Kevin Harvick overcame flu-like
conditions earlier in the week to win the Budweiser Shootout for the second
year in a row Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
Harvick captured the victory after the pre-season, non-points race concluded
in a wild overtime finish.
Michael Waltrip's crash late in the race set up a green-white-checkered
finish. During the caution, Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne were the only drivers
in the field that opted not to pit.
Biffle led the field for the final two-lap restart, but lost the lead on the
backstretch after Kahne pushed Harvick to the front. Jeff Gordon then rammed
into the back of Biffle heading into turn three, causing the Roush Fenway
Racing driver to spin and then collect his teammates Matt Kenseth and Carl
Edwards, as well as Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman and Mark Martin, who won the
pole for the February 14 Daytona 500 earlier in the day. Harvick held the lead
when NASCAR displayed the yellow flag to end the race.
Harvick did not participate in the two Budweiser Shootout practice sessions
due to his illness. He was questionable at one point if he would compete in
the event. Clint Bowyer drove Harvick's car in practice, but Bowyer was
involved in a seven-car crash, which forced the Richard Childress Racing team
to use a backup car.
"I got to thank my team," Harvick said. "They did a great job. This car was
wrecked in practice. I was sick on Thursday and didn't even get to see a lap
in this thing, but this thing was a rocket. The best thing about the car was
it handled well."
Harvick became the fourth driver to win the Budweiser Shootout in consecutive
years. He joined Neil Bonnett (1983-84), Ken Schrader (1989-90) and Tony
Stewart (2001-02). Despite his back-to-back victories in the Shootout, Harvick
has not won a Sprint Cup Series points race since the 2007 Daytona 500.
Kahne held on for a second-place finish, while Jamie McMurray, in his first
start for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, was third. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle
Busch and Denny Hamlin completed the top-five.
Carl Edwards led the most laps with 42 -- including all 25 laps in the first
of two segments -- but Edwards was shuffled back in the field in the late-
stages and never became a factor from there. His wreck led to a 17th-place
finish.
Kurt Busch was the first driver who crashed in the race. On lap 32, Busch spun
on the infield grass after making contact with Martin. He then slid up the
track before hitting the outside wall.
"I thought I was in the high lane and I got on the high side of [Martin]
through turn four, and I don't know if I pinched him when he was coming up,"
said Busch, who finished 23rd. "It's not fun. I'm making more laps in the
ambulance than I am on the track."
Busch also used a backup car for the Shootout after crashing his primary one
in the opening minutes of the final practice.
Drivers got a chance to experience NASCAR's recent rule modifications for
Daytona under race conditions. Last month, NASCAR announced it would relax on
bump-drafting rules and increase the size of the restrictor plate for
Speedweeks events at Daytona.
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