For the second straight year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. found himself the bridesmaid in the biggest race of the year. His frantic charge on the last lap that came up short, ending in a second place finish in the Daytona 500 behind teammate Jimmie Johnson.
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.
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.
Tony Stewart would take the victory in the DRIVE4COPD 300 at a wreck ensued on the last lap, which included the front end of Kyle Larson's car landing on the fans' side of the catch fence. More details on the wreck, as well as the race, will be posted shortly.
A caution on the last lap would seal the deal for Johnny Sauter as he would take the checkered flag to win the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway. This marks the seventh victory of Sauter's career in his 109th truck race. It also marks his first top 10 finish ever at Daytona after crashing last year while leading.
At the end of Nationwide Series qualifying on Friday afternoon, it'd be Trevor Bayne taking the pole for the DRIVE4COPD 300 with a lap of
50.801 seconds, 177.162 mph. It marks the sixth pole in 86 Nationwide Series starts for the driver of the No. 6 Cargill Ford.
At the end of qualifying on Friday afternoon, it'd be 23-year-old Brennan Newberry winning the pole for the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway.
