Watching a throwback race every weekend until the Clash: 2005 Daytona 500
February 20, 2005 ends a long offseason to welcome the Daytona 500 in the Sunshine state. Matthew McConaughey kicks the race off with the famous four words.
Dale Jarrett will lead the pole in the #88 UPS Ford, followed by Jimmie Johnson in the #48 Lowe’s Chevy for 2nd, and Michael Waltrip representing the #15 NAPA Chevy covering third. This race was Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace’s last Daytona 500, but was the first for several: Kyle Busch, Boris Said, Martin Truex Jr, Travis Kvapil, Bobby Hamilton Jr, and one other who I honestly couldn’t figure out, whoops.
The battle for first starts as soon as the green flag flies, with Johnson stealing the lead. 3-wide racing is immediate with Waltrip, Tony Stewart in the #20 Home Depot Monte Carlo, and Jarrett. Dale Jr in the #8 Budweiser Chevy gives Jarrett a love tap, who ultimately falls to 30th. By lap 4, Tony Stewart takes the lead with Waltrip right behind him.
Lap 5 we see Johnson fall to 4th, while Scott Riggs scores 3rd in the #10 Valvoline Chevy. Matt Kenseth in the #17 Dewalt Ford moves to 5th and Kurt Busch in the #97 Sharpie Ford takes 4th from Jimmie.
Almost 10 laps later in turn 4, we see Bobby Labonte’s #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy start to smoke, causing the first of several cautions for the day. Everyone except Kyle Petty pits on the first caution lap, who goes in after a lap after everyone else. Scott Wimmer in the #22 CAT Dodge Charger takes the win off pit road. When Petty goes in to pit, Harvick goes in for a second time due to front end issues. These issues do not leave Kevin Harvick and the #29 Goodwrench Chevy team alone for most of the race.
Lap 19 brings the green flag, with Wimmer in the lead, followed by Johnson and Mike Skinner in the #23 Argent Mortgage Dodge make an appearance at P3. Joe Nemechek in the #01 US Army Chevy did not pit in his pit box, therefore he got penalized. During that call, Waltrip and Stewart go high, allowing Waltrip to take the lead and Stewart battle for 2nd with Wimmer. Not for long though, as another caution shakes up the field
- Caution details: Ricky Rudd in the #21 Motorcraft Ford loses a tire, causing him to spin and take out Mike Wallace in the #4 Lucas Oil Chevy. M. Wallace gets rear-ended by Kyle Busch in the #5 Kellogg’s Chevy, causing front end damage. Boris Said in the #36 Centrix Monte Carlo loses control and also takes Elliott Sadler in the #38 M&M’s Ford Taurus.
Wallace, Rudd, Busch and Said head to garages to join Labonte for repairs. Matt Kenseth follows not long after, breaking a connecting rod on lap 36. Waltrip, Stewart, and Gordon hold the top 3 on lap 36. Kenny Wallace goes to the garage in the #00 Aaron’s Chevy shortly after, Kevin Harvick has changed to a backup car due to front end issues on the primary 29.
First green pit stop brings in Mark Marlin, Rusty Wallace, Dave Blaney, and Jason Leffler among others on the first round. The top 15 leaders come to pits on Lap 62. Junior runs into pit troubles by getting tipped by Jeff Burton in the #31 Cingular Chevy causing an off-beat stop for Junior. Several get caught for speeding off pit road, including Martin, Sadler, Blaney, Kurt Busch, Johnson, and Marlin. All have to make a pass-thru on pit road for this.
After a brief caution for debris on the track, the green flag waves yet again at lap 90. Kyle Busch joins the field again 52 laps down, along with Mike Wallace who is 62 laps down. The field is quickly divided into two packs. Greg Biffle in the #16 National Guard Ford had the quickest time, but had to go back to pit road due to loose lugs. Top 6 at this point in order are Stewart, Waltrip, Gordon, Riggs, McMurray, and Rusty Wallace.
By lap 130, 32 cars still remain on the lead lap. Skinner finds trouble and slows way down, gets a love tap by Carl Edwards in the #99 Office Depot Ford Taurus. The leaders take a green flag pit stop, allowing several to the front who haven’t been yet: Joe Nemechek, Jason Leffler in the #11 FedEx Chevy, Casey Mears #41 Target Dodge, and Jeff Green representing Cheerios in the #43 Dodge. These four pit, Tony Stewart reclaims the lead, but is quickly tailgated by Gordon and Johnson.
