Everything about this finish is so awesome. The sound of the cars, the sound of the crowd, the great champion drivers racing for the win in the Daytona 500, the energetic but not overblown announcing by the legendary trio of Darrell, Larry, and Mike. So much energy, just love it so much. I can't wait until the Daytona 500 in 30 days!!

Definitely my favorite 500. All the big names up front fighting for the win. Doesn't get any better than that

My dad took me to this race. I was a big Jeff Gordon fan and 12 years old at the time. We drove a Mazda MPV mini van from our home in Central Virginia to attend. My dad gave me a radio headset, so during the race, I could listen to the broadcast commentary. When Gordon went to the outside and junior didn't go with him, my heart sank. It felt like an eternity when Gordon was all alone on the high side. I was so happy when he miraculously pulled off the win. Watching it on youtube at 30 years old is a nostalgic feeling. I'm thankful my dad took me to see this race. The whole experience was memorable. The day before the race, we ate at a restaurant called Aunt Catfish and I had gator tail for the first time. Make some memories with your kids because time doesn't stop for anything. Cheers to all the racing fans still watching in 2023!

Classic Jeff Gordon. Nobody would help him, he went to the lead on his own.

I'm a latecomer to NASCAR, started following it hard and heavy in 2004 in my late 30's after I actually designed a gold metallic color for the #97 Sharpie Ford's hood working for S-W automotive. For those who go way back and long for the better "good 'ol days", I can understand that. But it's the greatest auto racing circut in the world. JJ's 5 in a row was getting lame, but it was still a great sport to follow and Tony's chase run last year and Homestead was nothing short of epic.

Anyone watching this in 2016 to fill the void in their hearts now that Gordon is retired? :(

Who would have thought that after winning 3 out of the first 9 races, that Gordon would end up missing the chase that year. That was a real bummer.

I really wish Fox, TNT, and ESPN would turn the crowd mics up. It ads to the drama of the finishes

Good old DW said when this video started!! "Two of the Best" Meaning Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart! 3 daytona 500 for da man. Oh how sweet it is!

Jeff has to be the best blocker in NASCAR history.

Tony was and always will be my all time favorite driver. I remember watching this race live with my dad, I was 9 at the time. It broke my heart then, and here we are 14 years later and it's still heartbreaking. Sucks Tony never got that 500 win

I was in the hospital watching this race. So damn hard not to scream in excitement and piss off everyone in the building haha. One of the most exciting finishes in recent memory. You had the big guys all there battling...Gordon, Junior, Jimmie, Stewart, Busch...couldnt ask for the best drivers at that time to duke it out for the Daytona 500 win. Also helps that I'm a Gordon fan and he won :]

As a huge #24 Jeff Gordon fan to this day even knowing that he wins I still get excited.

By far the most epic Daytona 500 of the 2000s and I don't think it's disputed really...

To this day, I still don't know how the hell Lepage was able to beat Sadler/Edwards/Rusty/Nemechek at the end for that 9th spot. Lepage's 9th might have been more shocking than Riggs' 4th- Riggs had already run a rookie season with that same Vavloline #10 team, a somewhat establish team that got some results with Johnny Benson. Lepage, unsponsored of John Carter Motorsports, beat out some big names from big teams to get that 9th place spot.

I cried when he won. It was the first time I saw my favorite driver win the 500.

2:04 the moment the crowds reaction rivaled Dales 2001 Pepsi 400 win.

i never get tired of seeing that finish with jeff taking his third daytona 500

Love Larry Mac!

God I love it when FOX does the races.

1999: Gordon vs. Earnhardt 6 years later: Gordon vs. Earnhardt Jr. Winner: Gordon (both times) What does it all equal, great finishes and great racing.

Not only was the racing great, but the broadcasting was amazing. So sad to see that they won’t be together anymore

4 year old race and its still a classic...i want more restrictor plate racing!

7 years later. You know the results, you know the road to the finis, but it's just as exciting in 2012 as it was in 2005.

am i still the only one that gets chills from watching this?

yeah also jeff made an amazing pass at BOTH talladega races last year (2007), and nobody saw it neither

The final laps this years daytona 500(which was today) was the most amazingly epic thing i've ever seen

this was the last truly good 500 besides maybe 2007. i miss the race ending in the daytime.

