The 2009 Daytona 500, the 51st running of the event, was held on February 15, 2009, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida as the first points-paying race of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and the last 500 of the 2000s decade. The race was won by Matt Kenseth, making a car numbered 17 winning the race for the first time in 20 years since Darrell Waltrip's win back in 1989 and the first Daytona 500 win for Roush Fenway Racing. The race was called off with 48 laps to go after a severe rainstorm that had been lingering throughout the area hit the track. This marks the first Daytona 500 without The Petty family and the first without Dale Jarrett since 1990. Defending champions For the first time since 1981, the defending race champion driver and the team have been split. Ryan Newman, the champion driver, drove for Stewart–Haas Racing in the No. 39 Chevrolet Impala. The team that he won with, Penske Racing, fielded the No. 12 Dodge Charger with David Stremme behind the wheel.
The last time a driver and team split was when Buddy Baker drove for Harry Ranier Racing in winning the 1980 event, but the next year was the driver of Hoss Ellington's No. 1.
Former winners Kevin Harvick (2007), Michael Waltrip (2001, 2003), Jeff Gordon (1997, 1999, 2005), Bill Elliott (1985, 1987), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2004), Jimmie Johnson (2006), and Ryan Newman (2008) did race in the event finishing second, seventh, thirteenth, twenty-third, twenty-seventh, thirty-first, and thirty-sixth respectively. Derrike Cope (1990) and Geoff Bodine (1986), also former winners, failed to qualify.
Entry list (W) denotes past 500 winner (R) denotes rookie driver
Driver Team Manufacturer 00 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 1 Martin Truex Jr. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Kurt Busch Penske Championship Racing Dodge 5 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 07 Casey Mears Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 7 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Toyota 08 Boris Said Carter/Simo Racing Ford 8 Aric Almirola Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 09 Brad Keselowski Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 9 Kasey Kahne Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 David Stremme Penske Championship Racing Dodge 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Elliott Sadler Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 20 Joey Logano (R) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Bill Elliott (W) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 23 Mike Skinner R3 Motorsports Chevrolet 24 Jeff Gordon (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26 Jamie McMurray Roush Fenway Racing Ford 27 Kirk Shelmerdine Kirk Shelmerdine Racing Toyota 28 Travis Kvapil Yates Racing Ford 29 Kevin Harvick (W) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 33 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 34 John Andretti Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 36 Scott Riggs Tommy Baldwin Racing Toyota 37 Tony Raines Front Row Motorsports Dodge 39 Ryan Newman (W) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 41 Jeremy Mayfield Mayfield Motorsports Toyota 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Reed Sorenson Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 44 A. J. Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge 46 Carl Long Carl Long Racing Dodge 47 Marcos Ambrose (R) JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Kelly Bires (R) BlackJack Racing Dodge 55 Michael Waltrip (W) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 57 Norm Benning Norm Benning Racing Chevrolet 60 James Hylton E&M Motorsports Dodge 64 Geoff Bodine (W) Gunselman Motorsports Toyota 66 Terry Labonte Prism Motorsports Toyota 71 Mike Wallace TRG Motorsports Chevrolet 73 Mike Garvey H&S Motorsports Dodge 75 Derrike Cope (W) Cope/Keller Racing Dodge 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Penske Championship Racing Dodge 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 82 Scott Speed (R) Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 96 Bobby Labonte Hall of Fame Racing Ford 98 Paul Menard Yates Racing Ford 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing FordOfficial Entry list
Qualifying The Daytona 500 is the only event with a unique qualifying system on the NASCAR circuit. In the primary qualifying, only the front row (the pole position and the second-fastest driver) are locked into the race positions. Since 2005, NASCAR's top 35 owners points standings from the previous season automatically qualify those teams (not the drivers) into the event. The top two teams that are not within the owners' Top 35 automatically qualify in the Gatorade Duels, a pair of races. This is followed by a combination of last years' owners' points, pole qualifying speed and if needed, a past champions' provisional fills out the field.
Qualifying• One round of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series timed qualifying will be held. Each team may run two laps with the fast lap setting the qualifying time. The two fastest qualifiers set starting positions one and two and are the only guaranteed positions, filling the front row for the Daytona 500. • The Gatorade Duels, the 150-mile qualifying races, will determine starting positions for the Daytona 500 beyond the front row. In the event of cancellation, the field will be set according to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.
