Petty enjoy strong season start

Petty drivers were among the front runners all race long and eventually came close to winning the race.

Elliott Sadler lost the lead on the last green-flag lap, but as he dropped down to fifth his teammate AJ Allmendinger was able to claim his best ever finish with third place in his first Daytona 500.

The team's drivers were up front in the defining moments of the race, making Richard Petty proud after the seven-time Sprint Cup champion had to merge his team before the season with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.

"I'm very proud of the boys," said Richard Petty. "They ran hard - and smart - all day long. This is one heck of a way to start the season. This is how we want Richard Petty Motorsports to start. I think (team owner) George (Gillett Jr) and I have something good here.

"This is just the beginning and we're excited for the next couple races. Hopefully this isn't the last time that you see those boys at the front of the pack working together like that."

For Allmendinger his third place comes as a big accomplishment after making the race through the Gatorade Duels, as his car was not initially guaranteed a starting spot for the main event. The Californian was thankful to his teammates, as he reckons they helped him get into Sunday's race.

"The car was really fast today," said Allmendinger. "Could run up front all day. Was really consistent. Felt really good to be there and be able to run consistent up front with everybody. Everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports is building great cars.

"I was hoping it was going to rain when Elliott was leading and Reed was second and I was fourth. That would have been a really great result for the team. I was trying to push Reed and Elliott as much as I could.

"They are the ones that got me into the race. It was my turn to return the favour and try to get them the win.

Allmendinger had been working closely with teammate Reed Sorenson in the last few laps before the final caution of the day came out. Sorenson got shuffled back, while the former Champ Car winner got overtaken for second place by Kevin Harvick.

He expects his result can help his team get some more sponsors in order to enable them run the whole season, as their funding only allows them to do a few more races.

"Kevin had a great run and got under me," Allmendinger added. "That kind of shuffled Reed out. I had to kind of dive down with him because I was going to get really shuffled out if I didn't get back in line.

"It's a great result. I kind of wish we could have been able to finish. I think the car was fast. Would have loved to have had a chance to win the race. To be top three with everything we went through in the off-season, hopefully get some more sponsors on the race car, keep this thing going after race eight."

The team's fourth car of Kasey Kahne was involved in the incident that caused the last caution period of the day, just as his teammate Sadler had lost the lead a lap earlier.