500

[burleytog]

If a Ford had to win, it was nice to see the Wood Brothers make it to Victory Lane.

The two-by-two racing wasn't the most exciting. I really wish NASCAR would let teams change engines after the 125's. Asking a lot for those engines to last through qualifying, practices, the 125's and then 500 miles on raceday.

Yeah, I'm ticked that 50% of RCR lost their engines.

[CanalStalkin]

Wood Bros. deserved that one, theyve been around since lincoln! Also gotta give props to Regan Smith in the furniture row car, he had an awesome run goin. Did you watch the truck race?

[BASSclary]

The truck race really was one of the best I've seen in a while.

Im mad Kurt Busch didn't take the bottom and let the other guys fly by. Kurt very well could've been in the spot to win it, but  made a mistake.

[1inStripes]

Yeah, I'm ticked that 50% of RCR lost their engines.

Dont make junk and you wont have to worry about it.

[burleytog]

Yeah, I'm ticked that 50% of RCR lost their engines.

Dont make junk and you wont have to worry about it.

Junk?  Burton, Boyer and Harvick were the class of the field up until Sunday.  Harvick and Burton suffered engine failure and Boyer was right there at the front all day until he got taken out by Newman.

[CanalStalkin]

My driver is Kyle Busch. Did you see him pushing in the truck race? Truck blowing steam like old faithful. He was marching towards the front before he got caught up in that wreck.

[skunked_again]

If a Ford had to win, it was nice to see the Wood Brothers make it to Victory Lane.

The two-by-two racing wasn't the most exciting. I really wish NASCAR would let teams change engines after the 125's. Asking a lot for those engines to last through qualifying, practices, the 125's and then 500 miles on raceday.

Yeah, I'm ticked that 50% of RCR lost their engines.

my question is: why not change your engine and start at the rear? makes zero difference where you start on the plate tracks...

on a side note, odd the 500 winner isnt the points leader.

[burleytog]

If a Ford had to win, it was nice to see the Wood Brothers make it to Victory Lane.

The two-by-two racing wasn't the most exciting. I really wish NASCAR would let teams change engines after the 125's. Asking a lot for those engines to last through qualifying, practices, the 125's and then 500 miles on raceday.

Yeah, I'm ticked that 50% of RCR lost their engines.

my question is: why not change your engine and start at the rear? makes zero difference where you start on the plate tracks...

on a side note, odd the 500 winner isnt the points leader.

I follow Harvick on Twitter and he never gave any indication about engine problems.

Here's his tweet after final practice.

KevinHarvick Kevin Harvick

Made 6 laps no leaks or vibrations so we are ready to race!

19 Feb Favorite Retweet Reply

I just think that with Daytona being the flagship race, it would be wise for NASCAR to say, hey, change those engines before the big one.

But yes, starting from the back isn't a big deal at Daytona and Dega.

[Glenn]

I'm just happy somebody OTHER than the usual names won it. 

NASCAR shure has gotten boring lately.  They should get rid of all the 1 1/2 mile tracks.  They need more Bristols.

[burleytog]

The UK Top Gear crew visited North Wilkesboro last summer, episode aired a couple of weeks ago.  Have to say it brought back a few memories.

If I was making the Cup schedule, they would visit Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond, N. Wilkesboro, Rockingham and Darlington twice a year.  California, Texas, Charlotte, Dover, Michigan, and Pocono would get one race a year.  Phoenix, Homestead, Chicago and Kansas would get zero races a year.

[lynyrdsky1]

Sucks Jr. got knocked out like he did. Did anyone else notice once he got up front everyone would pull out from behind him making him lose the draft and also Stewart wouldn't let Jr. get in front of him when they were drafting each other.

[1inStripes]

Yeah, I'm ticked that 50% of RCR lost their engines.

Dont make junk and you wont have to worry about it.

Junk? Burton, Boyer and Harvick were the class of the field up until Sunday. Harvick and Burton suffered engine failure and Boyer was right there at the front all day until he got taken out by Newman.

