handling well and so far he's been real strong and it looks like here Mike Walter we're pretty happy about working together so far so everything is looking pretty good for Tony Stewart we've surpassed the halfway point you see Waltrip up there Truex Jr Jeff Gordon your observation so far I just think like it's a really calm and very unpredictable race so far I think a lot of these competitors decided to listen to what Mike Helton said I'm gonna stay in line here I'm gonna get a little closer to the end but what I'm also noticing the intensity is starting to pick up and save so far we could have the big one as we get closer to the finish a lot more racing to go this has been a visa race break from the Hollywood hotel let's rejoin Larry Darrell and Mike three drivers have dominated this race leading 85 of 107 laps they are Michael trip Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon Stewart and Waltrip we'll start second and third behind Scott Wimmer Krita into x3 yeah I think that might want to send down a little population picking could be a storm brewing that halfway point tends to do that it does defending winter Dale Earnhardt jr. is eight the Ryan Newman is ninth and Kevin Harvick after early trouble has fought his way up into the top ten for me I think the first time today yeah first time and that watching been back to noon fifteenth eighteen and I think that comes from a little bit of a gamble by his crew chief Todd barriers just like Scott Wimmer and that group in the 22 car leading the race two tires to get that track position now two drivers have restarted all the way to the back after long stops Jeff Burton and Mark Martin wait at the tail end of the pack on this restart pretty ragged restart that front group broke out and left about 15 to 20 a minute in their dust somebody wasn't ready you got to be ready when they dropped a green flag and you own these three stores you got to be ready to go [Music] Sidney Johnson in the 48 car on the high side he starts to really drift backwards before that last caution maybe like they didn't get the right adjust was made but now he's dropped back up to the thick of things banging on the door of the top ten again he's the last car and that lead pack on the outside Martin Truex number one Dale Earnhardt jr. number eight have found each other at the front of that high groove they've got Newman the 12 behind them and Here Come Mark Martin and Jeff Burton 30th and 31st behind the 43 of Jeff green Steve Mike with Jack Roush the owner of the six car one circuit breaker it was blowing the circuit breaker was tripping it so we've unhooked one of the fans it may be that the fan have sucked up as a bad one it's either that or a bad circuit breaker the next time we get a caution we will reverse the fans and we'll know it's you know either we can't be fixed because it's a circuit breakers problem or we got the wrong fan hooked up to it right now we'll figure it out later thanks tactic dick Berggren well Jeff Burton has been running in the top five but that was a long laws hit stop the problem under the back end of the car a seal in the rear end appears to have failed that he is losing the rear end greases and they tried to fix it well that's gonna make everybody behind him very unhappy that's a shame he had an awfully good car earlier in the week we talked about making no mistakes there is a Jeff Burton getting into the back of Dale jr. as they both came on to pit road there will be able to make their stops but little later on Burton came in too close to the wall and the jack man has trouble getting the car up in the air to complete the four-tire change you know one thing that Larry I just thinking about the reason that Macha Marc might be having a problem you try to run the rear in grease as low as you possibly can all that grease in there creates drag and so you try to keep it right on the on the minimum side that's why I need those blowers to keep that gear cool now Burton after another long stop you see him just ahead of Jason Leffler and you see some of that rear end grease on the windshield of Leffler scar the windshields in these cars aren't glass like in your passenger car they're like Sonic and Lex and they're very hard to scrub clean Steve hey Mike just an update on Tony Stewart when that caution came out on lap 103 he told crew chief Greg Zipadelli I need a lot of help now on the rear end of this race car so they brought him down pit road put all four tires and he raised when the team rather raise the track bar on that 20 car just sounds like that again the handling characteristics of this track continues to change the more laps that get run on it and again his car starts sliding around more MORE that's where these crew chiefs through feedback where the driver has to stay on top of adjustments here's our final singular virtual crew chief question of the day to vote text the word crew to 191 I were single a wireless gone go to foxsports.com and they enter to win your own singular number 31 car and answer well you know some of these issues to Larry you create yourself it's one that it's it's that old theory I have don't beat yourself why you know fix things the way you know they got to be to run 500 miles here and don't do things of the car to make it go fast short turning it or short turn dirt gain and long term law it is sure bite you in a posture bow race we've heard from the leaders pit let's go to the pits of the second-place car Mike Michael Waltrip and the 15 can run anywhere but he wants to run with Tony Stewart Stewart steam told Michaels team he is tight he needs to run the bottom so that's where Michael is trying to run the problem is the 24 of Gordon keeps sizing Michael up Michael those versa in fact Gordon has been laying back to for several laps making huge runs sizing him up for later in the race Mark Martin has run up in the top ten but he's made a pit stop for a rear-end cooling fan problem Jeff Hammond Mike were down over the court cutaway cart want to show you what Jack Roush was talking about if you look right in this area this is a cooler that the fan is blowing through them and what it does they take air from outside blowing through this color and when the cooler does it circulates the grease and threw it back into the rear in houses now Dara was talking about the rear gears if you don't have them properly lubricated what will happen it will gold up it will burn up it will put you out of the Daytona 500 so thank you sure that these fans are operating because they're not taking in the outside air and unfortunate through the fan is all coming by these fans that's a reason why Jack Roush has got to make sure they get everything right we're gonna think of those look at something here we're gonna rotate this car around we were talking about the windshields and trying to make sure we get the lexan clean as you see the cars start to come around well you can also get an opportunity to understand why you've got to get these front ratios cleanest the only way the driver has tunity to look out as he goes down in the corner and skiddy pretty Gandia this is about what you're looking at as you go through the corner but here's the legs and they're talking about this is what the windshields are made out of it's almost a bullet resistant material so if something hits it it will bounce off but it will scratch up and you can't say it lasted a lot of the table put hair on solve it so when they come down pit road thank you remove that and make it like a new windshield there is a clear view out michael waltrip snappish Chevrolet at the race leader Tony Stewart won his Gatorade dual race Thursday won the Busch 300 Saturday trying to win his first Daytona 500 Sunday 116 laps complete as Bobby Labonte and Matt Kenseth's team begin the long ride home they're already out of the Daytona 500 walking back but they taught a 580 laps to go Tony Stewart leads Michael Waltrip and Jeff Gordon three Chevy's on top Kurt Busch would afford currently running fourth Joe Gibbs Racing with Dale Jarrett won the Daytona 500 back in 1993 trying to do it today with Tony Stewart way they Gillette young guns $1,000,000 watching win Game five game pieces done specially marked Gillette oral-b and Duracell products and this week said Gillette young guns winning code number is qfl z FC go to www.howtogetthejobideserve.com and three and they Gatorade duel when Jimmy Johnson said Harvick should be fired of course they since got together and said hey it's all racing well right now you watch jimmie johnson follow the 29 car Kevin Harvick they must have buried their differences somewhat because they're working together to try to get their way up toward the front and put themselves into position you try to win this Daytona 500 it's faster Denny but during the week you get so mad at somebody you want that scar to come down hard about your drafting together riding along at a Sunday afternoon Chris I feel that sign make it back to you sometimes we kind of pull it together when it comes crunch time and that's what these guys are doing they're realizing they need to work together and settle their differences later off at a different place at a different time we always have to put on our game face we've had teammates leading like Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson we've had some past Daytona 500 winner is leading today like Michael Waltrip well right now what I'm seeing is Kevin Harvick's cars really working really well it's like going to the outside and so far he's hit me Johnson speaking right with you and those two guys are able to get me keep putting pressure on the guys in the front let's check in with Matt Yocum Chris success in racing is all about people cheats and drivers like Kony Gibson he is one here with Jeff Gordon he won here last year with Dale Earnhardt jr. Daytona special not because of the victories but because for 25 years his mom managed the ticket office here today Tony International Speedway so for the fans at home who might have called the 800 number and got a ticket you might have talked to his mom Peggy she recently retired after 25 years here at Daytona you know Larry it's uh it's for 25 in the afternoon and I'm sure the track temp has come down considerably I think that's helping some of these guys are having some handling issues yeah because the track will get more grip as it cools down does the thing I'm kind of sensing DW is that the cars are tightening up no words the front wheels are sliding a lot through the corners and the other thing I'm sensing is that 24 car is wanting to get by the 15 of Michael he's trying real hard look just behind them Harvick on the bottom the 29 with the man who Thursday said he should be fired Jimmie Johnson his best drafting friend until just now on the 42 of McMurray slid down between them but Harvick and Johnson together have that inside to put Harvick in the top five hey listen it's all about making deals and you know sometimes you're not real choosy about you have to make you deal with at this point I taped two guys that have pretty good cars Brian Vickers in that 25 car on the outside and Casey Mears in the 41 two white car on the bottom remember that was two guys of a cop for speeding earlier in the day and they're up there trying to battle a race within the race to be the top running car of those two should a caution come out get back on the lead lap see a lot of racing back in the pack but we haven't seen a whole lot of racing up near the front those guys are pretty content right now okay I don't think who's content though was Kasey Kahne in that nine car look at the run he got off turn two that time sucked right up to Kevin Harvick in the 29 he's on the move Kahne restarted 13 as he climbs to sixth Tony Stewart is the Pied Piper of the Daytona 500 thus far 129 laps complete Tony Stewart continues to drag the front five now around single-file Jimmie Johnson has gone up with the leaders but from there on back there all things are busy in that second pack well that's because these crew chiefs these spotters are telling the drivers in that second pack you got to get back up to that front pack if you don't they're going to get away from you and they're beating the fenders off these cars back in here and when I say back in here we're only talking about six seven eight nine ten look at that Casey Mears in the 41 sideways at 190 miles per hour but I tell you who's in that group right there I've been watching him Mark Martin in the six car remember we have 32 cars of lead left he was at the rear of the field on this restart because he's fighting at rear and fan but he's not gonna light nothing keep him from contending for this Daytona 500 Barton's number six restarted 32nd as he passes Mike Skinner that will move him up to 110 well some of these cars are really jukey man I mean they're just jumping around but I think this late in the race Darrell I know we still have 70 laps to go Mark Martin Pat trice and Jack Roush they got to forget that beer and fans forget it even exists we got to go now and keep this track position can't fix it now baby Steve 175 miles left to race what's going on on the leaders pin hey Mike Matt Yocum just introduced you to one of the men behind the scenes who are so important to these race teams I want you to meet one in Tony Stewart's pitch you're looking at Jason Schapiro he's been with Joe Gibbs Racing since the team's inception he and his wife had a plane tickets booked to go scuba diving and Buchan beach in Thailand they were to lead December 47 the tsunami hit on December 26 Jason Spiro one guy who is in fact just happy to be here and I like that second group Jimmy Johnson's right there to tail into the front but these guys behind him or chased him down or a couple of three tents