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Predictions Based on the 2010 Daytona 500

An Opinion



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February 20, 2010

By Brenda Benedict

Brenda Benedict



Jamie McMurray's feel-good finish to last Sunday's Daytona 500 (which was the 52nd running) was great for the race fans. That is if you had something to do during the two red flags while the track was being repaired. But does a good running in the inaugural points race of the season tell us anything about how the season will conclude in November?

The statistics don't support that. When you look at the Daytona 500 winners from the past ten years and then look where they finished the season in November, it isn't good. The average finish of the Daytona 500 winner after the season end is 13th-not even high enough to make the Chase to the Championship. Of course, sometimes the Daytona 500 winner goes on to win the Championship as Jimmie Johnson did in 2006. But Jimmie Johnson has a way of throwing a curve in our data.

There are several things that I learned from watching the race on Sunday and I believe can be used to make predictions for the 2010 NASCAR season.

1. Weekends are much more fun when there are races. I didn't know how much I had missed NASCAR until Sunday. Life seems good again when there is a race to watch and then to talk about on Monday.

2. Do sweat the small things. It was a small pothole, at least by Michigan standards, that caused all the trouble and kept us waiting for more than 2 hours while they twice fixed the track. Not all fans waited for the race to resume and television viewership really dropped off. Whether it is the track, tires or the weather, things outside the control of the drivers can cause great havoc and consternation for all of us. The question of whether to repave the track at Daytona is now being discussed. NASCAR and track owners need to be proactive in avoiding those peripheral items that can diminish enjoyment of the race for the fans.

3. Darrell Waltrip may have given us too much information during Sunday's race and he demonstrated that Dale Earnhardt Jr's fan base included those in the announcer's booth too. Darrell Waltrip seemed overcome with excitement when Junior staged a fantastic move up to 2nd place in the last lap. Waltrip is being soundly criticized in the blogosphere for his favoritism and I'm looking for him to tone it down this week.

4. The commercials during a NASCAR race are as good as Super Bowl ads. The spot of Kyle Busch's car being decorated with bunnies and kittens is a classic. I'm looking forward to a year of NASCAR drivers poking fun at themselves and giving us a laugh in the meantime.

5. The after-race coverage is so much more fun when the winner is truly happy. Jamie McMurray showed genuine emotion when faced with reporters after the race. This is the show of emotion that I wrote about last week that I like to see from the drivers. McMurray stated,. " It's just really hard to explain like how special all this has been to me. I mean, winning the race was unbelievable, but everything else that goes along with it, whether it's the talk shows or just the media coverage that you get for your team and your sponsor is unbelievable. To listen to the media tell their story of what they were thinking when they were watching the race, it's just been awesome." This man hasn't been jaded with too much success or doesn't seem to be too full of himself. Maybe his enthusiasm will rub off on fellow racers and we'll continue to have a good show.


You can follow me at Twitter @nascarfaithful




You can contact Brenda Benedict at .. Insider Racing News

You Can Read Other Articles By Brenda



The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.

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