{"id":12361,"date":"2015-02-17T15:13:19","date_gmt":"2015-02-17T23:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=12361"},"modified":"2015-11-11T10:46:36","modified_gmt":"2015-11-11T18:46:36","slug":"four-fab-finishes-daytona-500","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/four-fab-finishes-daytona-500\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Fabulous Finishes at the Daytona 500"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"76Daytona500DavidPearsonVictoryLanePHOTO<\/a><\/p>\n

This weekend\u2019s 57th<\/sup> annual NASCAR Daytona 500 is gearing up to be one of the all-time great races.\u00a0 Jeff Gordon is on the pole for \u00a0his last full Sprint Cup season along with Hendrick Motorsports’ teammate Jimmie Johnson on the front row.\u00a0 All indications\u00a0are for another first time winner amongst\u00a0some of the tightest competition seen in many years. So far, no one car is dominating.<\/p>\n

Looking back at past events shows us that the outcome of the 500 is always hard to predict, however. The fastest car doesn’t always win the race; it\u2019s often the decisions of insightful crew chiefs and savvy drivers that changed the course of racing history, creating some of the 500\u2019s best moments.<\/p>\n

We’ve been thinking about great races a lot here, now that race season is once again underway, and the Burnout\u00a0is pleased to bring to you four of our favorite Daytona 500 finishes (it was supposed to be three, but we just couldn’t decide).<\/p>\n

2007 – Harvick Edges Out Martin<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"07Daytona500Finish\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In\u00a02007, relative newcomer Kevin Harvick caught Mark Martin in the final few feet to take his first 500 victory in the closest finish in the history of the race.<\/p>\n

With two laps to go under the green-white-checkered rule, Harvick was getting bumped drafted by Matt Kenseth and Jeff Burton lining up on the outside to make a charge to the front.\u00a0 Leader Mark Martin was hoping the skirmishes and jockeying for position alongside and behind him would slow the field long enough to give him more time to stretch his lead.<\/p>\n

Kyle Busch was taking up all the space in\u00a0Martin\u2019s rearview, running side to side and trying to get by with no room to spare.\u00a0 As the trio of Harvick, Kenseth, and Burton came barreling out of turn four on the white flag lap, Busch did his best to block but ended up hitting the apron, causing a melee of cars crashing within reach of \u00a0the finish line. \u00a0Clint Boyer took the brunt of it, flipping over \u00a0and skidding across the line on fire.<\/p>\n

Amazingly, Harvick stayed\u00a0ahead\u00a0of the disaster and\u00a0slowly caught Martin\u00a0on the\u00a0outside lane, just nipping him at the line to collect his first 500 victory.\u00a0He won by .02 seconds, and\u00a0sealed\u00a0his name in NASCAR lore.<\/p>\n