quicker and the pit stops are coming [Music] we're only about eight to ten laps from possibly some green flag pit stop to see Brian Vickers in the 25 car remember he's a lap down but he's trying to stay with his group to try to get back on the lead lap as he's beaten on the back of Kasey Kahne in the 9 through 3 and 4 but right now Larry you know you've got to try to keep these front file cars here in sight and you're gonna have to do something weird on the pit stop light take two tires possibly to stay with them are at least catch back up to let's go to the pitch of the second-place car back Michael Waltrip spotter has made a good observation to Michael he says Jimmie Johnson the 48 almost lets off a little bit coming through the trial goes high into turn one then dives down low and gets a great run off turn two making him aware of that move if Jimmy gets close to him and tries to make that loop late in the race he whoa Porter says his car is tight right now in traffic if he was out front the car would be perfect back straightaway Mike Skinner Mike Vick brushed the wall and turned to Darrell he either did air he's out of fuel one of the other because all of a sudden he just went up to track and he could not get down out of the way if he's out of fuel he looks like he that he's possibly running there I was gonna say if he's out of fuel they maybe didn't get him fool that last time he looks like he's still run impossible he was 14 and will come on to pit road don't stare apparent damage on the right side when you get right down to 20 time here he is right here you gonna same brush the wall I think like Murray hit the wall but Murray did a sawdust was the 42 car but when you get right here near a pit window like this when you get close to a pit stop the tires are worn out our cars are handling to worse you know they can barely hang on to gets down in here down into there you go somebody so the desk life think that babies 99 Carl it pit stops coming so we'll take one first you're watching NASCAR on Fox [Music] leaders Tony Stewart Michael Walter Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch making green flag pit stops we're now into the second lap of the meaning at least one more round of pit stops to follow one more chance to get four fresh tires should we stay green and one more chance to make those adjustments you see Joe Nemechek in the O one car he had inherited the lead making this pit stop as well as Jason Leffler Casey Mears and Jeff Green these are all scheduled stops it's also one more chance Larry to cool it you Jets just a little bit when you set there it takes so much mental concentration it's so much focus the man you you have you appreciate that short time on pit road to kind of get yourself relaxed a little bit before we get back and back so as things cycled through Tony Stewart will come back around with the lead Jeff Gordon with him Jimmie Johnson Michael Waltrip Marc Marc Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne are in the lead draft Steve and Mike they went down pit road very quickly somebody said he's helping his rear end of the race car so they made another track bar adjustment Matt Tony Stewart pretty much dictated that round of pit stops Michael Waltrip was going to pit on lap 141 no adjustments for the 15 meanwhile the 20 for Jeff Gordon told you earlier the car was tight in traffic slight air pressure adjustment for the two-time Daytona 500 winner that's for the reigning champ first car was getting tight got to pre rup Moore's what a set is cabañas williams so he conquered a track bar and an air pressure adjustment and checking it was a pit at 48 of Jimmie Johnson great pit stop really quick had great Jimmy don't touch switch to sport I'm sick to win the Daytona 500 final appearance in this race pit crew has been flawless running in the ninth position heat that's better as the run goes on so what rusty wants to see is a long green flag run right here Mike he's lined up with his teammate Ryan Newman meanwhile on pit road the Cinderella story of Thursday Kevin LePage the glass slipper Grove they lost a lap trying to push him get him restarted now he finally fires and gets back in the race it appears they probably ran him out of fuel we have three speeders on that set of green flag pit stops this is the second green flag stop of the day Dale Jarrett our front post Center a riding him with him here now he had to do a pass-through and they've been black flagging him which you you and that means you have to come to pit road for your penalty but two other drivers for the second time today Dave Blaney in the Oh seven and Jeremy Mayfield in the 19 now we see Dale Jarrett you in the pass-through which means he just has to come down pit road not stop maintain pit road speed 55 miles per hour let's remind you folks there are no speedometers in these race cars there's a tachometer that shows engine speed and on the pace lap before the start of the race the field is split in half there are two pace cars that each lead half the field at pit row speeds so the driver can tell where that a commoner and get a rough gauge of how fast they should be going in the past they've done it with stopwatches you see the lines up and down pit road that's the timing lines and the driver only has that tack and he can only get a reading own under the pace lap when he's behind the pace car and it can vary you this to the spotters I'm 42 what's everybody goes there 44 oh well maybe I miss it a little bit no you're for other bodies and guys are 4,000 it's all over the place not really an exact science yes I'm so impressed with our fifth place car right now Mark Martin and that sixth car impressed with mark impressed with his team remember in the qualifying races on Thursday involved in a big rig instead of going to a backup car Pat trice and his team decided to repair that car they worked hours after I was repaired it he had a rear-end lower problem just a few laps ago they restarted back in 32nd position here he's up here with about 59 left to go in the top five let's get an update on the second-place car here's bad Jeff Gordon came on the radio two laps ago at all the 48 what does he want to do we'll go ahead and make our mood the last lap by he put back on the radio get it says why is the 48 laying out as the cautions out for debris once again here at Daytona debris in turn number two puts us under the caution flag this would be leave the fifth one of the day just after everybody's made a green flag pit stops 31 cars [Music] Hale chair the pole-sitter today UPS the official delivery company of NASCAR delivers the chance to win four tickets to next year's Daytona 500 go to foxsports.com keyword UPS or UPS as they say in the office done let's take a check out pit road on Dale Earnhardt jr. who has failed to lead a lap today [Music] right now we see del tuyú come back on off the pit road their car is not working like it was early on when they keep working they try to make it better as he comes off the road we're also seeing a shot at Dale Jarrett it looked like it made his car a bit better and I'll said he faded back here's a guy who's been having a lot of trouble on pit road they look like they're working underneath the right rear spraying I don't know if her working on the trying to put another Sprague rubber in or if we're working with the trailer I'm trying to make his car track a little bit better let's check in back on Dale Earnhardt jr. and dick Berggren has the latest dick well Jr's really having a problem with the nose of the car he says it simply does not have any grip and they have adjusted that car a lot to try to make the front end bike we'll see if it works this time we get back to green Chris all right thanks dick so nine liters today 14 lead changes Tony Stewart leading for the fourth time we got a hundred 44 laps here in the Daytona 500 [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] two thousand five will be my last shot at a Daytona 500 does that eat on me no it does not and I'm not gonna apologize to anybody I've had a great career I've been incredibly blessed and I've done more than I ever could have turned up every race is an opportunity to me that it doesn't matter to me if it's Martinsville or the Daytona 500 a win as a win as a win as a win if I was only gonna win one it might be different but they didn't give me a choice of which one I could win I was just fortunate enough to win more than one race that's how I look at today Mark Martin begins his 18th season with Jack Roush he started every race since the 88 Daytona 500 545 straight races but he'll have to get past Tony Stewart Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson and Michael Waltrip if he's going to have a shot at Victory Lane Stewart that orange currently outside Darrell has been strongest all day but behind him the Hendrick teammates Gordon and Johnson the Roush teammates are hooked up and that's Martin and Busch and all the dodges are hooked up together Tony Stewart does he have any friends I don't know about that but we had some ugly restarts and I got to believe it everybody knows Tony's fast nobody knows you I mean you're looking at the cream of the crop right now so you want to pick a partner here pretty soon about those Roush teammates Jeanie oh yes I can't win I would love to see Mark Martin do it it has been top of mind for Kurt Busch all day when the six cars been behind him he's tried to work with others to slow down and help Martin move forward sentimental favorites Sherman and help that Martin has a really fast car and how about Jimmie Johnson he said earlier in speed weeks when I grow up I want to be Mark Martin so much fire so much class Matt under that caution Jeff Gordon jumped over to Jimmy Johnson's radio frequency they both discuss how their race cars are handling Jimmy told Jeff how he was going to the high side into turn one arcing the corner and then coming off low Jeff said if they're going to make a move on Stewart they're gonna have to go high they're not going to be able to do it down low rick hendrick chimed in and says you didn't come here to run second what are you gonna make your move and Jeff said I'm waiting for the right time I don't want to get shuffled you'll be the first wait a minute know you'll be the second to know when I go to make my winning move I'm gonna tell you what though Matt Jeff Gordon in that 24 car he keeps peeking out to the outside of Tony Stewart 20 Timmy Johnson in the 48 he opened the door while ago on the backstretch and he lost three positions yeah and Jeff Gordon lost his helper so now he's got to think about okay is Michael gonna work with me [Music] that is the question Tony Stewart started this race with two teammate Bobby Labonte out with engine trouble and Jason Leffler who is now the 12th place car Steve Mike with caution came out on lap 142 Greg Zipadelli and Tony Stewart debating coming down pit road again because he wants some better handling into the rear to that race car but they had just six green flag laps on those tires they knew they'd have to stop again so they elected to keep track position nick fury car number 42 there's lug around the top all day but in the last few laps he has developed an overheating problem very concerned about their ability to finish the race with the temperature gauge going the wrong way Matt Tony Stewart and Jason Leffler both won national championships driving for the same USAC major team tony's acted like a mentor to Jason in fact during practice the two teammates were drafting together and then Tony dumped him hung him out twice and then when the practice was over Tony sat and Addison this is what you did right and this is what you did wrong this is how you can fix it next time to work better in the draft so Tony has been working on his protege hoping that he can get up there and help Tony go to Victory Lane rush hour left lers right smack in the middle of it as they're two and three wide he's got a long way to go and a long crowd to get through if he's to have any chance of helping Stewart now we're watching Jimmy Johnson in the 48 car on the house that he has hit from Kasey Kahne in and then starting to claw his way back from those positions he lost about three laps ago there's the eye of the storm back there three abreast can you tell we're getting down to crunch time can you tell who that is it's got a hard to tell with all these cars bottled up like this guys we're 3/4 of the way through this race and we have 25 cars in less than two seconds of each other and everybody's cutting this you've been sitting in that tank for three hours you've made a lot of decisions in this last three hours now you got to make the best ones you've made all day they better be right from our Quaker State aerial coverage that car in the middle was the 29 of Kevin Harvick and right behind him the 22 of last year's third place finisher Wisconsin's Scott Wimmer some of the guys were telling me Mike it's right there where that group is you just have a hard time passing and all you do you get frustrated you start beating on the guy around you that's when we have a problem [Music] 48 laps to go Tony Stewart has led the most he led the most last year a look at the world's most famous Beach where they're in speed trials from the turn of the prior century to 1958 and then moved the racing here to Bill Frances big new two and a half mile tri-oval speedway high banked where we still run the Daytona 500 47 years after the first one when Lee petty beat Johnny Beauchamp in a photo finish that took three days to decide but they never those guys had never heard of our old push everybody's on pit road Jeannie well I see caution came out Kurt Busch asses crew chief what do you want to do the cars running all right come