The 2008 NASCAR Daytona 500

And the winner is?

In the closest race in NASCAR history, the Daytona 500 was won this year by Jamie McMurray…by 6 inches.  Following closely behind McMurray was Kyle Busch, although neither driver knew who won the race until a slow-motion camera was consulted.  The time difference between the two drivers was .005 seconds. 

Jamie McMurray, born June 3, 1976, has been driving in races since he was a young boy.  His official start with NASCAR began in 2002.  He currently drives the #26, sponsored by Crown Royal, and his team is Roush Fenway Racing. 

So far in 2008, McMurray is having a good year.  He made $276,888 for his Daytona 500 win on 2/17/08 and over $400,000 in total this year – and it’s only February.

Kyle Busch, who drives the #18 car, is part of the Joe Gibbs Racing Team.  Busch, who races around the track in the unmistakable M&M car, has been winning races since his 2005 rookie season. 

In his first year in NASCAR, Busch had five wins, 16 top five finishes, and 13 top ten finishes.  He was a runaway candidate for the Rookie of the Year.  Busch, born on May 2, 1985, is one of the youngest drivers ever to win a NASCAR race.