I kept trying to pry my jaw off the floor this entire week after Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the Daytona 500, but I decided it was going to remain there for quite some time. Although I really shouldn't be as surprised as I am, since the Hendrick driver has finished second in 2010, 2012, and 2013. It was bound to happen soon.
Denny Hamlin was entangled in multiple issues during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series last season. The problem that halted Hamlin's charge towards his first career Sprint Cup title occurred in Fontana, California after he slammed the inside barrier and was diagnosed with a severe back injury that sidelined him multiple weeks.
Just prior to the opening ceremonies for NASCAR's annual Sprint Unlimited, the Fox Sports 1 Network presented television viewers with a gorgeous shot of a full moon boldly shining over the Daytona International Raceway.
Busch finishes second in the Sprint Cup point standings, winning five races, and caps his year with a win at Homestead and his first Sprint Cup championship.
A year or two ago, let us say that Brian France had a brainwave. He came up with a proposal to allow 16 drivers into the Chase, first determined by wins gathered up to and including Richmond.