After another debris caution and race break, we find Jeff Burton taking the lead, followed by Wimmer and Edwards. Lap 160 will have Michael Waltrip blowing a motor up high while Gordon overtakes him down low, another caution is out. Leaders take to the pits first time around. Burton who was P1 gets tires, while several leaders get fuel only.
Lap 169 brings another caution: John Andretti in the #14 AirPlus Ford and taps Travis Kvapil in the #77 Kodak Dodge, who runs right into Leffler. All of this takes place behind a 4-wide Sadler, Biffle, Junior, and Mike Bliss in the single zero NetZero Monte Carlo. This will not be our final caution of the race.
Jeff Gordon starts Stewart by finding the outside, putting himself neck and neck with the older Busch. Followed by Jimmie Johnson, and eventually Junior who finally makes it to top 5. Not long after, Burton blows an engine as more chaos unfolds.
- Caution details: on lap 183, Biffle gets loose and begins wobbling, bumps into Riggs, an and goes right to Jamie McMurray’s #42 Texaco Charger. Biffle runs into Wimmer, who flips 4 times in the CAT Charger. Biffle isn’t done though, because he also T-bones Kevin Harvick which sends him to the wall and takes McMurray with him.
The final crash caution of the night comes right before the restart for this previous caution. Skinner rear ends into Newman, who collides with Edwards who goes to the wall. Kvapil finds himself rear-ending Skinner, but then Andretti slams Skinner head-on.
As we approach the final handful of laps, we see Junior going full throttle and finding the lead. Jeff Gordon is right behind him while neck and neck with Stewart. As Gordon begins to overtake the lead from Junior, the field is frozen by NASCAR for a caution involving Kasey Kahne in the #9 Dodge Charger going to the wall. Top 6 are Gordon, Junior, Johnson, Busch, Wimmer, and Stewart.
Lap 200 brings Jeff Gordon to secure the 2005 Daytona 500, followed closely by Junior in 2nd and Busch in 3rd. This was a battle all day long, and it was awesome seeing Junior secure a top 3 after being mid-pack most of the day. Even though he led the most laps all day, Stewart finished P7. 🏁
February 20, 2005 ends a long offseason to welcome the Daytona 500 in the Sunshine state. Matthew McConaughey kicks the race off with the famous four words.
Dale Jarrett will lead the pole in the #88 UPS Ford, followed by Jimmie Johnson in the #48 Lowe’s Chevy for 2nd, and Michael Waltrip representing the #15 NAPA Chevy covering third. This race was Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace’s last Daytona 500, but was the first for several: Kyle Busch, Boris Said, Martin Truex Jr, Travis Kvapil, Bobby Hamilton Jr, and one other who I honestly couldn’t figure out, whoops.
The battle for first starts as soon as the green flag flies, with Johnson stealing the lead. 3-wide racing is immediate with Waltrip, Tony Stewart in the #20 Home Depot Monte Carlo, and Jarrett. Dale Jr in the #8 Budweiser Chevy gives Jarrett a love tap, who ultimately falls to 30th. By lap 4, Tony Stewart takes the lead with Waltrip right behind him.
Lap 5 we see Johnson fall to 4th, while Scott Riggs scores 3rd in the #10 Valvoline Chevy. Matt Kenseth in the #17 Dewalt Ford moves to 5th and Kurt Busch in the #97 Sharpie Ford takes 4th from Jimmie.
Almost 10 laps later in turn 4, we see Bobby Labonte’s #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy start to smoke, causing the first of several cautions for the day. Everyone except Kyle Petty pits on the first caution lap, who goes in after a lap after everyone else. Scott Wimmer in the #22 CAT Dodge Charger takes the win off pit road. When Petty goes in to pit, Harvick goes in for a second time due to front end issues. These issues do not leave Kevin Harvick and the #29 Goodwrench Chevy team alone for most of the race.
