2015 Daytona 500

2015 Daytona 500
Race details[1][2][3][4][5]
Race 1 of 36 in the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season
Date February 22, 2015 (2015-02-22)
Location Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida
Course Permanent racing facility
2.5 mi (4 km)
Distance 203 laps, 507.5 mi (812 km)
Scheduled Distance 200 laps, 500 mi (800 km)
Weather Sunny skies with a temperature of 79 °F (26 °C); wind out of the south/southeast at 9.2 mph (14.8 km/h)[6]
Average speed 161.938 mph (260.614 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Hendrick Motorsports
Time 44.711
Qualifying race winners
Duel 1 Winner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (W) Hendrick Motorsports
Duel 2 Winner Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports
Most laps led
Driver Jeff Gordon (W) Hendrick Motorsports
Laps 87
Winner
No. 22 Joey Logano Team Penske
Television in the United States
Network Fox
Announcers Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip
Nielsen Ratings 7.3/16 (Overnight)[7]
7.7/17 (Final)[8]
13.4 Million viewers[8]
Radio in the United States
Radio MRN
Booth Announcers Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace
Turn Announcers Dave Moody (1 & 2), Mike Bagley (Backstretch) and Kyle Rickey (3 & 4)

The 2015 Daytona 500, the 57th running of the event, was held on February 22, 2015 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 203 laps – extended from 200 laps due to a green–white–checker finish – on the 2.5 mi (4.0 km) asphalt superspeedway, it was the first race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Joey Logano won the race, recording the second Daytona 500 win for Team Penske, and his ninth career Sprint Cup victory. Kevin Harvick finished second while Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top–five.

Jeff Gordon won the pole for his 23rd and final career start in the Daytona 500. Hendrick Motorsports swept the Budweiser Duel races with Earnhardt, Jr. winning the first Duel race and fourth career qualifying race and Johnson winning the second Duel race and second career qualifying race. Gordon led a race high 87 laps and ran up front for most of the race. He was caught up in the backstretch multi-car wreck on the final lap of the race and finished 33rd. Logano took the lead with 10 laps to go in the scheduled 200 lap distance and was ahead of Kevin Harvick before the last caution flag ended the race in his favor. The race had 27 lead changes among 12 different drivers, as well as 7 caution flag periods for 26 laps. There was also a single red flag period that lasted for 6 minutes and 42 seconds.

Logano left Daytona with a five–point lead over Harvick in the points standings, while Ford left Daytona with a five–point lead over Chevrolet in the manufacturer standings.

The 57th Daytona 500 was carried by Fox Sports on the broadcast Fox network for the American television audience. The radio broadcast for the race was carried by the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

Report

Background

Daytona International Speedway, where the race was held. The front stretch is at the bottom of the picture.

Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR.[9] In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, USCC, SCCA, and Motocross. The track features multiple layouts including the primary 2.5 mi (4.0 km) high speed tri-oval,[10] a 3.56 mi (5.73 km) sports car course, a 2.95 mi (4.75 km) motorcycle course, and a .25 mi (0.40 km) karting and motorcycle flat-track. The track's 180-acre (73 ha) infield includes the 29-acre (12 ha) Lake Lloyd, which has hosted powerboat racing. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.

The track was built by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. to host racing that was being held at the former Daytona Beach and Road Course and opened with the first Daytona 500 in 1959.[11] The speedway has been renovated three times, with the infield renovated in 2004,[12] and the track repaved in 1978 and 2010.[13]

New rules

NASCAR implemented a new camera system to officiate pit road.[14] Forty-five cameras monitor pit road and reduce the number of necessary officials on pit road from 24 to 10.[14] The system was beta tested during the 10 race Chase for the Sprint Cup last season and "allegedly" detected a high number of infractions such as driving through more than three stalls to get into or exit one's pit stall. Eight officials monitor the system from a truck outside the track and have the final say on imposing a penalty.[14] With only 10 officials monitoring pit road now, NASCAR no longer penalizes teams for missing or loose lug nuts. The responsibility for having those lug nuts on the car falls on the teams.[14]

Entry list

The entry list for the 57th running of the Daytona 500 was released on Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 9:22 a.m. Eastern time. Fifty drivers were entered for the race. Joe Nemechek and his No. 87 team later withdrew before qualifying. With the Daytona 500 being the first race of the 2015 season, 13 drivers were entered for the race driving for a different team than they had raced for in the 2014 season. Trevor Bayne made his debut with Roush Fenway Racing after spending the last five seasons driving part-time for Wood Brothers Racing. Alex Bowman, who drove for BK Racing in his 2014 rookie campaign, moved to Tommy Baldwin Racing to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet. Sam Hornish, Jr. returned to full-time in the Sprint Cup Series – his first since 2010 – to drive in the No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford. He replaced Marcos Ambrose who returned to his native Australia to race in the V8 Supercar Series. Carl Edwards, who drove the last 11 seasons for Roush Fenway Racing, moved to Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 19 Toyota. Ryan Blaney replaced Trevor Bayne in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford on a part-time basis. J. J. Yeley moved to the No. 23 BK Racing Toyota that had been driven by Alex Bowman the previous season. Jeb Burton moved up from the Camping World Truck Series to drive the No. 26 BK Racing Toyota. Justin Marks was entered to make his first Sprint Cup Series start in the No. 29 RAB Racing Toyota. Former Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday, Jr. moved up to attempt to run his first full season in the Sprint Cup Series since 2001 in the No. 30 Chevrolet for The Motorsports Group. The 2000 series champion Bobby Labonte took over the seat of the No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford for the four restrictor plate races. This was a role previously done by his brother Terry Labonte who made his final career start in October 2014 at Talladega. Cole Whitt, who drove the No. 26 BK Racing Toyota in his 2014 rookie campaign, moved to the No. 35 Front Row Motorsports Ford. Reed Sorenson drove the No. 44 Team XTREME Racing Chevrolet. Michael Annett left Tommy Baldwin Racing after his 2014 rookie campaign and moved to HScott Motorsports to drive the No. 46 Chevrolet. Brian Scott was entered in a one race deal to drive the No. 62 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet.

