Why I watched…
And they say there is no such thing as a stupid question. The Daytona 500, a race they all want to win, one victory that keeps your name alive as long as they thunder down the track at Daytona Beach. I watched to see if Danica Patrick could do something with that pole position, if Junior could emerge from out of the darkness in this new car, if Tony or Mark could do what they have long tried to do. We watched to see if the action could live up to what we saw Friday and Saturday, races I would have rated as a pair of nines. Yes, we watched to see the incredible skill and the courage it takes to compete. We did not watch for more wrecks or to see any more fans injured, yet we have been reminded of the dangers that lurk on and, yes, just off the track. On Sunday, the pre-race invocation had more meaning and we watched, and we prayed.
The race…
Our prayers for safety were rewarded. If we also prayed to witness the unexpected, we got that, too. No one expected Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick to be removed from contention only 33 laps in, but they wound up with just five big championship points between them.
We expected that maybe Danica might lead the opening lap, but Jeff Gordon decided otherwise. We did not expect her to take the lead on lap 91 or to remain a major factor from start to finish. We might have to look at her different, as she wound up 8th when it was all over. Many have considered her hot as a woman, but she was even hotter Sunday as a driver.
We might have expected Matt Kenseth to once again run up front. We did not expect him to go from leading strong to just plain gone when drive train issues ended his day with 50 to go. Two laps later, team mate Kyle Busch unexpectedly saw his engine fried and died.
We did not expect Top Ten finishes for Michael McDowell or J.J. Yeley, but we did. We did not expect Carl Edwards to wreck his fifth car in a month, but we did. We did not expect Joe Nemechek to start and park. Okay, sometimes I even make myself laugh.
As expected, the cream rose to the top in the end. Jimmie Johnson held on to the lead to win his second Daytona 500, and earn crew chief Chad Knaus his first. Dale Earnhardt Jr charged to second with Mark Martin pushing him from behind to conclude a great day of entertainment.
Rating the Race: (8.5/10)…
If only the cars could slingshot by the leader, if only the inside line could move to challenge the outside. We did not have the drama of the previous two races of the weekend, but between the features leading up to the Great American Race that reminded us of NASCAR’s past, the progression of the six generations of race cars, the driver intros, and the action on the track we had ourselves a very fulfilling way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Here is hoping for more of the same at Phoenix.
8.5? Mighty generous there. If not for a few debris cautions to bunch the field back up we might have seen a parade for 150(not consecutivly) of the 200 laps. It seemed like about 10 laps from a restart, barring no wreck on the restart when everyone was close, a parade formed.
With that said, I’d give pack racing where the more cars in line can go faster a 7. I’d give tandem 2×2 racing where 3 cars aren’t faster than 2 and you need a “date to dance” a 0. I’ll give yeserday’s race a 4. Mildly entertaing at times, boring at most, and a few moments of excitement.
I am not one to expect that every race should be unforgettable. A lot of them are boring. Always have been. However people remember the past through rose colored glasses