There are, at best, the bare-bones makings of two rivalries in the Cup series this year. The first 'rivalry', and it's tenuous at best, is between Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. The Hendrick monster is running at full song now so I expect to see much more of what concluded the race on Sunday. Any racing series benefits from good rivalries but the thought of these two particular drivers and teams being the best NASCAR can produce doesn't exactly thrill me. (By "produce" I don't mean to imply that the fix is in.) I'll accept Rick Hendrick's statement that there are no team orders among his group. But I can't help but envision the struggle between these two teams playing itself out as a chess match rather than a bar fight. My tastes in stock car racing lean tend slightly toward the latter.
The most loved driver and the most hated driver come together in a lopsided fight in the other 'rivalry'. Unfortunately Dale Earnhardt Jr. has brought a knife, and a dull one at that, to a gun fight. His astronomical t-shirt sales numbers, his folksy good nature and his father's legacy are really no match for Kyle Busch's racing stats. Had the PR machine been cranked up before the season started and if Busch and Earnhardt were performing at a more equal level we'd be witnessing some incredible races.
For those Busch haters out there I counsel patience. Cocky driver after cocky driver has been tamed in this series over the years. No driver, not Earnhardt, not Waltrip, not Gordon nor even Petty, is bigger than the sport. While I'm unable to deny his driving skill I'm inclined to believe that to work with him would be a tremendous pain in the ass.
Showing posts with label Dale Earnhardt Jr.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dale Earnhardt Jr.. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Oh oh...Gordon Is Winning Again...
And so the torch has officially been passed. The massed boos that used to rain down on Jeff Gordon (as well as half-empty beer cans) are now the sole possession of young Master Busch. Gordon (Wonderboy of yesteryear..... some nicknames don't age well) has suffered enough in the eyes of the NASCAR fan. He has served his sentence and paid his debt to society and now has been welcomed back into the fold. The winless streak is over. Let the smattering of applause begin.
There is something familiar about this story for it has played out before in the Cup series. Ol'DW gradually evolved from despised to an official Most Popular Driver during his racing career. (His close association with a certain animated rodent of late might be undoing some of that however.) Discounting the Elvis-like worship since his death, Dale Earnhardt Sr traveled a similar path.
The unofficial role of NASCAR's Most Despised Driver is now being played by Kyle Busch. While Gordon's only sin was winning and winning (too) often, Busch, while also filling that requirement, willingly accepts the mantle of Villain. And he seems to like it. NASCAR's answer to the Iron Sheik.
Don't expect to see Busch (younger) make the same mistake again that he made in Sunday's race. His little bumping fit only worsened his day. I think the same mechanism in his brain that remembers which racing lines don't work, allowing him to adjust accordingly, will come into play with regards to his ill-timed run-ins with other drivers. This fellow's desire to win will eventually trump all his other emotions and he'll at least become slicker in how he gets his point across to a fellow driver during a race.
Though you could have hung a sign that read "Caution - Wet Paint" on the Nationwide race on Saturday (read David Poole's comments on his blog) the Cup race on Sunday was actually pretty good by this season's standards. Though there was limited passing there were enough pit road goofs, on-track goofs, comers and goers and story lines to keep me awake and involved.
Quick-un's:
Carl Edwards:
Monday morning pit stop practice for this crew. Ouch.
Pit Road Mistakes:
Mistakes on pit road, by both driver and crew, have replaced mechanical failure as the unknown that lurks waiting to ruin a good day for a team. On the topic of pit road I second David Poole's comments lamenting the role pit stops have played in deciding races. Pit stops are important but the should not be a substitute for on-track action.
Ambrose Watch:
He was holding his own until another engine let go for this group. Still pulling for him.
Double file restarts:
Lead lap cars have to moved to the back of the pack for restarts. That inside line of cars is ruining the race for the lead. NASCAR needs any help they can get to improve racing at the head of the field. The Lucky Dog rule negates any need for a double-file lapped cars/lead lap cars restart.
There is something familiar about this story for it has played out before in the Cup series. Ol'DW gradually evolved from despised to an official Most Popular Driver during his racing career. (His close association with a certain animated rodent of late might be undoing some of that however.) Discounting the Elvis-like worship since his death, Dale Earnhardt Sr traveled a similar path.
The unofficial role of NASCAR's Most Despised Driver is now being played by Kyle Busch. While Gordon's only sin was winning and winning (too) often, Busch, while also filling that requirement, willingly accepts the mantle of Villain. And he seems to like it. NASCAR's answer to the Iron Sheik.
