Logano wins Daytona 500

Joey Logano drove to the checkered flag under caution to win the Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday (Monday, PHL time).

It was Logano's first Daytona 500 victory and ninth career win in his 220th start.

Kevin Harvick finished second and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top five.

Logano was able to get out in front on a green-white-checker restart after a wreck involving Justin Allgaier and Ty Dillon.

Logano took the white flag in the lead to secure the win as cars wrecked behind him. Jeff Gordon, who led a race-high 87 laps, was among the drivers caught up in the last-lap crash. He wound up 33rd.

Johnson restarted with the lead with 35 laps remaining by staying out while others pitted to top off their fuel tanks during a caution. Carl Edwards and Harvick both got by on the restart, but Johnson retook the lead a few laps later.

After a three-wide battle just outside the final 10 laps, Logano got out front by himself with nine laps to go.

Gordon dominated the first half of race after starting on the pole, leading all but 21 laps before heading to pit road during a cycle of green-flag stops on lap 87. He was back up front after the cycle completed.

Gordon was joined by his Hendrick Motorsports teammates throughout his time up front. Johnson started next to Gordon on the front row and led 12 laps early before being shuffled back through the field. He was nabbed later on pit road when his pit crew went over the wall too soon.

Earnhardt was able to keep up with teammate Gordon up front, and they were eventually joined by remaining HMS driver Kasey Kahne.

Gordon drifted back several positions after a lap-107 debris caution, leaving Logano and Earnhardt to battle for the lead. Earnhardt secured the position with 86 laps to go.

"Dale's just pulling this draft so fast, it's hard to keep up," Brad Keselowski later reported to his team over his radio.

Keselowski's Team Penske teammate, Logano, was able to keep up, though, and took the lead from Earnhardt with 55 laps remaining. By that time, Johnson was back inside the top five.

Keselowski blew his engine with 40 laps to go. Landon Cassill also blew an engine early in the race on lap 19, and Ryan Blaney lost his engine in the final 25 laps. Other drivers who had problems included Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth, both of whom hit the wall on lap 41.

Finishing sixth through 10th were Casey Mears, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., Kahne and Greg Biffle.

Brothers Kurt and Kyle Busch were absent from the race line-up. Kurt Busch was indefinitely suspended from NASCAR competition on Friday after his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll was granted a no-contact order from a Delaware family court following allegations of domestic abuse from Busch. Kyle Busch suffered a compound fracture of his lower right leg and a mid-foot fracture in his left foot during a crash on lap 111 of the 120-lap NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday.

Xfinity Series regular Regan Smith replaced Kurt Busch, while two-time reigning NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Matt Crafton filled in for Kyle Busch. - Reuters