Ryan Newman won one of the "most competitive" Daytona 500s in history, according to NASCAR's stats.
Here's why, by the numbers:
42 - Number of lead changes at the start/finish line, which the most since 2001 (49) 5 - Number of time a Daytona 500 (since 1970) has had more than 40 lead changes
16 - Number of drivers that led a lap (second highest in Daytona 500 history to 2006's 18)
7 - Number of car owners represented in the Top-10 (Penske, Gibbs, Ganassi, Gillett-Evernham, Robby Gordon, Hendrick, Roush-Fenway)
81 - Number of races since Newman's last win
10.23 - Newman's average running position during the Daytona 500
20 - Miles led by race winner, Ryan Newman
257 - Number of green flag passes made by Newman's teammate Sam Hornish Jr. Newman had 215.
NASCAR dropped the hammer Wednesday on Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Craftsman Truck Series teams who came down on the wrong side of the rule book during Daytona Speedweeks.
In all, crew chief suspensions totaled 40 weeks and over $220,000 was earmarked for the NASCAR Foundation by way of monetary penalties.
Hit the hardest of those was Robby Gordon, who's team made the mistake of installing the wrong noses on its Dodges prior to coming to Daytona.
Gordon's self-owned team switched to Dodge just one week before, and when his team was the sent the Dodge noses from the manufacturer, they were incorrect. Instead of having the current nose pieces, Gordon's team was sent a prototype that has yet to be approved for competition in NASCAR.
NASCAR officials caught it during inspection, and Gordon's team changed out the nose prior to qualifying practice, and also had to change out the noses on the rest of its fleet at the shop.
Robby was penalized 100 owner and driver points, $100,000, and his crew chief was suspended for six weeks.
Let me take you back to last fall when Joe Gibbs Racing announced a complete switch to Toyota starting in 2008 season.
That meant a lot things had to happen for the JGR bunch -- Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, & Kyle Busch -- to have any sort of chance of finishing well in Daytona 500.
New engines and new cars had to built for no less than three of last year's top-tier Sprint Cup teams. It's not an easy process in the offseason anyways for NASCAR teams, but throw in a manufacturer change and all hell has to break loose in a coherent way for teams to even get back even with their performance in the previous year.
But Joe Gibbs Racing did that, and by all accounts, their engine program out-classed everyone in Sunday's Daytona 500. For the first time a Toyota team not only had a chance to win, but it was a favorite.
Times the three teams JGR.
Kyle Busch led over 70 laps and Tony Stewart led with the white flag flying. But when he didn't come around the track for the checkered flag in first, you had to know he was disappointed.
I'll admit, I was truly impressed with the way he handled himself after the race (we finally got to see Tony Stewart with mature emotions, expressing them in way that almost made us feel sorry for him) and admitted that he was about as dejected as he could be.
"I don't know if I could have stopped them anyway and if I would have changed lanes I think I would have ended up like a bunch of other guys -- wrecked. [...]," said Stewart after the race. "It's hard to explain -- it's probably one of the most disappointing moments of my racing career tonight."
And you can't blame him. He should have been the victor of the 50th Daytona 500, and here's why. (video after jump)
Instead, the top finisher from Hendrick in Sunday's 500 was team newcomer Dale Earnhardt Jr. who finished a solid, but still disappointing ninth. Earnhardt Jr. looked primed to be a very strong contender in Sunday's race after winning last Saturday's Budweiser Shootout and his Gatorade Duel qualifying race.
A pit decision late in the race by failing to pit likely sealed any chances for Dale Jr. to win after he didn't pit when nearly every other leader did.
Jeff Gordon likely had the strongest car of the Hendrick bunch Sunday and showed that by hanging with the dominant Toyotas of Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart throughout the early parts of the race. After the second green-flag pit stop, Gordon dropped back mysteriously before charging back through the field.
Suddenly, though, Gordon fell off the pace and under caution, his No. 24 came into the garage to fix a bent front control arm.
Casey Mears was looking like he could play a big part in the final parts of the race until an ill-advised late move with 6 laps to go put him in the wall. His No. 5 was in the middle lane through the tri-oval with Tony Stewart and Dale Jr. lining up on the outside and gaining fast.
He wasn't on my picks, and more than likely he wasn't at the top yours.
But that didn't matter to Ryan Newman Sunday evening at Daytona International Speedway. Newman won his first-career Daytona 500 in thrilling fashion, his first win since 2005 in the Sprint Cup Series.
At the white flag, Newman didn't lead but Tony Stewart did with his teammate Kyle Busch coming fast. Off of Turn 2, the outside line that Ryan Newman was leading was gaining on Stewart with teammate Kurt Busch planted squarely in the rear end of Newman's Dodge.
Stewart ducked low thinking that he would head off a a charge by Kyle Busch and that he could use a push to keep the lead, but it backfired, and the Penske freight train powered past with Kurt shoving Newman to the lead.
Stewart later called it one of the most disappointing things to ever happen to him in his racing career as he was once again denied in a bid to win the Daytona 500.
The race ended with 7 cautions and all but 6 of those occurred after the halfway mark.
It's easily one of NASCAR's most-anticipated races in years with a next generation car, new competitors, and higher stakes. Most importantly though? It's still the Daytona 500, "The Great American Race".
