stock car race nascar sprint cup series season 54th iteration event held february international florida crowd race extended laps miles green white finish won driving win season second victory finished second came race scheduled february heavy rain forced nascar officials delay day got underway est pole immediately passed turn maintained position passed lap took lead second caution period led race laps led assumed place lap maintained seventh caution period laps later race stopped hour seven minutes hit jet lap causing fuel track catch fire regained position lap restart maintained remaining thirty laps win race race saw lead changes different drivers result meant led drivers championship points ahead followed fifth place points ford led manufacturers championship points ahead chevrolet second toyota dodge fourth race attracted average million television viewers million watching race making second watched history report background international hold nascar races standard track turn mile turns banked degrees stretch location finish line banked degrees race defending champion conceived nascar founder built race held successor shorter races held beaches florida race opening round nascar season events require cars run plates regarded prestigious race nascar offers prize money auto races held united_states victory race considered equal winning world series super bowl masters race called great american race super bowl stock car racing february nascar vice president operations donnell announced final sunday february traditional washington birthday weekend slot decision based possibility extended nfl schedule moved away potential conflicts super bowl shortened nascar season week company planned maintain momentum early year car style draft called tandem racing dominated races held plate tracks nascar reduced size air moved cars section size plate reduced inch cars required run softer springs smaller rear changes intended reduce effectiveness car style drafting cars challenging turn sprint cup series director stated want able teams options comes drafting want able reduce difference speeds tandem style racing pack style racing fans accustomed seeing preparation race test new car package nascar held test sessions january test sessions began est stopped est concluded thirty drivers participated session morning january quickest speed miles hour highest speed miles hour second session afternoon end second session nascar announced opening plate increased inch inch wide pressure release valve settings reduced psi bar psi bar second day nascar allowed drivers draft packs check cars responses session morning january drivers took quickest speed miles hour recorded fastest speed miles hour fourth session held afternoon decided leave session fifth session held morning january drivers took gordon quickest speed miles hour session left circuit nascar increased pressure value psi bar psi bar gordon fastest sixth final session held afternoon speed miles hour shootout cars engines driving packs nascar increased engines pressure release values psi bar psi bar help reduce alleviate effects driving high temperatures practice qualification seven practice sessions held race held february ran minutes february shortened minutes days later practice sessions scheduled ran minutes final practice session held february ran minutes fastest time seconds session seconds faster time seconds positions stewart rounded session drivers second practice session remained fastest time seconds slower lap time quickest ahead stewart sixth fastest time seconds edwards gordon completed ahead qualifying cars entered according nascar qualifying procedure race driver ran laps unlike races season qualifying session determined positions rest drivers qualified edwards clinched eleventh pole position career time seconds time fastest recorded average speed pole lap race joined row grid teammate time race ford cars starting positions recorded 22nd fastest time car twice fail post race inspection height sticks required start rear field second duel race edwards commented huge start year company run today result lot hard work offseason ready focus win quickest practice session time seconds second quickest lap seconds slower set time seconds fastest ahead martin positions followed slowed avoid newman caused turn sending spinning grass car sustained minor damage meant required use car mechanics able repair damage led fourth practice drivers took lap seconds nearly tenth second faster ahead session drivers ran packs drafted contact sent spinning grass caused parts car nose torn required use car rest stewart winners qualifying grid finalized stewart fourth completed drivers failed qualify richardson patrick went cars involved duel edwards fastest fifth practice seconds lap thousand second lap quickest ahead gordon sixth seventh quickest second edwards time time led sixth session ahead set identical time fastest time seconds lap ahead stewart set lap seconds gordon followed lap seconds topped final practice session thirty seven drivers participated followed rounded drivers claiming fourth fifth positions respectively final practice session hit bird tore small hole causing water drained car changed car engine damage repaired race race nascar sprint cup series season televised live united_states fox race start est heavy rain fell track nascar officials delayed race afternoon february making postponed rain fell february delaying race est making race start primetime pastor began pre race ceremonies invocation resident performed national anthem founder gave command drivers start engines pace laps patrick grid switched backup cars changed car engine rear changed backup car weather conditions start race cloudy air temperature accelerated start line quickly teammate edwards leading turn start lap car crash triggered making contact johnson tri oval johnson car spun sideways caught patrick incident triggered caution race pace car johnson forced retire patrick drove repairs race restarted lap seven leading eleventh lap smith moved lead position lap later moved lead turn aid teammate edwards lap newman looped car making contact wall second caution issued leaders including pit stops chose pit led field speed restart end lap lead began pull away rest field tow leaders began run single file starting race 26th moved positions eighth lap moved positions