In one of the most bizarre Daytona 500's in recent memory, Matt Kenseth overcame a series of long delays caused by Juan Pablo Montoya's untimely crash with a jet dryer, winning the 54th running of the race.
Carl Edwards, a native of Columbia, Missouri, finished in eight place, despite starting from the pole.
He spent most of the race sliding towards the middle of the pack until crew chief Pierre Kuettel removed a windshield tear-off during a red flag caution with 40 laps left, a violation which forced Edwards to the rear 28th spot. From there, he was able to make a late charge into the middle of the field before two wrecks in the front-stretch produced a green-and-white checkered finish, letting him end the race in 8th place.
Clint Bowyer, meanwhile, a native of Emporia, Kansas, was never much of a factor, as he ran out of gas on the back-stretch with 70 laps left. He finished the night in 11th place.