NOTEBOOK Daytona 500

In the wrong place: Michael Waltrip's quest for another Daytona 500 title came to an ugly and early end. The driver with a knack for staying patient and being in the right place couldn't do any of that Sunday. He was the most notable victim of a wicked crash that knocked him out of the race on the 70th lap. "I guess you take the good with the bad," said Waltrip, who had won the race twice in the previous three years. "Daytona's just a tough race." He was the second car hit in a three-wide chain reaction that started when Johnny Sauter nudged Brian Vickers. Vickers moved into Waltrip, sending him into the wall, then back down the track, where his No. 15 car got hit in the side by Robby Gordon, then went careening through the infield, parts of the vehicle breaking off as it rolled to a smoky stop. It took emergency crews about 10 minutes to flip Waltrip's car right-side up, and extract him from the car.
Celebrity sightings: From the president of the United States to the guy who played Jesus in a new, controversial movie, the Daytona 500 drew luminaries from all across the spectrum. President Bush was the most notable visitor, but he was hardly alone. Actor James Caviezel, who plays Jesus in Mel Gibson's epic "The Passion of the Christ," spent the race in the pit of Bobby Labonte, whose car was adorned with an advertisement for the movie. "Just consider it as a life insurance policy," Caviezel quipped. Ben Affleck was the grand marshal. Whoopi Goldberg was the honorary starter. LeAnn Rimes sang the national anthem. Others present were Evander Holyfield, Greg Norman and Boston Red Sox teammates Tim Wakefield and Derek Lowe.
Witnessing history: Kurt Busch had the car to race with the leaders, just not the luck. Busch shared the closing-lap spotlight at the Daytona 500, along with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Scott Wimmer, who finished 1-2-3. Busch wound up as a crucial player in the whole thing, even though he was lapped and finished 16th. Busch dropped back when he cut a tire in the 45th lap. He spent the rest of the day playing catch-up, but couldn't make up the lost lap. Nevertheless, he was a key player at the end. Tailing the two leaders, Earnhardt and Stewart, Busch could have offered drafting help to either in their fight for the lead. When Earnhardt darted around Stewart to take the lead with 20 laps left, Busch briefly offered help to Stewart, but to no avail. When Stewart made his unsuccessful move to regain the lead with five laps to go, Busch pretty much stayed out of it. Earnhardt gave Busch credit for letting him and Stewart decide the race. "He was trying not to be a factor either way, and I can understand that," Earnhardt said.
Pit stops: With early exits, Mark Martin fell to 0-for-20 at the Daytona 500, and Rusty Wallace fell to 0-for-22. Ricky Rudd completed the race, but he fell to 0-for-27. ... Buoyed by a new Ford testing program with Robert Yates, this had the makings of a promising week for Jack Roush Racing. But Martin and Jeff Burton were both out after the first 25 laps. The best Roush finisher was defending series champ Matt Kenseth, who finished ninth. ... Kevin Harvick finished fourth, his third consecutive top-10 finish at Daytona and second straight fourth-place showing in the Daytona 500. ... Jeff Gordon made up the most positions, finishing eighth after starting 39th. ... The race leader at the halfway point has failed to win the Daytona 500 each of the last 12 years. Tony Stewart led at the halfway mark Sunday.
-- Associated Press