SM Staff

We all watched in horror as a multi car crash, on the final lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona, unfolded. We saw Kyle Larson's Chevrolet become airborne and hit the catch fence. We saw debris, including a tire with wheel and suspension parts attached to it, fly into the grandstands.

In late January, Rick Hendrick challenged his teams to return to championship form. Much of that challenge was seemingly directed toward the No.48 Lowes team.

When the caution came out with nine to go, Jimmie Johnson was just a nose ahead of Brad Keselowski, able to choose his line on the restart. He would choose the outside lane and would hold the field off to win the 2013 Daytona 500.

Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday. Johnson, making his 400th career start, held off teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin after the final restart with six laps remaining.

NASCAR fans are passionate like none other. They demonstrate that passion with the gear that they wear, from T-shirts to jackets to pajama bottoms sporting their favorite team number or race car, to the bags of merchandise they purchase from the many haulers at the race track.

Before I begin my outlook on the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season and tomorrow's 55th running of the Daytona 500, I'd like to share my thoughts and prayers for all those fans injured today at Daytona International Speedway.

After a crash on the last lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300, 28 spectators were injured due to debris flying into the grandstands.

Before we go into any details, our thoughts and prayers are with all of the fans and the families of those that were hurt. We also pray for those that were traumatized in anyway by what they saw. The best thing we can do for them is pray that everything will be okay in the long run.

After the lead cars made contact triggering the 11 car wreck, Tony Stewart would make his way through, emerging as the winner of the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway. It marks his seventh victory and 10th top-10 finish in 14 races at Daytona International Speedway.

A crash on the last lap in the DRIVE4COPD 300 would send Kyle Larson up into the catchfence, sending debris into the grandstands. Larson's engine was on the fans' side of the catchfence, while one of his tires would land a couple rows up in the stands.