DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Tony Stewart, who can't buy a Daytona 500, won Daytona International Speedway's Nationwide Series race for the fifth time in six years.

Stewart's rapid rise, after starting 32nd, demonstrated he was one of the favorites in the DRIVE4COPD 300, but a late crash eliminated much of the competition.

I wish I could tell you I did something real intelligent," said Stewart, "but this car was so fast in practice. I made up my mind I was going to stay on the bottom. I didn't do the stuff I normally do to stay in the lead. I just kept the foot to the floor for the last 20 laps and stayed on the bottom."

Stewart took the lead for the first time on the 66th lap, passing Keselowski. Three laps later, a multi-car crash between turn four and the start-finish line claimed Danica Patrick, making her first NASCAR start, among its victims.

"The first run definitely wasn't pretty," said Patrick. "The second stint was way better. I got more comfortable running in traffic, but people slide and spin, and there are tons of smoke."

Running 27th, Patrick couldn't maneuver through the figurative minefield that developed in front of her. In addition to Patrick, the crash claimed the cars of Colin Braun Robert Richardson Jr., John Wes Townley, Stanton Barrett, Johnny Sauter, Jason Leffler, Brian Scott, Scott Lagasse Jr., Joe Nemechek and Josh Wise.

Leffler tagged Wise, whose car had already been lapped, with blame for the crash, calling him "an idiot."

The mother of all the day's crashes was still ahead. Tightly packed coming down the back straight, Carl Edwards' Ford and Brad Keselowski's Dodge made contact, Keselowski hooked Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Chevy, which turned upside down, and most of Stewart's opposition was eliminated in a manner of seconds. Edwards, oddly enough, escaped the conflagration with only minor damage and wound up finishing second to Stewart.

"I got tangled with Brad, it was a big wreck, and I'm glad no one got hurt," said Edwards. "I was trying to squeeze in the hole, and I think we were both trying to occupy the same space. I'll take the blame for not giving him enough room."

Stewart's teammate, Kevin Harvick, finished third. Harvick's victory in this race in the 2007 Orbitz 300 marked the only February race in the series won by a driver than Stewart since Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s victory in 2004.