It’s all about the money, or at least for Kevin Harvick it is. Harvick, who hasn’t won a points race since the 2007 Daytona 500, stole Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout win. It was his first win since the 2007 All-Star race, another race worth a bunch of money, but no points.
From Harvick’s steal to a record number of lead changes (23), the 75-lap race was full of excitement and dramatic wrecks from start to finish.
The cautions began early. After only four laps, the first caution reared it’s ugly head and involved the two rookies, Joey Logano and Scott Speed, who were both making their first appearance in the shootout and at Daytona International Speedway.
Despite unpopular criticism, neither were the cause of the wreck. That task went to Robby Gordon who hit David Ragan’s loose No. 6 Ford as it came sliding up the track. Speed and Logano were innocent bystanders, as was Greg Biffle, who seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time for a majority of the night.
Jeff Gordon, like Harvick, seemed to have it all. The caution had cars going up and down the track as drivers were swerving in and out of the paths of the damaged cars to avoid damage. Some were lucky to escape with minor damage, but Gordon escaped with no damage at all. The view from FOX’s sky cam was remarkable as he swerved in and out of the way of the cars crashing to not have a single mark on his No. 24 Chevrolet. He looked as if he could have been the winner late in the race, but instead, finished fourth behind Tony Stewart.
Stewart, who is considered the reason for the wild card rule for the race, showed fans and naysayers that he may be out to win it all. His No. 14 Chevrolet was fast and consistent throughout the night. He was able to maintain a position up front and in the draft through a majority of the short race and he was able to be there when it ended to sit nicely in the third position.
Jamie McMurray looked to have the race in the bag and have his first win since Daytona July 2007. He lead 16 laps, the second most behind last year’s winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 23, and was able to consistently get back to the front, regain and maintain the lead.
The final of eight cautions happened with two laps left in the race with McMurray as the leader and a green-white-checkered restart ahead. As McMurray restarted, he held the lead, but Denny Hamlin, who was having a rough day, attempted to get by him and take the lead to only fall back a few spots. Harvick, who started fourth on the restart, was able to get a great drafting push from Hamlin to get the lead on the last lap.
As with most green-white-checkered restarts, a caution is bound to happen. It did when Casey Mears and Denny Hamlin wrecked, taking Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson with them. This happened just seconds after Harvick got around McMurray. Harvick cruised across the finished line the winner.
McMurray’s charge, Harvick’s steal, the beating and banging and the multitude of lead changes on the track is a good preview of what Sunday may bring us. As with most Daytona 500s, the winner will not be determined until the last lap and we’re all sure to be on the edge of our seats.
Don’t miss:
From Daytona
- NextEra Energy Resources 250 (Camping World race), today at 7:30 p.m. on SPEED
- Camping World 300 (Nationwide race), Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2
- Daytona 500 (Sprint Cup race), Sunday at 2 p.m. on FOX
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