Yes junk.  Harvicks, and Burtons engines didn't make it 350 miles counting practice.  For Daytona, if you aren't going to change it, you better build it to run for 750 miles plus when you count the 150, and practice. 

The ECR engines that lasted only did because they were then warned that they couldn't handle the RPM and heat levels that other engines on the track were running at and had to be babied.

[Milton Waddams]

The UK Top Gear crew visited North Wilkesboro last summer, episode aired a couple of weeks ago. Have to say it brought back a few memories.

If I was making the Cup schedule, they would visit Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond, N. Wilkesboro, Rockingham and Darlington twice a year. California, Texas, Charlotte, Dover, Michigan, and Pocono would get one race a year. Phoenix, Homestead, Chicago and Kansas would get zero races a year.

Ditto

North Wilkesboro was my favorite track.  Got to go there 5-6 times before they dropped it, some of the best racing I have ever seen (including Bristol).

[=Matt 5.0=]

Yeah, I'm ticked that 50% of RCR lost their engines.

Dont make junk and you wont have to worry about it.

[fish-fighting-illini]

I'm not a huge race follower but those small tracks bore the heck out of me.

So did the DT500 though. That 2x crap was boring.

[Fishing Rhino]

Let's see now.  42 cars running side by side with very little passing is boring.  Racing at Michigan with a track that has four lanes (kinda like California) making it possible for faster cars to easily pass a slightly slower car, and the field gets strung out with few cautions is boring.

So this year we have a Daytona 500 with a record 74 lead changes, a record number of cautions, no side by side freight train racing, but we did have "the big one", and it's boring.

While it was much tougher on the drivers, and drafting partners were constantly being shuffled during pit stops, there was no shortage of on track action.

The racing depended upon the precision drafting of each pair.  A matter of an inch or two separation slowed cars considerably.

It was one race where being there was better than watching on television.  There was action all over the track, and I have little doubt that much of it was not caught on television.

I would not want to see that kind of racing every week, nor would I want to see Bristol or Martinsville every week.

The big problem with Daytona, especially with the new surface, and Talladega is that the handling technology has surpassed the design of the tracks.

No matter what they tried for the past ten or fifteen years, maybe longer, they drive the track with the gas pedal to the floor.  Handling is not as critical as it is on the shorter tracks.

Get rid of the restrictor plate, and then do one more thing which will slow the cars down, groove the tires to shrink the contact patch so they have to get off the throttle to make it through the turn.

The better handling cars will eventually pull away from the pack.  Very few adjustments such as track bar, wedge, or tire pressure were needed at this year's 500.

We've been going to Daytona since '93.  This year had the best racing and the best weather since we started.  No rain.  Temps in the high 70s to low 80s every day.  Good flights down and back. 

A long sleeved shirt was all I needed for the truck race Friday night.

Danica was a major disappointment.  She did well early in the race and even led a couple of laps.  Don't know if something scared her about drafting, but after leading the race, she never got into a tight draft with another car.

She seemed content to ride around the rest of the race drafting with several feet separating her and other cars.

[Glenn]

Fishing Rhino - I've been to Daytona twice (the 500 and 400), and neither were anywhere close to being better on TV.  They were much worse.  It's a 2 mile track, most of it is blocked by all the tall crap they put in the infield along the pits.  Therefore, you can't see much of what's going on.  What you can see, is too far away to make out who's who because it's too far away.  Then the pack screams by you in a blur of colors.  It's nearly impossible to understand what's going on.  You end up spending much of your time watching the big screens.  Oh joy...you spend major bucks to watch......TV.

Bristol is far better, IMO.  You can see the whole track and there's a whole lotta fast action goin' on!  Bring on the small tracks!!

[1inStripes]

I thought this years 500 was one of the better ones to watch than in recent years. 

Glenn, you can see everything at Bristol.  I just hate the new track configuration of a couple of years ago.  I wish it would go back to the steepest banked track and people using their chrome horn to move someone out of the way. 

Richmond and Darlington are the only 2 tracks I really want to go watch a race at anymore.

[burleytog]

I thought this years 500 was one of the better ones to watch than in recent years.

