NASCAR Bristol Race Results 2012: Brad Keselowski Wins; Martin Truex Jr. Earns Top-3 Finish

Brad Keselowski led 232 of 500 laps Sunday to earn his first victory of the 2012 NASCAR season, as he out-dueled Matt Kenseth in the annual Spring day-race at Bristol Motor Speedway, a 1/2-mile oval. Martin Truex Jr., a Trenton, NJ native, picked up his first top-3 finish of the year, his second in the top-10.

Truex's finish vaults him up three spots in the Sprint Cup standings to fourth place, while Greg Biffle (157 points) in first place, Kevin Harvick (148) in second and Kenseth (145) in third.

"For us it was a good day," said Truex Jr in is post-race interview with FOX. "We were off in the middle part of the race, we kept digging, worked hard on it, got back up to fifth or sixth before that last caution and we stayed out. That was the call of the race."

Overall, Tony Stewart, who brushed the wall late in the race, finished in 14th place; Dale Earnhardt Jr., who as caught speeding on pit row late in the race, ended in 15th; Regan Smith, a Cato, NY native, ended in 19th; Carl Edwards finished in 33rd.

For complete race results, click here.

For more on the NASCAR and Martin Truex Jr and Regan Smith, check back to this SB Nation StoryStream.

2012 Daytona 500: Ratings Down From Last Year

The Daytona 500 produced the most-watched Monday night of television on FOX since last year's World Series, the station told Sports Illustrated.

Despite the high viewing numbers, the Daytona 500 could not attract the same viewership as last year. Monday night's 7.7 overnight rating was down from 8.2 last year but ahead of the previous year by 10 percent.

[FULL DAYTONA 500 RESULTS]

The most-watched segment of Monday night's coverage came between 10-10:15 p.m. Eastern, just about the time when Juan Pablo Montoya collided into a jet dryer and caused a massive explosion. That 15-minute segment drew a 9.2 rating, but the race was halted for two hours and the ratings could not be maintained.

Matt Kenseth was the first to cross the finish line early Tuesday morning, holding off Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle in a hotly-contested final lap.

For more on the Daytona 500, head to SB Nation's stream. For more NASCAR, check outNASCAR Ranting & Raving.

Daytona 500 2012 Results: Martin Truex 12th, Regan Smith 24th

Martin Truex Jr., a Mayetta, N.J. native, led Monday night’s 2012 Daytona 500 for a total of eight laps before finishing in 12th position. Truex started 26th in the 43-car field.

Truex earned a $200,000 bonus for leading the race at the halfway point, a feature of the race aptly titled the ‘Midway Payday.’ Truex used a push from teammate Denny Hamlin to get the lead at the halfway point and earn the bonus.

Truex has one Sprint Cup victory in his career. His best finish at Daytona was a ninth-place effort in 2010.

Regan Smith of Cato, NY — which is in the western part of the state — finished 24th. Smith had qualified in the sixth position, but ended the race two laps behind. He was involved in a multi-car crash with just 13 laps to go in the race.

Smith did, however, manage to lead the race for two laps during the early stages of the race.

Daytona 500 2012 Results: Matt Kenseth Edges Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle To Win Second Daytona Crown

That sure wasn't how NASCAR planned it to go or play out, but the end results of the 2012 Daytona 500 were worth all the drama. In the end, Matt Kenseth, the driver of the No. 17 car, earned his second victory in the "Great American Race" at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, FL. on Tuesday.

Kenseth edged Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle in a final-lap showdown that came right down to the wire.

Overall, the Daytona 500 took more than 48 hours to complete, as the traditional Sunday start was postponed until late Monday night, which started off great but faced a two-hour, five-minute delay when Juan Pablo Montoya crashed into a track jet dryer, which exploded into flames with about 40 laps remaining.

Miraculously, Montoya and the truck driver escaped the blaze unharmed. The race, however, was red flagged as cleanup had to take place.

The green flag waved again after midnight Tuesday, and after three more cautions, the last resulting in a green-white-checkered finish, Kenseth came out the victor in one of the most memorable (or forgettable) Daytona 500's in history.

Trenton, N.J. native Martin Truex Jr. finished in 12th place, while Danica Patrick finished 38th after wrecking early. Defending race champion Trevor Baine ended in 35th place, while defending Spring Cup champion Tony Stewart finished 16th after being involved in a late-race crash.

