After putting the new green-white-checkered rule into good use, Jamie McMurray in the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet got the victory in the 52nd Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

The race was one of the strangest in recent history due to some cosmetic issues on the surface of the race track. With 78 laps to go, the action was halted after a hole appeared in the bottom groove on turn 2. The red flag period lasted an hour and 40 minutes before the green flag flew once again only to have the problem resurface with only 39 laps to go. Luckily, this break lasted only 46 minutes and the final laps were certainly worth the wait.

For the first time since the rule modification, all three attempts at the green-white-checkered finish were used up and despite an incredible last lap effort from Dale Earnhardt Jr., McMurray earned the honor of being called a Daytona 500 winner.

“It’s unreal,” a very tearful McMurray said in Victory Lane. “It’s unbelievable really. I can’t explain it…when I saw the 88 behind me I thought ‘oh no’… Earnhardt at Daytona, it seems like they win all the time.”

After an up and down day, Earnhardt Jr. went from 10th place to 2nd on the final lap of the race.

“It’s frustrating to come that close and not win it but I’m happy for them,” he said. “We got a good run.”

The entire race was a record-setting event. The 6 hour and 10 minute time makes it the longest official race in Daytona 500 history. Also, a new record of different leaders was set and the two laps McMurray led before taking the flag were the fewest led by a Daytona 500 winner.

Greg Biffle finished 3rd in front of Clint Bowyer and David Reutimann. Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and McMurray’s teammate Juan Pablo Montoya rounded out the top-10.

The two most popular picks to win the race, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart, finished 17th and 22nd, respectively. Michael Waltrip, in possibly the final Daytona 500 of his career, ended up 18th while NASCAR veteran Bill Elliott was 27th.

4-time and defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson was 35th when the checkered flag flew after suffering damage from the pothole that was irreparable. Rookie phenom Brad Keselowski ended the race in 36th.

Next week the Sprint Cup Series will be in California for the Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway. The race is scheduled to broadcast on FOX at 3pm ET.

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