No. Driver Team Manufacturer Starts Best Finish
1 Jamie McMurray (W) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 12 1st
2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 5 3rd
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 2 9th
4 Kevin Harvick (W) Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 13 1st
5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 11 7th
6 Trevor Bayne (W) Roush Fenway Racing Ford 4 1st
7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 1 23rd
9 Sam Hornish, Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 3 15th
10 Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 3 8th
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 9 2nd
13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 10 2nd
14 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 16 2nd
15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 9 4th
16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 12 3rd
17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 3 7th
18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 10 4th
19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 10 2nd
20 Matt Kenseth (W) Joe Gibbs Racing Ford 15 1st
21 Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing Ford 0
22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 6 9th
23 J. J. Yeley BK Racing Toyota 5 10th
24 Jeff Gordon (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 22 1st
26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 0
27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 7 6th
29 Justin Marks RAB Racing Toyota 0
30 Ron Hornaday, Jr. The Motorsports Group Chevrolet 1 17th
31 Ryan Newman (W) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 13 1st
32 Bobby Labonte Go FAS Racing Ford 22 2nd
33 Ty Dillon Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 0
34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 8 5th
35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 1 28th
38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 5 3rd
40 Landon Cassill Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 2 12th
41 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 14 2nd
42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 1 38th
43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 4 13th
44 Reed Sorenson Team XTREME Racing Chevrolet 5 5th
46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 1 37th
47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 5 3rd
48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 13 1st
51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 1 27th
55 Michael Waltrip (W) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 27 1st
62 Brian Scott Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 1 25th
66 Mike Wallace Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 10 4th
78 Martin Truex, Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 10 6th
83 Johnny Sauter BK Racing Toyota 2 16th
87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 20 6th
88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 15 1st
95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 4 9th
98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford 2 24th
Source:[15]
Key Meaning
(R) Rookie
(W) Past winner

Practice

First practice (February 14)

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 44.413 and a speed of 202.643 mph (326.122 km/h).[16]

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 44.413 202.643
2 9 Sam Hornish, Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 44.512 202.193
3 6 Trevor Bayne (W) Roush Fenway Racing Ford 44.512 202.193
Source:[17]

Second practice (February 14)

Michael McDowell was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 45.153 and a speed of 199.322 mph (320.778 km/h).[18] Ryan Newman was forced to change engines after blowing one half an hour into the session.[19] He had to start from the rear in one of the Duel races.[19] Martin Truex, Jr. also dealt with engine gremlins due to a crack in his car's oil pan, but did not change engines.[19]

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 45.153 199.322
2 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 45.155 199.314
3 33 Ty Dillon Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 45.158 199.300
Source:[20]

Qualifying

"I wasn't behind the 44 [Sorenson]. He came flying around, come up on the apron, jumps in front of me, then runs over the 51 [Allgaier], stacks us all up and then I run into him. It's idiotic to be out here doing this anyway. There's no sense in being able to try to put on some cute show for whatever the hell this is. Then you have a guy out there doing this in desperation. There's no reason to be out here. These guys have spent six months working on these cars, busting their butts on these cars. But it ain't his fault. It's NASCAR's fault for putting us out in the middle of this crap for nothing. We used to come down here and worry about who would set on the front pole in the biggest race of the year. Now all we do is come down here and worry about how a start‑and‑park like this out of desperation is going to knock us out of the Daytona 500. We've been in meetings for 45 minutes just trying to figure out what in the hell everybody is going to do just so we can make the race. It's stupid. There's no sense in doing this."

Clint Bowyer, after his incident in qualifying.[21]

The pole qualifying took place at 1:35 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, February 15, a week prior to the Daytona 500 race itself. After the 2014 Daytona 500, NASCAR eliminated the traditional single car qualifying format for the pole qualifying and introduced a knockout qualifying format commonly used in many series at Phoenix the following week. The restrictor plate track rules, first implemented at the fall Talladega race, were used.

The top two times in the final qualifying session were locked in the front row of the Daytona 500 starting grid, while the other 41 starting spots were determined by the two Budweiser Duel races the following Thursday. If a driver failed to make the Top 15 in the Duels, the time that was used to calculate the four drivers that would qualify based on time – and to grid the seven drivers that took provisional starting positions was based solely on the fastest time they set – regardless of qualifying session.

Jeff Gordon, seen here in 2012, started on the pole for his final Daytona 500.

In what would be his final Daytona 500 start, Jeff Gordon won the pole with a time of 44.711 and a speed of 201.293 mph (323.950 km/h).[22] Gordon felt that in the new qualifying format, "the driver finally gets to play a role". He also stated that he had "a fast race car" and that the pole position was "one of the most gratifying poles I've had, not just because it's my final Daytona".[22] His teammate Jimmie Johnson started right alongside in second. In the first round of qualifying, Clint Bowyer tried to go under Reed Sorenson when he got hit in the rear by Jeb Burton and turned right into Sorenson. Both cars hit the wall and collected Bobby Labonte and J. J. Yeley. Denny Hamlin also took some damage. The session was red flagged with a minute and 22 seconds left. After the red flag was lifted, no one was able to make it back to the line before time expired. Upon exiting his car, Bowyer vented his frustrations at the Daytona qualifying procedure.[21]

The cars of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Denny Hamlin failed post-qualifying inspection and started from the rear of the field in their respective Duel races.[23] Earnhardt's car was found to be too low on the left front – a rule implemented only for restrictor plate tracks[23] – while the panhard rod on Hamlin's car was found to be 3–3.75 inches (76–95 mm) beyond the maximum allowed.[23] Both drivers expressed thoughts on Twitter post-penalties, with both looking forward to moving up the order in the Duels.[23] Both drivers had no time listed, meaning if either driver did not make the top 15 in the Duels, they would have to start 42nd or 43rd as they would be forced take a provisional and be placed behind all drivers with a legal time.

