After Victory Lane ceremonies, Newman’s Dodge Charger was immediately inducted into the Daytona 500 Experience where it will remain on display for one year.
“This is an awesome victory,” said Mike Accavitti, Director – Dodge Motorsports and SRT Marketing. “The win is super important. Ryan and the No. 12 team did an excellent job. Penske Racing was on top of their game today. It was a great showing by all the Dodge teams; to get six out of the top eight is just a phenomenal showing for Dodge. It shows the depth of our program and we couldn’t be more excited for the 2008 season.”
Sorenson and Kahne ran in the top 10 throughout the race while Gordon and Sadler made their move to the front in the latter stages of the 200-lap event. There were 42 lead changes among 16 drivers. “We had a good car,” said Kahne. “I think we were in the top 10 all day long. I was really happy with the Budweiser Dodge. The team did a good job with the pit stops and the car was great. A Dodge won, so that’s pretty awesome for Dodge and all of us.”
For Sorenson, driver of the No. 41 Target Dodge Charger from Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, it was his third top-10 finish in the Daytona 500. “Everybody on the team has done a great job since we got here and I think that says a lot about what we can do this year,” said Sorenson.
Gordon said he played it safe in his Dodge Charger until the final 100 miles. “My car was good,” he said. “I was just surviving and trying not to put myself in position to tear my car up until the last 40 laps. My hat is off to all the guys at GEM (Gillett Evernham Motorsports) and congratulations to Dodge.”
Bobby Labonte finished 11th and Sam Hornish Jr. was 15th, best among the Raybestos Rookie of the Year contenders. “I’m about as happy as I can be with the 15th place finish,” said Hornish. “We came in with a goal that if we were in the top 20, we would be happy with that. Not only were we able to do that, we were able to see one of our teammates win. That was great.”
It was the first Daytona 500 win by a Dodge driver since Ward Burton visited Victory Lane in 2002.