in for four so Jimmy Benning before disaster well where do we stand on fuel from here well this crew chief we'd be about 13 laps short steep now changes for Mark Martin in two SEC's Tony Stewart scuffling the air pressure of the 24 car Jeff Gordon's a slight adjustment no changes for Michael Walter steamy was talking about possibly two tires Tony Eury jr. wanted to go for four Nick Rusty Wallace strategy to win the Daytona 500 he just took four tires no changes at all in the chassis likes the way the car is handling in the corner now here's the plan at the end of the race he expects to take such two tires he has one windshield tear off left on that windshield he wants it pulled on that last stop that's the game plan and I think here's the deals guys we need to make note that costume was for debris but I think this gives these guys an opportunity to get those four tires owned like Dick Berggren was talking about maybe an opportunity late in the race they're going to be about eight to ten laps short of making the distance of patient two tires or maybe fuel only 486 drivers in history of start of the Daytona 500 only 29 have won it by Clark have you back to the Daytona 500 and this is a veto race break is at ten Lee fifteen different lead changes right now Jeff Burton is on top and 43 laps to go it started with Dale Jarrett on the pole and a little Hollow bump from Dale Earnhardt jr. who has not led a lap by the way Sharon Bell back Bobby Labonte former points champion Walt engine one of the Gibbs cars out done for the day Matt Kenseth also a former points champ raus car broke a connecting rod hate when that happens said he had his best car ever for Daytona he's done in turn four Ricky Rudd at his 28 Daytona 500 Ronna win his first Daytona 500 six cars he involved a tip from Jeff Burton in the 31 car bumps Dale Earnhardt jr. and that Burt here over Zeus has to back up it clocked him at the time and Tony Stewart has led the for Daytona 500 when he finished second now let's look inside the top 15 Kurt Busch last year's points champ right moments ago out of the pits here's what it sounded like on his car radio works out doing two things done a 48 I like him he's my best friend right now and then the six car how many tires they have six car got four tires they feed itself by like five what what you're hearing right now is it's kind of the amazement of the Kurt Busch as far as more marks concerned but if the old mate deal-making has already started he's looking for friends to get back toward the front remember Chris we've only got one more stop it's the Showtime what Mike Helton won't have happen is happening right now everything is getting ready to be able to get ready to go back to green big picture racing and the picture coming to an end we'll see what happens this has been a visa race break let's rejoin Larry Darrell might be 105 miles to go again some two-tire stops have put new names at the front of the field Jeff Burton Scott Wimmer Carl Edwards in front of Tony Stewart yeah and some of these guys Jeff Gordon Michael and Michael Waltrip and some of these guys are back that's the furthest they've been back in the field all day long so we got it they got to be careful working their way back up through there and the guy leading the race Jeff Burton in the 31 car did elected not to pit remember he's fighting that rear end still problem he was on pit road a couple of extra times the pit stop before to see Tony Stewart in a 20-car I think two tires four tires he's got good help behind him of that six car he's headed back to the front Steve hey Larry Mac just to catch you up on exactly what the twenty teams been on that last pit stop they went down and half a pound on both left side tires and up a half a pound on the right side tire well when you go up in the right side pressure and down on the left side you open the split up in the air pressures it helps the car to turn and I think this racetrack is tightened up the cars are turning less and less as the track gets more grip and cools down yeah the first turn down here is in the shade the grandstand here around the crowd was in the shade it's probably a good 15 20 degrees cooler than it was when the race started Jeff Gordon's in a bad spot in that number 20 for the two-time 500 winner is behind Boris said one of the cars a lap down and he's not been able to get out and move forward to the front of that pack he's gonna have to go if he's going to have a chance and some of these cars they're not happy in traffic they get back in there and all that dirty air and they just don't run as well as they do once they get up front Jeff Gordon on a 24 he has his teammate Jimmie Johnson in the 48 behind him but right now as you say Mike they're bottlenecked up behind the 30 for since all this in the 150 with Jeff Gordon he got back in the pack and the first thing you know he was bouncing off the people and he had backup and he got a bad finish well Michael Michael Waltrip and a cloud of smoke don't think that's a good thing he's got his hand out to peg back in here big back inside they're all coming hard so you gonna tell her now [Music] it's not running and we blow up for code fitted at 3:00 you were coming to pit road caution is out that tells the tale well the sound of silence we were going for three in a row all 103 enough oh we had them going today but tough break for my Fiat little sad about that what's that number 15 right in front of Gordon yeah he knows if right there up the hill he goes she started to slowing down on him see the smoke coming out motherhood she's not doing that motor good shut her down well we were lucky we didn't have a big problem behind him he's going to go down here to his pit and just check the car but pretty terminal 24 is up with you now anything very wide 3/4 wide all right big pack inside here big pack inside they're all coming hard [Music] it's the sign yes the silence that's deafening they're the motor not running for Michael Walter that's Buffy his wife she's headed back to the coach and packing up and getting ready to head west now this is what I think we might be setting up here with as you see the 15 crew about to pitch push Michael back behind the wall is we're going to have 38 laps to go this time we probably are going to have another 2 or 3 caution laps I think we'll see teams come to pit road and top off because that can get them to the end on fuel man you're exactly right Larry Jeff Gordon's calculations before this caution they were seven to eight laps shy on fuel Michael Waltrip came on the radio and say guys I feel just sick we had such a great race car today there you see all the leaders a little bit of cat mouse game right now all lava will come to pit road guys this could be the most important pit stop of these teams today should we stay green you have to be on the mark with no mistakes looks like Jeff Burton a 31 car they're going to change tires Earnhardt jr. stayed out along with Harvick Jarrett and ready now Tony Stewart to 20 Jimmie Johnson in the 48 Kurt Busch in the 97 not surprised fuel only they had pretty fresh tires though they troubled on pit row Larry the nine car just spun the 11 around down there to end of pit road that's left ler sitting sideways off the bumper of Kasey Kahne 12 blocked in he can't go anywhere he's trying to get through [Music] and we just had talked about it and in there most of the mistakes on pit road has not been by these pit crews it's been by the drivers well you're so you're so rude you're you have no peripheral vision you're you're tethered with your with your Hans device you can't really turn your head one way or another you're dependent totally on the spotter and the crew chief Leffler gets going but Casey Kahne has backed up into his pit and it looks that appears that Kasey Kahne in the 9 did have no idea that Jason Leffler and 11 was fixed to turn into his pit box yeah Casey's coming out and Leffler is coming in contact thirty eight laps to go next time.bye two-time Daytona 500 Michael winner Michael Waltrip is out of it the Daytona 500 on Fox is brought to you by Erin serifs makes dreams come true with dream prices on dream products by Chevy the defending manufacturers champion the revolution races on by loans where you'll find all your home improvement needs clothes improving home improvement and by Mountain Dew drink up throwdown [Music] the nation's outstanding letting him get on crying a fire to cover trifluoride there's a fight between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison [Applause] he will win the 46 running [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] they started over on the beach moved here in 1959 46 years so many great memories 29 different drivers have won the great race the first race in front of 20,000 people in one low-rise grandstand over 200,000 of them here today paying as much as $5,000 apiece for the top row of the Daytona Club to see the Great Race yeah and that race was won 1959 by Lee petty my two feet and I got a good idea we're gonna see it pretty close one today Mike we saw a lot of cars come back to pit road specially those dodge teams we talked about them not getting great fuel mileage they topped off with fuel on the one to go I believe Jeff Gordon he's got to get up behind Tony Tony Stewart I don't think Marc's got a car that can really whip out and try to take the lead I think Marc's got a great following car he might be in the right places for is pushing Tony but Jeff Gordon's got to get around Marc to get to Tony he's got him he's got his teammate but Jimmy headed in that good green flag with 35 laps to go we still have 32 cars on the lead lap [Music] we heard mark say in the interview early you know his part was a good father his teammate Kurt Busch 97 trying to come up and help Martin now here's where you serve here's words it needs to help Jeff if they're going to get to Tony they got to get him now I don't think [Music] as Jeremy Mayfield in the 19 car the high side he's up there in the fifth of six position he's had to hit road speeding penalties today he's got Blaney with him in the O 7 squeeze play off turn number four Mark Martin the six down to the bottom put the block on Jeff Burton in the 31 car hit it in the trowel his old team mate I just didn't mark doesn't have a real fast race story got a good handling race car Michael Waltrip two-time Daytona 500 champion out of the race Matt's with him we caught up with Michael Waltrip walking back to the garage area Michael what a great race car today you're just sizing everybody it was all about positioning throughout the middle of the race I just follow Tony you know you try to make you some comrades and he was gonna be a buddy of mine and I just couldn't wait man I just couldn't wait for his last 25 laps because it was gonna get right people in the stands are gonna stay ahead of the show you can make major runs out there we had a car that was gonna make some inductee plans and have auto parts Domino's Pizza Best Western Oh cookie Bass Pro Shops you know all that part I just I'm so I'm trying to mask the pain but I can't I mean it's just I'm I'm just upset but up understanding you know I know we we've put a lot into this effort and a lot of parts spinning around every round and they break what part broke any idea in the motor I'm not a good analyst can't analyze that very well I think it was a rod but it might have been a crankshaft possibly a piston something that really matters he was something very important but thank you Mike Romo down here guys turn for for wide and we've got a problem John Andretti's 14 and the 11 of Jason Leffler bring the caution flag out scoring stops immediately and we're under caution again with 32 laps to go Darryl that happened just in front of those two cars where they got four wide well as you heard Michael say he knows we all know now it's show time and Jeff pulled over again okay come on down Jeff corn is doing all he can to get by Tony Stewart now he knows he can't wait and he lost his running mate there Jimmie Johnson went to the outside and fell back and what a Jimmie Johnson say earlier in the week whoever gets out in front on that last pit stops gonna be tough to pass look at a four wide here 14 just shoves up comes right down in front of Leffler 14 got into Travis Kvapil in the 77 come down Leffler in the 11 car had nowhere to go seeing from our Quaker State aerial coverage you see the 14 he just wobbled a little bit he got a little push loose got into Travis Quaffle it's better out there is the reason our voice goes up an octave when they're three and four wide because this isn't a hundred and ninety miles per hour and this also Larry as you know takes the fuel accord this makes everybody safe on fuel I think with these few caution lamps if there was any question about it I think this will put everybody into their window left lers car is probably done for the day let's ride with him here powerin get side it right in the door right dead fry his bones to the bottom of the bottom row [Music] there's a driver come on it's the worst sound you can hear is that but Daryl you're right before that last restart with 35 to grow the crew chief the owner of the spotter looked at the driver talked to the driver said okay boys we have 35 laps to go it's time to go all your bets all your deals all your friends don't trust anyone Steve Byrnes he might talk about confidence before the last restart crew chief Greg Zipadelli told the leader Tony Stewart's so that one car is a knife he said he'd help you if he can get to you but other than that I don't know what other help you have Tony Stewart's reply I got me myself and I and that's all I need baby it's all about me remember ten laps with Tony Stewart in our pre-race the most common