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CNN Live At Daybreak

Ward Burton Wins Daytona 500

Aired February 18, 2002 - 06:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHAD MYERS, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR: Ward Burton is savoring his first trip to victory lane at the Daytona 500. It was also a big victory for Dodge and of course for Elliott Sadler, the Wood Brothers, unbelievable second place there.

CNNSI's Johnny Phelps wraps up the happenings at NASCAR's most famous track.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNNY PHELPS, CNN SPORTS ILLUSTRATED CORRESPONDENT: A rapidly changing finale in the 44th Daytona 500. First it appeared Jeff Gordon was on his way to the checkered flag, then Sterling Marlin looked to be the car to beat, only to draw a penalty from NASCAR for working on his car during the red flag. That set the stage for Ward Burton to take Dodge to victory lane for the first time in the 500 in 28 years.

WARD BURTON, DAYTONA 500 WINNER: This is unbelievable. It hasn't sunk it yet. You know, when you get in victory circle, it's exciting, but it'll start sinking in, in a couple of hours. I'm just so proud of my team. They've worked so hard and Caterpillar supported us so well, and Tim Star (ph) and all their sponsors. Get Dodge back in victory lane, they told me since Richard Petty won here. That's awful special.

STERLING MARLIN, NASCAR DRIVER: It was disappointing, had a pretty good car all day, we just got past there, with thirty to go or something, and tried to block him, but couldn't block him, and got slid (ph) back or sixth or eighth, and kind of fall way back to 34th, and we had a chance to try to win a race. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) take a run on Jeff, and he can do the blocking (ph), and I was going to try to get by him, and we just got tangled up (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

JEFF GORDON, NASCAR DRIVER: I just kind of held my line. I didn't go below the yellow line. I was trying to back out and let him back in actually, but we touched and it spun him, and it was unfortunate because he was running good, and he was doing a great job and you know it certainly wasn't anything intentional, and I hated to see such a big wreck like that.

ELLIOTT SADLER, NASCAR DRIVER: This is great. I don't know what to say - just this is a dream come true. I came here so many times and watched this race from the stands. I know it's not a win, but it's just like a win to us, to start that far back and to struggle like we have all week, to finish second, I can't think of a better way to start a season off.

BURTON: You got to have a lot of luck at these tracks. I mean if I hadn't had Elliott behind me, Elliott's a Virginian, but he's a close friend of mine, and if he hadn't been back there the whole scenario could be different.

PHELPS: Dale Earnhardt Jr., the clear sentimental favorite, saw his chances of victory end early. First a blown right-front tire, then a blown right rear. He limped home in 29th.

DALE EARNHARDT JR, NASCAR DRIVER: I knew that winning today's race was going to be difficult. I had a good weekend, you know, a fun weekend, finished - I'm just pissed off I didn't keep up my string of first or seconds, and because I did that for about six races, that was pretty cool.

MICHAEL WALTRIP, NASCAR DRIVER: He had a great car today too. That's a shame. Whatever he ran over I ran over too. It hit my car, and it sounded like metal clunking off the bottom of my car, and then I saw him have a problem. So I don't know what it was. I never saw it, but it was something big.

PHELPS: Five Fords in the top 10, two Chevys, two Dodges, and a Pontiac. Ward Burton led only five laps, the last five when it counted most, on his way to his fourth Winston Cup victory, and first at Daytona.

At the Daytona International Speedway, I'm Johnny Phelps.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MYERS: And of all those big crashes, no one was hurt. Everyone walked away.

COSTELLO: Oh that's good.

MYERS: And you know I would say probably that Ricky Rudd hit the - hit the wall harder than Dale did last year at - it was with like 45 laps to go.

COSTELLO: But he had those...

MYERS: But he had all the restraints, so there's something to be said for that ...

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: ...so there you go.

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