John Hunter Nemechek escapes carnage to win Atlanta truck race

John Hunter Nemechek survived multiple wrecks during Saturday's Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway to claim his second career checkered flag in the series in the #8 Chevrolet Silverado. Nemechek, the 2015 CWTS most popular driver and son of veteran racer Joe Nemechek, inherited the lead after Matt Crafton, Daniel Suarez and, for the second straight week, Christopher Bell, plus others got caught in a pair of wrecks, the latter of which brought out the red flag for cleanup. Nemechek then held on to the lead in the closing laps to take the win. It was the second end of a Saturday doubleheader at Atlanta that began with an Xfinity Series race earlier in the afternoon that was won by Kyle Busch.

Kyle Busch wins Xfinity end of Atlanta Saturday doubleheader

Kyle Busch drove to his first Xfinity Series victory lane of 2016 by taking the checkered flag Saturday in the Heads Up Georgia 250, the first end of Atlanta's second annual Xfinity-Truck doubleheader. Busch led 119 of 163 laps. It was his first Xfinity win in the #18 NOS Toyota in more than five years; he drove the infamous #54 Monster Energy Toyota in the interim, notoriously going winless in the series in 2012 driving that car.

Denny Hamlin beats Martin Truex Jr. in closest Daytona 500 finish ever

Denny Hamlin led 95 of 200 laps in Sunday's Daytona 500, the first race of the 2016 Sprint Cup season, leading up to a dramatic finish. Hamlin's teammate Matt Kenseth led at the white flag, but got loose in turn 3, losing several positions and yielding the lead to Hamlin. Martin Truex Jr., in his first race in a Toyota, then became locked in a drag race with Hamlin to the finish, with Hamlin prevailing by 0010 seconds, making it the closest finish in Daytona 500 history. It was the second win in the race for car owner Joe Gibbs. Some of the race's top contenders like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Chase Elliott ran into problems throughout the day.

Chase Elliott holds off Joey Logano for Daytona Xfinity win

Johnny Sauter gives Chevy first Daytona Truck win; Christopher Bell flips

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch win Can-Am Duels; outside polesitter Kenseth wrecks

For the second straight year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took his #88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS to victory in the first of two Can-Am Duel qualifying races for the Daytona 500 on Thursday evening. This is Earnhardt's fifth career Duel victory, a record among active drivers. Earnhardt's father Dale Sr., whose 15th death anniversary fell on Thursday, won a record ten straight Duels from 1990 through 1999. Dale Jr. used a few moments of his victory lane time to pay tribute to his father, adding that it felt special to win on the anniversary of that somber day. He is considered a favorite to win this year's Daytona 500, a victory which would be his third in the Great American Race, thanks to his 2016 restrictor plate car "Amelia".

The second Duel race was won by Kyle Busch. On the final lap, a crash took out Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr. and outside polesitter Matt Kenseth, whose #20 Toyota was to have shared Sunday's front row with the #24 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet of rookie Chase Elliott (#24). Kenseth and his crew brought out their backup Toyota and will have to start from the rear of Sunday's Daytona 500 field, meaning they have major ground to make up in Kenseth's quest for a third Harley J. Earl Trophy. Kenseth, his Joe Gibbs teammates and new Toyota recruit Truex are believed to have some of this year's fastest cars in Speedweeks.

Denny Hamlin wins wreck-filled Sprint Unlimited

Denny Hamlin took his third Sprint Unlimited win at Daytona Saturday evening in the #11 Joe Gibbs Toyota, dodging several wrecks including a last-lap one that froze the field, leaving the #22 Team Penske Ford of Joey Logano to settle for a runner-up finish.