Don't expect to see Busch (younger) make the same mistake again that he made in Sunday's race. His little bumping fit only worsened his day. I think the same mechanism in his brain that remembers which racing lines don't work, allowing him to adjust accordingly, will come into play with regards to his ill-timed run-ins with other drivers. This fellow's desire to win will eventually trump all his other emotions and he'll at least become slicker in how he gets his point across to a fellow driver during a race.
Though you could have hung a sign that read "Caution - Wet Paint" on the Nationwide race on Saturday (read David Poole's comments on his blog) the Cup race on Sunday was actually pretty good by this season's standards. Though there was limited passing there were enough pit road goofs, on-track goofs, comers and goers and story lines to keep me awake and involved.
Quick-un's:
Carl Edwards:
Monday morning pit stop practice for this crew. Ouch.
Pit Road Mistakes:
Mistakes on pit road, by both driver and crew, have replaced mechanical failure as the unknown that lurks waiting to ruin a good day for a team. On the topic of pit road I second David Poole's comments lamenting the role pit stops have played in deciding races. Pit stops are important but the should not be a substitute for on-track action.
Ambrose Watch:
He was holding his own until another engine let go for this group. Still pulling for him.
Double file restarts:
Lead lap cars have to moved to the back of the pack for restarts. That inside line of cars is ruining the race for the lead. NASCAR needs any help they can get to improve racing at the head of the field. The Lucky Dog rule negates any need for a double-file lapped cars/lead lap cars restart.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Bristol: Help Control the Excitement - Have Your Track Spayed or Neutered
I think we'll need one more race to definitively prove that 'They' have ruined Bristol. Kyle Busch is just so annoyingly good these days that I'm inclined to believe that even if the race on Sunday had taken place on any of the previous Bristol racing surfaces the outcome would be the same. Little or no evidence for or against the charge can then be gleaned from his performance. The same can't be said for what unfolded in his wake.
It was an almighty bore.
Busch spent so little time in contact with 2nd place on back Fox naturally focused on the rest of the field. I didn't see much action back there. I don't blame the designers or builders of the new, progressively-banked surface. They were tasked with creating a second racing line. Mission accomplished. Who I do question is the person or person's who requested said work be undertaken. I ask, from a fan's point of view, what was wrong with Bristol? The driver's love it but I doubt highly that you can sell 160,000 tickets to see more of what was (wasn't?) on display on Sunday. The great season of zzzz saunters on.
For once the Green, White, Checkers rule might actually have guaranteed the 'rightful' winner his win. Lap traffic might have come into play had the last caution flag not come out when it did. Denny Hamlin might, might, have caught Busch. As it was, he had no chance of catching Busch on that last restart. My heart rate actually slowed as the green flew that last time so sure was I of the outcome.
Hooray for Marcos Ambrose. A little street cred earned. It's a shame his engine developed a case of the hiccups late in the race but given how relatively little time he's spent in NASCAR and how thoroughly out of reach from everyone Busch put the win, I think it safe to assume that team and that driver are more than a little proud of their effort. For the first time in my life I think I'm right to say you read it here first: this cat can run with the so-called big boys.
"Phew", says Mark Martin. The accepted take on Martin is that he's a very smart racer. Given that, given his team's ability to build exploding engines and end up saddled with exploding tires coming into Sunday's race and given how well in-hand Busch appeared to have the race as it rolled on, I doubt Martin pushed things very much. I think that team was quite happy to bring it home where they did and start salvaging their season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr's excuse list grows. He points to a poor qualifying effort for his poor finish, qualifying 34th, starting at the back and coming home 14th. That doesn't really cut it as Jeff Burton had a poor qualifying run, starting 40th but still managed to come home in 8th position. This poor devil couldn't be feeling more pressure if he was sitting at the bottom of the ocean. I think if his name wasn't Earnhardt and his mug wasn't plastered on a million t-shirts (number one is sales....) he would be winning or at least running better. His folksy demeanor and pedigree obviously appeal to a lot, nay most, NASCAR fans, but if commercial work counted towards championships Michael Waltrip would be the Richard Petty of his time. Earnhardt Jr's halting manner of speech of late is either indicative of a distracted nature or a brain injury. I don't say that lightly or in jest. The man appears too ill-at-ease and fidgety during interviews these days. He doesn't look well.
It was an almighty bore.