running tenth tried pass seventh 23rd lap kept position drivers continued battle laps lap leading seven positions rejoined race lap lap burton assistance moved lead outside exit turn dropped attempted passing outside lead lap later dropped sixth green flag pit stops began lap leaders including burton pit stops lap gordon moved lead lap began pull away burton laps later debris reported turn triggering caution drivers including gordon pit stops fuel caution pit stop lap team repairs car water pressure problem mechanics changed car water rejoined race 33rd burton led field restart followed passed burton gain lead turn moving second turn burton dropped sixth position lap moved ahead outside lead lap reclaimed lead momentarily lap overtook laps later fourth caution race prompted engine exploded flames appeared car going turn drivers including pit stops caution chose led field lap restart followed reclaimed lead lap later contact coming fourth turn lap rested pit road race fifth caution issued drivers chose pit caution race restarted lap leading laps later assisted passed going turn lead earned leading half way point lap stewart took lead went underneath turns reclaim position laps later moved second place lap pole position driver edwards running 21st reporting car fuel pressure started slow lap running fuel pit road faster cars blocked entry track stopping turn triggering sixth caution lap leaders including pit stops caution martin led field speed restart lap followed lap aid passed martin lead going turn lost lead passed lap laps later teammate took place carried extra momentum drove high fourth turn lead lap laps later moved second passing drivers separated second lap engine failed lap car spun small pack traffic car dropped oil track causing seventh caution leaders included pit stops tires caution reported team felt vibration car leaving pit road returned pit box lap pit crew checked underneath car vibration find drove racing speed rejoining track turn catch pace car rear trailing arm car broke turn jet clearing debris lost control banking collided trailer mounted jet engine filled gallons imp gal jet destroying fuel tank started leaking fuel track drifted track infield grass seconds later drove stream spark caused fuel creating wall fire track caused red flag shown course hour seven minutes nascar officials extinguished fire cleaned track climbed car driver safety truck year old assisted banking barnes taken nearby examination jet truck attached removed track light rain hit track later broke gained large attention red flag iphone photograph accident scene post twitter leaders prior red flag having pit stops caution edwards removed tear offs required field race resumed caution est ran fuel turn pushed pit road recovery truck pit stops fuel allowing lead lap restart ahead teammate maintained lead laps lap eighth caution issued contact regained control car went turn restart delayed lap moved field failing maintain car speed led field lap restart followed laps later multi car collision occurred cut tire collided triggering car chain reaction accident involving edwards stewart smith stewart cars sustained minor damage ninth caution race issued race restarted lap leading cars running single file second multi car collision occurred lap entry turn collecting total cars including stewart triggered final caution race lap restart green white finish extended race laps burton pressure final laps crossed finish line lap win second block driver passed finish second finished fourth burton fifth edwards martin completed finishers race total lead changes different drivers race appeared victory lane celebrate victory season earning victory victory team major series nascar following win said feels great wasn expecting win morning feels good sitting think strongest cars week right took long time like thursday hard locked finished second place said couldn matt kind waited minute thought great race want thank fans sticking monday night tuned home sorry delay took said great speed weeks coming place finish exciting expressed surprise crash hit jet race seventh caution hit lot things jet said helmet fire suffered foot nascar president surprised incident think years running races nascar run seen think happen happen barnes worked michigan international loaned thanked fans concerns president said track officials standard procedures clearing track team prepared expertise training nascar nascar spokesperson said things operating normal fashion extraordinary occurred went car caution standard car catch rest field car car examined nascar officials returned shop concord north_carolina nascar fine red flag period allowed iphone pocket rest season later week track officials conducted thorough analysis track turn determined damage worse originally thought second patch job conducted track upcoming events march bike week affected area track completely removed resurfaced company resurfaced entire track prior repairs completed time zero july fit onward nascar required additional pace car jet track national series jet drivers allowed wear helmets fire suits extra protection jet incident described bizarre events history nascar american media organizations days race johnson car penalty actions detrimental stock car racing included fine race suspension crew chief car chief loss owner driver points johnson placed probation suspended nascar april speed analyst driver thought penalties went far stating car raced questioned nascar issued penalties immediately announced appeal decision allowed work team appeal team lost initial appeal march final appeal commissioner result final appeal held march race suspension lifted points penalties johnson rescinded fine administered upheld race season led drivers championship points followed tied second points burton followed fifth points ford leader manufacturers championship points chevrolet second points toyota place points point ahead dodge fourth race average television audience million viewers estimated million total viewers watched race increase previous year event viewed nascar race fox history network highest rated monday night game world series sixteen months previously race garnered highest ratings demographic second watched race race took hours thirty minutes seconds complete margin victory seconds results qualifying race results standings race
2012 Daytona 500