Here are the unofficial results of the 2012 Daytona 500:

1) Matt Kenseth (17)
2) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88)
3) Greg Biffle (16
4) Denny Hamlin (11)
5) Jeff Burton (31)
6) Paul Menard (27)
7) Kevin Harvick (29)
9) Carl Edwards (99)
10) Joey Logano (20)
11) Mark Martin (55)
12) Martin Truex Jr (56)
13) Marcos Ambrose (9)
14) Bobby Labonte (41)
15) Dave Blaney (36)
16) Tony Stewart (16)
17) Kyle Busch (18)
18) Terry Labonte (2)
19) Tony Raines (26)
20) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6)
21) Ryan Newman (39)
22) Landon Cassill (22)
23) David Gilliland (38)
24) Regan Smith (78)
25) Casey Mears (13)
26) David Reutimann (93)
27) Elliot Sadler (33)
28) Joe Nemechek (87)
29) Kasey Kahne (5)
30) Michael McDowell (98)
31) Jamie McMurray (1)
32) Brad Keselowski (2)
33) Aric Almirola (43)
34) AJ Allmendinger (34
35) Trevor Bayne (37)
36) Juan Pablo Montoya (42)
37) David Stremme (30)
38) Danica Patrick (38)
39) Kurt Busch (51)
40) Jeff Gordan (24)
41) Robby Gordon (7)
42) Jimmie Johnson (48)
43) David Ragan (34)

For more on the Daytona 500, head to SB Nation's stream. For more NASCAR, check out NASCAR Ranting & Raving.

Daytona 500 2012: Fire Delays Race After Juan Pablo Montoya Crashes Into Jet Dryer

After rain postponed the Daytona 500 on Sunday, the race has hit another minor snag. Juan Pablo Montoya spun out into the back of a jet dryer with 40 laps to go, creating a jet fuel fire that threatens to end the race. Even more bizarre, Montoya's crash came while all cars were slowed by the caution flag. Something apparently broke within the car, causing the crash on the back stretch. What ensued was one of the wildest scenes you'll ever see:

The safety crew immediately rushed to try to put out the blaze. Jet fuel burned for a few minutes before it could be fully quelled, causing an unknown amount of damage. The race passed the midway point, so at this point it is "official." If this is the end of the Daytona 500, Dave Blaney out of Ohio would be crowned the winner with the lead after 160 laps.

Martin Truex Jr. was in 18th place when the accident occurred. He led after 100 laps, earning a $200,000 payday for the fastest driver to cross the midway point.

For all your Daytona 500 coverage, be sure to check out SBNation.com.

Daytona 500 2012: Martin Truex Jr. Leads After 100 Laps, Wins $200K

New Jersey native Martin Truex Jr. is off to a fast start at the 2012 Daytona 500, leading through 100 laps on Monday. There was a $200,000 prize on the line for whoever was in first position passing the midway point of the race. Truex was well aware crossing the line.

Martin Truex Jr. backed up to Denny Hamlin and got the run to get halfway bonus. "Heck yeah!" he said.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 28, 2012

Greg Biffle led all drivers entering the final lap before the midway point, but Truex backed-up to Denny Hamlin and let his teammate shoot him into the lead. The race is officially "official" now that we're halfway through, meaning that a winner will be named no matter what inclement weather may bring.

Truex is on pace for the second NASCAR Sprint Cup win of his career. After celebrating his big payday, his team replied "now go get the other half."

Be sure to check out SB Nation's StoryStream for more updates.

2012 Daytona 500: Start Time Pushed To 7 P.M. ET

The Daytona 500 has been pushed back again, reports SB Nation's Jeff Gluck. However, there's hope that the race will still happen today, now scheduled at 7 p.m. ET.

Instead of the race starting at noon, thunderstorms in the area have forced NASCAR officials to move the race back seven hours. While it's disappointing for racing fans who are anxiously waiting for the start of their season, this may actually benefit all parties involved.

Anybody who was working this afternoon and couldn't see the event now will be home and able to enjoy it all. NASCAR and FOX will get better ratings, making both they and the sponsors happy.

The situation is far from ideal, but it should all turn out alright in the end.

For anyone in need of a refresher course, New Jersey native Martin Truex Jr. will be starting in the 26th position. Carl Edwards has the pole, followed by Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart.

For the complete rundown, click right here.

For more information, be sure to check out SBNation.com.

Daytona 500 2012: Start Time, TV, Coverage, Online Streaming, Weather

For the first time in the 54-year history of the Daytona 500, weather intervened and forced a postponement.

After an extra day of waiting around, the race is set to start at 12 p.m. ET on FOX as currently scheduled.

Anyone looking for the Great American Race via the internet is unfortunately out of luck. NASCAR couldn't come to terms with it's associates, leaving many people at work out in the cold.

Heavy rains caused the race to be moved to Monday and could loom large again. Thunderstorms in the early part of the day threaten to move the start time back even further, even to Tuesday. According to weather.com, the rain may likely begin to clear up around 3 p.m. ET.