Glenn, you can see everything at Bristol. I just hate the new track configuration of a couple of years ago. I wish it would go back to the steepest banked track and people using their chrome horn to move someone out of the way.

Richmond and Darlington are the only 2 tracks I really want to go watch a race at anymore.

Bristol has changed.  It's more like a half-mile Charlotte anymore. 

Rubbin' is racin' and that's what made Bristol so popular.  Over the last couple of years, Bristol hasn't been quite the hot ticket it once was.  Now how much of that is due to the track changes I don't know.  Economy certainly hasn't helped either.

I live an hour away from the track and I've only been to two truck races.  But I hate crowds and traffic.

[1inStripes]

The last race I attended was the debut of the COT.  Havent been back and dont have any real drive to go.  I thought maybe as the track broke in, the racing would get better, but thats only been marginal. 

[Carrington]

i love Richmond, been going to both races every year for 12 years now.  well since i was 7 with my grandfather and still like it alot.

[Fishing Rhino]

Glenn, when it comes to Daytona, seating is everything. That new building in the infield is an abomination it obstructs the backstretch view of many who once had an unobstructed view of the entire track.

If you want an unobstructed view, it's going to cost you, if you can manage to get one of those ducats.

The first three years that we went to Daytona we were stuck in row six (bench seating, with no back rests) in the Oldfield section close to turn four. We could only see the cars as they progressed through turn three into turn four, through turn four, and at times (depending on who was standing) through the dogleg and into turn one, less than half the track.

And you are correct. The cars were nothing but a blur as they passed in front of us. But it does give you an appreciation for the speeds at which they circle the track.

It will blow the loosely fitted caps off heads for several rows, and lift the trash from the rubbish barrels.

Back when the only tickets to be had were from scalpers on the day of the race, a group of guys who were attending their first NASCAR race went nuts the first few times the cars whizzed by.

They were high fiving each other and exclaiming that seeing the cars flash by that first time was worth the price of admission.

The Daytona 500 has never been the best racing on the Winston/Nextel/Sprint cup circuit, and likely never will be.

I've slept through long stretches of the 500 in the past, and missed very little if anything.

We go, not only for the racing. Like the Superbowl, it's the circus like atmosphere leading up to the 500, and the excitement that permeates the crowd. It was the spectacle, more than the event that kept us returning.

We've stayed at the "resorts" along the beach, Disney, and made the trek forth and back, and stayed within sight and walking distance to the track.

None of the above is economical. So, if one is to spend money on air travel, and accomodations, it's hardly worth it to scrimp on the seats. We made the decision years ago to spring for the cost of the best seats, high up and as close to the start/finish line as possible.

We are high enough to see over the black monolith that was erected behind pit road a few years ago. And while the cars are small on the back stretch, even with my old, glass needing eyes, I can make out the action on the back stretch. Plus, they have jumbo trons so those whose vision is blocked can follow the Superstretch racing.

The two by two racing of this year's 500 made it much easier to follow the duos around the track. It was amazing to see a pair pass four other sets of cars on the back stretch as though the others were stopped, only to see the others do the same to them on the front stretch.

It breaks up the long New England winter. We've played golf, gone to Disney, and done some sightseeing on the off days.

This year we stayed at a nice hotel, only a half hour's drive from the track with a 42" flat panel HD television, large rooms, for less than a Ben Franklin per night.

We did pay a premium to park just past the track, at a motel where we had previously stayed. But, after the race we could escape the throng without getting jammed up in a parking lot or other traffic. Speedway Boulevard is blocked to eastbound traffic immediately following the race. We can get onto it in seconds, head east to Clyde Morris Blvd, south to Belleville Avenue take it west until it turns into I-4, and be back at our hotel room in about 35 minutes.

It took us several years to "perfect" this strategy. Other than Speedweeks, Daytona and its beach would hold very little attraction for us. They city has done quite a bit to clean it up the past several years. But they still have a long way to go.

We are now closer to the start/finish line, and higher than when I took these pictures several years ago. Casey Atwood's debut for Evernham Racing in his short lived Cup career.