Sun Feb 17 18:30:05 2008

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Busch still leads after 150 of 200 laps at Daytona 500

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Daytona Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Kyle Busch leads the 50th running of the Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway. He has a small lead on Clint Bowyer. He has led 81 of the 150 laps.

Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart complete the top-five after 375 of 500 miles.

Two-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson brought the field to the green flag for 200 laps of restrictor-plate racing and the start of the 2008 racing season.

He didn't last there long as Michael Waltrip took the lead on the backstretch and led the first lap. Two laps later Johnson with Denny Hamlin behind him retook the lead. Then it was Hamlin's turn as the field jumbled on every lap. Stewart and Jeff Gordon also led a lap before the race was even 18 laps old.

On lap seven, defending Daytona 500 champion Kevin Harvick radioed in that he thought his engine was about to "blow up." He dropped to 34th, but continued on without pitting.

While Harvick was deep in the field and Waltrip was dropping with a suspension problem, a couple of cars were flying towards the front. Busch started 24th and was as high as second after 22 laps and NASCAR rookie, but three-time IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish Jr., started 19th and cracked the top- five.

Hamlin was looking strong having led 25 of the first 50 laps.

Lap 35 saw the start of green flag pit stops since the race had gone caution free. Hamlin finally gave up the lead on lap 38. Gordon inherited the top spot after the field had cycled through pit stops, but Busch and Hamlin both got their Toyota-powered machines around the three-time Daytona 500 winner.

Busch and Hamlin continued to play around with each other, experimenting for later in the race. Gordon seemed content to follow the two young racers with Earnhardt Jr. in fourth and Kenseth having jumped up into the top-five.

Meanwhile, Hornish Jr. made an unscheduled stop on lap 58 with an unknown vibration. Racing continued up front with Busch, Hamlin, Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. still mixing it up.

The first caution flag of the day came out on lap 79 for debris.

Through 80 laps, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas had led 70 laps (Busch 30, Hamlin 32, Stewart 8).

Reed Sorenson and Kurt Busch elected to stay out and they were one-two as they went back to green, with Kyle Busch, Gordon and Hamlin completing the top- five.

Kurt and Kyle Busch teamed up to get around Sorenson and Kurt earned the five- point bonus. On the next lap Mark Martin, last year's runner-up, suddenly slowed with a tire problem that left him a lap down to the field.

Kyle Busch is still leading the race at the midway point with only one car out of the race - Joe Nemechek.

On lap 108 Kenseth, with a good push from Greg Biffle charged past Kyle Busch for the lead. One lap later it was Biffle's turn to earn five points, but Kyle Busch quickly returned to the top spot where he had been for most of the race.

Just before the mid-point, Ryan Newman began to move through the field. By lap 100 he was up to second and on lap 120 he took his first lead of the race.

Green flag pit stops began on lap 120 and Kurt Busch was caught speeding. The penalty left him almost a lap down. Brother Kyle Busch returned to the top with Newman, "Junior," Stewart and Bowyer in tow.

Hamlin was not among the top-10 and had left-rear fender damage which was hurting his aerodynamic package. He was one second a lap slower than the leader and in 29th place.

Through 150 laps and Busch was still fighting out all challenges. He had led a total of 81 laps and on the next lap clinched the "most laps led" bonus.