MOTORSPORT: Win-win for the Johnsons

The Johnson-Chevy victory in the Great American Race came a day after the horror crash from which 30 spectators were treated for injuries after debris flew over safety fencing in the spectacular end to Daytona's main support race, ironically sponsored by insurance company Nationwide.

Danica Patrick, starting from the pole in the 500, made more history in the race but dropped from third to eighth at the end, while Australia's Marcos Ambrose, who also had been among the leaders, wound up 18th.

After weeks of uncertainty, two announcements from Dick Johnson Racing In the past couple of days ensure Australia's oldest touring car team will be at the V8 Supercar Championship opening round in Adelaide this week.

Firstly DJR revealed much-needed new financial support from the Wilson Security and Advam companies at the weekend, and today it named 29-year-old Jonny Reid as teammate to Tim Blanchard, who it had announced 10 days earlier.

The rescue of the team has come at the expense of Steve Johnson's full-time V8 Supercar driving career.

He will become the Team's general manager and is expected to be a co-driver in the endurance races in September-October.

"It will be unusual watching the two DJR Falcons roll out into pit lane in Adelaide without the Johnson name on the side," he said.

Reid beat West Australian drivers Karl Reindler and Tony Ricciardello to the DJR seat.

The Kiwi has vast open-wheeler experience, has been runner-up in Australia's Porsche Carrera Cup the past two years and has had some experience in V8 Supercars and NZ's V8 SuperTourers.

Reid said he had got to know Steve Johnson at the past two Bathurst 12-Hours, where they have had class wins, and was "very hungry" to become full-time in V8 Supercars.

Dick Johnson said DJR had had "a number of younger drivers in our sights and Jonny was the stand-out".

"He has raced in a multitude of classes all over the world... We saw him as a perfect fit," Johnson said.

Danica Patrick became the first woman to lead a lap in the Great American Race, although not the first after starting on the pole.

It was later that she led five laps in two brief stints, and her eighth place at the finish bettered Janet Guthrie's 11th in 1980.

But at the end it was Jimmie Johnson and a charging Dale Earnhardt Junior who prevailed in the Hendrick Motorsports Chevy SSs.

It was Johnson's second Daytona 500 victory - his first was in 2006.

It also was 12 years since Dale Earnhardt Senior's death at the Florida super speedway, and 24 hours before the 55th running of the classic 14 people were taken to hospital following the 12-car pile-up 50 metres short of the finish of the Nationwide race.

Debutant Kyle Larson's Chevy took off into the catch fencing, the front half of the car shearing off at the firewall.

Debris rained on the fans behind the fence as far back as the 45th row of seating. While a couple of the injured initially were listed as critical there have been no deaths. NASCAR has pledged a proper investigation.

In the 500 the "Generation Six" cars ran mainly in single file until the final 20 laps.

Mark Martin in a Toyota, reigning series champion Brad Keselowski, now in a Ford, and Ryan Newman in another Chevy SS followed Johnson and Earnhardt Junior over the line.

Despite dropping five places on the last lap Danica Patrick called it "a solid day".

"We stayed basically in the top 10 all day long ... You really can't complain about that," she said.

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