“Stay on the bottom, stay in line, and they can’t pass us.” For 199 laps, Darrell Waltrip’s observation of the 2016 Daytona 500 was dead on. Then, it became dead wrong.
After one of the greatest finishes in NASCAR history capping off one of the most dominating manufacturer performances ever, here's what was surprising and not surprising from the Super Bowl of NASCAR, the Daytona 500.
Martin Truex Jr. and his younger brother Ryan have shared many racing highs and lows over the years. But this weekend the two shared a major accomplishment, finishing runner up in their respective races at Daytona International Speedway.
The hottest 20 drivers heading into Sunday are all locked in. Thanks to some large wallets, even Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch are good to go for the rest of the season, buying up those Charters from Waltrip’s defunct operation.
The two Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet's of the No. 4 driven by Kevin Harvick and No. 14 driven by Brian Vickers failed post-qualifying tech inspection after the track bars were found to be out of compliance with the Sprint Cup Series rule book.
Starting in ten days, just about every week the engines will roar to life and 43 cars will take the green flag. However, we all know that not all race drivers and teams are created equal.
I loved watching Cale Yarborough in the No. 11 and Richard Petty piloting the No. 43. How I miss seeing Dale Earnhardt in that black No. 3. I wish I could see Rusty Wallace again in that blue deuce though my reasoning is that him driving means there was no way in hell he would be announcing.
The gifts are open, the tree is on borrowed time, and a New Year is almost upon us. Seems like a good time to reflect on the year that was, as we embark on the one that will be.
The underdog is a position that Truex is fully embracing and understands, as he understands why his fellow competitors, as well as the media and fans, have given him that label. It's also something that team General Manager Joe Garone is fully embracing right now.
It has been a wild ride these last 35 races, but all good things must come to an end. This week, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its final trek of the season down to South Florida to run the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It's the 36th and final race of the 2015 season.
