Denny Hamlin Wins In A Photo Finish At The Daytona 500

An incredible finish to the Daytona 500.  Denny Hamlin moved from fourth to pass Matt Kenseth on the final lap and edged Martin Truex, Jr. at the finish line by one/one hundredth of a second in the closest finish in the 58-year history of the race.  The margin of victory was just four inches giving Hamlin his first Daytona 500 win, the first for Toyota and the first for Joe Gibbs Racing since Dale Jarrett in 1993.

Truex was forced to settle for second place, but it's his first Top 5 finish in the 500.  Defending Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch came in third with Kevin Harvick placing fourth and Carl Edwards in a battered and taped-up car completed the Top 5.

Hamlin led a race-high 95 laps.  Kenseth led 40, but his run-in with Hamlin cost him momentum and he finished 14th.

Rookie pole sitter Chase Elliott was the first one out of the race when he lost control and slid thru the infield grass.  By the time his team was able to get him back on the track he was 40 laps back and finished 37th.

Pre-race favorite Dale Earnhardt, Jr. crashed with 31 laps to go ending his day early.

Race two in the season is next week at Atlanta.