Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Rating the Daytona 500: 4 Stars ****

An interesting day in Daytona kicked off the 2010 season. While the racing was very good, the unfortunate breaks during the day to fix holes in the track kept this from being an epic 500. Therefore, the Great American Race gets a 4 Star Rating.

A huge congratulations should go out to Jamie McMurray. What an emotional victory for him. Coming off a sub-par run in the Roush #26, he went back to what is now Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and won the biggest race of them all. It’s easy to forget that McMurray was a regular Chase contender during his days in the #42 in his first run with Chip Ganassi because the drought at Roush from 2006 to last year’s Talladega fall race was so bad. Now, McMurray is on top of the sport and it is great to see a driver so thrilled to win the Daytona 500. I said earlier this week that it was great to see the emotion from the drivers during the Duel races, and McMurray’s excitement after winning the race was priceless. It is fun to see someone accomplish something so great and be so excited about it afterward.

As for the rest of the race, there was pretty good racing throughout, and not one debris caution. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for California next week, but no debris cautions during Speedweeks for the Sprint Cup Series. It was certainly nice to have the race start earlier, and what a beautiful day it was. They could not have asked for anything more. A perfect blue sky with no clouds made this feel like a classic race. And it would have been had the pothole not developed in turn two.

Just once can we have a Daytona 500 without any interruptions? Last year it was rain, this year it was track damage caused by too much rain. I’m not going to blame the track, NASCAR or anybody for that matter; it is just unfortunate that the hole developed during the big race. Why couldn’t this have happened the day before? It still would have screwed up the Nationwide or truck race, but unless Danica’s car was hurt by it, not nearly as many people would have been so upset.

Before we go, a few other drivers should be congratulated on good runs.

With Richard Petty Motorsports merging with Yates and moving to Ford, it looked like the organization was headed down a path of inconsistency and constant turnover. However, on Sunday A.J. Allmendinger was leading the Daytona 500. Yes, it was early and yes, he wrecked later in the race, but he had a good car and his charge to the front was as strong as Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s run on the final lap, plus it was cool to see the #43 out front at Daytona.

Next, Earnhardt Jr. gave McMurray a run for his money on the last lap of the race. Whether you are a fan or a hater, your heart had to be in your throat as you saw Jr. pull down from the top line and slice his way up to second on the backstretch. I disagree with those who say he may have won if there was one more lap, but it was reminiscent of his father’s final win at Talladega in 2000 when he came from 18th to the lead in the final five laps.

So, the big letdown begins. California is next week. Man, Rockingham was (and is) such a good track, even if it did rain every other year. Anyway, it will be interesting to see who unloads well out west because we will really find out who has the power under the hood without the restrictor plates. Have a great week!

9 comments:

  1. Okay, it was a good race with lots of emotion but I have to say that the delays curbed (pun inteneded) my enthusiasm for a while. However, I was able to have supper with the family without missing much because of the delays.
    Loved the comment about Danica!
    Glad to see the ratings back. Keep it up, Mayer!

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  2. Hey Mayer -- agreed 4 stars! Racing was great but man those delays were painful. Not only was AJ impressive but so was Scott Speed being able to run up front for so long on old stuff and not wreck. Driving for his job perhaps?

    Lets hope Fontana is better in person...

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  3. Nice read Mayer. Four stars seems right even though it did have a five star finish. Don't forget that McMurray did win at Daytona in the summer of '07...

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  4. Anonymous - This would have certainly been a 5 Star race had the delays not happened. Even though the racing was good later on, it still breaks up the flow of the race, let's leave those for the All-Star race.
    Thanks!

    klvalus - Speed did have a terrific and surprising run up at the front. If there had been a caution with maybe 15 to go, someone may have stolen this thing by taking no tires. Enjoy Fontana! Will there be garage reports?
    Thanks!

    Gonger - The last 40 or so laps were terrific. Too bad it took 5 hours to get there. Also, McMurray's win in 2007 was fantastic but it was surrounded by oceans of mediocrity.
    Thanks!

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  5. Very Good 4 star jm.

    A great and refreshing start to the season eventhough the ghosts of Nascar haunted the track.

    Lots of feel good stories at Daytona and let's hope that more are to come.

    Indeed the coming weeks will show who has what and just maybe we will see some new blood cracking the whip on the speedways.

    RL

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  6. I hope so! I am bringing the laptop and camera of course...just a matter of time but garage reports no later than beginning of next week if not "live"...

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  7. RLGuido - I sure hope you're right. I'm hoping this week isn't just a Hendrick-Roush duel.
    Thanks!

    klvalus - Awesome. Have a great time!

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  8. Great insights, JM. Can they go two races in a row without a debris caution? LOL

    Agreed, Jr would never have caught Jamie....unless Harvick was pushing him.

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  9. Gene - I sincerely hope so, but California is usually one of the worst tracks for those things.
    Also, if Harvick would've had the bottom line stay in tack for him, he probably would not have been passed, and then everyone would be singing a much different tune. lol
    Thanks!

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