DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Matt Kenseth didn't win a NASCAR
Sprint Cup race all last year, but he has started off the 2009
season with a bang.
Kenseth won the rain-shortened Daytona 500 for a victory in
NASCAR's biggest race of the year. Kenseth was in front when a
steady rain started falling at Daytona International Speedway. The
race was called with 48 laps remaining.
Kevin Harvick ran second with A.J. Allmendinger third. The race
endured eight caution flags in the accident-filled Great American
Race.
Kenseth calling winning the Daytona 500 "an unbelievable
feeling" and said it was great to jump-start the 2009 season with
a victory.
"After last year, winning a race means a lot to me," Kenseth
said.
Three-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch
were knocked out of the Daytona 500 in a multi-car accident started
by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Busch had led for 88 laps before the
accident, which came just after a restart with 75 laps remaining.
Kenseth did a great job avoiding that wreck and led to his first
Daytona victory.


(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)