Lap 19 brings the green flag, with Wimmer in the lead, followed by Johnson and Mike Skinner in the #23 Argent Mortgage Dodge make an appearance at P3. Joe Nemechek in the #01 US Army Chevy did not pit in his pit box, therefore he got penalized. During that call, Waltrip and Stewart go high, allowing Waltrip to take the lead and Stewart battle for 2nd with Wimmer. Not for long though, as another caution shakes up the field
- Caution details: Ricky Rudd in the #21 Motorcraft Ford loses a tire, causing him to spin and take out Mike Wallace in the #4 Lucas Oil Chevy. M. Wallace gets rear-ended by Kyle Busch in the #5 Kellogg’s Chevy, causing front end damage. Boris Said in the #36 Centrix Monte Carlo loses control and also takes Elliott Sadler in the #38 M&M’s Ford Taurus.
Wallace, Rudd, Busch and Said head to garages to join Labonte for repairs. Matt Kenseth follows not long after, breaking a connecting rod on lap 36. Waltrip, Stewart, and Gordon hold the top 3 on lap 36. Kenny Wallace goes to the garage in the #00 Aaron’s Chevy shortly after, Kevin Harvick has changed to a backup car due to front end issues on the primary 29.
First green pit stop brings in Mark Marlin, Rusty Wallace, Dave Blaney, and Jason Leffler among others on the first round. The top 15 leaders come to pits on Lap 62. Junior runs into pit troubles by getting tipped by Jeff Burton in the #31 Cingular Chevy causing an off-beat stop for Junior. Several get caught for speeding off pit road, including Martin, Sadler, Blaney, Kurt Busch, Johnson, and Marlin. All have to make a pass-thru on pit road for this.
After a brief caution for debris on the track, the green flag waves yet again at lap 90. Kyle Busch joins the field again 52 laps down, along with Mike Wallace who is 62 laps down. The field is quickly divided into two packs. Greg Biffle in the #16 National Guard Ford had the quickest time, but had to go back to pit road due to loose lugs. Top 6 at this point in order are Stewart, Waltrip, Gordon, Riggs, McMurray, and Rusty Wallace.
By lap 130, 32 cars still remain on the lead lap. Skinner finds trouble and slows way down, gets a love tap by Carl Edwards in the #99 Office Depot Ford Taurus. The leaders take a green flag pit stop, allowing several to the front who haven’t been yet: Joe Nemechek, Jason Leffler in the #11 FedEx Chevy, Casey Mears #41 Target Dodge, and Jeff Green representing Cheerios in the #43 Dodge. These four pit, Tony Stewart reclaims the lead, but is quickly tailgated by Gordon and Johnson.
After another debris caution and race break, we find Jeff Burton taking the lead, followed by Wimmer and Edwards. Lap 160 will have Michael Waltrip blowing a motor up high while Gordon overtakes him down low, another caution is out. Leaders take to the pits first time around. Burton who was P1 gets tires, while several leaders get fuel only.
Lap 169 brings another caution: John Andretti in the #14 AirPlus Ford and taps Travis Kvapil in the #77 Kodak Dodge, who runs right into Leffler. All of this takes place behind a 4-wide Sadler, Biffle, Junior, and Mike Bliss in the single zero NetZero Monte Carlo. This will not be our final caution of the race.
Jeff Gordon starts Stewart by finding the outside, putting himself neck and neck with the older Busch. Followed by Jimmie Johnson, and eventually Junior who finally makes it to top 5. Not long after, Burton blows an engine as more chaos unfolds.
- Caution details: on lap 183, Biffle gets loose and begins wobbling, bumps into Riggs, an and goes right to Jamie McMurray’s #42 Texaco Charger. Biffle runs into Wimmer, who flips 4 times in the CAT Charger. Biffle isn’t done though, because he also T-bones Kevin Harvick which sends him to the wall and takes McMurray with him.
The final crash caution of the night comes right before the restart for this previous caution. Skinner rear ends into Newman, who collides with Edwards who goes to the wall. Kvapil finds himself rear-ending Skinner, but then Andretti slams Skinner head-on.
As we approach the final handful of laps, we see Junior going full throttle and finding the lead. Jeff Gordon is right behind him while neck and neck with Stewart. As Gordon begins to overtake the lead from Junior, the field is frozen by NASCAR for a caution involving Kasey Kahne in the #9 Dodge Charger going to the wall. Top 6 are Gordon, Junior, Johnson, Busch, Wimmer, and Stewart.
Lap 200 brings Jeff Gordon to secure the 2005 Daytona 500, followed closely by Junior in 2nd and Busch in 3rd. This was a battle all day long, and it was awesome seeing Junior secure a top 3 after being mid-pack most of the day. Even though he led the most laps all day, Stewart finished P7. 🏁