Shootout Win for Harvick

Kevin Harvick has taken victory in the Budweiser Shootout for the second straight year at the Daytona International Speedway.

Harvick had been expected to drop back from his second-place draw on the grid after a bout of 'flu left him unable to practice his Chevrolet but in the event he took the green-white-chequered-flag finish ahead of Kasey Kahne.

Jamie McMurray finished third ahead of Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, while Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano, Brian Vickers, Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya completed the top ten as the race ended under caution one lap beyond the scheduled 75.

"I was sick on Thursday and didn't even get to see a lap in the car, but this thing was a rocket, man," said Harvick, the fourth back-to-back winner in Shootout history.

The final caution was the fifth of the race, with the fourth coming on lap 70 after Michael Waltrip's Toyota had spun into the backstretch wall after contact with Ryan Newman.

Greg Biffle and Kahne remained on the track to take the top two positions, as the rest of the lead-lap cars came to pit road for tyres.

McMurray was first off pit road after a two-tire stop and restarted third on lap 75, followed by Harvick, Kyle Busch and Gordon.

After the restart, however, Harvick quickly surged into the lead past the two cars on older tyres.

He earned the win when the final caution froze the field after a push from Gordon's Chevrolet spun Biffle's Ford in turn three, causing an accident that eliminated the car of polesitter Carl Edwards among others.

The race's early stages brought minimal change at the front of the field, with Edwards leading the first 25-lap segment of the race.

The segment ran caution-free until lap 25, when Waltrip also spun his Toyota off turn two.

During a 10-minute break between segments, crews had the opportunity to work on the handling of their cars.

McMurray took top spot from Edwards on lap 30 before the latter quickly regained the place.

On lap 32, contact from Mark Martin's Chevrolet sent Kurt Busch sliding through the infield grass and into the outside wall near the pit road exit.

Edwards was shuffled back after losing the lead to Stewart on lap 44. He eventually finished 17th in the 24-driver field.