2007 Daytona 500 and Speedweeks coverage

2007 DAYTONA 500

Harvick wins Daytona 500 by 0.02 of a second

It took NASCAR three days to decide the winner of the first Daytona 500. It took NASCAR five seconds to decide the winner of the 49th. History may see little difference in the controversies.

2007 Daytona 500 race results

Sunday, At Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Lap length: 2.5 miles, (Start postition in parentheses)

COMMENTARY

Mike Bianchi: Almost everyone was rooting for Martin to win

A bitter, blustery day and a dark, dastardly week came to a fitting finale Sunday at the Disheartening 500.

COMMENTARY

David Whitley: Feel-good story of Daytona 500 lost on Harvick

Even the sailors were for the Army guy.

COMMENTARY FROM THE CHEAP SEATS

Jerry Greene: DirecTV gives fans their auto racing fantasy

Ever since NASCAR stopped selecting a Miss Gear Shifter to be part of the Daytona 500 festivities years ago, most fans have shared the same favorite fantasy -- riding shotgun with their favorite driver.

Stewart, Busch exit race prematurely

Perhaps the only surprise about Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch exiting the Daytona 500 prematurely was the aftermath.

Junior crashes, says car would not have won

Though his car gave him problems all day, Dale Earnhardt Jr. tried to make a push for the front with 20 laps to go Sunday.

Johnson has tough break at 500

The car he used to win the Daytona 500 last year sat on display just off the racetrack, attracting swarms of fans to snap a few photos or just point and stare.

Last lap is quite a show-stopper Sunday

As he sat on the backstretch in his No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet pondering the coming green-white-checkered finish to Sunday's Daytona 500, Jeff Gordon wiped oil from his windshield.

NASCAR BEAT

Geiter takes one for the team on pit row, leaves DIS on crutches

Jeremy "Gator" Geiter never thought his part in the race Sunday would end with a car clipping his leg. Or that he'd go home with a leg splint and crutches.

2007 Daytona 500 lineup

After Thursday qualifying; race Sunday, At Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Lap length: 2.5 miles, (Car number in parentheses)

2007 Gatorade Duel results

Thursday, At Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Lap length: 2.5 miles, (Start position in parentheses)

Sweet success for Yates duo

An upstart driver who'd almost gone undiscovered, a veteran coming out of retirement and a car owner back from the brink of giving up joined forces to dominate the front row in Daytona 500 pole qualifying Sunday.

Toyota runs into a speed bump

Toyota hadn't even gotten a Camry to the track for qualifying Sunday afternoon and it already was a source of questions and speculation.

DAYTONA 500 THE BEAT

NASCAR looking into crew chiefs

One year after NASCAR ejected Jimmie Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus from Speedweeks, stock-car racing's governing body lined up two more crew chiefs for potential sanctions after disallowing Sunday qualifying drives by Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne.

Party started in Daytona

Tony Stewart shoved Kyle Busch out of the lead and took it for himself with seven laps left, then kept a big wreck in his mirror at the checkered flag to win the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night.

NASCAR THE BUZZ

Gerhart wins another ARCA race at Daytona

A late-stage accident created a green-white-checkered finish, but it did nothing to prevent Saturday's strongest car from winning an accident-filled ARCA 200.

2007 Arca 200 results

(Starting position in parentheses)ƒp

2006 Daytona 500

Sole survivor: Johnson prevails in overtime

Burdened by his bad rap as a wild restrictor-plate driver, and with his crew chief banned from the race for cheating, Jimmie Johnson flew under the radar for most of Sunday's Daytona 500.

Past Daytona 500 winners

Daytona 500 facts & figures

Daytona International Speedway is the largest outdoor stadium in Florida and one of the largest in the United States. It includes more than 168,000 permanent seats.