Sprint Cup Headline News, Commentary and Race Coverage

Alex Racing Gifts
Racing Gifts-Collectables









Click on button to go to
Home Page
Insider Racing News


Tickets Make Great Gifts

SoldOutEventTickets.com
F1 Tickets
MotoGP Tickets




St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital


Insider Racing News
Copyright © 2000-2010. All Rights Reserved.

Sprint Cup® and NASCAR® are registered trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. This web site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NASCAR®. The official NASCAR® website is "NASCAR® Online" and is located at.. www.NASCAR.com


Majority Of Fans Loved The Daytona Race

An Opinion


February 21, 2010

By Kim Roberson

Kim Roberson
Here we are, a week after the Daytona 500, and as I prepare for today’s race at Fontana, I can’t help but hope it lives up to the bar that was set last week.

No, I’m not talking about pothole-gate –- although Fontana has certainly had its experience with tracks behaving badly (remember the never ending weepers?) I’m talking about the actual racing.

It has been a long time since I spent the week listening to fans virtually RAVE about a Sprint Cup race. For the last several years, the reaction to a race, regardless of where it has been held, has been “that was boring” or “it was only exciting for the last 10 laps –- why did I even bother tuning in for the first two hours?”

Maybe it was the bigger restrictor plate. Maybe it was the “Have at it boys” mentality. Maybe it was the multiple chances to finish under green.

Most certainly, a small part of it was that No. 88 car of Dale Earnhardt Jr. appearing out of nowhere to give Jamie McMurray a run for his money coming to the checkered flag. (I know I was suddenly on my feet yelling at the TV, and I’m not even a Junior fan!)

Whatever the actual cause of the increase in racing excitement last weekend, I can only hope that it carries over to not only today – but the rest of the season. Because if it doesn’t it is going to be one heck of a downer.

I took an un-scientific poll of my fellow race fans at my favorite “hang out”, and asked them the following:

What will stick with you the most from the Daytona race weekend?

  • 24% said it was Junior’s last lap dash for the win.
  • 20% of the people commented that it was Jamie McMurray's win.
  • 20% said it was “Potholegate”.
  • 16% said it was “Great racing all around”.
  • 8% commented that less of Digger was high on their list.
  • 4% each voted for Danica racing well at Daytona, Junior’s spectacular crash in the Nationwide race, and the fact there was no “Big One.”
No one voted for Danica crashing in the Nationwide race, even though I offered it as an option.

Roger, who has been a fan of NASCAR for years and was a huge Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan, and has been critical of NASCAR in the recent past, commented -- “I thought it was the best 500 I've seen in a long time (other than the delays).”

Liz, who is a Matt Kenseth fan, loved a lot of things that happened last Sunday, but decided “you can't top a 35-1 long-shot winning the race in dramatic fashion.”

Sol added “It would be a real toss-up between Jamie winning and Junior’s last lap charge for me. While the race had a lot of good moments, those two things got the adrenaline flowing. As far as the pot hole -- well it allowed me to get the bathtub faucet fixed!”

Sure, some people might cling to the fact that a gaping hole opened up in the middle of Turn Two half way through NASCAR’s biggest race of the season, but if that is all they remember from last weekend, they missed a heck of a race.

I can only keep my fingers crossed that it won’t be the last one we have a chance to see this season.

Finally a shout out to new dad Elliott Sadler, who finished the 500 and made it home to North Carolina just in time to welcome his son Wyatt into the world. Wyatt wasn’t even supposed to be on the schedule until NEXT week, but apparently he decided dad needed a pick-me-up after the weekend he had at Daytona.

Now, baby-watch turns to Carl and Kate Edwards.

Their daughter was supposed to arrive on Wednesday, but as of yet has failed to make her appearance. Just in case Kate goes into labor, Erik Darnell is standing by to jump into the seat of the No. 99 car so Carl can hop on a plane and rush to be by his wife’s side. Carl has said that if the baby doesn’t make her appearance “naturally” this weekend “she will be here by Las Vegas”, one way or the other.



You can contact Kim at.. Insider Racing News
You Can Read Other Articles By Kim


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.

return to top
Google
 
affiliate_link