I searched for this race only Bc of the one specific memory of junior pushing tony to the front and then immediately trying to pass on the outside. I don’t know why that specific pass has stuck with me for a decade and a half

No the best part of this is "Jeff Gordon wins his 3rd daytona 500!!" Thats the best part!

What brand of toaster was this recorded with?

Daytona 500 is gonna end in complete darkness this year the race starts at 4 45 et!

Had the 97 pushed the 8 instead of passing the 8 wins...he pushed 24 out front then backed up to the 97 looking for a push and didnt get it

I was shocked watching this live to see #37 Kevin Lepage come across the line in 9th. I said "What!" Great run for John Carter's unsponserd team

Whats funny was i was screaming more when I saw Kevin Lepage make a charge, I forgot about 1st place (pretty much cuzit seemed obvious Jeff had em) but ya I was jumpin up and down to see kevin crack the top 10, that was the cinderella story of the decade right there.

jeff made an amazing pass for the lead nobody saw it though lol

Always puts a smile on my face every time!

If Dale Went With Gordon on the Back straight after the restart, He probably would’ve won.

no lie, this had to be the best 500 in recent years.......gordon,stewart,johnson,earnhardt,busch! all going at it....thats racing!

No matter how many times NASCAR tries, they will never come close to replicating the greatness of these cars...

Great race! Thanks for uploading. Even better that the 24 won it:D

I'm not a Johnson fan, but can everyone please look at 2006 where he was like 150 points with 6 races to go. He won the title.

Ooops. I didn't mean to post ""aaaaaaaaaaah"". I was just messing around with the new audio preview feature.

This was my favorite 500. This was back when the driver had to win it with skill. The cot puts some lucky driver in first at the end. Look at who won this years.

God I remember watching this, I was so excited when he won!

any race with an ending with Gordon,Earnhardt Jr, Johnson and Stewart is a great race. get those guys battling for a win and ratings will fly...

Which pixel is Jeff Gordon?

gordon got a bump for johnson entering turn 1, JR did not get a bump entering turn 1, that extra momentum carried gordon through turn 1 and 2 and was enough to complete the pass. Announcers are on the front stretch, if they sometimes cant see the monitor, therefore if they are not informed from the behind the camera personal(via ear piece and what not) of the pass they cant see it.

This was the good entertaining super speedway racing :D

GOD I LOVE DAYTONA!!!! This is racing!!!

when it comes to plate racing. you cant beat dale earnhardt jr. and jeff gordon. dale jr: 2 wins at daytona, 5 wins at talladega gordon: 4 wins at daytona, 6 wins at talladega

GO JR & JEFF!!! THEY'LL ROCK DAYTONA

possibly the greatest 500 in modern times

2:36 WHAT A BLOCK!

this was one of the best daytona 500s... reminds me of the mid - late 90's.. racing how it should be. Now it sucks

@poopingweenis This is the best comment I've read in a while. This is the best ending to any Daytona 500 in the last 20 years. All the sport's most prolific drivers were up there, even Sterling/Mark/Rusty!

I grew up around it. I just find it fun, having worked on a local short track team i find it more fun and difficult than it seems. F1 is technologically advanced, but I still prefer simple carb'd V8's of nascar. F1 is still cool though, I like both but just prefer NASCAR. I feel closer to it, having a short track in my town, and not an F1 track, ya know?

there always seems to be one underdog in the top 5 in the 500: 04-Wimmer, 05-Riggs, 06-Mears, 07-Mike Wallace, 08-Sorenson, 09-Allmendinger, 10-Reutimann, 11-Bayne who won, and 12-J. Burton

I WAS THERE :)

My Favorite video on all of You Tube!

My first race i watched was the 2004 Daytona 500, Dale won that race and i've been a fan ever since. 2004 Aarons 499 is when first started hating Jeff Gordon, Dale deserved that win. I hated the finish of this race, but i can live with it. When Dale went to Hendrick, i stopped hating Jeff. I have no problem with the chase, I like the close finishes when you have no idea who's gonna win the championship until finish of the season, not 3 races before. 2003 Vs 2011 championship battles: 2011 winner

At 2:15, LOL, Waltrip throwing stewart under the bus!

Green-White-Checkered, I wouldn't have any other driver at the front trying to hold them off other than Jeff Gordon.

Here it is 2 of the Best! Gordon and Stewart!

Junior should have gone with Johnson on the final lap.

Kurt Busch was driving the wheels off in this race, gotta give it to him.