answer hello I'm chaplain Bob blessing in Iraq I'm with the 1st of the 184th out of California hometown in San Diego wish the best to Jeff Gordon god bless you all it's all about winning to me that's the only thing that's really ever driven me a lovely competition but you know it's really all about going to Victory Lane and celebrating with your team and and just there's no other feeling like it in the world and I think I felt it for the first time when I was 6 or 7 years old and and that's the one thing that's always drawn me to racing and kept me interested in it for all these years and and so one thing that keeps me going now and getting that victory it means so so much and it's what you live for Jeff Gordon trying to win his third Daytona 500 30 laps to go and before the last restart he said this to his Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson I think the only way we're going to get him is on that outside Jimmie Johnson tried the outside slipped back a spot for his trouble and as we get set for what could be the final and most important restart of the day do you agree Darryl to get Tony Stewart you're gonna have to get around the outside of him well they're not able to get him up off the bottom yet I tell you what I think we're gonna see I think we're gonna see a little nudge he's gonna wiggle and they're gonna try to get him on the inside I don't see unless Jimmie Johnson can get back up there and bump draft Jeff Gordon by Tony Stewart I don't see any other way to pass him nobody has been able to all day Larry it's a good time for those spotters to make some friends up on the roof well it is I mean there'll be more deal-making going on earlier in the race we saw it down on pit road about pit stops now the deal-making will be on top of the roof and I want to continue to watch our two guys that are making their final Daytona 500 start Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin they are running seven as eight they can see that checkered flag now to get that first 500 wins Jeff Hammond it doesn't matter if the guy in front of you is your best friend or your worst enemy right now you need him you really do Mike and I think I still be the key right now Chris we go to enter toward the end is who's gonna work with who to at least get us within you know three four or five laps of this race and then they'll have to settle the months themselves alright so as Jeff Gordon have an advantage running second with his teammate Jimmie Johnson running fourth I think so I mean I think that's a clear-cut advantage but you also got to look back there and realize that Kurt Busch wants to win this race just as bad as anybody else so he's going to go where he thinks he can get him get to the victory lane Tony Stewart leading he has not won a restrictor plate race Jeff Gordon has eight restrictor plate wins leads all active drivers and there are two guys sentimental choices that certainly old for Daytona and their careers great careers they've had it would be terrific if one of them could wind up in victory lane let's rejoin Larry Darrell and Mike well there's Rusty's number two and six and Mark Martin's number six and seventh Darrell do they have a chance I don't take got to do something together I did this would be a great time for them to work together too for the common good but I really take Kurt Busch if Jeff Gordon should go to the outside Kurt's gonna fill the hole because he's got to move up one notch at a time so rather than going with Jeff Gordon which is what you'll probably plug the hole [Music] 28 laps to go Tony Stewart is he a man alone on this mission or does he have friends let's find out Darrell that was one of the better-looking restarts we've had all day long by all the top cards yeah they been you know that front four five were really been able to bust out every restart Gordon pushing Stewart around turn to trying to get away he's trying to get his attention what he's trying to do is say hey where am I going to go next and he's going to try to wait give him a wake up call here I think but look at this water cars back here about eight to about fifteen you see Dale Earnhardt jr. Nate car in the middle of it that's his teammate Martin Truex in the one car up there running in the top ten he's going to stop here's what's gonna they're gonna start pushing and shoving cuz only way you're going to get people past you is you gotta give them a bump trap and when you give up up up there sometimes it upset some of they get the wigglin and then they have a rest we go to California next Sunday on the Fox but first 27 laps to go to settle the biggest race of the year a lot of unfinished business here yet three wide in the eye of the storm McMurray up high with Mayfield plus Mike you don't know who back in the pack here has been holding back a little bit the one car is back in there Elliott Sadler's in there he's in 13th place and we know those Fords are fast so there's guys back here that could make a run that we haven't even thought about 17 cars single-file casey mears breaks out and drops to the inside on Mike Skinner's number 23 makes the pass to move into the top 10 and at one time Casey Mears was a lap down that's a fast hot rod if he can get somebody to work with him he just got that lap back by getting the free pass just a couple of cautions ago and now he's up there in the top ten but we've seen it time and there's a lot of racing from fourth fifth six on back in that 10 to 12 spot but trying to get around a guy in the front that's that's going to take some real effort on Jeff Gordon's part he's going to have to pull out all the stops but no matter what the outcome for our fifth place car Scott Riggs in that Ken called what a great run he has had all day long he'd love to get that Daytona 500 victory and on his second start this joint is notorious for guys that have never won a race anywhere else went in right here Tony Stewart is on the Bobby Allison plan Allison is the last driver to lead the most laps two years in a row it was 1981 and 82 and an 81 Bobby Allison finally won the Daytona 500 that 20 car Tony Stewart he showed his strength early in the week off he practiced especially in that door race on first and as you can see he's protecting the bottom that yellow line if somebody's going to pass me dude you're gonna have to go both yellow below the yellow line and then you're gonna get black flag you almost wonder if I was Tony I'd almost want to set a guy up kind of say hey won't you try that inside is it somewhat ironic that Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin are running nose to tail six and seven I think it's pretty cool or both that that close to the front right now because those two guys anybody in that first 10 or 12 got a shot at this thing and one thing they won't do they won't step out they'll stay in line they'll ride the bottom 176 laps in this race we have a top 28 cars within three seconds of each other tell you what else we got we are running the fastest laps we've run all day by almost a half a second o tracks cooling down motors makin power cars got good grill and we're coming Tony Stewart's last lap was his fastest lap of the day I guarantee you look at these top cars we saw that throttle graphic earlier I guarantee all of these will be solid green 100% full throttle who's quickest this time well Ryan bigger there are six fast cars all the same speed [Music] your prime fitness is back in pointing position well look out there Gordon shoved up a little bitty almost hoping to bottom up for Kurt Busch and look who's coming on the outside Dale Earnhardt jr. has not little laugh all day here we go here we go down into turn three he's going to the outside and up front Jeff Gordon is said I gotta make my move I got to do it on the outside but who's there to help him nobody look like Scott Riggs in the 10 car has Hendrick engines he wants to jump up there and get some of this Jimmie Johnson did not move up with his Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon he stayed on the bottom and ruffled up Riggs just a bit he wanted to get there but Scott Riggs and the team was already there this is Bert Busch want to have happen Gordon you go the outside I'll plug the hole now it's my turn to work on Stewart jr. alongside of Mark Martin you're riding with Dale jr. the defending champion of the 500 these guys get a really good pull down the back straightaway going into turn three that's where they can step out some time I mean look at this the whole field is two and three wide down the backstretch this is no longer a two horse race it's a two lane race boy this is when you're sitting there thinking what am I doing that what about if I chosen the wrong line have I chosen the wrong partner if I chosen the wrong profession that dude all I know is we got 22 laps to go nobody is sitting down here let's go to juniors pit it's almost always a good thing to pit the first time around with the leaders pit you pit with him but the last round of pit stops Earnhardt did not do that he waited several laps that put him behind well behind all the leaders why did he wait he didn't have enough gas to go all the way to the end if he had not waited so this drive toward the front has come from deep in the pack nonetheless he still is not happy with the way that cars handling Mike thanks dick Kurt Busch in the 97 you saw him just launched Tony Stewart a car length out in front of the pack and you see what had done this Stewart is just shopping that much further ahead you can get to the back bumper of the guy trying to be but more Jeff Gordon I just don't think he's gonna be able to make that pass on Stewart Darrell Dale Earnhardt jr. today he wants to go but he's Bob decked up he can't go anywhere right now he's behind that 10 car Scott Riggs tell you what I'd do if I was Jimmy Johnson I'd do everything I could to get over there behind Jeff Gordon and funk draft him going into three and knock him in the lead see if scott riggs allows him room to do that he does not Johnston's 48 on the bottom didn't give a tap to the 97 of the cup champion Kurt Busch how about Kurt Busch seven years ago he was fixing water mains for the city of Las Vegas eight or nine years ago he was stocking supermarket shelves now he's got a chance to win the biggest car race in the world look at him three wide through the crowd boy rusty lost to Martha six there get up in this battle and Jeff Gordon is slowly slowly slowly falling back I just think that outside knew was a bad move on his part stuck in the high lane Jeff Gordon and the rest of that tag they're gonna have to move it on over if they're gonna have a shot at Tony Stewart [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Harvick's slides up in front of traffic cars upside-down cars everywhere and turn Korra's calamity corner once again the field is frozen Jeff Gordon came across with Stewart and Johnson side-by-side but there are half a dozen cars littered between turn three and the start/finish line all right last year's third place finisher Scott Wimmer the 29 of Kevin Harvick the 42 of Jamie McMurray one of these cars was just standing up on its limits spinning around like a waterspout greg biffle jeff burton had lost an engine prior to this he coasts onto pit road and here's Harvick's car the backup car damaged looking a lot like Thursday's car but guys we could see this coming and smell this coming for about three or four laps here's how it unfolded between turns three and four if something happened to Greg Biffle the 16 car that triggered all this I'm please watch it to see if it's Harvick fart oh no it said the 22 car Scott Wimmer look at him just spinning around he got up on his nose and come back down on his wheels boy 1004 turn she's mean boys watch the 22 of scott wimmer the yellow car take a wild ride here what started at greg biffle came down in the ten or the ten went up to him to greg biffle they got together anyhow the luckiest man there was a Rusty Wallace got a little tap and kept on going now watch Wimmer over once twice three on his nose for Wham huge so initial contact the ten in the sixteen right there looked like Biffle in the 16 actually came down into Scott Riggs on in the 10 and there when you're flipping like that it probably seems like eternity don't it oh listen not I can't tell you what it does to you you just pray that when you stop that you can remember what happened I think Scott Wimmer will remember this one for a long time pit stops not everybody's in Stuart stayed out so did Gordon most of our top five or six stayed out I think Mark Martin stayed out Dale Earnhardt jr. stayed out not surprised because we're going to be probably within about ten laps of this race and getting back going Kurt Busch stayed out here stick well Dale Earnhardt jr. appears to be much happier with his car that he has been before when he came across the line and realized he was third he let out a war-whoop Yahoo he said and then he said that he thought he might Bend the gas pedal Cruz told them don't worry about they got Lord Steve dick when the caution came out Greg Zipadelli said to Tony Stewart what do you think Tony very simply said we got to stay out you agree absolutely I tell me greatly I'm not coming in I don't want to get back in that melee we just saw what happened yeah to these guys that we're back in the middle of it let's have another look now it happens right behind the lead pack they're three wide and there's little gets loose see Biffle gets loose going into three comes down and gets into the side of Scott Riggs goes up to he'll clips rusty and then here comes the rest of the pack talked about Rusty Wallace just getting by Mark Martin and the six just barely got by on the bottom nine car he gets more damage look