Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.--  President Donald Trump told 2000,000-plus NASCAR fans here at Daytona International Speedway there are three things more important than who wins today's Great American Race.  

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla -- With 12 cautions for 47 laps, the Daytona 500 dragged on for 3 and 3/4 hours before Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag to win his second Daytona 500 in a crash-marred race, that took two overtimes and 207 total laps to complete.

Photos for Headline Surfer® / Wikipedia /

DAYTONA BEACH -- Johnny Beauchamp won the inaugural Daytona 500 on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 22, 1959, or did he?

There was no Warner Wolfe back then with with "lets go to the videotape," or digital cameras measuring in milliseconds. But there was a photo and it was what NASCAR used to take the win away from Beauchamp and give it to Lee Petty, father of Richard Petty and grandfather of Kyle Petty, beginning a family racing tradition.

Photos for Headline Surfer® / Larry King and his wife, Shawn King, are part of the pre-race festivities for the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway.

DAYTONA BEACH - Legendary television and radio journalist Larry King will serve as co-Grand Marshal of The Sprint Unlimited At Daytona International Speedway tonight while his wife, singer Shawn King, will perform the National Anthem.

Shawn King will sing the National Anthem just prior to her husband's starting command, "Drivers, start your engines," which will be delivered alongside two race fans that will be selected earlier in day to serve as co-grand marshals.

Courtesy photo / James Franco, shown here at , is the grand marshal for the Daytona 500.  Last year's grand marshal was swimsuit model Kate Upton. The 2012 Daytona 500 was won by Matt Kenseth. The video highlights the first two laps.

DAYTONA BEACH -- The Daytona 500 is going Hollywood. James Franco, star of the Disney adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful," which is scheduled for release on March 8, will serve as grand marshal for the 55th running of the Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Feb. 24 at Daytona International Speedway.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500, but if he's looking for a cup championship, he'll have to get it in the Nationwide series, the understudy to the Sprint series.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It seems only fitting that this Daytona 500, won by 20-year-old Trevor Bayne, the youngest-ever driver to take the checkered flag, would prove to be a race that broke all kinds of records.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Trevor Bayne held off Carl Edwards to win the Daytona 500 today at Daytona International Speedway, at age 20, the youngest ever driver to take the checkered flag.