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Rain halts race after 64 laps

The Daytona 500 has been red flagged after 64 laps due to heavy rain, with Dale Earnhardt Jr leading the way

The rain arrived immediately after a huge shunt that befell rising star Ryan Newman, whose Ford Taurus somersaulted on the front stretch. The accident was started when last year's winner Ward Burton tagged Ken Schrader, who was turned into Newman.

Newman's car shed its right rear wheel as it hit the wall, causing the air to get beneath it and flip into the air. After rolling several times, Newman was able to climb from the wreckage uninjured. Also out of the race were Schrader and Bobby Labonte as they collided in the pit lane immediately after the shunt.

"I've still got a bit of dirt in my teeth," quipped Newman. "I felt the car getting light, then it went. I couldn't get out of the car, it was harder getting out of the car than it was having the wreck."

The race can be called after 100 laps, but officials are still hopeful of completing the event later this afternoon.

"We've been here for two weeks, so I don't wanna see the race finished after 100 laps," said Earnhardt Jr.

When the race was red flagged, Elliot Sadler was running second, ahead of Michael Waltrip and Tony Stewart.

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