No, I'm from the West coast side, I'm going to watch it on TV instead, Someday I'll go to it

See the super speedway without a wing and splitter! This is the way to run the super speedway! No wrecking someone to win at 200mph. No fans getting hurt go back to this aero package and we will have great racing again!

when you dont have to drive the track or worry about the track (oval) you can race your oponents and make the racing more interesting

im watching bud shootout practice and to no surprise...tonys at the top of the charts #1 and thats the back up car.. i cannot wait to see how much faster their daytona 500 car is :-D Im also going on record right now and guarantee a tony stewart win in the 2008, 50th daytona 500. Things just seam to be diffrent this time around and since its the 50th running, theres just that special feeling to it.

i thought Dale Jr was gonna win this thing, but here Gordon comes

here's a new playoff idea to make it more fair......... have 6 divisions in the nextel cup series. 6 cars in each division. no teamate will be in the same division. at the end of the regular season the top two drivers will be eligble for the chase. those two drivers in their division will race a certain number of races to determine who will be the winner of their certain division. the six division champs will then race the rest of the of the remaining chase races to determine the nextel cup

I love that race all the junior fans cannot go home and sleep with their sisters. They were so mad.

Go Kevin Lepage! 9th Place!

When you have a good race with amazing drivers like this you can see who is the best driver Go Gordon win at Sonoma get in the chase and win this 2012 title

You know i used to run a gift store and we sold nascar stuff, shirts die-casts ect. so i know my stuff and follow nascar very intently, but ive ALWAYS had people come into the store and tell me that they met him or know him and hes an jerk and has an attitude. Now for the record i dont LIKE gordon, but i respect him for how he carrys him self and beacuse the guy is just so talented, witch i couldnt and wouldnt ever say the same for JJ or chad kanus

That was exciting.

I was there. My second 500. Go #24!

Poor smoke man

jeff just had a big run, dale didnt know that, and this still gives me chills watching it

@JGord665 i agree with you 100%, Gordon is my driver as well, and he should have those 6 Championships so he can have his seat next to Petty and Earnhardt as the greatest to ever drive a car. Which i'm sure either way, he's considered one the greatest.

That's a good finish to a race if you ask me

i'm starting to think stewart is today's dale earnhardt when it comes to daytona-he has won everything but the 500

Yea, the next one is going to end during the day like it should

I am thinking Busch or Earnhardt should have taken the top line as quick after restart as possible. With Johnson and Gordon working well together as they were, someone needed to cut up in front of Johnson and take that line away from him. Last lap all Gordon had to do was block Busch, Johnson was ahead of some of the better cars out there. Good teamwork for the Henrich (sp) cars though.

you are so right!!! very smart fan of nascar!! Nascar is not who gets hot for the last 10 races! The only year jimmie johnson would have won the title under the old points system is 2009. So just shows you the chase is biased!

They're both awsome, once they team up HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS will be EXTREMELY STRONG

@ChevyCamaro33 I am old school also. A season champion not last 10 races! The chase has hurt Jeff Gordons LEGACY. The Chase has denied him the 2004&2007 titles which would make him a 6 time champion and in position to take his RIGHTFUL place next to Richard Petty&Dale Earnhardt!

Kevin LePage coming home 9th for John Carter Motorsports was a victory in itself here

oh he definitely had help from that 48 and others... great race, looking for a repeat :)

They missed the Gordon pass on lap 197. How does it take the entire booth 10 seconds to recognize that there's a new leader in the Daytona 500? Ooops!!!

i 100% agree with everything you just stated, i live and die by the #20. i just dont like saying this guy or that guy is the next gordon or earnhardt ect.. beacuse they are all unique. to be honest i love how tony is, he races to win, and like you said he will tell you exactly what he thinks unlike a lot of other drivers. Also tony can just flatout drive and he backs up what he says :) tonys the man!

Gordon fan 4 life!

I’m sorry that Dale Jr. didn’t win.

Yeah I noticed that too.Gordon passed Jr, and everyone noticed it about 20 seconds after it happened. It was like Gordon made a pass, ahh who cares!!!

If i could only see...👀

I was at this race, and yes I am a gordon fan!!!

Stewart is diversly talented in different forms of racing, but as far as Nascar goes, Johnson is better. aaaaaaaaaaah

DW cant get enough of Jrs, D.. geez bruh

lol, all the commentators were so sad when Gordon passed Jr. They barely mentioned the pass...