53rd running event held february international florida race nascar sprint cup season driving won race youngest winner finished second rounded taken lead shortly final restart maintained win cup series race fifth race featured lead changes different drivers following race edwards led drivers championship points ahead ford led manufacturers championship points ahead toyota ahead dodge total people attended race million watched television report background international hold nascar races standard track international turn miles long track turns banked degrees stretch location finish line banked degrees defending race winner preparation race nascar held test sessions january teams test newer pavement sessions opening plate reduced inch plate tire testing inch nascar vice president competition stated talk teams look speeds days testing think high water marks half miles hour depending pulled draft little quick hard test session began est stopped est concluded est session morning january thirty drivers participated quickest speed mph highest speed mph second session afternoon test session scheduled morning january canceled wet weather fourth session held afternoon drivers participated quickest speed mph drivers decided leave session included fifth session held morning january drivers participated quickest speed mph quickest speed mph final session car draft style dominated shootout nascar reduced opening square inches overflow valve cooling system supplied nascar set pounds square inch high speeds race caused nascar reduce size plate inch expectations cutting horsepower engines race marked tenth anniversary death tributes took place race cars fielded team team started carried race nascar held silent lap lap practice memory season practice qualifying seven practice sessions held race february ran minutes minutes february shortened minutes minutes long rain delays days later practice sessions scheduled ran minutes long final practice session held february quickest time seconds session tenth second faster gordon pace followed johnson seventh second martin time second practice session martin remained fastest time seconds tenth second quicker second placed johnson burton took place ahead gordon second practice session collided wall tire failed car cars entered qualifying raced nascar qualifying procedure unlike races season qualifying session determined positions rest drivers qualified clinched 10th pole position career time seconds joined row grid qualifying session completed commented main thing pole pressure thursday race fun worry finish getting good starting spot quickest rain delayed practice seconds followed johnson collided hit wall needing use cars meant pole position led fourth practice seconds second faster gordon ahead burton winners qualifying grid finalized burton fourth qualified fifth ahead drivers failed qualify burton fastest fifth practice seconds lap ahead martin led sixth session ahead johnson seconds lap ahead seconds burton seconds topped final practice session followed rounded drivers claiming fourth fifth positions respectively race race began est televised live united_states fox conditions grid dry race air temperature senior pastor greater friendship baptist church beach florida began pre race ceremonies giving invocation famous country music singer performed national anthem movie director upcoming film dark moon gave command drivers start engines pace laps rear grid changing car elite team versions cars led field pace laps retained pole position lead corner followed outside following lap smith began assist drafting lap nascar held moment silence honor killed years earlier race lap moved second positions lap later caution flown got turned sideways caution pit stop car toe plate checked end aligned race restarted lap led lap martin passed laps later second caution came engine failure drivers pit stops caution restart lead passed lead lap lap assistance took lead passed stewart second positions laps later lap engine failed allowing caution come caution runners pit stops caution fuel decided change tires afterward lead restart remained leading laps moved 5th position lap collided causing multi car involving drivers including drivers johnson martin gordon drivers led pit stops caution race restarted lap continued lead laps teams repairing cars garage lap crash lap retook lead having assistance laps later johnson preparing return race lap stewart took lead lap retook lap 45th quickest race speed mph laps later spun bringing fifth caution sustained major damage car accident caution leaders pit stops giving second positions restart lap led overtook remained leading burton moved fourth positions lap following lap moved second passing lap sixth caution given car stalled runners pit stops caution reclaimed positions restart lap johnson returned race team repaired car garage lap overtook leader fell 17th 18th positions 63rd lap assistance stewart moved fifth position moved tenth lap stewart fell seventh eighth lap burton moved position lap moved smith leader smith remained leader lap passed lap race lead changes following lap burton passed position laps later prompted caution spinning sideways lap restart leader ahead second following lap overtook position lap reclaimed position smith pit stop leading lap passed lap assistance leader burton passed lap laps later reclaimed position smith moved second lap burton engine failed caution given laps later leader having assistance 100th lap reclaimed position following lap newman leader laps gordon passed position lap eighth caution given spun following bump team mate caution drivers pit stops gordon lead afterward lap moved position laps passed passed laps later lap passed lap lap moved positions lap race experienced lead changes different leaders laps later reclaimed position ninth caution given caution runners pit stops lap restart led grid green flag following lap passed seven laps later tenth caution given collided wall runners pit stops caution lap restart leader lap passed lap eleventh caution given following contact runners pit stops caution lap restart leader lap later claimed lead laps newman passed lap record twelfth caution given collided wall drivers pit stops caution newman leader lap restart newman leader ahead following lap leader moved lap thirteenth caution caused wall accident involved smith lap restart leader following lap passed lap newman leader drove pit road lap moved position having assistance stewart laps later leader laps later reclaimed position lap newman moved position moved eleventh laps later collided wall prompting caution come lap cylinder fail lap restart newman remained leader following lap stewart moved fourth positions lap moved position position laps later smith moved position lap fifteenth caution given smith spun sideways involved sustained major damage caution pit stop possible tire lap restart green white finish leader ahead ensuing restart black changing lanes start finish line sixteenth caution came car accident involving newman caution drove pit road giving lead second final lap second green white finish edwards mounted charge inside lane exiting turn edwards drew alongside closed moved block edwards maintained lead win race sprint cup series career age edwards finished second ahead fourth clinched fifth position smith martin rounded finishers race post race year old appeared victory lane victory lap start celebrating win sprint cup series career crowd people winning race youngest winner years day previously held title years old race second sprint cup series start wood brothers racing team fifth win second driver win race attempt begin won inaugural race win coming second start sprint cup series matched quickest victory start career racing nationwide series points championship earn points win race victory wood brothers win season following win described happiness tried words couldn justice following race experienced record lead changes different drivers edwards commented new winner coming guy tied history good gets people aren watching problem got great stuff going post race press conference place finisher said credit nascar new rules trying cars closer let teams like chance competitive lot rules making races competitive commented think cool good kid love happy think great sport young talent like got spark know leader fifteenth caution described frustration black saying tough swallow knows happened lap car sunday didn finish car won sitting position didn thing comes year think throw flag year tough bright finished got points ran didn come running nationwide series championship ineligible receive points result left edwards leading driver championship points finished second tied point ahead fifth points manufacturers championship ford leader points toyota second points dodge followed points point ahead chevrolet fourth million people watched race television race took hours minutes seconds complete margin victory seconds results qualifying race standings race
2011 Daytona 500