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Daytona 500 2016: Live Results, Standings and Analysis

Kevin McRae@@McRaeWritesX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistFebruary 21, 2016

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 21:  Denny Hamlin, driver of the
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Denny Hamlin surged past Matt Kenseth on the final lap and held off Martin Truex Jr. by just 0.01 seconds to capture the checkered flag in the 58th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway.

The finish was the closest in the history of the Great American Race.

And it came seemingly out of nowhere.

Kenseth, who was running a backup car after a last-lap wreck in Thursday night's Can-Am Duels, led the previous 40 laps and seemed in command of a single-file line when Hamlin got a big push from Kevin Harvick and shot through a narrow gap to bump his teammate out of the way for the lead.

Truex, also running a backup car, fought him tooth-and-nail to the finish but came up just short in a photo finish.

Defending Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch, 2014 champion Harvick and Carl Edwards rounded out the top five in the first points race of the Sprint Cup season.

The victory is the first for Toyota in the Daytona 500.

The season continues next Sunday with the Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.