Busch spent so little time in contact with 2nd place on back Fox naturally focused on the rest of the field. I didn't see much action back there. I don't blame the designers or builders of the new, progressively-banked surface. They were tasked with creating a second racing line. Mission accomplished. Who I do question is the person or person's who requested said work be undertaken. I ask, from a fan's point of view, what was wrong with Bristol? The driver's love it but I doubt highly that you can sell 160,000 tickets to see more of what was (wasn't?) on display on Sunday. The great season of zzzz saunters on.
For once the Green, White, Checkers rule might actually have guaranteed the 'rightful' winner his win. Lap traffic might have come into play had the last caution flag not come out when it did. Denny Hamlin might, might, have caught Busch. As it was, he had no chance of catching Busch on that last restart. My heart rate actually slowed as the green flew that last time so sure was I of the outcome.
Hooray for Marcos Ambrose. A little street cred earned. It's a shame his engine developed a case of the hiccups late in the race but given how relatively little time he's spent in NASCAR and how thoroughly out of reach from everyone Busch put the win, I think it safe to assume that team and that driver are more than a little proud of their effort. For the first time in my life I think I'm right to say you read it here first: this cat can run with the so-called big boys.
"Phew", says Mark Martin. The accepted take on Martin is that he's a very smart racer. Given that, given his team's ability to build exploding engines and end up saddled with exploding tires coming into Sunday's race and given how well in-hand Busch appeared to have the race as it rolled on, I doubt Martin pushed things very much. I think that team was quite happy to bring it home where they did and start salvaging their season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr's excuse list grows. He points to a poor qualifying effort for his poor finish, qualifying 34th, starting at the back and coming home 14th. That doesn't really cut it as Jeff Burton had a poor qualifying run, starting 40th but still managed to come home in 8th position. This poor devil couldn't be feeling more pressure if he was sitting at the bottom of the ocean. I think if his name wasn't Earnhardt and his mug wasn't plastered on a million t-shirts (number one is sales....) he would be winning or at least running better. His folksy demeanor and pedigree obviously appeal to a lot, nay most, NASCAR fans, but if commercial work counted towards championships Michael Waltrip would be the Richard Petty of his time. Earnhardt Jr's halting manner of speech of late is either indicative of a distracted nature or a brain injury. I don't say that lightly or in jest. The man appears too ill-at-ease and fidgety during interviews these days. He doesn't look well.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Las Vegas Recap - no gambling metaphors here.....
Well, that was a little more like it, wasn't it? Coming on the heels of the California race, which we all can't let up on until they change the track, anything would look exciting.
What struck me about the race in Las Vegas on Sunday was how old timey it was, at least for the majority of the race. Attrition, wrecks and mistakes had more to do with the outcome than lead lap passes. A record number of cautions (14) and more engine fireworks than I can remember. People talk of the good old days in NASCAR and this race gave us a little glimpse into the past. There was a time when even the best teams learned how to change tires, calculate gas mileage and drive with fingers crossed, praying their engines held together long enough. Raise your hand all those that take reliability into consideration when making picks pre race these days. Me neither. Although less so, mechanical pride goeth before a fall still.
Jack Roush offered up a reasonable explanation as to at least his team's engine woes claiming a better-than-expected tire combined with what turned out to be the wrong rear-end gear choice lead to the failures. No doubt there'll be some scrambling and figuring before these cats in their hats get to Atlanta. The surface there is worn but it's still high, sustained rpm country that makes valve springs wish they had gone into the Slinky business instead. Hammond and Co. pointed to common suppliers of engine parts for the relatively widespread failures. Are there that few suppliers of top end engine parts out there? Then again isn't it the way things go in this sport and in life that variety is an endangered species? It would be interesting to see who gets what pieces from where.
Still others point to the economy (mostly the types that love buzz words and point to the economy as the reason it rained today). The theory is that corners are being cut and the double-, triple-, quadruple- checking system that insured bulletproof cars in the past is suffering because of it. I don't know. Maybe. Time will tell.
Kyle Busch is just the best natural driver that NASCAR has ever seen. Of course I base that on my deep knowledge of NASCAR history dating to about 1989. If you don't believe me, and you'd be wise not to, would you believe Jeff Gordon? Busch, as annoying as he can be and as limited as his knowledge of television history appears to be, is just that much better than anyone else out there today. There were a few instances during the race, shown in slow-mo replay so that us mortals could actually see it, of drivers getting the wiggles, correcting, the car taking a bite and then heading off in any direction other than straight ahead. Except Busch. To my eye he has this knack for car control that puts him above all others. If his car gets loose coming off a corner, he just seems to be able to coax it back in line with minimal over-correction. The thing just settles back in line. Much as I'd like to see close finishes it was pretty obvious that Busch was going to walk away from everyone else on the final restart.