Qualifying results

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer R1 R2 R3 Grid
1 24 Jeff Gordon (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 45.138 44.700 44.711 1 (1)
2 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 44.489 44.571 44.746 1 (2)
3 11 Denny Hamlin[N 1] Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 45.036 44.590 44.791 24 (2)
4 20 Matt Kenseth (W) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 44.865 44.996 44.952 2 (1)
5 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 44.728 45.001 44.958 2 (2)
6 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 44.845 45.113 45.030 3 (1)
7 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 45.845 45.009 45.492 3 (2)
8 33 Ty Dillon Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 45.378 44.848 45.568 4 (1)
9 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 45.079 44.752 45.694 4 (2)
10 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (W)[N 1] Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 44.806 45.017 46.135 25 (1)
11 1 Jamie McMurray (W) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 44.500 44.632 46.600 5 (1)
12 78 Martin Truex, Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 45.376 45.059 47.200 5 (2)
13 83 Johnny Sauter BK Racing Toyota 45.096 45.404 6 (1)
14 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 45.209 45.575 6 (2)
15 6 Trevor Bayne (W) Roush Fenway Racing Ford 45.219 45.626 7 (1)
16 9 Sam Hornish, Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 45.199 45.629 7 (2)
17 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 44.473 45.639 8 (1)
18 17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 44.481 45.728 8 (2)
19 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 45.212 46.546 9 (1)
20 21 Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing Ford 45.207 46.564 9 (2)
21 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 45.269 46.574 10 (1)
22 55 Michael Waltrip (W) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 44.689 47.240 10 (2)
23 23 J. J. Yeley* BK Racing Toyota 45.168 0.000 11 (1)
24 32 Bobby Labonte* Go FAS Racing Ford 45.211 0.000 11 (2)
25 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 45.380 12 (1)
26 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 45.402 12 (2)
27 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 45.406 13 (1)
28 31 Ryan Newman (W)* Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 45.414 13 (2)
29 4 Kevin Harvick (W) Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 45.456 14 (1)
30 41 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 45.460 14 (2)
31 14 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 45.462 15 (1)
32 10 Danica Patrick* Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 45.464 15 (2)
33 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 45.467 16 (1)
34 62 Brian Scott Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 45.494 16 (2)
35 46 Michael Annett* HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 45.789 17 (1)
36 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 45.794 17 (2)
37 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 46.015 18 (1)
38 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 46.072 18 (2)
39 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 46.083 19 (1)
40 26 Jeb Burton (R)* BK Racing Toyota 46.153 19 (2)
41 15 Clint Bowyer* Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 46.155 20 (1)
42 44 Reed Sorenson* Team XTREME Racing Chevrolet 46.159 20 (2)
43 29 Justin Marks RAB Racing Toyota 46.231 21 (1)
44 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 46.284 21 (2)
45 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 46.389 22 (1)
46 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford 46.539 22 (2)
47 40 Landon Cassill Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 46.560 23 (1)
48 66 Mike Wallace Premium Motorsports Toyota 46.751 23 (2)
49 30 Ron Hornaday, Jr. The Motorsports Group Chevrolet 47.172 24 (1)
Source:[24]
Key Meaning
(1) Race One
(2) Race Two
* Dropped to the rear

Practice (post-qualifying)

Third practice (February 18)

Kyle Busch was the fastest in the third practice session with a time of 44.826 and a speed of 200.776 mph (323.118 km/h).[25] During this session, there was a four car wreck on the backstretch that involved Michael Annett, Jeb Burton, Denny Hamlin and Danica Patrick.[26] It started when Hamlin pulled out of line and Patrick tried to follow him, but made contact with the right-front corner of Hamlin's car when she over-corrected and hit the wall. Michael Annett tried to go high around Patrick on the outside when he got turned by Jeb Burton. Patrick, Annett and Burton all switched to backup cars.[26] After the incident, Patrick stated that her car "sort of just started turning toward the right, the back end was coming around and it swapped ends" and that Hamlin was trying to "make a third lane in the middle and it felt like it must have caught my bumper".[26] Hamlin felt that Patrick had intended to block his path, stating that a driver has "to give a little bit of extra room in practice" and that if he "had to guess, she probably saw in her mirror that I was going down there and tried to stay in front of me".[26]

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 44.826 200.776
2 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 44.881 200.530
3 6 Trevor Bayne (W) Roush Fenway Racing Ford 44.988 200.053
Source:[27]

Fourth practice (February 18)

Alex Bowman was the fastest in the fourth practice session with a time of 44.889 and a speed of 200.495 mph (322.665 km/h).[28]

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 44.889 200.495
2 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 44.897 200.459
3 6 Trevor Bayne (W) Roush Fenway Racing Ford 44.913 200.387
Source:[29]

Fifth practice (February 19)

Kyle Larson was the fastest in the fifth practice session with a time of 46.705 and a speed of 192.699 mph (310.119 km/h).[30] This session had only five drivers take part in it doing single car runs.