at those cars look at a fire coming up in 42 three wide and low they look them up that's kasey kahne you're riding winter party and Claire running in Trump's that's all you got is that spotter because you can't see a thing and not only that it's late you have to do for it this time of the day it's right in your de l'eau de l'eau de l'eau back down back down come on steel cheering come on down come on down come on down go all down [Applause] I'll get the money and I don't know about in don't pick that right forever yeah mrs. Carlin once yukino-kun boyfriend on your bumper come on big man Greg slower now Jeannie Jamie McMurray in the carpet I guess the most important part is you're getting back in here yeah they think that just got a hole in the wall cooler so we're gonna get back out and just try to run one lap we came so close you know last year and kind of learned our lesson one point so we're gonna try to get back out just make as many as we can I know you're asking me the same question I'm asking you what happened you know no I just is up on the outside and you know cars just kind of go everywhere you really can't see anything I saw the 16 car going backwards so kind of knew that wasn't good all right go get him guys the best news Jeanie is that bill Davis's driver Scott Wimmer walked away after flipping four times here's Wimmer climbing out and you heard Jamie say what we one of the things they learned from last year go back out get to five or ten more points might help you 15 laps to go in the Daytona 500 on Fox next weekend that starbooster California our coverage on Friday with Nextel Cup practice in the Craftsman Truck Series racing on speed that Saturday would Series qualifying on speed followed by Nextel Cup qualifying Busch Series racing on FX Sunday begins with NASCAR this morning that's our speed leading up to the Auto Club 500 presented by Quaker State at the California Speedway is all on Fox NASCAR Victory Lane wraps things up on speed so our coverage of NASCAR continuing next weekend across the Fox Network 14 laps to go under the spectacular crash involving at least 11 cars just behind the lead pack so Tony Stewart hangs on to that lead along with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt jr. racing all the way up to third hasn't won a lap all day try to repeat as champion a 500 Cal I don't look now but look over your shoulder Tony Stewart's you got a lot of guys breathing down your neck this restart right here is going to be so critical as far as who wins this race becomes junior gets an opportunity to get out front it's gonna be a dogfight like you've never seen before and it says something when you can see a spectacular crash it especially Scott Wimmer in the 22 car rolling four times walking away and all the driver is okay and now who's gonna be okay in victory lane let's head back upstairs to Mike Larry and Darrell all right Darrell you're Tony Stewart you've led this race most all day you've led the most laps you're out front you're getting ready to restart what do you need to do well he now knows that Jeff Gordon's going to go on the outside Kurt Busch is right there he's going to fill that hole Jimmie Johnson is right behind Kurt Busch it's going to be Stewart and Busch against Gordon and Johnson they're you agree absolutely in the crew chief there's nothing else he can do now it's with that driver and with that spotter when I look at the top 10 we have two drivers that have one to 500 we have eight it can almost touch Victory Lane now Darrell's getting chookies nobody held him at urine will please I need gloves I need gloves all right let's go let's set the restart here Tony Stewart Jeff Gordon Dale Earnhardt jr. of them only steward has not won that a tone of 500 Kurt Busch the defending Series champion Jimmie Johnson last year's runner-up Scott Riggs what a great surprise he has been all through testing at all this week he's six and Mark Martin Carl Edwards they did not pit Ryan Newman Mike Skinner that's the top 10 we had the top 11 all the way back through Travis Coughlin the 77 that did not pit they'll be single-file when they come across the start/finish line with 13 laps to go I bet they won't stay single-file for long I bet they won't either and there's like that 13 laps in eternity at the end of the day and we got trouble already over a start here Mike Skinner under-23 travis kvapil in 77 and there he's made it out through the grass caution is out again john andretti just piled in the Mike Skinner hard out in a world did that happen well Darryl either somebody missed a gear or somebody's motor coughed now that Skinner's car and tread ease looks worse I was just thinking Skinner was tense and Darryl he was one of the cars that did not pit you just wonder those tires are hot and he spin those tires when he accelerated on the recent oil that's how it's obviously what somebody did up here we'll have to take a real look at it and see what happened after Skinner got turned sideways this car of John Andretti's just pile drove into Skinner's and now it rolls to a stop and rescue crews will go to his aid there is John and he's okay look at his steering wheel heat that's a hard lick he bent to see how the steering wheels warped not to fire out can't even see out the windshield besides the windshield being dirty the hood has turned up all in front of it and they're gonna talk to Mike Skinner who hands his helmet out of his car what if she takes out the ear plug let's say what happened lie about your watch out there we can put your screen the top two cars just out of frame there we are Skinner gets into the back of Ryan Newman who gets them into call Edwards and then here comes Travis Kvapil it's just a chain reaction there's no different and if you're on the highway and somebody in front of you started to go it's kinda like sitting at a stoplight start to go and then stop before you have a chance to stop [Music] it almost looks like it started up there at about Kurt Busch to 97 or Jimmie Johnson in the 48 I started getting into each other even though juniors lagging back there's a huge gap between Dale jr. and Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin squeaks through once again as does Rusty Wallace Rusty's been so lucky the last two times and the mark was in up against the rev limiter there kasey kahne he got here from behind let's watch from Dale Jarrett [Music] goodbye hurry up so clear about the guns feeder stay low stay low he got the nine player boggler everything it starts way up just when I Dale jr. right there and just everything accordions to the back where you just don't have any more room you when you're back in the pack you really can't see around the car in front of you you're just anticipating what this starts gonna be and then the spotter says go and if you happen to go in the guy in front of you doesn't this is what happens and later in the race you more the more you try to anticipate you've got to have a good restart here I saw you'll hear from your spotter from our cable cam they'll get on you constantly the crew chief and the spotter will now look you've been lagging aback a little on these restarts let's get up here it's the last one let's get going and this is what can happen what's a shame Travis Quaffle in the 77 Mike Skinner in the 23 they've overcome a lot of problems today was up there in contention at least for a good top 10 finish you see this happen on the roadways the first car to hit their brakes is never part of the wreck it's all the fellas following close behind three four five seven cars back that end up with all the damage yep let's listen in on the defending champion of a ditch one that's ought to be good Dale jr. Dale Pony if you clean I gotta be on the bottom you know I don't want to he's going backwards over the top I'm not gonna jump up and save him no blows go backwards tell him to be on the bottom if he gets jumped on the outside I can I can help him on the bottom a lot now why would Dale jr. help Tony Stewart one year ago Tony Stewart pushed Dale Earnhardt jr. into position to win the Daytona 500 Steve hey my kid not say who else wasn't happy about that restart is Tony Stewart he said to his spotter I'm not happy with the way that 24 was laying back on that restart well they're all he's 24 laying back there trying to get a run him and here you see look into the outside he knows he's got to get him on one of the restarts if he's gonna get him and there he had a run on him that's what he wants to do the rule says you cannot pass to the inside on a restart before the green flag or till you cross the start/finish line Jeff Gordon knows he got to get Tony on these restarts or at least a lap or two thereafter or once they get going I just don't think he has the steam to do it you got to use the element of surprise here what's he think I'm gonna do do just the opposite Matt Mike Jeff Gordon just said that Robbie Louis's crew chief and Robbie is talking to a NASCAR official as we speak he says tell dad's car to watch the 8 the 8 is laying back too much and on the restarts yeah so I didn't bury the 24 the gap between Tony and the 24 was that great it was one Carling yeah yeah David jr. was laying back there pretty good they all are man you got to get a little run here that's the Daytona 500 there's a million 1/2 dollars on the line you can't fire that slingshot unless you pull it back I'll deal with this after the race 10 laps to go [Music] this week's Pete Channel presents a NASCAR show for the masses NASCAR nation it's more than just news it's all access the hottest port in the country behind the scenes declare your citizenship NASCAR nation exclusively on the Speed Channel Jeff Hammond got some guys back in the pack with Tony Stewart Dale Earnhardt jr. they worked together last year when jr. won the 500 and Tony finished second yeah they did and I'm sure that you're gonna see some end as we kind of go closer to the into this race you look back in the back right there in 16th place how about Kevin LePage raced his way into the 500 back on thirsty the Gatorade one 50s he as well as the petty cars a Jeff green and Kyle Petty running 14th and 15th compeiied he told us the other night if I could finish 15th or better it would be a great victory down here they told us so right now both those cars out of the petty stable looking pretty strong as the Sun sets on the careers of Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace this year they'll wrap it up still hoping for that elusive Daytona 500 Tony Stewart a lot of racing left he wants his first Daytona 500 and this is seventh try Mike Joe Nemechek who came from a lap down after a pit road penalty is night Dave Blaney had a speeding penalty paid the fine now he's up to 10th Elliott Sadler broke a transmission Thursday he's up to 11 pole sitter Dale Jarrett's been massaging on his car he's at 12 well you know good thing for some of these guys back in here I mean Elliott Sadler Dale Jarrett teammates could work together you got Jeff green and Kyle Petty back here 1450 could work together so potentially better finishes and what they got now in their life they are aware that I've got a carburetor problem here and I got to be really careful I'm in radar that's Dale Jarrett saying he has to be careful he don't want to get run over but Darrell I think we agreed with those top seven or eight standout but rush Wallace back there he's now in a hanging up whenever I gave him all wrong way hey rusty has four fresh tires that's this that's something too good to have yes go if it's offsets track position or not 23 cars on the lead lap Tony Stewart perhaps the finest racer in America today certainly this generations AJ Foyt and lights are back on on the safety car oil on the track they want one more lap they're going to have a look at turns three and four that oil I believe was from Jeff Burton yes smoking just prior to the caution coming out Burton's teammate Kevin Harvick has gone to the garage one of the hardest hits on this most recent caution flag was that of John Andretti Jeannie the very good thing is John Andretti walking out I guess with somewhat of as much as you can get a clean bill of health at this moment to take us through what happened I don't know I mean it seems like I was running down through three and four the first time and the guy just as far as I know I made a left I was sudden I saw him in right and spun us down through and we got hit in the side and then I'm I don't know I heard that maybe think I might have did the same thing in the front straightaway and and they said go low go low go low and I'm trying to steer I mean we were learning exactly great condition with the car but and and I got turned down I turned down in the mic then so it's too bad for our vba plus it's not go forward but it's you know stay tuned and we'll go to California now all right thank you for the time I don't know a common phrase late in the day here Steve well Jeannie don't count mark Barton out yet he said pass the message to Rusty Wallace with this big old motor and me pushing and him pushing me there ain't no way they can stop us about that two guys that started their careers together back in the Midwest and the aasa' here they both are in their final Daytona 500 see anything could help each other yeah it'd be kind of ironic if they ran first and second and neither one of them ever have one and so it'd be pretty it'd be pretty cool the others going to be mad but yeah but we don't have time to pave another three lanes a whip to this race in fact and we may need it there is the Harley Earl trophy that's Firebird one a GM styling study Harley Earl was a friend to big Bill France who built Daytona Speedway and funded this trophy to be given to the winner of the Daytona 500 why can