Jeff Gordon is just lucky. Of course he's talented. You don't win 81 times just because you have good gear. But he is a lucky man. Who else shreds a fender and still comes home sixth AND leads the points at the end of the day? Grrr. This is shades of the luck of Wonder Boy Gordon. And that might not be a bad thing actually. It might be good if two superstars get hot and invincible at the same time (Busch and Gordon, for instance). Any competition would be wonderful to see. It is these stretches of single car dominance that bore me.
Could he have done so with the car of old? The slightest ding on a fender a few years back would have sent Gordon behind the wall. The new car does seem to be much tougher. I'm still not sold on the 'better racing' however.
Bobby Labonte must be feeling alright today. A nice solid 5th. I remember how DW reacted when he finished 5th at Pocono when subbing for Steve Park. It had been so long since he'd finished that close to the head of the field that the man was in tears. It wasn't quite so with Bobby Labonte (although I was surprised to see how long it has been since he's won a race) but he's been away from the performance-oriented limelight for a while.
What racing gods have it in for Mark Martin? What could he have possibly done in this life or a previous to have such crushingly bad luck. Two weeks, two engine failures. There were many, me included, who said/say this is the year that Martin has the keys to the kingdom and is being provided with all that he needs. .....except reliable engines. It still pains me that someone of Martin's standing and street cred gets out of the car after such rotten racing luck and leaves us with the impression that his sole disappointment that day was his failure to give the mighty fine folks at Kellogs a thrill. Where is the selfishness in NASCAR? There are people out there that respect a driver that puts his desire to win and compete above all other considerations. You're risking your life Martin! Stop caring what Tony the Tiger thinks!
Oh Mikey. You're on track to become a respectable driver and owner of a respectable just-outside-the-top-ten team. And then you go and try to pretend you're Harry Gant. When you do well, I cheer. When you do poorly, I join in the chorus of "Retire! Retire!" My clue that the team is doing alright is that young master Reutimann came home with a career-best 4th yesterday. Good stuff.
Talent is key. Patience for sure. But Pride can never be too far away. Jeff Burton, who had a very un-Jeff Burton run last week, lands back in the top 5 this week. I don't think it'll be long before he finds himself in a similar points position. LIkewise, look for Jimmie Johnson and his gang to remind us all of just how annoyingly good they are next week in Atlanta. Johnson will win.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., as a driver, leaves me very unimpressed. I'm beginning to side with the boo birds and say that he is where he is, financially and team-wise, because of his last name. 29th? One engine failure, yes, but not much else to justify his position among fans this year. Not a well-rounded driver. But neither was his father for that matter. If he was as aggressive as his father (Daytona not withstanding) he'd have more wins and maybe more fans, if that's possible.
I'm still pulling for Marcos Ambrose. I just like the guy. And a professional racing champion is a professional racing champion. Besides, he has more claim to being a stock car driver than most anyone else on the tour.
Tony is probably a much tamer fellow these days even after a disappointing run for his cars. Wheel trouble? Bugs to be ironed out. You associate quality and performance with Tony Stewart so I'll doubt we'll see this again. Despite Vegas I get the impression Tony read my early blog and is now intent on proving me wrong in my prediction that the title of owner/driver would drag him down. I think if I were Ryan Newman I wouldn't sleep well at night.
What struck me about the race in Las Vegas on Sunday was how old timey it was, at least for the majority of the race. Attrition, wrecks and mistakes had more to do with the outcome than lead lap passes. A record number of cautions (14) and more engine fireworks than I can remember. People talk of the good old days in NASCAR and this race gave us a little glimpse into the past. There was a time when even the best teams learned how to change tires, calculate gas mileage and drive with fingers crossed, praying their engines held together long enough. Raise your hand all those that take reliability into consideration when making picks pre race these days. Me neither. Although less so, mechanical pride goeth before a fall still.
Jack Roush offered up a reasonable explanation as to at least his team's engine woes claiming a better-than-expected tire combined with what turned out to be the wrong rear-end gear choice lead to the failures. No doubt there'll be some scrambling and figuring before these cats in their hats get to Atlanta. The surface there is worn but it's still high, sustained rpm country that makes valve springs wish they had gone into the Slinky business instead. Hammond and Co. pointed to common suppliers of engine parts for the relatively widespread failures. Are there that few suppliers of top end engine parts out there? Then again isn't it the way things go in this sport and in life that variety is an endangered species? It would be interesting to see who gets what pieces from where.