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 46.705 192.699
2 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 47.192 190.710
3 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 47.344 190.098
Source:[31]

Budweiser Duel

The Budweiser Duels were held on Thursday, February 19. They consisted of two races, 150 miles (240 kilometers) in length, which served as the qualifying races for the Daytona 500. The first race involved the drivers that qualified in the odd numbered positions in pole qualifying. The second race involved the drivers that qualified in the even numbered positions and the five drivers that failed to make the race. The results of the two Budweiser Duels determined the starting lineup, behind the front row pre-determined by pole qualifying, for the weekend's Daytona 500 race.

Race one

First half

Start

The first race started at 7:19 p.m. Eastern time when Jeff Gordon led the field to the green. Matt Kenseth took the lead with the bottom lane to lead the first lap. The first caution of the race flew on lap 17 after Casey Mears blew an engine in turn 1. Kenseth and Gordon swapped the lead on pit road, and Gordon exited as the leader for the restart on lap 24. Michael Annett was forced to restart the race from the tail-end of the longest line, as his pit crew went over the wall too soon.[32]

Trouble in the tri-oval

Kenseth used the bottom line and jumped in front of Gordon to take back the lead on lap 26, just ahead of the race's second caution when Johnny Sauter crashed in the tri-oval, following contact with A. J. Allmendinger, while Aric Almirola also picked up some damage to his car.[33]

Sauter stated that he was "just riding along" and that he was "trying to mind my business" before the contact with Allmendinger, with the point of impact being "in the left rear quarter panel". He also stated that it was "a bummer deal" for himself and his BK Racing team.[33] Sauter did, however, make the starting lineup for the race, on his qualifying speeds, while Allmendinger took a provisional. Allmendinger apologised for the contact with Sauter, while stating that his JTG Daugherty Racing car was fast, while also criticizing the racing that was occurring, stating that he "was trying to stay out of trouble and got put in the middle and I was trying to bail out of the middle".[33] Michael McDowell dropped to the end of the longest line, for the restart on lap 33, after his crew was over the wall too soon.[32]

Second half

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. used a slight push from the bottom line to take the lead on lap 35. Kenseth drove past Earnhardt on the bottom to take back the lead on lap 39. On lap 43, Earnhardt used a slingshot move to overtake Kenseth for good. The third caution of the race flew on lap 51 when Trevor Bayne got loose, came down on Kyle Larson and hit the wall in turn 1. During this period, Ty Dillon broke his gear shifter. The race restarted with five laps to go and Earnhardt. held off Jeff Gordon to win race one.[34]

Post-race

Earnhardt praised the work of his spotter T. J. Majors in victory lane, stating that he "gave me the information I needed to make the moves I needed" and that he was "looking forward to getting to Sunday and trying to get another Daytona 500 win".[34] Dillon, finished 16th after the gearshift issues, and was able to make the field. He described the result as "hard to explain" and that he had "been coming here since I was a kid watching my grandfather's cars race".[34] Ron Hornaday, Jr. and Justin Marks failed to make the race.[35]

Race one results

Pos Grid No. Driver Team Manufacturer Laps
1 25 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 60
2 1 24 Jeff Gordon (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 60
3 10 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 60
4 15 14 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 60
5 20 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 60
6 14 4 Kevin Harvick (W) Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 60
7 3 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 60
8 5 1 Jamie McMurray (W) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 60
9 23 40 Landon Cassill Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 60
10 22 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 60
11 12 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 60
12 19 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 60
13 11 23 J. J. Yeley BK Racing Toyota 60
14 17 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 60
15 18 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 60
16 4 33 Ty Dillon Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 60
17 2 20 Matt Kenseth (W) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 60
18 21 29 Justin Marks RAB Racing Toyota 60
19 9 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 60
20 8 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 60
21 24 30 Ron Hornaday, Jr. The Motorsports Group Chevrolet 60
22 7 6 Trevor Bayne (W) Roush Fenway Racing Ford 60
23 13 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 27
24 6 83 Johnny Sauter BK Racing Toyota 27
25 16 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 17
Source:[36]

Race two

First half

Start

Before the start, Josh Wise stalled at the entrance of pit road and took his car to the garage. This ultimately eliminated him from racing in the Daytona 500. The second race started 18 minutes late at 9:19 p.m. with Jimmie Johnson leading the field to the green flag. Kyle Busch took the lead on the first lap. The first caution of the race flew on lap 19 for a spin by David Ragan, exiting turn 4. Ragan had cut across the nose of Justin Allgaier and got turned down onto the apron, making contact with the inside wall. Kyle Busch was first off pit road, but he was caught speeding on pit road and was forced to drop to the end of the line, allowing Johnson to retake the lead for the restart, on lap 25. Allgaier was also sent to the rear, as his pit crew came across the wall too soon.[32]

Second half

The second caution of the race flew on lap 37 for a multi-car wreck in the tri-oval. It started exiting turn 4 when Jeb Burton turned down into Sam Hornish, Jr. who turned into Alex Bowman. Austin Dillon destroyed his splitter driving through the grass trying to avoid the wreck, which caused the race to be red flagged for five minutes. The race restarted with 20 laps to go. With 14 laps to go, Kurt Busch was given a drive-through penalty for passing below the double yellow line. The third caution of the race flew with three laps to go for a four car wreck in turn 3. Denny Hamlin gave Danica Patrick a push which turned her around and collected Brian Scott and Bobby Labonte.[32]

In a green–white–checker finish, Johnson held off a last lap charge by Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards to win the race.[37] Johnson defined the Speedweeks at Daytona as "awesome" for his Hendrick Motorsports team, sweeping the Duels and the front row for the Daytona 500. Johnson also called his car as "mad fast".[37]