you imagine the vision of Bill France in 1959 when he built this Speedway that it would have two hundred thousand people here and the kind of racing we've seen today what a what a visionary Bill knew he said someday this will be one of whose great sports I know what the vision is of 23 drivers they will have vision of being in that victory the Rushville rocket Tony Stewart he's been a champion in just about every racing series he's attempted I saw him on the short track and Thompson Connecticut last year hop into an open-wheel asphalt modify the type of car he'd never driven a track he'd never seen he proceeded to run a line nobody ever uses and he starts in the back and wins the feature against the track's best the best one out heard is when he bought the old munchkin the little from Lenore chick got it out of his garage been in there for three years brought it to the chili boat stood in victory circle in that with that old car everybody has a great Tony Stewart story including Matt Mike he is won in every form of racing he's competed in except a road course race in fact the last two years here the 24 Hours of Daytona if it was the Daytona 23 he'd be a two-time winner of that now closing in on the biggest race and NASCAR racing the Daytona 500 seven laps to go did Jeannie Zelasko Mike Skinner I guess physically you're doing okay but understandably mentally you're pretty frustrated can you tell us what happened as we look at the video we still try to figure it all out I really don't know what happened you know someone missed a shift on another restart up there and maybe there maybe a car had transmission problems or something but it look I think somebody missed a shift they all well got bunched up there we all started accordian in each other and I got plowed from the behind knocked me into Ryan real hard and got spun around there and then I don was just coming really really hard and I don't know I don't know they didn't tell him there was wreck but he plowed us pretty hard but I want to thank argent mortgage for coming on board with Bill Davis racing to myself giving us this opportunity hopefully we can do some more races with him this year we hope so too because we like to see you out here thank you for the time guys Mike Stewart okay so is Scott Wimmer who went for that big flip when they come to the start/finish line the green flag will be waving and there'll be 15 miles to go chef Gordon just drove alongside of Tony Stewart sure he was just giving him a little wave sand hey dude when the wins way I'm going to go next here it is to the best for the biggest single-day prize stock car racing green flag six to go six left Loney better be careful jumping out to that little e like that gives you a little chance to get a run on him Elliott Sadler inside with a run on Blaney and plenty of help CS file at the front he has help from his teammate Dale Jarrett that 88 car Jeff Gordon is trying to time this Pat he's trying to make a pass gonna try to shove him up off the bottle he's looking he's looking he needs some help five cars at the Ferrari go this here goes Gordon to the outside his junior gonna go with it in the endcard trying to make his mind up he's gonna stay with Tony Stewart he's gonna stay on the rear bumper that 20 car her birthdays to the bottom with Jimmie Johnson help his teammate or try to get to the front on the inside I believe for this race I found with Jimmie Johnson I'd go to the other he stops up to the outside he's gonna take the lead with five laps to go unbelievable for the first time today Dale Earnhardt jr. leads the 500 but not for long here comes Stewart boy junior shadows to the bottom and closed that Dora he had the pass made thinking to get bored in the time face down the backstretch [Applause] like juniors is pony should be a set duck he's got three great cars on the outside there's Jeff given jr. a push can he push him to the lead this is where he got the good run while ago coming off turn four Jeff Gordon in the 24 trying to push it off smoker in that that says kiss Akane it's just a little fender run back and I saw it earlier at the line Stewart by half a car length four laps to go man you can get to the you can get up there eating with that other guy but you just can't get to pass me or Canyon yes [Applause] three wide from eleventh on back gotta hook the bottom gotta go with Dale don't you that's work and I mean he stuck to the bottom his cards been there all day long there's no time to move around now Dale Earnhardt jr. did not lead a lap until lap 195 hard to believe but he's going to be out front with three to go I guarantee he's driving up that back window as much he is in that windshield he set to go free to go in the lead you just move around move around Kurt's Alex's the 97:3 these don't make the pass he gets by Stewart and here comes Gordon Mark Martin back at seven still part of the chase here Gordon still thinks he can make that out top part [Applause] he keeps going yep kasey kahne bounced off the wall turned to and to Boston Jeff Gordon has made a pass but the break-up caution is out the field freezes and NASCAR scoring breezes the field at the last scoring heat the cars cross or weenie for the instant of yellow cook we've seen this before remember Talladega [Music] I believe that 24 had made the pass I'm not sure but I believe he had three laps to go caution is out but the air has not been let out of the balloon Wow but just remember unlike we're in the air the last four years we will be guaranteed at least one attempt at a green/white checkered should we go that distance exactly thank you NASCAR baby don't was that laughter that dial I was some cool racing woman I loved it it was unbelievable Dale Junior's not a factor all day long and with five laps to go he pops outside to the front I believe I'm gonna start telling him the Silver Fox is he kind of laid-back are like old David Pearson you yeah let me call David see that's okay earlier do that he's he was sideways on pit road sitting in his pit box I'll just call him a fox with five to go here's Dale jr. down on the inside Kurt Busch with him Jeff Gordon the 24 up top you know what I think happened I think I think Tony was trying to hug to Bobby so hard that he'd show he got two fogged his car down a little bit and jr. got a run on Eli like Michael did into 150 yes jr. got that little side draft off of Tony that propelled him in front dick Berggren with Pete Rondo jr. has really not been a factor in this race until the very tail end Pete what's happening how is he such a factor now well we're off a little bit during the middle of the race but we tuned on hurt a little bit got it to his liking and he's pretty happy with her right now are you excited oh yeah I'm very excited so first day on the job like a great short tracker in his native state of Maine Pete Rondo has come down here and taken over the controls of the Dei pit box and he's got Dale jr. at the front with free to go the ins 11th caution flag ties the race record set in 1968 he said the hock to the box right now and that's ice water running through his veins if he ain't nervous but can you imagine this is his first Daytona 500 as a crew chief he took over from Michael late last year and here he is in contention to win the Daytona 500 with the defending Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt jr. wouldn't you expect Larry if somebody gave you that job that you'd probably come down there and be pretty successful your first time out I did it in 1994 that never worked out 1998 kind of coming in with a loaded with a stack that the race distance is 200 laps and we'll hit that next time by however we'll have a green white checker finish what that means is that once the track is clear the starter will give one to go regardless of the total number of laps run waved the green flag next time around the white flag and the next time around the payoff window Steve Mike when the caution came out of frustrated Tony Stewart said guys I'm sorry there wasn't a thing I could do about what happened well he's we haven't seen him get anybody trying to pass him all day other than Jeff Gordon and we've sent for a week down here Jeff Gordon's got any fast race cars probably the fastest car we saw in practice and now he's shown two here at the end of the race dick Berggren well Junior's got a pretty fast race car too and he is trying to persuade everybody that's involved in the front of this pack to do a fast restart most important based on his conversation is a fast restart so there's not a crash at the restart the juniors in kind of a tough spot because he's got Jeff Gordon in front of him and Gordon's Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson behind him Matt Jeff just said if he doesn't lay back we'll do that but what I'm concerned about is getting too good of a start and then getting too much of a gap where the other cars can make a run Jeff's talking to crew chief Robby Loomis right now relaying that back and forth now Daryl how do you get too good of a start well you get out there and you're like what we've said it all oh you're a setting dump and that car back there the 8 car junior can get a big suck on you because you he's got a draft on you come off a 2 over there he's got such a run you're gonna have to figure out can you block him or not behind those 3 Gordon Earnhardt and Johnson Kurt Busch the Nextel Cup champion is for Scott Riggs is fifth Tony Stewart now 6th Sterling Marlin a two-time 500 winner is seventh then Mark Martin Jeremy Mayfield and Carl Edwards I think this is going to be pretty sanitary at the front I think juniors probably realizes I'm in a fox I can't do anything I got Gordon in the front I got Johnson behind me if I make a move here no question about what's going to happen he opens the door Jimmie Johnson in the 48 will feel that hope Hendrick Motorsports would probably like to run one two we have 23 cars still on the lead lap so there's no question we could see action back there for eighth tenth twelfth all of these guys looked this good finishing this Daytona 500 Rick Hendrick is a car on her first one the Daytona 500 in 1986 with Geoff Bodine he was the winning car owner when Darrell won it in 1989 and twice since with Jeff Gordon there is Rick Hendrick well this would be a great start on Gordon's fourth championship our fifth championship tribe for five and this is gonna do it you might as well do it here get it started off right they will make one attempt at a green/white checkered finish if the caution comes out the race is over this is it this is the Daytona 500 right here and you saw jr. jump to the outside of what I thought was a pretty fast race car down there Tony Stewart if he gets up on the outside and Jeff Gordon we got a race on our hands but he's going to come there not come from everywhere Gordon's on the gas Green Flag two laps to settle it they got that fast restart there you see Dale Earnhardt jr. goes to the bottom slams the door Jimmie Johnson in the 48 looks like Johnson's gonna get kicked to the hot side though by Kurt Busch in the 97 [Music] Stewart has blocked in in the 20 nowhere to go it's jr. and guard he's not going to give up that yellow line you can bet that now juniors got help Kurt Busch No Busch slices to the outside he wants to win the bedroom to push going up in the turn three Kurt Busch the Nextel Cup champion fights his way to second a good thing he can't get any closer than that because I believe he would have probably given Gordon a big shot up the hill here they come white flag wonder go Scott Riggs DeForest Stewart wants to go three wide picks better open he is trapped behind Jimmie Johnson for that 97 car Kurt Busch is a fast pace equipment right there he's got to look he's the only four to the front five what can he do look at Scott Riggs in that 10 car he's trying to get him a top-five finish in this Daytona 500 and there's Jimmie Johnson over 48 on the outside Darrell somebody needs to get up there and go with him on the outside he had an all day pushed to the outside six cars have a chance to win it Jeff Gordon's going to lead him into turn four they're one mile from home Tony Stewart just slid up the racetrack he and Jimmy Johnson are gonna make contact each other Jeff Gordon's gonna win his third Daytona 500 completes a dream week with important place finish what he did and buy those cars right there fifth six seven eight nine ten boys Tony Stewart and Jimmy Johnson are going at each other down there they were on a car banking all over each other Jimmie Johnson ended up fifth coming across the line these two guys right here they've already rammed into each other once you know what it was coming for the checkered flag for the Daytona 500 Richard Petty has won the great race seven times Cale Yarborough is a four-time winner they had Jeff Gordon joins Dale Jarrett and Bobby Allison as the gape input to the family though that track buddy okay Jeff Gordon now a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 Rick Hendrick takes you back to October Martinsville Virginia on a plane carrying his son Ricky his brother John John's two daughters Randy dork Jeff Turner Joe Jackson all aligned with the Hendrick Motorsports team Scott Lathrop Tony Stewart's helicopter violent and the two pilots of that aircraft crashed and route to the race and Martinsville Virginia coming to the line watch Jimmy Johnson's 48 and the 20 of Tony Stewart's short breath of the outside made a big run and he went up to hill and come up got in behind blocked in behind Jimmie Johnson then I thought they were gone right here I thought that was a big crash but they held on to him raced back to the line you can see a pushing Scott Riggs across in front of Jimmie Johnson and now watch down here Tony