Still others point to the economy (mostly the types that love buzz words and point to the economy as the reason it rained today). The theory is that corners are being cut and the double-, triple-, quadruple- checking system that insured bulletproof cars in the past is suffering because of it. I don't know. Maybe. Time will tell.
Kyle Busch is just the best natural driver that NASCAR has ever seen. Of course I base that on my deep knowledge of NASCAR history dating to about 1989. If you don't believe me, and you'd be wise not to, would you believe Jeff Gordon? Busch, as annoying as he can be and as limited as his knowledge of television history appears to be, is just that much better than anyone else out there today. There were a few instances during the race, shown in slow-mo replay so that us mortals could actually see it, of drivers getting the wiggles, correcting, the car taking a bite and then heading off in any direction other than straight ahead. Except Busch. To my eye he has this knack for car control that puts him above all others. If his car gets loose coming off a corner, he just seems to be able to coax it back in line with minimal over-correction. The thing just settles back in line. Much as I'd like to see close finishes it was pretty obvious that Busch was going to walk away from everyone else on the final restart.
Jeff Gordon is just lucky. Of course he's talented. You don't win 81 times just because you have good gear. But he is a lucky man. Who else shreds a fender and still comes home sixth AND leads the points at the end of the day? Grrr. This is shades of the luck of Wonder Boy Gordon. And that might not be a bad thing actually. It might be good if two superstars get hot and invincible at the same time (Busch and Gordon, for instance). Any competition would be wonderful to see. It is these stretches of single car dominance that bore me.
Could he have done so with the car of old? The slightest ding on a fender a few years back would have sent Gordon behind the wall. The new car does seem to be much tougher. I'm still not sold on the 'better racing' however.
Bobby Labonte must be feeling alright today. A nice solid 5th. I remember how DW reacted when he finished 5th at Pocono when subbing for Steve Park. It had been so long since he'd finished that close to the head of the field that the man was in tears. It wasn't quite so with Bobby Labonte (although I was surprised to see how long it has been since he's won a race) but he's been away from the performance-oriented limelight for a while.
What racing gods have it in for Mark Martin? What could he have possibly done in this life or a previous to have such crushingly bad luck. Two weeks, two engine failures. There were many, me included, who said/say this is the year that Martin has the keys to the kingdom and is being provided with all that he needs. .....except reliable engines. It still pains me that someone of Martin's standing and street cred gets out of the car after such rotten racing luck and leaves us with the impression that his sole disappointment that day was his failure to give the mighty fine folks at Kellogs a thrill. Where is the selfishness in NASCAR? There are people out there that respect a driver that puts his desire to win and compete above all other considerations. You're risking your life Martin! Stop caring what Tony the Tiger thinks!
Oh Mikey. You're on track to become a respectable driver and owner of a respectable just-outside-the-top-ten team. And then you go and try to pretend you're Harry Gant. When you do well, I cheer. When you do poorly, I join in the chorus of "Retire! Retire!" My clue that the team is doing alright is that young master Reutimann came home with a career-best 4th yesterday. Good stuff.
Talent is key. Patience for sure. But Pride can never be too far away. Jeff Burton, who had a very un-Jeff Burton run last week, lands back in the top 5 this week. I don't think it'll be long before he finds himself in a similar points position. LIkewise, look for Jimmie Johnson and his gang to remind us all of just how annoyingly good they are next week in Atlanta. Johnson will win.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., as a driver, leaves me very unimpressed. I'm beginning to side with the boo birds and say that he is where he is, financially and team-wise, because of his last name. 29th? One engine failure, yes, but not much else to justify his position among fans this year. Not a well-rounded driver. But neither was his father for that matter. If he was as aggressive as his father (Daytona not withstanding) he'd have more wins and maybe more fans, if that's possible.
I'm still pulling for Marcos Ambrose. I just like the guy. And a professional racing champion is a professional racing champion. Besides, he has more claim to being a stock car driver than most anyone else on the tour.
Tony is probably a much tamer fellow these days even after a disappointing run for his cars. Wheel trouble? Bugs to be ironed out. You associate quality and performance with Tony Stewart so I'll doubt we'll see this again. Despite Vegas I get the impression Tony read my early blog and is now intent on proving me wrong in my prediction that the title of owner/driver would drag him down. I think if I were Ryan Newman I wouldn't sleep well at night.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Daytona 500 Recap..
NASCAR, NASCAR, NASCAR.....why do you make it so hard for me to love you? I try. I really try. A few things to discuss post-Daytona '500'.........'380'?...someone check my math.