Follow along and join in on the fun as NASCAR FanHouse gets revved and ready for 2008. The live blog will start at 3:00pm/ET.
Check out all of the NASCAR Fanhouse Daytona Speedweeks Coverage. On Sunday, stop by for the live blog of the 50th Daytona 500 at 3:00pm/ET.
It's been a long, long time since the Daytona 500 has built as much anticipation as the 2008 edition has created.
Drivers coming to blows a week before, a near best-ever finish last season in the race, a new car, and the sport's most popular driver now driving for the what has been the sport's best team all have come in beautiful combination at the right time for Daytona's glorious golden anniversary.
It certainly will not carry its nickname as "The Great American Race" lightly on Sunday.
Here's a guide to get you revved and ready for an action-packed weekend of racing in Daytona culminating, of course, the 50th running of the Daytona 500.
Daytona Schedule - TV, Radio, NASCAR FanHouse (all times ET)
Sunday, Feb. 17th 1:30pm: Sprint Cup Driver's Meeting 2:00pm: FOX Sports Pre-Race Coverage Begins 2:30pm: Driver Introductions 3:00pm: NASCAR Fanhouse Live Blog Begins 3:30pm: Green Flag, 50th Daytona 500 (FOX Sports, MRN Radio)
11 days after the start of Daytona Speedweeks, the glitz, the glamour, and the racing action has finally come.
By Sunday evening, we'll know who is the champion of the 50th Daytona 500, likely the greatest of the "The Great American Race", and we'll know how he did it.
In between now and then lies the 2.5-mile mammoth speedway with high banks that 43 drivers must tackle for 500 miles. There will be crashes, mechanical failures, and other problems. Favorites will fall, underdogs will rise.
Who's going to do it? Here's my picks:
Sleeper Picks: The drivers most likely to emerge from the shadows at the end of the day include:
Kyle Busch- He's only a sleeper because of his new team. Two second-place finishes in the last two days have him nearly fed up.
Casey Mears - If you wanted the biggest bang for your buck with a Hendrick driver, put it on Mears. He's been solid all week long and has worked together flawlessly with the Hendrick teammates. A Mears name on the trophy of the Daytona 500 trophy? Now that's a great story.
Reed Sorenson- Chip Ganassi was quoted this weekend saying that he keeps drivers based on wins and nothing else. Reed has a fast enough car to extend his Ganassi contract with a win Sunday, but will anyone work with him?
Mark Martin - He finished second by mere feet last year. If that's not enough motivation, Martin has never been happier with the handle of a car in his life to the same level as he loves his No. 8 Daytona car. The throwback style of racing so many drivers are talking about could suit this veteran perfectly.
Other Favorites: It's fair bet to say that over 50% of the drivers in the field could win the 500. He's the guys with the best chance, but continue reading to find who my favorite is.
Saturday's Camping World 300 Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway somehow started with a 54 lap green flag run.
That all came to a grinding halt when David Gililland and Mark Green were caught up in a hard crash in turn two.
The incident, as the video below shows, that Greg Biffle tapped the rear end of Gilliland's car, which forced his car to lose control. Gilliland's car then hung the right rear of Mark Green's car. Watch below:
Both were head-on impacts with very little time to slow the car.
The key difference since then? HANS (Head and Neck Support) devices and the SAFER barriers that cushion the blow a race car takes instead of deadening it against a wall have obviously come a long way.
I'm sure Mark Green is still ticked about losing two race cars this week, but having him around, as well any other drivers NASCAR has helped with more safety restrictions is a darn good thing.
Kyle Busch finished second Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Daytona driving like a girl, according to Martin Truex Jr.
Truex was heated after finishing 11th in the Camping World 300 despite challenging for the lead late in the race. A block by Busch as Truex tried to take second place killed his momentum and opportunity to challenge Tony Stewart for the win.
"Kyle drives like a girl," Truex said. "I mean, come on. We're out here racing for fun. We had a hell of a battle. I had a lot of fun racing today with him, and then I had a huge run and he just blocked me. I pretty much knew he was going to do it. I had such a run and had to go."
It sounds like Truex is a fan of the movie "The Sandlot", in which one of the most familiar lines is "You play ball like a girl!".
Busch's comeback wasn't nearly as awesome:
"What else you going to do, man? " Busch said "Shoot, he's pushing me through the tri-oval, wanting to spin me out. I'm sorry I saved it and kept it in front of him. Grow up, bud. What do you want me to do, pull over? Next question."
Kyle's comeback lacked mainly because someone younger than someone else can't tell that other person to grow up. That just doesn't make sense.
Busch is 22 while Truex is 27.
If this turns into a nice rivalry, I can't wait for the short tracks. Who Will the Daytona 500? Find out at the Fanhouse Warmup: Daytona 500.
Ryan Newman won one of the "most competitive" Daytona 500s in history, according to NASCAR's stats.
NASCAR 
Let me take you back to last fall when Joe Gibbs Racing announced a complete switch to Toyota starting in 2008 season.
The 50th-running of the 
It's been a long, long time since the Daytona 500 has built as much anticipation as the 2008 edition has created. 
11 days after the start of 