Post-race

Patrick confronted Hamlin on pit road after the race.[37] After the confrontation, Patrick told reporters that she had "no explanation for that", while also stating Hamlin was in the wrong by believing "that he's taking the air and getting it off the spoiler, and he's not squared up either".[37] Michael Annett, Ryan Blaney, Landon Cassill, Ty Dillon, Michael McDowell, Reed Sorenson, Mike Wallace, Cole Whitt and J. J. Yeley raced their way into the Daytona 500.[38] Bobby Labonte also made the race, via the provisional for past series champions. Alex Bowman, Burton, Ron Hornaday, Jr., Justin Marks, Scott and Wise all failed to make the race.[32]

Race two results

Pos Grid No. Driver Team Manufacturer Laps
1 1 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 64
2 2 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 64
3 3 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 64
4 6 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 64
5 5 78 Martin Truex, Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 64
6 9 21 Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing Ford 64
7 20 44 Reed Sorenson Team XTREME Racing Chevrolet 64
8 23 66 Mike Wallace Premium Motorsports Toyota 64
9 17 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 64
10 15 10 Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 64
11 13 31 Ryan Newman (W) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 64
12 14 41 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 64
13 18 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 64
14 21 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 64
15 4 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 64
16 8 17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 64
17 16 62 Brian Scott Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 64
18 24 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 64
19 10 55 Michael Waltrip (W) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 64
20 11 32 Bobby Labonte Go FAS Racing Ford 60
21 7 9 Sam Hornish, Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 36
22 19 26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 36
23 12 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 36
24 22 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford 1
Source:[39]

Starting lineup

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Notes
1 24 Jeff Gordon (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Fastest in pole qualifying
2 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Second fastest in pole qualifying
3 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Duel race #1 winner
4 18 Matt Crafton[N 2] Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Second in Budweiser Duel 2
5 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford Third in Budweiser Duel 1
6 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Third in Budweiser Duel 2
7 14 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet Fourth in Budweiser Duel 1
8 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fourth in Budweiser Duel 2
9 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota Fifth in Budweiser Duel 1
10 78 Martin Truex, Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet Fifth in Budweiser Duel 2
11 4 Kevin Harvick (W) Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet Sixth in Budweiser Duel 1
12 21 Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing Ford Sixth in Budweiser Duel 2
13 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Seventh in Budweiser Duel 1
14 44 Reed Sorenson Team XTREME Racing Chevrolet Seventh in Budweiser Duel 2
15 1 Jamie McMurray (W) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Eighth in Budweiser Duel 1
16 66 Mike Wallace Premium Motorsports Chevrolet Eighth in Budweiser Duel 2
17 40 Landon Cassill Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet Ninth in Budweiser Duel 1
18 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet Ninth in Budweiser Duel 2
19 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 10th in Budweiser Duel 1
20 10 Danica Patrick[N 3] Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 10th in Budweiser Duel 2
21 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 11th in Budweiser Duel 1
22 31 Ryan Newman (W)[N 4] Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 11th in Budweiser Duel 2
23 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 12th in Budweiser Duel 1
24 41 Regan Smith[N 5] Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 12th in Budweiser Duel 2
25 23 J. J. Yeley BK Racing Toyota 13th in Budweiser Duel 1
26 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 13th in Budweiser Duel 2
27 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 14th in Budweiser Duel 1
28 34 David Ragan[N 3] Front Row Motorsports Ford 14th in Budweiser Duel 2
29 42 Kyle Larson[N 3] Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 15th in Budweiser Duel 1
30 3 Austin Dillon[N 3] Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 15th in Budweiser Duel 2
31 33 Ty Dillon Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 16th in Budweiser Duel 1
32 17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 16th in Budweiser Duel 2
33 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Qualifying Speed
34 55 Michael Waltrip (W) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota Qualifying Speed
35 20 Matt Kenseth (W) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Qualifying Speed
36 83 Johnny Sauter[N 3] BK Racing Toyota Qualifying Speed
37 6 Trevor Bayne (W)[N 3] Roush Fenway Racing Ford Provisional
38 9 Sam Hornish, Jr. [N 3] Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Provisional
39 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford Provisional
40 47 A. J. Allmendinger[N 3] JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet Provisional
41 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet Provisional
42 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Provisional
43 32 Bobby Labonte[N 3] Go FAS Racing Ford Past Champion's Provisional
Did not qualify
44 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
45 62 Brian Scott Premium Motorsports Chevrolet
46 26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota
47 29 Justin Marks RAB Racing Toyota
48 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford
49 30 Ron Hornaday, Jr. The Motorsports Group Chevrolet
Source:[42]

Suspension of Kurt Busch

"Given the serious nature of the findings and conclusions made by the Commissioner of the Family Court of the State of Delaware, NASCAR has indefinitely suspended driver Kurt Busch, effective immediately. He will not be allowed to race nor participate in any NASCAR activities until further notice. Kurt Busch and his Stewart-Haas Racing team are fully aware of our position and why this decision was made. We will continue to respect the process and timetable of the authorities involved."

A statement released by NASCAR confirming Busch's suspension.[41]

Kurt Busch was suspended by NASCAR on February 20, 2015 due to his then ongoing legal battle with possible domestic violence charges.[41] NASCAR released an official statement, which was later confirmed at a press briefing with executive vice president Steve O'Donnell. Regan Smith replaced Busch for the Daytona 500 and, per NASCAR's rules regarding post-qualifying driver changes, was required to start at the rear of the field.[41]

Practice (post-Duels)

Sixth practice (February 20)

Jeff Gordon was the fastest in the sixth practice session with a time of 46.613 and a speed of 193.079 mph (310.731 km/h).[43]

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 24 Jeff Gordon (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 46.613 193.079
2 55 Michael Waltrip (W) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 46.757 192.485
3 78 Martin Truex, Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 46.791 192.345
Source:[44]

Seventh practice (February 20)

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was the fastest in the seventh practice session with a time of 46.295 and a speed of 194.405 mph (312.865 km/h).[45]

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 46.295 194.405
2 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 46.505 193.528
3 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 46.609 193.096
Source:[46]

Final practice (February 21)

Denny Hamlin was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 44.531 and a speed of 202.106 mph (325.258 km/h).[47]

Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 44.531 202.106
2 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 44.549 202.025
3 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 44.587 201.853
Source:[48]

Prior to the race

Kyle Busch, pictured at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 later in the season, was injured during the Xfinity Series race and was unable to compete in the Daytona 500.