Show-itus Interruptus
Aside from the Kennseth fans I suspect most of us are grumbling right now. Someone please compile some stats and get back to me. Has NASCAR always upset fans this much/have fans always been this suspicious of NASCAR or is this just a new trend growing since NASCAR's big growth spurt? Admittedly without any kind of fact or stat or study, I think the grumblings are growing louder. A quick scan of a few comment sections show some angry people out there tonight. However a lot of the people commenting state they have been fans of NASCAR for less than 5 years. That begs the question for me has NASCAR now not only alienated its original fan base but also the new fans?
No one likes a rain-shortened race. After huge hype it is just a colossal let down. Some amount of pouting is expected. I'm guilty. I think it shows we care. And there does come a point where it's time to throw in the soggy towel and call it a day. But I've seen Coca-Cola 600's go on way into the night after rain delays (...I think Kenseth won that too). Other less prestigious races have resumed after lengthy rain delays as well. Why call this one so early? I didn't look like it was raining in Victory Circle. The commentators were downplaying the rain for the longest time. You want a legitimate rain-shortened race and undercover victory celebration? Ron Fellows in Montreal last summer. Why not go back to starting these races earlier? I'm parroting a line here from a few writers this week but the West Coast business push plateaued. And I'll forgive this one because it's the 500 but these pre-race shows go on forever. The drivers allow themselves to look foolish as well.
The cynic in me points to network pressure to call it a day and not run afoul of sponsors who bought time for shows later on in the evening on FOX. I'm trying my best not to listen too much to the Conspiracists but I really, really don't get a good feeling from Brian France, Jr. I think his appeal to fans during the interminable pre-race show was less than sincere. In the pecking order fans are not number one. Anytime they make this much of saying they love you, it's business. And that is fine. Big time racing has always been a business. What bothers me is that the scene is so far removed from what drew me to the sport to begin with. They have succeeded in many ways but at what cost? NASCAR has lost that certain charm that is once had. That hokey, quirky, sometimes awkward but ultimately entertaining friend of ours won the lottery and despite what they promised before they moved out of the old neighbourhood, they've changed. Trying not to fall into an easy "oh, those stupid Americans" trap, NASCAR represents what is great about the US and, sadly, what can go wrong. Of course, greed is universal. They say that's progress but I liked the old version better.
They've fiddled with rules over lapped cars and brought forth the Lucky Dog. (Discuss) They've fiddled with races ending under caution and brought forth the Green-White-Checkers finish. (Discuss) Is the half-distance/official race rule written in stone or can we expect a change?
Ultimately it's NASCAR's sandbox and we have it easy as critics. Brian France made a less-than sincere appeal to fans during the interminable pre-race show.
The Winner*
Congratulations Matt Kenseth. You have officially won the 2009 Daytona '500'. (I hope I didn't jinx this race when I started writing the 500 in old timey quotations.) You kept your nose clean and were ahead of everyone else when the race was called official according to, and this seems odd for present-day NASCAR, time-honoured tradition. But I think you'll look at that big ol'trophy in the years to come with mixed feelings. You will always be a junior member of the Daytona 500 winners club. Equal but not quite equal. Still, 185 points and lots of cash. The season rolls on.
Another Big-Time First-Time Car Owner Winner
Jack Roush wins* his first Daytona 500 title. Odd. Two years in a row a major owner wins their first 500. Last year Penske. This year the Cat in the Hat. No doubt he complained that the race should have been called sooner.
FOX
DW and Larry Mac and the rest get slagged for being Hendrick/Earnhardt sycophants. Normally I say 'malarkey' but even if, who cares? But they came off looking foolish condemning Earnhardt, Jr. in one breath and then giving him a pass in the next. And they were quick and emphatic when the wreck first happened. Score one for the Conspiracists.
Still, the best team at it these days. Enjoyable chemistry.
Earnhardt, Jr.
Wow. Ok. So assume he didn't do it intentionally. It still is poor driving from a professional driver. I think Kyle Busch said it best: "Some guys having a bad day made their bad day our bad day," Pretty calm considering he looked like he was going to walk away with it all. My take is that Earnhardt was off his game because of those two boo-boos in the pits and it showed on the track. You could view it as a bit of karmic retribution for Vickers. It wasn't exactly the same thing but he clipped Johnson at Talledega a few years back. I think Earnhardt will admit to this incident not being a shining moment for him.
Kyle Busch
Tooting my own horn I did say yesterday that Busch was a more mature driver. He hung on to that lead tenaciously all day. No wonder he didn't want to fall back in the back. Bad things happen there.