is some kind of frustrated and some kind of upset run 500 miles don't have a scratch on your car and then decide to beat them all up at the races Oh Darryl it's only gonna be one happy man in Daytona and that's this man can you imagine leading the most laps of the race got the best car all day and get shoveled back shut back to 6:00 Dale Earnhardt jr. with a smile on your face surprised at that finishing third what a white finished yeah we my buddy our tour guide he says we saved it for the championship round the car look that good during the race and they got it he made some adjustments I could drive right up through there man and it was really good I got the lead there with a couple laps to go and I thought about I had enough room to pull in front of Gordon in the middle of one and two and hold him at holding back there but I didn't know I didn't know if I had had him cleared or not he come on Bobby down the back straightaway but he had a good car we we had a good car I don't know if it was a third place car but it was good and I want to thank my guys for staying with it all day if you'd have a little help at the end because you've won that race absolutely yeah man I had a great car I mean it was amazing the difference from the cars then and maybe 50 left before the end I mean it was a really really fast butwhy Chevrolet she runs good when you needed to nice job JD Jimmie Johnson getting greeted by his new wife and I will politely say excuse me you can get in close to your hubby here can you take me through though the last lap and and what was going on with Tony Stewart I I don't know I mean we're all trying to block and do what we can and evidently is upset with me blocking him like you're supposed to they've tried to running me in the outside wall down and turn one and that guy just tried saving my car and we bounced off each other a few times so it's no retaliation I just I mean you tried wheel the wheel almost spun me on I ran back into him so one of those deals I'm sure he's upset you led a lot today and then win the race but congratulations Hendrick Motorsports Jeff Gordon those guys for donut the average speed 135 point one miles an hour with all those caution flags make almost exactly the same winning speed of Lee petty in 1959 and you know what we've been up here for like four or five hours headed hoechlin but I wish yours a few more laps to go how loud at the end of that race that's so cool I don't know many of us could stand a couple of more laps to go and I loved it Jeff Gordon rolls into Gator a victory lane with his 70th career Nextel Cup victory it's all about up to this planes at that car run so here would has got those flames on painted flames no decals of pretty flames [Music] the four-time Series champion notches his seventieth series win his career started November 92 and what was Richard Petty's final career race and who would know and that day that this young man would pick up where the King left off I know I've told you before but rick hendrick called me at the end of 92 and said what do you think about my rookie I said he'll never make it because he had wrecked about 11 or 12 15 times that year I said I don't think he's gonna make it really well he's made it to the head table at the Waldorf now four times and now he's made it to Daytona 500 with this man Rick Hendrick three times lead changes in the last nine laps only thing that's been better Larry's if he was working on my car and is me and you you better believe it might get her puris right you will do that I know he might he has every right to he's calm he's cool he'll get out Robby Loomis is crew chief come on out there let me see you jump up let me see you do the icky show [Applause] let's join the celebration a hug by owner Rick Hendrick with three laps to go Rick hater came on the radio and told you Jeff Gordon it was time and you said yes sir it is how did you hold those guys off I tell you what I don't know who to think first because it was just an amazing day first I want to dedicate this win to all the families and and you know those who were lost in that tragic accident you know last year it it's been a tough time and you know Jimmy's got some victories but this one is a Daytona 500 and it just doesn't get any sweeter than this and you know those those folks will never never go out of our thoughts but I got to thank these guys on this DuPont Chevrolet they are so awesome they put so much work into this car I want to thank Pepsi GMAC Quaker State it's just been a Chevrolet been an amazing offseason and I just I didn't know what the week had in store for us I knew we had a good car we head and showed everything and you know I didn't I knew over 500 miles that pit crew that team and hopefully you know some some patients would pay off there at the end and it certainly did and I am I am so stoked Daytona 500 yes yes now when jr. went around on the outside you came on the radio said imagine that junior passing all by himself taking the lead were you concerned about your chances for victory then what let's that say I gave up but I thought it was over I mean he had been anywhere all day long and then all of a sudden he came out of nowhere and he pushed me so hard down this front shirt when I was trying to take the lead from Tony that I knew that it was gonna be impossible to keep behind me the best thing that happened to me was Kurt Busch I want to thank Kurt Busch you know he he got into me in the 150s but we talked earlier in the day and we knew everything was good and by him getting by that eight car and getting in front of him then we just left the mother guys a battle and I just kept him in my mirror and all my goodness wasn't just amazing day I don't know who didn't I think GMAC well everybody dreams of winning this race Jeff Gordon's not done at once not twice but three times he's a winner the great American race giving owner Rick Hendrick his fifth Daytona 500 victory there Steve Burgie six months ago Mike joy he sat down with a piece of paper came up with 28 different things that he wanted the Hendrick guys to try on this race car and they did it is now gonna go to Daytona USA how many headlines tomorrow across America will start out I am so stoked Daytona 500 and it didn't matter how good you are you still are always amazed that you won the Daytona 500 there are more great stories sterling marlin finishing eighth Kevin LePage ninth and we'll talk to Tony Stewart when we return to Daytona back live at Daytona Chevy congratulates Jeff Gordon and the 24 DuPont Chevy Monte Carlo on today's win the defending manufacturers champion records so far Chevy the revolution races on and Jeff Gordon gets it [Applause] unexcited 33 year-old Jeff Gordon a long way from the Indiana his seventieth career win his third Daytona 500 title this a guy who back at high school was voted the prom king the day of his graduation got his diploma changed into his racing gear so he could go to a dirt track and enjoy racing let's go back Jeff Hamlin to Tony Stewart Jimmie Johnson we heard Jimmy's version of the story yeah they come up a corner right there he'd been trying to pass Jimmie Johnson finally saw a whole record got together coming off at three and four they bounced across each other all the way back down at the start/finish line with Tony Stewart winding up and set the place thought he was gonna win it let's check in with Steve Byrnes Tony you led so much of this race you had a great race car how disappointing not to win it after a great day that's the hard part it's hardly and sometimes like that watch it guys but you know we had a great car I mean to lead all those laps that we let I tell you I'm so so stoked about the way these guys brought this car here it was an awesome race car and just that caught up there on the restarts at the end what was checking house upset about I think he was upset about me running into his driver after the after the race but I think his driver didn't have running into us before we got to the checkered flag so sad just upset I don't know what Chad's upset about but that's just Chad I guess I mean if he wants to talk about it I'm easily accessible Tom Mark Martin finishes 60 a great run today you and rusty running together at the end of that event a little bit of deja vu really you know rusty dive race 30 years together fighting for the same turf and he and I've never had a problem and we made a pact before the race that if it came down to it that I would help him or he would help me but I really want to thank the Viagra team and Pat trice and for fixing my horse we wrecked it twice since we've been down here they fix it both times it was awesome today and they gave me I felt like at the end I had a chance and and that's all I could ask for we weren't the dominant car but we did have a chance and and I'm real grateful for that okay to end your career without the Daytona 500 win hey it's okay just another shot of Gatorade Mark Martin finishes second today all right one more plug out the door Mark Martin Rusty Wallace do finish in the top ten will talk with Kurt Busch in a moment as Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon celebrate Gordon's win Tony is easily accessible we'll address that as well when we come back on Fox Jeff Gordon with an exciting four lead changes in the last nine laps of the 47th running of the Daytona 500 pulls into Victory Lane right behind him Kurt Busch and he's with our dick Berggren Busch an incredible drive today how did you do those last few laps to finish second and we got a great run from the 10 car I had to block him Tony was pushing him got by the 48 d8 it was just an unbelievable ride all day with adjusting on the car and being in position late we knew it was going to get busy at the end and I had a run on Gordon but I wouldn't have made it by him he would have stalled out the field would have caught us it would have been six wide at cars upside down I couldn't quite clear him and so just a great day for our Sharpie Ford and what we did is a team to build this great car I'm very happy and satisfied with this finish but I've got a few years ahead of me to try to win this thing was it as wild behind the wheel as it was to those of us watching you it was an ecstatic race behind the wheel the way that everybody worked together and we all wanted the yellow line but yet we all gave and where there was give and take it's just a nice balance of great racing and good action nice job congratulations great way to begin in his defense of his Nextel Cup title second to Jeff Gordon Dale junior came on to lead near the end Scott Riggs a great day Kevin LePage you came in here without a sponsor ends up in the top ten Wow I am physically mentally and emotionally drained this is the hardest race I've driven in years I'm worn out and how about that green white checkered at the top 13 cars on the last lap 10 of them changed position and finished in about a half a second of each other Wow the 47 states on a 500 goes to Jeff Gordon in a race that halfway down the backstretch in the last left any one of six or seven drivers could have won it and this is such a great way to start the year I mean they started with the Super Bowl baby it's the biggest race we got what a kickoff to old five Wow now you got a year to work on it until next time but your heart it goes out to Tony Stewart to have a car Greg Zipadelli as crew chief lead a hundred and seven laps over 250 miles of this race but at the end those guys some what kind of ganged up on him and as he said there was nothing he could do about it no sometime you get up here and you get comfortable you think you got him covered and man they turn up the heat Wow a great finish to a great race Chris all right thanks guys Tony Stewart leading in the most laps for the second straight Daytona 500 but that man Jeff Gordon the winner you probably see him with Regis and Kelly live soon he's filled in on that and how about the finish Gordon here's jr. and Stewart I mean you can't ask for better drivers battling at the end of this great race he was an exciting finish and we kept talking about the intensity and how it was gonna build and nobody let us down so far right now when it came time with ten laps to go we saw some fantastic racing a lot of aggression and a lot of what I consider I mean just unbelievable driving but it'll be a different set of circumstances when they go on to California next week a whole different set of circumstances but the same crew I mean the same group of guys going out there trying to repeat what they did here and a little bit totally a little bit different circumstances but it'll be just as fierce and just as good for a while so cautious and then of course the two big wrecks late in this race we had an 11 car pileup an eight car pileup at in the end Jeff Gordon coming through next week we will move on to the California speed we're Jeff Gordon had success you'll want to check out next up come practice in the Craftsman Truck Series on speed Saturday what Series qualifying on beast Cup qualifying that's which racing on FX next Sunday NASCAR this morning on speed and then the Auto Club 504 Senate by Quaker State on Fox NASCAR victory lane wraps it up at our coverage of NASCAR continuing it's where America gathers every weekend for NASCAR we're glad that you were with us today on Fox the 47th running at the great American race sentiment for the 40 something crowd Dale Jarrett on the pole Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin their final shot at the Daytona 500 11 cautions tying a record for the Daytona 500 Tony Stewart leading the most laps but in the end it was Jeff Gordon with his third Daytona 500 victory thanks for watching and being a part of NASCAR on Fox and joy we'll see you next weekend you