With nine laps to go in the Alert Today Florida 300 Xfinity Series race on the day before the Daytona 500, Kyle Busch crashed into the inside retaining wall between the tri-oval and turn 1.[49] He was taken to the nearby Halifax Health Medical Center after sustaining a right leg injury,[49] ruling him out of the Daytona 500.[49] The wall he hit lacked a SAFER barrier, drawing much criticism from different drivers.[49] Ty Dillon, who finished third, was unaware of Busch's injury at the end of the race, while also adding that it was coming "to the point now in NASCAR we should have SAFER barriers at a place like this".[49] Runner-up Chris Buescher echoed Dillon's comments, stating that the sport "needs to be as safe as possible" and that if "it means lining the inside walls as well, it's probably a good idea".[49]

With the sidelining of Kyle Busch, the Daytona 500 was the first race since the 2001 NAPA 500 at Atlanta – where Kurt Busch failed to qualify – not to feature a Busch brother in the starting lineup. Matt Crafton replaced Kyle Busch for the Daytona 500, while David Ragan replaced him thereafter.[40]

Race

Pre-race festivities

Daytona International Speedway on the day of the 2015 Daytona 500.

Ronnie Barton of the First Baptist Church of South Daytona began the pre-race festivities with the invocation. Singer/songwriter Phillip Phillips performed the United States National Anthem. The flyover was performed by the United States Air Force Thunderbirds. Vince Vaughn gave the command for the drivers to start their engines, while Paralympics bronze medalist Amy Purdy was the honorary pace car driver for the pre-race pace laps.

First half

Start

The green flag flies on a new season of NASCAR.

With members of the United States women's national soccer team waving the green flag, pole sitter Jeff Gordon led the field to the start of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season under clear skies at 1:31 p.m. Eastern time. He led the first lap in his final Daytona 500, but was quickly passed by his teammate Jimmie Johnson on the second lap. Johnson then maintained control of the lead until lap 14 when he was shuffled up to the outside lane and Gordon took back the lead. The first caution flag of the race flew on lap 19 when Landon Cassill blew an engine exiting turn 2. Michael Annett, J. J. Yeley and Casey Mears all stayed out to lead a lap when Gordon and the others pitted. Cole Whitt was forced to restart the race from the rear of the field, as he was serviced by too many members at his pit stop.[50]

A Delta Air Lines plane lands as the field races by on the 27th lap.

The race restarted on lap 25 with Gordon in the lead. The second caution of the race flew on lap 41 when Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth got into the wall exiting turn 4; Stewart's car was loose exiting the turn and got turned by Ryan Blaney into the wall. Kenseth, braking to avoid contact with Blaney, got turned into the wall by Michael Waltrip. Kenseth pitted and lost two laps, while Stewart was forced to go to the garage.[51] Stewart took responsibility for the incident, stating that "when it got three-wide that particular lap, it got away from me", and that when he had decelerated, he "couldn't even get the front end caught up".[52]

Second quarter

Joey Logano took the lead for the first time on the 47th lap.

The race restarted on lap 46 and Joey Logano used the high line to overtake Gordon for the lead on lap 47 with Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. close behind. On lap 53, Gordon took back the lead from Logano. Gordon, Earnhardt., Martin Truex, Jr. and Kasey Kahne broke away from the pack single file, remaining that way for the next 15 laps. Thereafter, the field became largely a single-file train running up next to the wall. Nearing the end of the fuel run, the field began to bunch up and two lines of cars formed up behind Gordon. Earnhardt, Jr., Kahne and Truex. moved side-by-side behind Gordon, allowing the pack to catch up to the leaders again. Gordon continued to maintain the lead until the next green flag pit-stop sequence that began on lap 85; he surrendered the lead on lap 87 to make his stop and Carl Edwards assumed the lead. Denny Hamlin took the lead after driving past teammate Edwards on pit road the next lap. Johnson was forced to serve a drive-through penalty for his crew being over the wall too soon. Edwards, Bobby Labonte, Kyle Larson, Truex. and Mike Wallace all served drive-through penalties for speeding. After stops were complete, Gordon reassumed the lead on lap 90.[50]

Second half

Halfway

The green flag flies again at Daytona.

Debris in the tri-oval brought out the third caution of the race on lap 105, as a hose-piece was seen near the start-finish line. After pit stops, Gordon continued to lead over Hamlin, Casey Mears and Kahne. A. J. Allmendinger stayed out to lead a lap before pitting. Justin Allgaier dropped to the rear for an uncontrolled tire and Aric Almirola dropped to the rear for too many men over the wall.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. took the lead with 85 laps remaining.

The race restarted with 90 laps to go with Gordon leading. Hamlin took the lead from Gordon with 88 laps to go, but he was passed one lap later by Logano who drove under him on the inside line. Three laps later, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. took the lead and remained at the head of the train until Logano drove under him for the lead with 55 laps to go. Green flag stops began with 49 laps to go, and Logano surrendered the lead to pit with 47 laps to go and Greg Biffle assumed the lead. Larson locked up his brakes entering pit road and plowed some of the infield grass getting down to pit road speed. After the pit stop sequence, Logano reassumed the lead, as Yeley was caught speeding on pit road and was forced to serve a drive-through penalty.[50]

Fourth quarter

Jimmie Johnson leads the field racing three-wide multiple rows back with 32 laps remaining.

