Jimmie Johnson wins at Daytona 500 for the second time, walking away from defending series champion Brad Keselowski in a Ford right after the restart just 8 laps away from the end. Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet SS managed to keep up the momentum, defending the position from Dale Earnhardt Jr. following closely behind. Rounding out the top five finishers at Daytona after Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. are Mark Martin, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Newman.
Danica Patrick, who started the "Great American Race" from pole, ultimately crossed the finish line at a commendable eighth place. Following Jimmie Johnson's lead pack behind Greg Biffle, the cars suddenly went 3 wide on the last two turns, pushing Biffle and Patrick to the outside as a resurgent Keselowski storms back up the grid.
"Danica's done so good all week. She's pretty tenacious. I just went where I needed to go all day long. You needed to be decisive on whether to go or not go," said Earnhardt Jr. of racing with Patrick. The two drivers were battling for most of the race.
"It was nice to lead later in the race, to do that," said Danica Patrick during post-race interviews. "I didn't feel like it was a wise idea to drop low and figure out how to pass."
Finally, Johnson thanked the fans for their continued support and also prayed for the fans that were hurt from the Nationwide crash involving Kyle Larson's disintegrating car.
Drivers Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne were pre-race favorites coming into the Dayton 500 but they were taken out by the first major incident on lap 34. The nine-car accident was triggered when Kasey Kahne got bumped by Kyle Busch into Turn 1. Tony Stewart got caught in the mess as well.
"If I didn't tell you I was heartbroken and disappointed I'd be lying to you," Stewart said. "We had a car that was really, really good."
Did you think Jimmie Johnson's drive deserved the win? What about Danica Patrick's eighth place finish? Be sure to watch the final moments of the epic Daytona 500:
