Daytona 500 2012: 10 Lessons Learned in the Great American Race

The 54th running of the Daytona 500 is in the books and once again, we saw some game-changing moments that worked well for some drivers, while others became victims of dramatic events that are just part of the Great American Race.

It was a bizarre race scheduled for Sunday and finished on Tuesday morning. The race lasted nearly six hours and included a red flag condition lasting two hours for an amazing spectacle.

In a race where track position, overheating and the dangers of bump-drafting can turn a driver's day into a really good one or a really bad one, drama is guaranteed.

Every team has some strategy going into a race, but often it doesn't take long for the best of plans to go out the window at speeds approaching 200 mph.

With the return of more pack-style racing, as opposed to the boring two-car dance partner routine that was disliked by fans and drivers, we saw the return of imminent danger on every lap.

Cars are driven with a delicate balance of being as close to out of control as one can be while still allowing the driver to maintain control.

The side-draft off a car can have devastating results in a heartbeat. Bump-drafting at the wrong moment can result in mayhem on the track.

Many things were learned in the latest addition of the Daytona 500—some good and some not so good.

These are some of the lessons experienced by drivers and teams of the 43-car field in NASCAR's 2012 Super Bowl.

1. Patience Is a Virtue

After waiting through a 36-hour rain delay to start the 54th Daytona 500, it only took one lap for a driver to become impatient and trigger the first major crash.

Elliott Sadler returned to Cup racing in the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing on a one-race deal. On Lap 2, he hit the rear of Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 and sent him spinning.

Four other cars sustained significant damage besides Johnson: Danica Patrick, David Ragan, Kurt Busch and Trevor Bayne.

Perhaps Sadler should keep his goals set on the Nationwide series for a while. He apologized for hitting Johnson over his radio, according to the FOX Sports commentators.

2. Daytona 500 at Night

For 53 years, the Daytona has been run in the daylight and never on a day other than when it was scheduled.

Weather problems persisted and forced NASCAR officials to postpone the race until Monday for the first time. Rain continued during the day, so they chose to run the race in prime time for television.

Normally, the fans are sparse in the stands on a Monday race, but the crowd appeared unusually strong for the Great American Race.

They witnessed history with the Daytona 500 at night.

3. Danica Patrick's Cup Debut

The long-awaited debut of Danica Patrick in a Cup series points race with her No. 10 GoDaddy.com car only lasted one lap before yet another crash sent her to the garage.

The damage didn't look as serious as it turned out to be. Once in the garage, it was discovered the rear end housing had to be replaced as well as other repairs.

The team worked feverishly to get her back on track so she could at least log some laps, but her debut was hardly what she wanted. She returned to the track on Lap 66.

4. Defending Champ Disappointed

Trevor Bayne took the NASCAR world by storm with his win of the 53rd Daytona 500. He came into this race with a fast car and high hopes to be a contender for the win.

Members of Wood Brothers Racing, including Leonard Wood, gave the command to start the engines.

Bayne was a victim of the crash on the second lap and expressed some serious disappointment which could easily be understood.

On Lap 79, he was scored as some 70-plus laps down.

5. Jeff Gordon Blows Engine

With 79 laps in the books, Jeff Gordon's No. 24 Chevy lit up the track when his engine detonated. He had no warning and there could have been a malfunction with the gauges.

At that point, there were only two Hendrick Motorsports cars left in the race: the No. 88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne in the No. 5.

The three-time Daytona 500 winner and four-time Cup champion would not be a contender at Daytona.

6. Half-Time Bonus

The driver who was the leader at the mid-point of the race got a $200,000 bonus.

The pace picked up dramatically off the backstretch as the cars near the front looked for friends to help them to the lead.

It was Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 56 NAPA Toyota who pocketed it with the help of Denny Hamlin's push.

7. Hitting the Jet Dryer Is Never Good

Juan Pablo Montoya in the No. 42 reported a vibration after a pit stop. Under yellow-flag conditions he lost control of his car as he approached the safety equipment that was on the top line of the track.

The one jet dryer was hit hard by Montoya and then some two hundred gallons of jet fuel on board exploded into a massive fire as it ran down the track. Montoya's car also burned up after the wreck.

The race was red-flagged for two hours with 40 laps to go. The officials had to clean up and determine what damage was done to the track by the fire that took a few minutes to extinguish.

It was one of the most bizarre happenings yet during a NASCAR race.

Montoya and the driver of the wrecked jet dryer were checked out in the infield care center, but they walked away from their vehicles.

8. Cars Parked, Drivers Strategize

The field was parked under the red flag after the fire with Juan Pablo Montoya and the jet dryer. It didn't take long for the drivers to get out of their cars, put on their ball caps and gather together to chat.

Since NASCAR disallowed radio communication between teams this year, it was a great opportunity for the drivers to strategize and discuss the race.

It somehow looked more like recess with the laughter and interest in the tweeting Brad Keselowski was doing on his phone.

Of course they were curious as to what had happened with the crash and track conditions, so several drivers headed to the scene. NASCAR officials sent them back toward their cars, though.

One had to wonder what plans were made for the final 40 laps—if the race was restarted—as the drivers stood in a large group conversing.

9. The Inevitable G-W-C

Pressure was building with only four laps remaining in the race. Tony Stewart got some help that sent him sliding along with several other cars.

It was inevitable that fans would be treated to a green-white-checker finish, as has been the case with six of the last seven Daytona races.

10. The Winner

When the checkered flag waived, it was Matt Kenseth in the No. 17 Best Buy Ford that had the fastest horse.

The Roush Fenway Racing team of Greg Biffle and Kenseth were two of the fastest cars all night and together they led 93 laps.

Biffle had been pushing Kenseth in the final laps, but at the end, the No. 17 powered away from his teammate and captured the win.