Daytona 500 Results: Matt Kenseth Is 2012 Winner, Carl Edwards Finished In 8th Place

After being postponed on Sunday due to rain, NASCAR's Great American Race at the Daytona International Speedway finally kicked off in prime time on Monday night. In an event filled with spills, thrills and yellow flags, Matt Kenseth Road into victory lane in the 2012 Daytona 500. Missouri native Carl Edwards grabbed pole position for the event, but couldn't stay at the front of the pack after that. At one point he slipped into the 20s around lap 50, but managed to battle his way back into the race and finished inside the top 10. His eighth place finish isn't quite what Edwards had been hoping for, but is still a very respectable result in a calamitous race.

The headline event from the night was undoubtedly a collision between Juan Pablo Montoya and a Jet-Dryer truck that produced a massive fire on the tracks. SB Nation's NASCAR blog, Nascar Ranting & Raving, explains the calamity:

While speeding down the back stretch to catch up with the field while under caution Montoya's car suddenly veered right and slid up the track colliding with the Jet-Dryer that was cleaning the track. Mechanical problems were to blame for Montoya's sudden change in direction. After the collision, which totaled Montoya's car, the Jet Dryer's ruptured fuel tank spewed its contents onto the racing surface where it ignited into a massive wall of fire. NASCAR's fire team were eventually able to get the situation under control but, the track was slightly damaged during the intense inferno.

Here are the complete results for the 2012 Daytona 500:

1. Matt Kenseth
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3. Greg Biffle
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Jeff Burton
6. Paul Menard
7. Kevin Harvick
8. Carl Edwards
9. Joey Logano
10. Mark Martin
11. Clint Bowyer
12. Martin Truex Jr.
13. Marcos Ambrose
14. Bobby Labonte
15. Dave Blaney
16. Tony Stewart
17. Kyle Busch
18. Terry Labonte
19. Tony Raines
20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
21. Ryan Newman
22. Landon Cassill
23. David Gilliland
24. Regan Smith
25. Casey Mears
26. David Reutimann
27. Elliott Sadler
28. Joe Nemechek
29. Kasey Kahne
30. Michael McDowell
31. Jamie McMurray
32. Brad Keselowski
33. Aric Almirola
34. AJ Allmendinger
35. Trevor Bayne
36. Juan Pablo Montoya
37. David Stremme
38. Danica Patrick
39. Kurt Busch
40. Jeff Gordon
41. Robby Gordon
42. Jimmie Johnson
43. David Ragan

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of NASCAR and the 2012 Daytona 500, head over to Nascar Ranting & Raving. And for more racing coverage, visit SB Nation's NASCAR news hub.

2012 Daytona 500: Carl Edwards Outside The Top 10 After 50 Laps

Carl Edwards landed the pole position during qualifying last weekend, but he has had trouble staying at the front of the pack in the early portions of the 2012 Daytona 500 so far. He had fallen down to 27th around lap 50, but as of lap 58 he has been able to climb back up to 14th place.

Related: 2012 Daytona 500 Qualifying: Carl Edwards Lands Top Pole Position

The race has been uneventful after some excitement in the first ten laps. Almost right at the start of the race, in fact, there was a six-car crash that involved Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick and Kurt Busch, among others. Ryan Newman spun out shortly thereafter to bring out caution No. 2, but things have settled down considerably since then.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of NASCAR and the 2012 Daytona 500, head over to Nascar Ranting & Raving. And for more racing coverage, visit SB Nation's NASCAR news hub.

2012 Daytona 500: Race Moved To 6 P.M. Start Time

Daytona 500 2012: Race Officially Postponed Until Monday

Fans of NASCAR will have to wait a little bit longer for the 54th edition of the Daytona 500, as NASCAR officially postponed the race until Monday due to rain throughout the day. This marks the first time that the race will be run on a Monday, although there could be further delays if the weather continues to wreak havoc on the track.

When the race officially begins, Carl Edwards will be on the pole. Defending champion Tony Stewart will start third, while Jimmie Johnson will look to prove he is ready to compete for another championship when he starts in the eighth spot. Danica Patrick will have the attention of NASCAR fans, as she will start in the 29th spot in her first-ever Daytona 500 appearance.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of NASCAR and the 2012 Daytona 500, head over to Nascar Ranting & Raving. And for more racing coverage, visit SB Nation's NASCAR news hub.

2012 Daytona 500: Rain Delays Start Time

Rain wil prevent the 2012 Daytona 500 from beginning on time, as SB Nation's Jeff Gluck reports. Gluck wrote less than an hour ago that rain, which started at roughly 10:30 p.m. EST, was still coming down at Daytona International Speedway.

Considering that the track takes roughly two hours to dry, NASCAR's scheduled starting time of 1:29 p.m. EST will prove to be far too early. Gluck reminds us that Daytona is equipped with lights, though, so fans could be treated to a primetime finish to this year's race.

Never before has the Daytona 500 been delayed in its 53-year history, so we're delving into some unusual territory here. Gluck notes that this year's race started unusually late compared to past races, though, as NASCAR wanted to avoid any possible conflicts with the Super Bowl.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of NASCAR and the 2012 Daytona 500, head over to Nascar Ranting & Raving. And for more racing coverage, visit SB Nation's NASCAR news hub.

2012 Daytona 500: Start Time, TV Schedule And More

Columbia's Carl Edwards finished second in the Daytona 500 in 2011, and as he looks this year for a victory at NASCAR's most hollowed track, he'll start in pretty good position, having won pole position in last weekend's qualifying event. Starting first obviously doesn't guarantee that the driver will finish first, but's as good a position to be in as any.