I was expecting a lap penalty or something. The conspiracists will have a field day.
Tony Stewart
Tony looked strong. Had the race continued he would have been right there. He's an owner now, he'll take the points and start thinking about California.
Michael Waltrip
The man that made the unfortunate decision to put himself forth as the unofficial clown of NASCAR can run plate tracks. Too bad it's all downhill from here until Talledega.
Elliot Sadler
Hissy fit. Shut up and drive. I don't see you up at the front that often. And when you do you cry? I'd be the most miserable excuse for a driver but if you don't want to do it, I'll have a go.
Jeff Gordon
I'd be interested to hear the explanation for the apparent camber issue with the 24 car. That could have been nasty for him.
Marcos Ambrose
Feel good story, no? He was out there and got experience. Did alright for himself.
Carl Edwards
It's not really fair to be ranking these guys. The full story never got to play out. Crummy points day for this lot.
Jimmie Johnson
Rotten luck + restrictor plate + other driver error + rain = 31st. Looked like he had his hands full all day.
Joey Logano
Ouch. Who hasn't had a first day but in front of a bajillion people? For scientific purposes only, I would love to see the in-car footage from these hard crashes. Apparently it's too graphic for us delicate flowers. He walked away didn't he? Show it.
He's going to have a rough go this year. But whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. At this point he looks like a deer caught in the headlights.
Mark Martin
Alas. On the surface it didn't look as if Martin had anything for the win today but I like to think he was being wily. Either way, 16th. Meh.
A.J. Allmendinger
I thought he'd do alright. It would have been interesting to see how they would have done over the full distance
Ryan Newman
I think he's already in California.....
All in all, a disappointment. I think that NASCAR, had they been unimpeded with broadcast network business commitments, should have held on and tried to get the race going. If it was being carried by a network that could accommodate it it would have made complete sense to try to finish. Don't you pull out all the stops for the biggest event of the year?
I suspect David Poole will go along with the decision. The man isn't a fool like some of the commentors on his blog. I think he just knows when to waste his words and when to not. Me, I'm new.
Next stop:
California. ZZZZZZZ Don't plan to watch it. I hope for the best but so far the races have been awful. Expect the hype machine to be in overdrive.
Show-itus Interruptus
Aside from the Kennseth fans I suspect most of us are grumbling right now. Someone please compile some stats and get back to me. Has NASCAR always upset fans this much/have fans always been this suspicious of NASCAR or is this just a new trend growing since NASCAR's big growth spurt? Admittedly without any kind of fact or stat or study, I think the grumblings are growing louder. A quick scan of a few comment sections show some angry people out there tonight. However a lot of the people commenting state they have been fans of NASCAR for less than 5 years. That begs the question for me has NASCAR now not only alienated its original fan base but also the new fans?
No one likes a rain-shortened race. After huge hype it is just a colossal let down. Some amount of pouting is expected. I'm guilty. I think it shows we care. And there does come a point where it's time to throw in the soggy towel and call it a day. But I've seen Coca-Cola 600's go on way into the night after rain delays (...I think Kenseth won that too). Other less prestigious races have resumed after lengthy rain delays as well. Why call this one so early? I didn't look like it was raining in Victory Circle. The commentators were downplaying the rain for the longest time. You want a legitimate rain-shortened race and undercover victory celebration? Ron Fellows in Montreal last summer. Why not go back to starting these races earlier? I'm parroting a line here from a few writers this week but the West Coast business push plateaued. And I'll forgive this one because it's the 500 but these pre-race shows go on forever. The drivers allow themselves to look foolish as well.
The cynic in me points to network pressure to call it a day and not run afoul of sponsors who bought time for shows later on in the evening on FOX. I'm trying my best not to listen too much to the Conspiracists but I really, really don't get a good feeling from Brian France, Jr. I think his appeal to fans during the interminable pre-race show was less than sincere. In the pecking order fans are not number one. Anytime they make this much of saying they love you, it's business. And that is fine. Big time racing has always been a business. What bothers me is that the scene is so far removed from what drew me to the sport to begin with. They have succeeded in many ways but at what cost? NASCAR has lost that certain charm that is once had. That hokey, quirky, sometimes awkward but ultimately entertaining friend of ours won the lottery and despite what they promised before they moved out of the old neighbourhood, they've changed. Trying not to fall into an easy "oh, those stupid Americans" trap, NASCAR represents what is great about the US and, sadly, what can go wrong. Of course, greed is universal. They say that's progress but I liked the old version better.
