Daytona 500 Notes & Quotes
Two out of four – Matt Kenseth broke up a decade-long series of different Daytona 500 winners by taking NASCAR’s biggest race for the second time in four years. His first 500 victory, in 2009, was rain-shortened. This one was postponed on Sunday, begun on Monday night and ended in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Bizarro world – The 54th Daytona 500 was the first ever postponed by rain. It was also marred by a delay of more than two hours brought on by a freak accident in which Juan Pablo Montoya’s Chevrolet spun out of control under caution and crashed into a jet dryer. The resulting fire – more than 200 gallons of fuel ignited after the collision – required considerable repair, though neither Montoya nor the operator of the jet dryer was seriously injured.
Notable numbers
9 – Number of drivers who have won the Daytona 500 more than once.
22 – Kenseth’s career Cup victories.
126 – Sprint Cup victories by Roush Fenway Racing.
300 – Number of victories by Roush Fenway Racing in NASCAR’s three major touring series.
Quotable quotes
“I think we (he and Greg Biffle) did everything we could at the end.” – runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“If I knew something, do you think I’d tell you?” – Matt Kenseth, asked why he was able to stay ahead of Earnhardt and Biffle.
“I have hit a lot of things, but a jet dryer? I mean, no …” – Juan Pablo Montoya.
“This is what he (Kenseth) deserves. He’s a hard-core racer, and he’s a good man.” – Carl Edwards (eighth)
