Matt Kenseth wins Sprint Unlimited

Feb 14, 2015; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (20) celebrates winning the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

After a winless 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Matt Kenseth kicked off 2015 with a win, albeit in a non-points-paying exhibition race, Saturday night in the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Martin Truex Jr. finished second, and Kenseth’s new/old teammate Carl Edwards was third.

"“It’s a great feeling,” Kenseth said in victory lane. “Always fun to win at Daytona.”"

It was Kenseth’s first-career Sprint Unlimited victory but the seventh for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Kenseth led 21 of the 75 laps that made up the race and took the lead for the final time just before lap 57. He had Edwards just behind him in second for most of those remaining laps until Edwards drifted back on the final restart with three laps remaining.

Truex, who led only one lap through the entire 2014 season, led a race high 30 laps on Saturday night, en route to his runner-up showing. He took the lead well before the first caution of the race on lap 22 and led the way until Dale Earnhardt Jr. got up front on a no-tire pit strategy during the first yellow flag.

Truex got back up front just before lap 41 when Earnhardt slowed with an overheating problem because of debris on his grill. Truex continued on up front until losing the lead to Kenseth just before lap 57.

"“The race was over when Kenseth got by me for the lead,” Truex said."

The yellow flag waved four times in the race, with two of those cautions resulting in red flags. By the end of the race, well over half of the 25 cars that took the green flag had been involved in at least one on-track incident.

The largest wreck came on lap 45 when Jame McMurray turned while running second after a push from Greg Biffle. More than 11 cars were collected in the incident.

"“He (Biffle) was helping me, and it (getting the rear of his car lifted off the ground) happened two or three times before,” McMurray said."

Reigning Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick was among the drivers sustaining damage to their cars throughout the wreck-marred race, but his biggest bone of contention came in the form of contact from Joey Logano in the late-going.

That contact was, according to Logano, push drafting help. Harvick, though, didn’t see it that way.

"“You gotta be aggressive, but you still gotta use your head,” Harvick said."

The two drivers made contact with their cars on the cool-down lap and then exchanged words on pit road before Logano was pulled away by a team member.

"“Kevin just being Kevin,” Logano said. “New year, same stuff.”"

Casey Meards finished fourth and Kyle Larson was fifth. Logano finished sixth, Jeff Gordon seventh, Kyle Busch eighth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. ninth, and Danica Patrick rounded out the top-10.

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Feb 14, 2015; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (20) celebrates after winning the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Feb 14, 2015; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Joey Logano (22) and Kevin Harvick (4) fight after the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Feb 14, 2015; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (20) crosses the finish line to win the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Feb 14, 2015; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Rick Stenhouse Jr. (17), Austin Dillon (3) and Danica Patrick (10) wreck during the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports