Trevor Bayne is a Daytona 500 Champion

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Trevor Bayne came to Daytona with no expectations.





He had completed a full season in the NASCAR Nationwide series with no wins and a best finish of 3rd.





He had made one cup start finishing 17th.





He timed in third on qualifying day and in the Gatorade duel on thursday got the seal of approval from Jeff Gordon who allowed Bayne to push the car Gordon had qualified second with.





Bayne was involved in a last lap wreck in the duel and it had appeared that he would have to go to a backup car.





But the Wood Brothers worked hard with Donnie Wingo to repair that car that they wanted to take to Bristol (this team only had four or five cars) so Bayne could have a great car for the 500.





Bayne started 32nd and worked his way through the pack. He worked with Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon, Martin Truex Jr and David Ragan.





He was ahead of all the wrecks including the lap 29 'big one" that took ou 17 cars.





He never led until six laps to go after David Ragan was black flagged by NASCAR for not holding his position on the restart.





He was was Bayne who had just turned 20 the day before in a position to win the Daytona 500.





He had Tony Stewart on his outside who was trying to win the 500 on his 13th try, Bobby Labonte behind him who was trying to win it on his 19th try, Mark Martin who was trying to win it on his 27th try, and Kurt Busch who was trying to win it on his 11th try.





Bayne got a pushed from Labonte and held off a late charge from Carl Edwards and David Gilliand to win the great American race.





He tied Jamie McMurray's record of winning in their second career cup start.





He became the first driver since Lee Petty won the first 500 to win it in his first try.





He joined Tiny Lund, Pete Hamilton, Sterling Marlin, Derrick Cope, and Michael Waltrip as drivers to score their first victory in the 500.





It was also his first victory in any of NASCAR's top three series.





For the Wood Brothers it was their first win in ten years since Elliott Sadler won the Food City 500.





For a team that missed the 500 in 2008 and hasn't won the 500 since 1976 this was huge.





This is huge for NASCAR that needed a story to keep fans interested and get new ones in. To have someone only one year older then me to win the biggest race in motorsports in simply amazing.





Whatever happens to Bayne after today doesn't matter. He has achieved greatness and it can only go up from here.





Congrats to Trevor Bayne you are a Daytona 500 champion.

Daytona 500 Pick: Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart has won 16 races at Daytona. Six nationwide races four of which are in a row, three of the July 400 classic, two IROC races here, three Budwesier shootouts, and two Gatorade duels.

But Stewart has yet to sang the big trophy. With this new style of drafting Stewart feels he has it figured out.

Stewart finished second in the Daytona 500 in 2004 getting passed by Dale Earnahdrt Jr late in the race.

Stewart finished thrid in the Daytona 500 in 2008 after getting passed for the win by Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch on the last lap.

Stewart addimtted that he played it too safe that day.

But in his 13th try Stewart is going for all the marbles. He has learned from his near wins and missed opportunites.

Expect Stewart to get hooked up with someone like Ryan Newman and make his way to the front.

He put himself in the right postion to win yesterday's race and he will today.

After 13 tries Tony Stewart will finally be a Daytona 500 Champion.