Channel: NASCAR

Views: 286,407

Keywords: NASCAR, motorsports, racing, stock car, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, chase elliott, fantasy sports, fantasy fastlane, glass case of emotion, ryan blaney, crash, wreck, pileup, pit road, penalty, race track, super speedway, highlight

Id: dsq4za8C_xI

Length: 196min 18sec (11778 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 11 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/SomethingCreative13]

In my somewhat biased opinion as a Gordon fan, this is the most underrated Daytona 500 of all-time. Great racing throughout the race. The mid-2000s plate racing was arguably the peak of superspeedway racing. The final lead change happened in the closing laps. And it's one of the only Daytona 500s where the majority of the major stars not only made it to the end of the race, but almost all had a shot to win and factored into the finish. I get that it didn't have an absurd finish like '76, '79, or '07, but it was pretty much good flag to flag with few dull periods. Throw in that the sport was at its peak popularity, it's just a great one in my opinion.

[u/LBHMS]

Since nobody has mentioned it yet, thank you NASCAR for FINALLY uploading a classic race in 16:9 HD!!!!

[u/Bonssa]

Tony Stewart vs Jimmie Johnson vs Kurt Busch vs Dale Earnhardt Jr vs Jeff Gordon. You had the best of the best going for the biggest race of the year. It was awesome.

[u/HurricanesnHendrick]

One thing that I have noticed from going back and watching races from the early-mid 2000s... single file restarts sucked. Especially at a super speedway.

Edit: Another thing of note.. this was some good racing.. at 187 mph average

[u/BigDaddyPoolDiesel]

Loving NASCAR putting all the old races up. This 500 is almost "lost" in my mind, because on the day of the '05 500, I went to watch a Junior hockey team that day (Canadian, and my whole team went to the game), so I missed almost all of the 500, but during one of the intermissions they showed the race on the jumbotron.