kyle busch

The kickoff race for NASCAR, the Daytona 500, is always one of the biggest and most prestigious races of the season. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 53rd running of the Great American Race.

In the third closest finish in Nationwide racing history at Daytona, Tony Stewart edged out Kevin Harvick Inc. teammate Clint Bowyer by .007 seconds to win the DRIVE4COPD 300.

Jeff Dickerson was on the spotter's stand for driver Kyle Busch, but a change was made midway in the season and Dickerson returned home to HMS to spot for four-time champion Jeff Gordon.

Clint Bowyer pushed his Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton to the checkered flag and victory, while Brad Keselowski pushed his brother Brian into a place in the Daytona 500.

The biggest site is not the best site. The best is not whose you might think. The most well known is light years behind and disappointing. And by the replies from the organizations combined with their sites the drivers who are most committed to their fans would perhaps surprise you. But perhaps the biggest surprise is who has the biggest following behind them.

Since our last meeting, Sprint Cup drivers have spent several days testing on the new Daytona International Speedway asphalt and interacting with media from around the world at the Sprint Media Tour presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway.

When Robin Pemberton uttered those four words last year in January, a lot of people were curious as to how the drivers would react.

Joe Gibbs Racing made the announcement last month that they'd have three teams next year in the Nationwide Series.

We really haven't been focusing on what the Nationwide drivers have accomplished this past season and more on the Cup and that is about to change.

When it was announced last year at the Sprint Cup Series banquet that Rick Hendrick would be receiving Bill France Award of Excellence, nobody was surprised.