Harvick holds off Biffle to win NASCAR Sprint Unlimited

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8I7-SB6pCHA?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports</span><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;"><br /></span><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; 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line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">It only took 15 laps for a demolition derby to begin in Saturday night's Sprint Unlimited.</span></h2><div class="article-metadata-wrap" style="float: left; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; height: auto; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 30px 0px 60px; position: relative;"><aside class="single-photo expandable-collapsed" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 20px; position: relative; width: 180px; z-index: 100;"><div class="image-wrap" style="box-shadow: rgb(200, 200, 200) 1px 1px 5px; cursor: pointer; padding: 3px; position: relative;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;"><img alt="2-16-2013 kevin harvick victory lane" class="expand-img-horiz" itemprop="url" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/02/16/2-16-13-harvick-celebrates-4_3_r536_c534.jpg?1b79b3da202957124496e3768cfb7b67cdb10c81" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; min-height: 131px; vertical-align: middle;" /><span class="toggle" style="background-image: url(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/static/images/sprites/asset-sprite.png); background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; bottom: 0px; height: 21px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 21px; z-index: 200;"></span></span></div><div class="image-credit-wrap" style="color: #646464; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 6px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;"><span class="credit" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 400;">(Photo: Kevin Liles, USA TODAY Sports)</span></span></div></aside><div class="article-metadata" style="position: relative;"><aside class="comp story-highlights " style="clear: left; float: left; margin: 0px 0px 20px; min-height: 60px; width: 180px;"><h3 class="hlts" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(212, 212, 212); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #999999; font-family: 'Futura Today Bold', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px auto; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">STORY HIGHLIGHTS</span></h3><ul class="hlt" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; left: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><li class="hlt-item" style="background-image: url(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/static/images/components/story_highlights_bullets.png); background-position: 0px 17px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: rgb(212, 212, 212); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #646464; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; padding: 12px 0px 12px 15px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Kevin Harvick won the race formerly known as the Budweiser Shootout for the third time</span></li><li class="hlt-item" style="background-image: url(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/static/images/components/story_highlights_bullets.png); background-position: 0px 17px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: rgb(212, 212, 212); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #646464; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; padding: 12px 0px 12px 15px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Tony Stewart triggered an early crash just 15 laps into the three-segment race</span></li><li class="hlt-item" style="background-image: url(http://www.gannett-cdn.com/static/images/components/story_highlights_bullets.png); background-position: 0px 17px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; color: #646464; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; padding: 12px 0px 12px 15px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch were among those collected</span></li></ul></aside></div></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Most people think Kevin Harvick's lame duck season at Richard Childress Racing will limit his success.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Harvick and his No. 29 team beg to differ; they think it's unlimited.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">NASCAR's season-opening Sprint Unlimited exhibition race went to Harvick on Saturday night, the third time he's won the race formerly known as the Shootout in the last five years. Harvick is leaving RCR for Stewart-Haas Racing after this season.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">"I don't think it's been that big of a deal," Harvick said of his situation. "...Our guys, they don't care. They just want to win."</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;"><b>RESULTS: </b><a href="http://sportsdirect.usatoday.com/motorsports/nascar/nascar-races.aspx?page=/data/nascar/results/2013/race985.html" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://sportsdirect.usatoday.com/motorsports/nascar/nascar-races.aspx?page=/data/nascar/results/2013/race985.html">Sprint Unlimited finish</a></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;"><b>FIVE LESSONS: </b><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2013/02/17/sprint-unlimited-daytona-shootout-gen-6-nascar-car/1925491/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2013/02/17/sprint-unlimited-daytona-shootout-gen-6-nascar-car/1925491/">What drivers learned in the Unlimited</a></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">It was a special night for Harvick, who killed his engine trying to do a burnout and had to be pushed to Victory Lane. His son Keelan, who sat in his father's car and left a shoe in it before the race, performed his first forward crawl.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">​Confident his team will be able to stay together in a potentially awkward situation, Harvick said the group is "going to have a helluva lot of fun racing, having a good time, doing our jobs.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">"The atmosphere is great, honestly," he said.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Crew chief Gil Martin, buoyed by the exhibition victory and a promising start to the new season, vowed to do "whatever it takes" to win the championship this season.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Anyone who thinks otherwise, he said, is "sadly mistaken."</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">"Pride also comes in there pretty good, too," Harvick chimed in. "It's fun to prove people wrong."