Video needed to determine who was Daytona winner

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla -- So who won the Coke Zero 400? Let's go to the video replay.

For a few moments, no one at Daytona International Speedway -- not eventual winner Kyle Busch, runner-up Carl Edwards or any of the fans in attendance -- could say with certainty who was ahead when the final caution came out for a multi-car accident behind the leaders (watch video).

Talk about a pause for dramatic effect.

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While NASCAR officials checked the electronic scoring loops and video monitors, Busch and Edwards stayed side-by-side as the field slowed on the backstretch. Edwards took the checkered flag first, but it was Busch who was eventually summoned to Victory Lane, after bowing to the crowd, then running up the banking of the tri-oval to grab the checkered flag to wave it in triumph (read more).

"Well, it was close, I knew that," Busch said. "When I did see the yellow light come on, I could barely see the nose of the 99 car at my right-front fender. I was hoping that we were the winners and it ended up that way."

Edwards thought it was close but didn't believe he had the advantage when the caution came out.

"I wasn't sure until we were going down the back straightaway," Edwards said. "[Spotter] Jason Hedlesky told me. He said, 'the 18 to Victory Lane.' I was pretty sure, though, [based on] where we were running when the yellow light came on. Right as I was going by it, I was getting a run on his door so I was probably second."

For Busch, he was just hoping it wasn't going to be deja vu, all over again. Busch finished second to Jamie McMurray a year ago in a photo finish. The wreck, which involved Michael Waltrip, Sam Hornish Jr., Travis Kvapil and Dave Blaney, took some of the shine off what was shaping up to equal the 2007 edition.

"I certainly know how Carl feels, that's for sure," Busch said. "I was just trying to figure out everything I was going to do there on that last lap coming back to the front straightaway. I remember what happened last year and how I lost it there. I was just going to plan on what I was going to do to get that 18 car to the stripe first. A lot of that thought was going on actually before that caution came out."

And as is sometimes typical at Daytona, convention was turned on its ear. It was Edwards' teammate -- Matt Kenseth -- who was pushing Busch down low, while older brother Kurt Busch was helping Edwards up high. It's now ancient history, but wasn't it an interesting coincidence that brothers Busch haven't always seen eye to eye, and Edwards and Kenseth had an odd post-race confrontation at Martinsville last year?

When the cars behind the leaders commenced to wrecking, it was a matter of trying to determine who was ahead when the yellow light blinked on.

"I think we won, but I wasn't sure," Busch said. "Carl and I ran side-by-side for another lap, just not knowing."

And Edwards was left wanting.

"I would have given anything to have run at least down the back straightaway," Edwards said.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.