Jimmie Johnson took back the lead with 42 laps to go. Brad Keselowski's engine expired with 40 laps to go, causing Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman to collide, and this brought out the fourth caution of the race.[53] Keselowski told reporters that the blown engine was caused by "something in the oil pan, broke something important", while stating that he was "starting to get position," ahead of the final 100 miles of the race.[53] Roughly half of the field pitted for fuel under the caution, with the other half staying out for track position, but without assurance that they had enough fuel to make it to the end of the race. Reed Sorenson was caught speeding on pit road and was forced to restart the race from the rear of the field.[50]

The race restarted with 35 laps to go. Johnson had the lead, but was quickly passed by Edwards. Two laps later, Johnson retook the lead from Edwards on the outside. With 32 laps to go, the field was racing three-wide multiple rows back. The fifth caution of the race flew with 25 laps to go when Blaney's car blew an engine on the back straight. A number of the drivers who did not pit under the previous caution pitted under this caution.[50]

Restart and red flag
Denny Hamlin led with 11 laps remaining.

The race restarted with 19 laps to go. Two laps later, the field was racing three-wide multiple rows from the lead to the tail. Denny Hamlin drove underneath Jimmie Johnson for the lead, but was immediately passed by Truex. Hamlin took the lead with 11 laps to go, using the middle lane. Logano took the lead on the following lap, leading the next seven laps until Allgaier and Ty Dillon wrecked in the tri-oval, which brought out the sixth caution and forced a green–white–checker finish. The red flag was displayed for 6 minutes and 42 seconds, as Allgaier's car had spilled a large amount of oil on the race track.[50]

Finish
Joey Logano celebrates winning the Daytona 500.

"What an amazing moment. Wow. To win this race is just amazing. I have the best team on pit road for sure. These guys are awesome. My spotter did a great job giving me the information I need to get our front and stay out front before that last caution and be able to have a good restart there at the end. That feeling of winning the Daytona 500, I can't explain how cool this is. I said in an interview that this was our worst racetrack last year and we worked really hard to figure out how we could get better at it and all the hard work got us the win today. It feels just like the way you dream it. This is better than Disney World in here!"

Joey Logano, after becoming the second-youngest winner of the Daytona 500.[54]

The race restarted with two laps to go with Logano leading. On the final lap, a huge pileup occurred on the back straight involving Jeff Gordon, Reed Sorenson, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., A. J. Allmendinger and Trevor Bayne. As the leaders entered turn 3, the caution was displayed. Logano coasted across the finish line to score his first Daytona 500 victory and the second for car owner Roger Penske. At the age of 24, Logano was the second youngest winner of the Daytona 500, with only Bayne – aged 20, in the 2011 race – winning at a younger age.[55]

Race results

Pos Grid No. Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points
1 5 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 203 47
2 11 4 Kevin Harvick (W) Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 203 42
3 3 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 203 42
4 42 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 203 41
5 2 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 203 40
6 41 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 203 39
7 9 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 203 37
8 10 78 Martin Truex, Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 203 37
9 13 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 203 35
10 8 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 203 35
11 26 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 203 33
12 38 9 Sam Hornish, Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 203 32
13 27 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 203 32
14 30 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 203 30
15 33 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 203 29
16 24 41 Regan Smith Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 203 0
17 28 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 203 27
18 4 18 Matt Crafton Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 203 0
19 36 83 Johnny Sauter BK Racing Toyota 203 0
20 40 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 203 25
21 20 10 Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 203 23
22 19 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 203 22
23 6 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 203 22
24 43 32 Bobby Labonte Go FAS Racing Ford 203 20
25 21 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 203 19
26 34 55 Michael Waltrip (W) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 203 18
27 15 1 Jamie McMurray (W) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 203 17
28 31 33 Ty Dillon Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 203 0
29 32 17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 203 15
30 37 6 Trevor Bayne (W) Roush Fenway Racing Ford 203 14
31 23 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 203 13
32 14 44 Reed Sorenson Team XTREME Racing Chevrolet 203 12
33 1 24 Jeff Gordon (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 203 13
34 29 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 202 10
35 35 20 Matt Kenseth (W) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 202 9
36 16 66 Mike Wallace Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 199 8
37 18 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 197 7
38 22 31 Ryan Newman (W) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 184 6
39 12 21 Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing Ford 175 0
40 25 23 J. J. Yeley BK Racing Toyota 161 0
41 39 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 160 3
42 7 14 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 72 2
43 17 40 Landon Cassill Hillman Smith Motorsports Chevrolet 18 0
Source:[3]

Race statistics

Lap Leaders
Laps Leader
1 Jeff Gordon (W)
2–13 Jimmie Johnson (W)
14–19 Jeff Gordon (W)
20 J. J. Yeley
21 Michael Annett
22 Casey Mears
23–45 Jeff Gordon (W)
46–51 Joey Logano
52–86 Jeff Gordon (W)
87 Carl Edwards
88 Denny Hamlin
89–107 Jeff Gordon (W)
108 A. J. Allmendinger
109–111 Jeff Gordon (W)
112 Denny Hamlin
113 Joey Logano
114–145 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (W)
146–153 Joey Logano
154–155 Greg Biffle
156–157 Joey Logano
158–165 Jimmie Johnson (W)
166–167 Carl Edwards
168–180 Jimmie Johnson (W)
181 Joey Logano
182–187 Jimmie Johnson (W)
188 Martin Truex, Jr.
189–190 Denny Hamlin
191–203 Joey Logano
Total laps led
Leader Laps
Jeff Gordon (W) 87
Jimmie Johnson (W) 39
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (W) 32
Joey Logano 31
Denny Hamlin 4
Carl Edwards 3
Greg Biffle 2
Casey Mears 1
Martin Truex, Jr. 1
Michael Annett 1
A. J. Allmendinger 1
J. J. Yeley 1

Race awards

Media

Television

Since 2001 – with the exception of 2002, 2004 and 2006 – the Daytona 500 has been carried by Fox in the United States. The booth crew of longtime NASCAR lap-by-lap announcer Mike Joy, two-time Daytona 500 winning crew chief Larry McReynolds and 1989 race winner Darrell Waltrip has remained the same since the 2001 race. Pit road was manned by Jamie Little, Chris Neville, Vince Welch and Matt Yocum.

