Kenseth capped a crazy 36 hours for NASCAR by winning the first postponed Daytona 500 in 54 editions of the marquee event. He held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle over a two-lap overtime finish in a race that was scheduled to begin Sunday afternoon but ended in the early morning hours Tuesday.

"We had a really fast car and have fast cars in the past, and I figured out a way to mess it up," Kenseth said. "I am glad it all worked out."

It did for Kenseth, who picked up a second Daytona 500 title to go with his 2009 victory at the end of a wild Speedweeks. All three of NASCAR's national series races went to overtime, with unknown winners picking up the victories in the Nationwide and Truck Series.

And after a wild Daytona 500 that took more than 36 hours to complete, the teams were stranded in Daytona another night: bad weather in North Carolina closed the airports at home.

"Now believe it or not I can't go home," fourth-place finisher Denny Hamlin posted on Twitter. "Fogged in. Yet another night in Daytona."

He had it better than driver Landon Cassill -- his rental car was towed from Daytona International Speedway property sometime during the race.

Yup, it was that kind of race.

Rain at Daytona International Speedway first forced NASCAR to push the race to Monday afternoon, then Monday night for the first-ever 500 in primetime television. Then a freak accident caused a massive fuel fire that stopped the race for two hours as safety workers used Tide laundry detergent to clean up the track.

In the end, the event will be remembered not for the actual racing, but all the fluke things that plagued it from start to finish.

"The thing that comes into my mind is NASCAR just can't catch a break," Earnhardt said. "We're trying to deliver, and we just have some unfortunate things happen such as the rain delay, potholes in the track a couple of years ago. We're a good sport, and we're trying to give a good product."

When racing resumed after a two-hour stoppage for a freaky fuel fire, it was obvious it was Kenseth's to lose.

Biffle was the only driver who could mount a challenge as the Fords were the class of the field. Carl Edwards, another Roush driver, started from the pole and finished eighth.

"The Roush cars are really strong; they showed that all week," Earnhardt said.

Kenseth and Biffle took over the lead following the stoppage with 40 laps to go, caused by the fire that began when something broke on Juan Pablo Montoya's car. He was driving alone under caution, spun hard into a safety truck, and the collision caused an instant explosion.

Jet fuel -- the safety truck held 200 gallons of kerosene -- poured down the surface of Turn 3 at Daytona International Speedway after the accident, creating a fiery lasting image of NASCAR's biggest race of the year.