</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Harvick quieted the lame duck talk -- at least for a night -- with a bold move to block Greg Biffle's last-lap charge.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Biffle had a big boost of momentum on the high side, but Harvick just kept drifting up until the Roush Fenway Racing driver backed off. The mirror-driving gave Harvick a clean path to the finish line.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Harvick, who once flipped his go-kart in a backyard race because he was unwilling to cede the position, said he had no thoughts of lifting off the gas.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;"><b>PHOTOS: </b><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/sports/nascar/2013/02/15/nascar-sprint-unlimited-practice/1923939/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/sports/nascar/2013/02/15/nascar-sprint-unlimited-practice/1923939/">Friday's Unlimited practice</a></span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">"When you're coming from white to checkered, it's whatever you have to do to try to make it happen," he said. "I guess a game of 'chicken' would be the best way to put it."</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Said Biffle: "I had a run on him on the top there, and he kind of closed the door. Kevin did what he had to do to win that race. I didn't think there was room to stick it in there; I thought we would end up wrecked."</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Though Harvick led 40 of the final 42 laps in a relatively tame race, a big wreck marred the first segment and took out several contenders.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Tony Stewart came across Marcos Ambrose's nose at the exit of Turn 1 on lap 15 and got out of shape, but was able to save it. When his car started to spark, though, a three-wide group of drivers behind him wiggled and collided, triggering a crash.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch — last year's winner — were all collected in the crash. That left just 12 cars on the track for the rest of the night.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">"I self-cleared myself, I guess," Stewart said. "I went down before the spotter cleared me. I thought I had a big enough run that I cleared second, but I obviously hadn't and I just barely nicked him. I just needed about two more inches."</span></div><aside class="wide single-photo" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="clear: left; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 60px; margin-top: 25px; width: auto;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;"><img alt="None" itemprop="url" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2013/02/16/early-crash-4_3_r541_c540.jpg?729ef1a5e3c69f5da0197e57e2bd3dd3fdfcd35f" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="540" /><div style="color: #646464; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 6px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;">Denny Hamlin (11), Kyle Busch (18), Jeff Gordon (24) and Jimmie Johnson (48), are involved in multicar crash during the early stages of Saturday's Sprint Unlimited.<span class="credit" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 400;">(Photo: Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)</span></div></span></aside><div class="clearfix" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;"></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">In general, it wasn't a very good night for Stewart. He also had a shot at the win, but couldn't quite figure out which move to make on the last lap.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">"That is why I haven't won a Daytona 500 yet," he said.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Matt Kenseth dominated the opening segment, leading 25 of the 30 laps. But Stewart passed him on the final lap of Segment 1 to "win" the first portion of the race.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Harvick then took the lead after a pit stop and maintained it despite some shuffling in Segment No. 2.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">The Unlimited marked NASCAR's first test with its new Gen 6 cars — and there were plenty of unknowns. Thanks to wrecks in two separate test sessions when drivers attempted to draft, no one knew quite what to expect.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2013/01/20/sprint-unlimited-shootout-format-daytona-international-speedway/1849237/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2013/01/20/sprint-unlimited-shootout-format-daytona-international-speedway/1849237/">Fans got to determine the format of the race</a>, which was three segments of 30 laps, 25 laps and 20 laps. They also voted for no eliminations to occur — though it didn't matter after the early wreck — and voted for a mandatory four-tire pit stop after the first segment.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Though some cars were torn up, race teams won't need to worry about whether they will have enough cars for the Daytona 500; the Sprint Unlimited cars are separate from the 500 fleet (which consist of both a primary car and a backup on standby).</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Furniture Row Racing, for example, is still good on cars despite wrecking two vehicles in two days. Richard Childress (whose team has an alliance with Furniture Row) said the organization has eight cars in Daytona and two spares at its North Carolina shop.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">The Unlimited took place on an unusually chilly night in Daytona Beach. Though it was 52 degrees at race time, the wind from an oncoming cold front made it feel much chillier.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Formerly known as the Shootout, the race consisted of drivers who had won poles in 2012. That meant defending Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski and runner-up Clint Bowyer had to watch the race from the sidelines.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Keselowski was a guest analyst for FOX's TV broadcast, and Bowyer initially said he wished he was in the race but was singing a different tune later.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">"I have changed my mind..." Bowyer tweeted after seeing the big wreck.</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><span class="asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 5px; padding: 2px 10px; position: relative;">Carl Edwards was black-flagged for losing his driver's side net and finished 12th.</span></div></div></div></div>

NASCAR Harvick holds off Biffle to win NASCAR Sprint Unlimited

Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports It only took 15 laps for a demolition derby to begin in Saturday night's Sprint Unlimited. (Photo: Kevin Li...

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