Fox Television
Booth announcersPit reporters
Lap-by-lap: Mike Joy
Color-commentator: Larry McReynolds
Color commentator: Darrell Waltrip
Jamie Little
Chris Neville
Vince Welch
Matt Yocum

Radio

The race was broadcast on radio by the Motor Racing Network and simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. MRN Radio has covered the Daytona 500 since 1970. Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace covered the race from the booth. Longtime turn announcer – and prodigy of MRN co-founder Ken Squier Dave Moody was the lead turn announcer. He called the Daytona 500 from atop the Sunoco tower outside the exit of turn 2 when the field was racing through turns 1 and 2. Mike Bagley worked the backstretch for the Daytona 500 from a spotter's stand on the inside of the track. Kyle Rickey called the Daytona 500 when the field was racing through turns 3 and 4 from the Sunoco tower outside the exit of turn 4. On pit road, MRN was manned by lead pit reporter and NASCAR Hall of Fame executive director Winston Kelley. He was joined on pit road by Steve Post and Alex Hayden.

MRN Radio
Booth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters
Lead announcer: Joe Moore[56]
Announcer: Jeff Striegle[56]
Announcer: Rusty Wallace[56]
Turns 1 & 2: Dave Moody[57]
Backstretch: Mike Bagley[58]
Turns 3 & 4: Kyle Rickey[59]
Alex Hayden[60]
Winston Kelley[61]
Steve Post[62]

Standings after the race

Joey Logano left Daytona International Speedway as the points leader for the first time in his career with a five–point lead over defending series champion Kevin Harvick.
Drivers' Championship standings
Pos Driver Points
1 Joey Logano 47
2 Kevin Harvick 42 (−5)
3 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 42 (−5)
4 Denny Hamlin 41 (−6)
5 Jimmie Johnson 40 (−7)
6 Casey Mears 39 (−8)
7 Clint Bowyer 37 (−10)
8 Martin Truex, Jr. 37 (−10)
9 Kasey Kahne 35 (−12)
10 Greg Biffle 35 (−12)
11 David Gilliland 33 (−14)
12 Sam Hornish, Jr. 32 (−15)
13 Michael Annett 32 (−15)
14 Austin Dillon 30 (−17)
15 Aric Almirola 29 (−18)
16 David Ragan 27 (−20)
Manufacturers' Championship standings
Pos Manufacturer Points
1 Ford 47
2 Chevrolet 42 (−5)
3 Toyota 41 (−6)

Notes

  1. 1 2 The qualifying times for Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were disallowed post-qualifying, for technical infractions. They started from the rear of the field in their respective Duel races.[23]
  2. Kyle Busch qualified and raced the car in the Budweiser Duel, but was injured during the Alert Today Florida 300 Xfinity Series race, held the day before the Daytona 500. Matt Crafton started from the rear of the field due to the driver change.[40]
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Danica Patrick, David Ragan, Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, Johnny Sauter, Trevor Bayne, Sam Hornish, Jr., A. J. Allmendinger and Bobby Labonte all started from the rear for switching to backup cars after their respective Duel races.
  4. Ryan Newman started from the rear for an unapproved engine change.
  5. Kurt Busch qualified and raced the car in the Budweiser Duel, but was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR due to ongoing allegations of domestic violence. Because of this driver change, Regan Smith started from the rear.[41]

References

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  52. Pistone, Pete (February 22, 2015). "Stewart's Daytona Woes Continue". MRN.com. Daytona Beach, Florida: Motor Racing Network. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  53. 1 2 Estrada, Chris (February 22, 2015). "Brad Keselowski blows engine with 40 laps to go at Daytona; McMurray, Newman involved (VIDEO)". nascartalk.nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  54. Pistone, Pete (February 22, 2015). "Logano Wins Daytona 500". MRN.com. Daytona Beach, Florida: Motor Racing Network. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  55. "Joey Logano wins Daytona 500". ESPN.com News Services. Daytona Beach, Florida: ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  56. 1 2 3 Singler, John (January 24, 2015). "MRN Bolsters Cup Coverage With Coon, Wallace and Gold". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  57. Dave Moody [DGodfatherMoody] (February 23, 2015). "Sunday Superstretch panorama from @DISupdates. The view got even better when the green flag flew! #AskMRN" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  58. Mike Bagley [TheMikeBagley] (February 21, 2015). "My views today here at @DISupdates #AskMRN" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  59. Kyle Rickey [KyleRRickey] (February 22, 2015). "Showtime!!!! #Daytona500 is live now @MRNRadio http://MRN.COM #ASKMRN #NASCAR" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  60. Alex Hayden [TheAlexHayden] (February 22, 2015). "The cars are being pushed to the grid. @MRNRadio #askmrn" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  61. Winston Kelley [WinstonKelley] (February 23, 2015). "My morning view the last 10 days. Ready to get home and back to @NASCARHall. Great start to 2015 @NASCAR season 🏁🏆" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  62. Steve Post [ThePostman68] (February 22, 2015). "Cars Rolling and So Are We!!!! @MRNRadio. #AskMRN" (Tweet) via Twitter.

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