Daytona 500 Wrap

I’m sure you all know by now that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the winner of the 46th Dayton 500. You probably know I am pretty freaking happy about it too! Way to go Junior! Well as it turns out Daytona had just about everything we have all become used to seeing with the exception of a mad dash close finish. At the end Junior just had it covered.

He was the fastest car all day and his only competition was Tony Stewart who didn’t have anything for him when it came down to it. Kurt Busch seemed to have a fast car, but seemed reluctant to get involved in the finish since he was a lap down. Greg “Whiffle” Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Scott Wimmer and Kevin Harvick all were strong, but never really strong enough to hold a lead if they got there. Whiffle might have had a chance, but he stepped on his dick and drove into the pits about 100 mph costing his a stop and go penalty and possibly the race.

We had the “Big one”. 12 cars were taken out when some cars got together on the backstretch. Michael Waltrip seemed to take the biggest hits and actually flipped a few times. There were a couple of other incidents, but nothing major. Speaking of Waltrip, he added to what probably amounted to the most exciting, or fun part of the weekend: driver comments.

Waltrip was very critical of the safety crews and their extrication of him from his wrecked racer. Waltrip told the crews he was all right and to turn the car over. It took them 10 minutes to do so and Mikey was not a happy camper. There has been a push, especially amongst the drivers the past couple of years for NASCAR to retain their own safety crews. Waltrips comments will certainly add fuel to that fire.

As usual, Tony Stewart had plenty to say over the weekend. Apparently him and John Andretti were involved in a couple of on track incidents and in an interview while parading around the track yesterday he said he had told Andretti to stay away from his car, that John didn’t think he had done anything wrong and that that is why the Petty’s fired him. Stewarts crew chief Greg Zippadelli had similar comments later in the race. Andretti, as usual, just looked like a deer in the headlights.

So the big one is done, now the reality of a long, grueling season sets in. Can Junior stay up front and stay in the top 10? Probably, but competition will be keen these first few races. One thing of note is that only two driver car combinations did not make the race. That does not bode well for the rest of the season. I will be keeping an eye on that situation as well.