Though, the race wasn’t all cheers and smiles; Joey Logano, who won his first career pole came in 27th.

Race results for Food City 500:

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Tony Stewart
3. Kurt Busch
4. Greg Biffle
5. Matt Kenseth
6. Carl Edwards
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
8. Jamie McMurray
9. Kyle Busch
10. Jeff Burton

JIMMIE TAKES THE WIN; GORDON FINISHES 3RD

Sunday saw us at Las Vegas for race number 3 in the Sprint Cup Series. Not too surprising that Jimmie Johnson (Lowe’s #48 for Hendrick Motorsports) netted his team a great and reasonable win, but perhaps the big surprise was pulled off by none other than Jeff Gordon. If you’ve watched NASCAR over the past few years, you’d see Jeff Gordon hasn’t been on top of his game. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it, but he hasn’t had the best luck…until Sunday. Gordon (Dupont #24 for Hendrick Motorsports), on a track known for multiple cautions over the course of a race, managed to lead not only the most laps, but a record of consecutive laps. Unfortunately, a late caution that came out with 34 laps to go seemed to be Gordon’s bane.

Jimmie Johnson decided not to gamble, and took a four-tire pit stop, which would pay off. Gordon took the gamble of taking only two tires on his pit stop. Literally within the last ten laps, we watched as Jeff Gordon slipped back to 2nd and to 3rd – where he would finish in the Shelby American at Las Vegas.

The Results from Sunday’s Cup Race:

1. #48 Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Chevrolet)
2. #29 Kevin Harvick (RCR Chevrolet)
3. #24 Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Chevrolet)
4. #5 Mark Martin (Hendrick Chevrolet)
5. #17 Matt Kenseth (Rousch/Fenway Ford)
6. #20 Joey Logano (JGR Toyota)
7. #14 Tony Stewart (Stewart-Hass Racing Chevrolet)
8. #33 Clint Bowyer (RCR Chevrolet)
9. #9 Kasey Kahne (Gillet/Evernham Ford)
10. #16 Greg Biffle (Rousch/Fenway Ford)

Sunday marked the official beginning of the 2010 NASCAR season, and the end of Speedweeks in Daytona.

Although Saturday’s Nationwide Series race seemed more like “The Danica Patrick Show”, Sunday was all about the legends (and rookies) of NASCAR as they battle not only one another, but the track itself. A red flag dropped on the race – 78 laps remaining – for over an hour and 40 minutes while work crews tended to a pothole that could have led to certain danger. In fact, Jimmie Johnson fell prey to this pothole as it cut one of his tires, resulting in a damaged wheel. The hole was approximately 18 inches long, and 8 inches wide.

After an estimated 30 minutes on pit road, NASCAR allowed drivers to exit their cars if they wanted to. Drivers found different ways of dealing with the tedium from getting a bite to eat, to…just taking a catnap in their race cars, as Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 car for Joe Gibbs Racing did. Drivers, such as Clint Boyer (#33 car for Richard Childress Racing), decided to get a bite to eat. Boyer was race leader at this point.

Eventually, with the hole filled in, the yellow flag was waved and cars were ushered back out on the track. Sadly, the red flag was dropped for a second time when the patching compound failed with only 39 laps to go. A stronger compound was used the second time around, and officials made certain the hole would stay filled. After, cars were again ushered onto the track by the pace car, and the race resumed, making for an epic finish.

Prior to the beginning of this season, NASCAR announced a change to the Green-White-Checker rule. Now, instead of only one attempt to finish a race under a green flag, drivers would be given three attempts. As one would expect from Daytona, all three attempts were indeed used. Finally, after the last attempt, it became an epic battle between Jamie McMurray (#1 Earnhardt/Ganassi Racing) and Greg Biffle (#16 Rousch Racing). With the white flag out, the two battled back and forth to take home the win. Biffle tried nudging McMurray, but couldn’t shake him in the slightest. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (#88 Hendrick Motorsports) pushed past the other cars (including Biffle) to give Jamie a solid draft. The checkered flag dropped with Jamie McMurray taking home his first Daytona 500 victory, and giving Jr. a respectable 2nd place finish.

Though, the red flag incidents have called to question: should the track be re-paved? The track was last paved in 1978 – more than 30 years ago. Some drivers, such as Tony Stewart, say no. They feel the 2.5 mile track should remain in its current state. Stewart stated he liked the current slick surface of the track. Others, like Clint Boyer felt as though there’s no excuse, in 2010, for the track to be in such rough shape. Boyer’s splitter was damaged as a result of the pothole.

Currently, the track is scheduled for a $20 million repaving to be done in 2012, but officials may be willing to bump up the date if deemed necessary.