Kevin Harvick Wins Budweiser Shootout

With no winter testing, all NASCAR fans couldn’t wait to see what the Shootout would have in store. It was everything that Daytona has to offer.

At the beginning of the race, you would have to say that a Chevrolet would be the manufacture to win the race. Of course, fan favorite Dale Jr was atop that list.

Right after Dale Jr. takes the lead on lap 4, Robby Gordon gets into the back of David Regan and that causes a multi-car accident, collecting Joey Logano, Scott Speed, and Casey Mears.

But if they were to give an Allstate good hands award for this race it would have to go to Jeff Gordon. The irony of Joey Logano being involved in it is that he missed the drivers' meeting because he was stuck in his ARCA car.

Let’s not forget that Jeff Gordon went without a win last year. He knows how to win on restrictor plate tracks. He showed that he had a good car tonight. On lap 23 of the first segment he’s running four wide and gets into Greg Biffle, collecting about three other cars, ending the first segment.

Then with about 20 laps to go, Menard gets loose coming off of turn 4 and takes out Dale Jr., Bobby Labonte, and Greg Biffle are somehow collected up in the mess. With two laps to go Biffle and Stremme are both taken out by Stremme sliding up into Biffle coming out of turn 4.

Final restart its McMurry, Gordon front row, and Johnson, Harvick in the second row. Gordon really gave McMurry a shot into turn 3. Going through turn 2, Harvick makes it three wide to get to 2^nd and with a shot from Denny Hamlin gets the lead going into turn 3.

At the same time Gordon pushes up into Mears, Mears turns down into Johnson and Johnson turns right into Hamlin.

If we all can remember two years ago in the Daytona 500, he came from no where to win it then. Even further back to the 1998 Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt Sr. finally won his 500.

He had the lead with five laps to go and coming off of turn two Speed and Andretti get together to bring out the caution.

Kevin Harvick emerged with the victory.

Perhaps this is a sign of what is to come for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15.