Gatorade Duel Assignment • The eligible highest ranked 35 in 2008 car owner points will be assigned to Gatorade Duel races based on their standing in the 2008 final car owner points. Odd-numbered owner points will compete in the first Gatorade Duel; even-numbered owners will compete in the second. The only exception is that the fastest qualifier will start on the pole in the first Gatorade Duel and the second-fastest will start on the pole in the second, regardless of 2008 car owner point standings. • Owners who failed to finish in the top 35 of the 2008 car owner points will be assigned to a Gatorade Duel based on qualifying times – the highest qualifying owner to the first Duel; the next to the second and alternating through the remaining entries. Starting positions for the Gatorade Duels are based on qualifying times.
Daytona 500 Lineup • Finishing positions in the Gatorade Duels will determine starting positions in the Daytona 500 once the two fastest qualifiers will start on the front row of the Daytona 500 based on their qualifying times, regardless of their finish in the Duels. Based on their finish in the first Duel, the eligible highest ranked 35 in car owner points plus the two highest finishing non-top 35 teams will be lined up in the odd-number starting positions. Based on their finish in the second Duel, the eligible highest ranked 35 in car owner points plus the two highest finishing non-top 35 teams will be lined up in the even-number starting positions. • The remaining positions will be filled based on qualifying times beginning with the next available position. • The composition of the front row will reduce the above numbers. If there are top-35 teams on the front row, the number of guaranteed starters is reduced accordingly. If there are no top-35 teams on the front row, the number of cars that get in based on time is reduced accordingly. • The 43rd starting position will be assigned to any car owner who has the most recent eligible past NASCAR Sprint Cup champion as long as the past champion competed in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. If the 43rd position is not used by a past champion, it will be assigned to the next highest qualifying time.
Recap The bottom line – for the 2009 Daytona 500 – is that the top-two qualifiers are in. The remaining top-35 guaranteed starters are in. Four drivers will make the field based on their performance in the duels and the remaining positions will be filled based on qualifying times or being a past champion.
Race summary
Pre-Race Country singer Keith Urban performed a concert on the infield singing "Days Go By", "Sweet Thing", and "Better Life". Urban tossed his guitar pick into the crowd at the end of his performance. The first episode of the miniseries "The Adventures of Digger and Friends" premiered during the FOX pre-race coverage; Keith Urban's "Little Digger," the theme song to "The Adventures of Digger and Friends," also premiered. However, from there on, Digger would draw much opposition, including sites, forums, and blogs warning FOX about his use.
The Grand Marshal was the Florida Governor Charlie Crist. RCA Records recording artist Gavin DeGraw sang the USA National Anthem, and actor Tom Cruise drove the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro pace car to the start of the race.
Race During the drivers' meeting, NASCAR announced there would be a competition caution on lap 25 because of overnight rain. Despite threatening weather, the race started at 3:30 pm, with the green flag at 3:41 pm, waved by three-time champion Bobby Allison as the "Martin and Martin" front row led the field to the start of the race. Martin Truex Jr. led the first lap and Mark Martin led the next one before being passed by Kyle Busch. The first caution came out on lap 9 when Aric Almirola got tapped from behind by David Ragan and spun near the entrance to pit road, nearly collecting Travis Kvapil. The race restarted on lap 11, with Busch still leading; Busch would remain there until lap 53 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. passed him for the lead. With the help of his Busch (his former teammate), Tony Stewart passed Earnhardt Jr. for the lead while entering turn 4. Shortly after, Travis Kvapil smacked the wall twice on lap 55, bringing out the third caution. Earnhardt Jr. missed his pit stall and lost a lap because he was forced to pit again. Tony Stewart came out of the pits with the lead, until being passed by Jeff Gordon on lap 70. On lap 72, Ryan Newman was in the pits changing tires under green flag conditions when somehow the car fell off the jack while changing the left-side tires. Newman's crew had to use two jacks to lift the car off the ground and complete the pit stop. On lap 80, Daytona 500 rookie Joey Logano avoided Scott Speed losing control out of turn 4 but made contact with the front of Greg Biffle's car, causing him to crash head-on into the inside retaining wall on the front stretch, ending his day. Busch won the race off pit road edging ahead of his teammate Denny Hamlin by over half a car length, while Hermie Sadler reported bad weather about 40 minutes away from the track.
Green flag pit stops began on lap 113 when Gordon over tire wear concerns, and his crew changed tires on lap 113, with the rest of the field on lap 119. David Stremme blew a tire on pit road as soon as his teammates Reed Sorenson and Elliott Sadler exited. Sadler wound up in 2nd and Sorenson in 3rd while the entire field had to pit one lap later. Earnhardt Jr. mistakenly made his second pit stop in Lap 121 by completing his pit stop with his right front tire over the outside boundary line of his pit box, resulting in a one-lap penalty.