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FINAL LAP SURGE PLACES NEWMAN AMONG LEGENDS

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 18, 2008

NASCAR celebrated the 50th running of the Daytona 500, its marquee event, with a nostalgic drive down memory lane on Sunday. An esteemed collection of 24 past winners gave the famous command: "Gentleman, start your engines." Seven-time winner Richard Petty, "The King" himself, waved the green flag.

Hours later, Ryan Newman entered their club.

A surprise winner, Newman passed two-time Sprint Cup series champion Tony Stewart on the final lap Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. The victory places Newman among the sport's icons.

"It's the most awesome thing that's ever happened to me, considering the history of NASCAR, of racing in general," said Newman, a 30-year-old native of South Bend, Ind.

The victory was the first in NASCAR's biggest race for team owner Roger Penske, whose open-wheel team has 14 Indianapolis 500 victories. For Stewart, widely considered one of the best drivers of his generation, the loss leaves him still searching for his first Daytona 500 victory.

COMPLETE DAYTONA 500 COVERAGE, Sports

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