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Ryan Newman Wins Daytona 500 with Help from Penske Teammate
Ryan Newman grabbed the checkered flag Sunday. (AP Images)
The annual gathering of good ol’ boys doing their darnedest to obliterate the ozone layer was dominated by NASCAR’s lesser-known drivers.
Although Tony Stewart had a strong showing in Sunday’s Daytona 500, betting favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. faded to ninth place and Jimmie Johnson crashed and came in 27th.
Instead, guys like Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton took turns in the lead until late in the race when Ryan Newman took charge after a caution flag. Newman, driving a Penske Dodge, grabbed the lead and got some Shake-n-Bake help from teammate Kurt Busch to win the 200-lap race.
Newman entered the race with NASCAR odds of 28/1 to win at Daytona International Speedway. Runner-up Busch was at 20/1 and Stewart, who finished third, was 4/1 to win. Stewart held the lead briefly on the final laps before Newman pulled ahead.
The win was Roger Penske's first at the Daytona 500. There were 42 lead changes and 23 laps run under caution.