2012 Daytona 500 Results: Matt Kenseth Wins, Ryan Newman Finishes No. 21

The 2012 Daytona 500 didn't start on time and didn't go exactly as planned, but it turned out to be one heck of a race. Rain at the Daytona International Speedway delayed the scheduled Sunday start until Monday night, and when things finally did get going the race got bogged down by multiple crashes and a jet fuel-induced fire. With eight cars getting into accidents in just the first 25 laps of the race, it almost seems appropriate to say that Matt Kenseth escaped with his second Daytona 500 victory.

As for South Bend native Ryan Newman, he had a rocky road on the way to his finish in 21st place. It all started back on Lap 12, when he spun out due to a flat tire on the second turn but still managed to get his car to pit row and escape with minimal damage. However, once on pit row, he lost a left front tire and was hit from behind by A.J. Allmendinger, causing some damage to the rear end of his car.

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 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: Ryan Newman Spins Out Early In The Race

The 2012 Daytona 500 is less than 10 laps old but there's been plenty of action already -- on the first lap, a six-car accident involved Jimmie Johnson and Danica Patrick, among others. Several laps later, Ryan Newman lost control of his car and spun out, though he did not hit any cars or walls.

It appeared as though he may have suffered a flat tire.

Looks like Newman either just lost it or had a flat.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 28, 2012

Unfortunately, Newman's luck did not improve after the spin.

Newman has to back up all the way into pit. He got hit in the rear on pit road and the back of his car is messed up!

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 28, 2012

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: Race Start Time Pushed Back To 6 P.M. CT

Daytona 500 2012: Race Officially Postponed

NASCAR fans will have to wait one more day for the start of the Daytona 500, as torrential rain throughout the day has led to the postponement of the race until tomorrow at noon. With the safety concerns that come with running on a damp track, NASCAR decided it would be best to officially postpone the race until tomorrow, although there is potential rain in the forecast.

This will be the first time that the Daytona 500 has been pushed back to a Monday start in the 53-year history of the race. The race has been shortened four times because of rainy weather, with the most recent being in 2009 when Michael Waltrip won the abbreviated race.

When the race finally begins, Carl Edwards will be on the pole, while Tony Stewart will start in the third position. Plenty of attention will be on Danica Patrick, who will start 29th.

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.

Daytona 500 2012: Starting Time Delayed By Rain

The 2012 Daytona 500 is not starting on time on Sunday afternoon due to rain, as discussed by SB Nation's Jeff Gluck. He says that the rain began around 10:30 a.m. this morning and hasn't stopped yet, with it takes roughly two hours for the track to dry out.

That means that NASCAR's announced start time of 1:29 p.m. EST won't be a reality, as the weather has to clear up before conditions on the track can even improve. This means that we likely won't have live racing for a while, but Gluck notes that Daytona is equipped with lights, so fans could be treated to a primetime finish for this year's Daytona 500.

Gluck also adds that the Daytona 500 has never been delayed by rain before in its 53-year history, but that could partially be explained by the race's unusually late date. This year's race was pushed back to avoid any conflicts with the Super Bowl.

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.

Daytona 500 2012: Start Time, TV Schedule And More

2012 Daytona 500: Ryan Newman Qualifies In No. 18 Position

Thursday was a big day for the vast majority of the field, as it's the two Gatorade Duels that decide the order of the field after the first row, which was set last Sunday. Ryan Newman competed in the second 60-lap Duel of the afternoon and finished ninth, which means that he'll be starting the 2012 Daytona 500 in the No. 18 spot.

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

Matt Kenseth won the Duel in which Newman participated, with Regan Smith, Jimmie Johnson, Elliot Sadler and Greg Biffle rounding out the top five. In the first Duel of the afternoon, Tony Stewart was victorious.

The 2012 Daytona 500 is set to begin at 12:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, Feb. 26. FOX will have the television coverage.

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.

Daytona 500 2012 Qualifying: Ryan Newman's Position Still Undecided After No. 17 Finish

The 2012 Daytona 500 qualifying event went down on Sunday afternoon, but South Bend native Ryan Newman's spot for the big race still isn't determined after he failed to finish high enough to win a placement.

Sunday's event only established the pole position and outside pole position, with the remainder of the lineup being determined by Thursday's Gatorade Duels. Carl Edwards took the top spot in the qualifying event and Greg Biffle placed second.

Newman finished No. 17 on Sunday, so his spot in the lineup will be determined later this week. He's already ensured of a spot in Daytona thanks to being in the top-35 in owner points, but he's likely looking to have a better starting position than last year when he started 21st.

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.

Daytona 500 2012 Qualifying: Ryan Newman Eighth In Starting Grid

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

In 2011, South Bend-born Ryan Newman qualified for the Daytona 500 in the No. 21 position. He finished the race in 22nd place, and suffice to say will be putting a strong emphasis on improving his pole position for the 2012 Dayton 500, which will take place a week from now on February 26. If Newman finishes in one of the top two spots in today's qualifying, he'll be locked into the top of the grid come next Sunday, if not, he'll move onto the 2012 Gatorade Duels. Here's SB Nation's Jeff Gluck on the entire process:

Daytona 500 2012 Preview: Ryan Newman Tries To Improve On Last Year's 22nd Place Finish

It's a big week for Newman and the rest of NASCAR