DAYTONA 500!!!!!

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! MY UNDERDOG DRIVER FOR YEARS JUST WON THE DAYTONA 500 IN A FANTASTIC FINISH!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS MICHAEL MCDOWELL!!!!!

 

Interesting that 1990 winner Derricke Cope was the first retirement in this his last start--at age 62!

 

These 500 miles NASCAR races have become more and more boring. Back in the day, 1960s, you either built a fast car that might not make 500 or a reliable car that might not be fast enough to win. You might opt for good handling in the corners or speed on the straights. Today, all cars a pretty much the same. If it isn't due to a accident of a blown tire (thank you Goodyear) the majority of cars would finish. There is no racing except for the last lap before a stage ends or the checker, and at the checker what happened last night is becoming more and more typical. The only reason to have a race that is 3 to 4 hours long, without delays, seems to be to give fans a chance to visit the concessions. On the track it's just follow the leader. I kept waiting to see racing at least the last 10 or 15 laps, but as the laps wound down, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...., 2, no one seemed to want to get out and race for the lead.

How to make it better? I would propose to make the race length unknown to the teams at the start. Only that it would be, say, between 80 and 200 laps. Stages would also be arbitrary, but at least 20 or 25 laps. As the end of each each segment was approaching a 1 or 2 to go flag would be waved. The idea is that under such conditions, at least as the 20 lap mark approached, drives would have to stat racing as if the 2 to go could come the next lap. Tragedy on pitting would change. For example, do you pit around 20 or less laps in case the segment go longer than you pit window or do you wait an gamble that the segment will end before your tires/gas goes? This would get the cars side by side, etc, and make it a race again. Anything would be better than what NASCAR is today on these long races.

I'm happy for McDowell, but the race was a sham.

 

Was I not paying attention? I'm pretty sure the race had been rescheduled for today(Monday) by late Sunday PM. When did they change their mind?
(I turned it off after the 1st crash; DVR'ed it)

 

I'm happy for him too, sorta. He didn't "win" it though.....he just inherited it.

 

How do you figure? He was running in the top 10 most of the race and worked his way to the front in the last few laps. Would you rather see 1 dominant car the whole time like so many 1.5 mile tracks to give credit? There's no racing in that.

 

(A) I don't figure....I watched.

(B) Yes. That means the dominant car/driver deserved to win. 'Not a crap shoot.

(C) Oh. I guess you're of the ilk that "rubbin's racin".....

 

No, as a matter of fact I'm not, I appreciate hard racing. Have you not watched a Daytona race before this?

 

Uuuuhhhh...let's see.......

Yes.

Since the early sixties.

Been there since the early '70s.

Drove in the 24 2x; '78 and '79.

Anythimg else?

 

Well since you automatically assume I was part of some "ilk" I made my own automatic assumptions. All I did was ask you a question based on a comment you made.

 

I don't assume anything. (Learned that a long, long time ago) I surmised from your statement above that someone's domination of a race means there was no race.....there has to be "rubbin' " for there to be "racing".

I've been under the impression that no matter what goes on, whoever gets from the green flag to the checkered first is the winner of a race.

McDowell lucked into his (won the crap shoot) when the two potential winners "rubbed" themselves right out of it.

(Oh, btw......Logano's leading by 2 1/2 secs. with four to go. Am I not watching a race? )

 

Agree to disagree on McDowell, he showed his staying power today, and I hope ot continues this year...Those last 2 laps were deeefinitely a race. I'm glad they added this to the schedule, so much more interesting than another 1.5, looking forward to the Bristol dirt race..

 

Once again, I guess (no assumption) not. Bell blew by 'im and walked away. That wasn't a race, eh?

No rubbin' and I enjoyed the heck out of it.

('Can't wait to see them at Road America (a real road course).....tho' I don't like the demise of the "Firecracker" at Daytona.....

 

Nice win by the kid, raced smart all day, helped by the yellows but the dirt tracker didn’t put a foot wrong, thought he was cooked when Truex dive bombed and spun. Love to see Allmendinger and McDowell end up top 10, AJ was down in the 33rd position, 20 laps to go. Can’t stand Elliott so a great day as background music while gardening.