When Edwards and the rest of the drivers actually get their engines going is currently up in the air, as heavy rain has been threatening Daytona Sunday morning, leading to speculation that the race could be pushed back to Sunday night or even Monday afternoon. In the 53-year history of the Daytona 500, the race has never taken place on Monday, but if the weather becomes extremely volatile, NASCAR officials may have no other option.

Race date/time: Sunday, February 26, 2012, 12:00 p.m. CST

TV: FOX

Radio: Motor Racing Network

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of NASCAR and the 2012 Daytona 500, head over to Nascar Ranting & Raving. And for more racing coverage, visit SB Nation's NASCAR news hub.

2012 Gatorade Duels Results: Carl Edwards Finishes 5th In Duel No. 1

Carl Edwards' position in the 2012 Daytona 500 has been secure since last Sunday -- he was the fastest qualifier that day and locked up the pole position. On Thursday afternoon, the Gatorade Duels -- a pair of 60-lap races -- were held to determine the order of the Daytona 500 field after the first row.

Related: Daytona 500 2012: Starting Lineup For NASCAR's Biggest Race

Edwards raced in the first Duel despite having little at stake and turned in a respectable fifth-place finish. Tony Stewart won that Duel, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Marcos Ambrose, Jeff Burton and then Edwards. Matt Kenseth was victorious in the second Duel. Stewart and Kenseth will start on the second row behind Edwards and Greg Biffle in Sunday's Daytona 500.

The 2012 Daytona 500 is set to start at 12:00 p.m. CT on Feb. 26.

2012 Daytona 500 Qualifying: Carl Edwards Lands Top Pole Position

After placing second in last year's Daytona 500, Columbia native Carl Edwards will be starting this year's race in the pole position after finishing first in the qualifying event that occurred on Sunday afternoon. Only the pole position and outside pole position were determined on Sunday.

Edwards turned in a lap of 194.738 mph in the qualifier to take the top spot. Fellow Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle finished second in the event with a 194.087 mph speed, just behind Edwards' figure. Biffle will be in the second spot. Last year, Edwards qualified for the Daytona 500 in the No. 22 spot, but he managed to finish second in the race.

Here are the qualifying results – note: NOT the starting lineup – from Daytona 500 qualifying (non-guaranteed drivers in bold):

1. Carl Edwards
2. Greg Biffle
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Marcos Ambrose
5. Casey Mears
6. Jeff Gordon
7. Martin Truex Jr.
8. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
9. Trevor Bayne * (clinched berth in Daytona 500)
10. Tony Stewart
11. Mark Martin
12. Jimmie Johnson
13. AJ Allmendinger
14. Paul Menard
15. David Ragan
16. Matt Kenseth
17. Ryan Newman
18. AJ Allmendinger
19. Brad Keselowski
20. Kevin Harvick
21. Joey Logano
22. Clint Bowyer
23. Jeff Burton
24. Juan Pablo Montoya
25. Kasey Kahne
26. Tony Raines * (clinched berth in Daytona 500)
27. David Stremme * (clinched berth in Daytona 500)
28. Kyle Busch
29. Jamie McMurray
30. Danica Patrick
31. Kenny Wallace
32. Terry Labonte * (guaranteed spot via past champion's provisional)
33. Dave Blaney
34. Kurt Busch
35. Elliott Sadler
36. Michael Waltrip
37. Joe Nemechek
38. Denny Hamlin
39. Regan Smith
40. Michael McDowell
41. Landon Cassill
42. David Gilliland
43. Bobby Labonte
44. Bill Elliott
45. Mike Wallace
46. David Reutimann
47. Robert Richardson Jr.
48. Robby Gordon
49. JJ Yeley

2012 Daytona 500 Qualifying: Carl Edwards Fifth In Today's Starting Grid

Carl Edwards will be fifth off the starting grid in Sunday's qualifying for the 2012 Daytona 500. The order for today's qualifying (12 p.m. CST, Fox) was determined by a random drawing, but Edwards, who is in the top 35 in owner points, is already guaranteed a spot in the big race next Sunday.

Edwards qualified in the No. 22 spot last year, but was able to finish second overall in the 2011 Daytona 500. Only pole position and outside pole position will be determined today, with the rest of the drivers sorting everything out on Thursday in the 2012 Gatorade Duels.

For a full explanation check out our earlier post on qualifying, and here's the full order of qualified drivers for Sunday's event:

• Paul Menard
• Jamie McMurray
• Kurt Busch
• Casey Mears
• Carl Edwards
• Joey Logano
• Denny Hamlin
• Ryan Newman
• Greg Biffle
• Marcos Ambrose
• Tony Stewart
• Danica Patrick
• Brad Keselowski
• Aric Almirola
• Bobby Labonte
• Jeff Gordon
• Jeff Burton
• Kevin Harvick
• Juan Pablo Montoya
• AJ Allmendinger
• Elliott Sadler
• Kyle Busch
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
• Jimmie Johnson
• Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Landon Cassill
• Martin Truex Jr.
• Matt Kenseth
• Regan Smith
• Mark Martin
• Kasey Kahne
• Clint Bowyer
• David Reutimann
• David Ragan
• David Gilliland

(via SB Nation)

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of NASCAR and the 2012 Daytona 500, head over to Nascar Ranting & Raving. And for more racing coverage, visit SB Nation's NASCAR news hub.

Daytona 500 2012 Qualifying: Start Time, TV Schedule And More

Missouri's own Carl Edwards aims for a strong showing in Sunday's qualifying event.