However, the forecast is for sunny skies Tuesday.

Some pundits have speculated how much the race will be effected by the delay, but most drivers aren't concerned. Just ask Greg Biffle according to ESPN.com.

"I guess I'm gonna have to win the first Monday Daytona 500," Biffle said. "As you can tell, I'm still in my uniform because I was optimistic that this weather was gonna get out of here and we were going to get this thing going. But I'll have to save my energy for tomorrow.

Of course, Biffle may be trying to win the first Tuesday Daytona, but let's not be negative.

New Jersey native Martin Truex Jr. has a tough road ahead, starting in the 26th position. Truex Jr. is looking to capture his first Daytona 500 victory.

Carl Edwards has the pole position, followed by the aforementioned Biffle and Tony Stewart.

For the rest of the lineup, click here.

Time: Noon ET

TV: FOX

For all your Daytona 500 coverage, be sure to check out SBNation.com

Daytona 500 Weather Update: Rain Postpones 'Great American Race' For First Time Ever

For the first time in its 53-year history, the Daytona 500 has postponed its start for the following day. The cause is rain, which has been falling down upon the 2 1/2-mile tri-oval located in Daytona, FL since the early morning. The race is schedule to start Monday at noon and will be broadcast on FOX.

Raining again.Not looking good folks

— Steve O'Donnell (@odsteve) February 26, 2012

No way to get this event in tonight-sorry everyone-noon tomorrow for #daytona500

— Steve O'Donnell (@odsteve) February 26, 2012

A few times Sunday, there was hope that the race would, at least, start as crews began drying the track, but more rain fell later in the evening, washing away all the work that had been done.

According to SB Nation's Brian Neudorff, a meteorologist, the race could actually take place Tuesday.

WHAT DOES MONDAY LOOK LIKE?
Monday doesn't look much better during the day either. In fact it looks just as bad, if not worse. The earliest opportunity would be Monday night around 6-8 p.m. EST. If NASCAR decides not to run Monday, then it would have to wait until Tuesday. The forecast for Tuesday is mostly dry and partly sunny.

Meanwhile, SB Nation's NASCAR guru, Jeff Gluck, is blaming the NFL for the bad luck.

Blame Mother Nature and the NFL for this one. When the NFL was approaching a lockout, it was believed the owners would force an 18-game schedule on the players and thus move the Super Bowl to mid-February.

For more on the Daytona 500, head to SB Nation's stream. For more NASCAR, check out NASCAR Ranting & Raving.

Daytona 500 Weather Update: Rain Lightly Falling, Start Will Be Delayed

The start time of the 54th edition of the Daytona 500 hasn't been officially delayed, but its likely going to happen as rain has started to fall at the 2 1/2-mile tri-oval. Sunday's weather forecast at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, FL calls for a better percentage for rain later in the day, however, that seems not to be the current case.

Below is a picture of the radar from Weather.com.

via i.imwx.com

Driver introductions were scheduled at 12:40 p.m. and did happen, while fans were covered in umbrellas and went for cover.

This isn't the first time that the historic race has been bothered by weather and a delay can go on for hours because the track does have lights. So, if you're a NASCAR fan the start of the greatest race of the year might be deylaed but it probably will happen.

For more on the Daytona 500, head to SB Nation's stream. For more NASCAR, check out NASCAR Ranting & Raving.

Daytona 500 2012: Start Time, TV Schedule And More

The 54th edition of the Daytona 500 will be raced Sunday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, FL, and Trenton, New Jersey native Martin Truex Jr. will begin in 26th place. Truex Jr. will be trying to chance down pole-sitter Carl Edwards and defending champion Trevor Bayne.

Defending Spring Cup Champion, Tony Stewart, will start the day in third, while Danica Patrick begins in 29th. Patrick wrecked during Saturday's Nationwide Series race. But as all NASCAR fans know, in a race like this it really doesn't matter where you start, its just how you finish.

Here is the starting time, TV schedule and online stream information:

Date/Time: Sunday, February 26, 1 p.m. ET

Location: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.

TV: FOX

Radio: Motor Racing Network

Online Streaming: NASCAR Track Pass

For more on the Daytona 500, head to SB Nation's stream. For more NASCAR, check out NASCAR Ranting & Raving.

Daytona 500 Preview: NASCAR To Honor Giants' 'NASCAR' Package

Daytona 500 2012 Preview: Martin Truex Jr. Looking For First Sprint-Cup Series Win Since 2007

New Jersey native Martin Truex Jr. is looking for his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win in his career and he hopes to make his second win the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500.