Harvick wins the shootout with a last lap pass.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Kevin Harvick started the Budweiser Shootout from the back row, stayed in the back throughout much of the race and still managed to win a wild 2009 curtain raiser at Daytona International Speedway.

Despite hitting the wall and losing the draft twice, Harvick persevered to win his first Shootout and earn the first preseason victory for owner Richard Childress since Dale Earnhardt won the 1995 Busch Clash.
Oh yeah, it was also the first win for "Happy" Harvick since 2007.
"I got squeezed up into the wall and it knocked the left front fender off, and they repaired the left front fender, the right front fender and the right side during the break," said Harvick, reflecting on the first 25 laps. "It just seemed like I was in the wrong spot for the whole race, and then at the end wound up being at right place at the right time and had a good car to go with it."


Daytona 500 roundup






Carl Edwards won three of the final four events of 2008 and expected to be strong entering Daytona.
But he wasn't expecting the insanity that occurred in Saturday night's rout, particularly the dash off pit road on Lap 56 when he was forced into the grass as his competitors went four wide onto the entrance of Turn 1.
Edwards led 11 laps and salvaged an 11th-place finish primarily be staying in survivor mode.
"It was just a mess," Edwards said. "I don't know what I'm going to do for the 500. I guess just go as hard as you can. It's pretty wild. I don't know if it's just been a long winter or it that's really as wild as it seems, but that seems like the wildest race I've been a part of."






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Harvick was just awesome in the shootout at the end.