They've fiddled with rules over lapped cars and brought forth the Lucky Dog. (Discuss) They've fiddled with races ending under caution and brought forth the Green-White-Checkers finish. (Discuss) Is the half-distance/official race rule written in stone or can we expect a change?
Ultimately it's NASCAR's sandbox and we have it easy as critics. Brian France made a less-than sincere appeal to fans during the interminable pre-race show.
The Winner*
Congratulations Matt Kenseth. You have officially won the 2009 Daytona '500'. (I hope I didn't jinx this race when I started writing the 500 in old timey quotations.) You kept your nose clean and were ahead of everyone else when the race was called official according to, and this seems odd for present-day NASCAR, time-honoured tradition. But I think you'll look at that big ol'trophy in the years to come with mixed feelings. You will always be a junior member of the Daytona 500 winners club. Equal but not quite equal. Still, 185 points and lots of cash. The season rolls on.
Another Big-Time First-Time Car Owner Winner
Jack Roush wins* his first Daytona 500 title. Odd. Two years in a row a major owner wins their first 500. Last year Penske. This year the Cat in the Hat. No doubt he complained that the race should have been called sooner.
FOX
DW and Larry Mac and the rest get slagged for being Hendrick/Earnhardt sycophants. Normally I say 'malarkey' but even if, who cares? But they came off looking foolish condemning Earnhardt, Jr. in one breath and then giving him a pass in the next. And they were quick and emphatic when the wreck first happened. Score one for the Conspiracists.
Still, the best team at it these days. Enjoyable chemistry.
Earnhardt, Jr.
Wow. Ok. So assume he didn't do it intentionally. It still is poor driving from a professional driver. I think Kyle Busch said it best: "Some guys having a bad day made their bad day our bad day," Pretty calm considering he looked like he was going to walk away with it all. My take is that Earnhardt was off his game because of those two boo-boos in the pits and it showed on the track. You could view it as a bit of karmic retribution for Vickers. It wasn't exactly the same thing but he clipped Johnson at Talledega a few years back. I think Earnhardt will admit to this incident not being a shining moment for him.
Kyle Busch
Tooting my own horn I did say yesterday that Busch was a more mature driver. He hung on to that lead tenaciously all day. No wonder he didn't want to fall back in the back. Bad things happen there.
I was expecting a lap penalty or something. The conspiracists will have a field day.
Tony Stewart
Tony looked strong. Had the race continued he would have been right there. He's an owner now, he'll take the points and start thinking about California.
Michael Waltrip
The man that made the unfortunate decision to put himself forth as the unofficial clown of NASCAR can run plate tracks. Too bad it's all downhill from here until Talledega.
Elliot Sadler
Hissy fit. Shut up and drive. I don't see you up at the front that often. And when you do you cry? I'd be the most miserable excuse for a driver but if you don't want to do it, I'll have a go.
Jeff Gordon
I'd be interested to hear the explanation for the apparent camber issue with the 24 car. That could have been nasty for him.
Marcos Ambrose
Feel good story, no? He was out there and got experience. Did alright for himself.
Carl Edwards
It's not really fair to be ranking these guys. The full story never got to play out. Crummy points day for this lot.
Jimmie Johnson
Rotten luck + restrictor plate + other driver error + rain = 31st. Looked like he had his hands full all day.
Joey Logano
Ouch. Who hasn't had a first day but in front of a bajillion people? For scientific purposes only, I would love to see the in-car footage from these hard crashes. Apparently it's too graphic for us delicate flowers. He walked away didn't he? Show it.
He's going to have a rough go this year. But whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. At this point he looks like a deer caught in the headlights.
Mark Martin
Alas. On the surface it didn't look as if Martin had anything for the win today but I like to think he was being wily. Either way, 16th. Meh.
A.J. Allmendinger
I thought he'd do alright. It would have been interesting to see how they would have done over the full distance
Ryan Newman
I think he's already in California.....
All in all, a disappointment. I think that NASCAR, had they been unimpeded with broadcast network business commitments, should have held on and tried to get the race going. If it was being carried by a network that could accommodate it it would have made complete sense to try to finish. Don't you pull out all the stops for the biggest event of the year?
I suspect David Poole will go along with the decision. The man isn't a fool like some of the commentors on his blog. I think he just knows when to waste his words and when to not. Me, I'm new.
Next stop:
California. ZZZZZZZ Don't plan to watch it. I hope for the best but so far the races have been awful. Expect the hype machine to be in overdrive.
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