Seriously, folks, after a week and a day of sitting in my recliner watching everything stock car racing, from ARCA practice, to Cup Practice, Nationwide Practice, Camping World Practice, qualifying and everything EXCEPT that Beach Bash the night before the 500, I got lazy. In addition to the constant sitting on my butt, I was enjoying my "Petty's Pride Salted Peanuts", my "Petty's Pride Popcorn" my bite size Snickers and Milky Ways, assorted cookies and crackers, as well as heaping helpings of Publix brand Black Jack Cherry Yogurt! That one Speedweek equaled about 2 Thanksgivings for me in the eating category. I have stayed as far away from my scales since last Tuesday as certain broadcast personalities have stayed away from intelligence.
Late Sunday night, after a rain delay of more than six hours, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the Daytona 500 for the second time. Is there anyone on the planet who has not heard that by this time Tuesday night? How important was that win to NASCAR? Well let me tell you this. The radio station I listen to while working here in the Lair, has a DJ who is a recent transplant from Connecticutt, or maybe it's Massachusetts, but the point is this. As I was listening to her this morning she makes the observation that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had won the Daytona 500 and she was happy that the number 3 was back. Now listening to her, it appears that she assumes the number 3 and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were/are/would be one and the same. That DJ has been here in South Carolina for about five months now and while she is good at what she does, I doubt seriously if she has ever heard of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. or Sr. and the Daytona 500 was a race that made the newspapers. Nevertheless, she knew enough to announce that on the radio this morning knowing full well that any race fan listening to her would expect her to know what happened in Daytona the night before. It was sort of cute listening to her give her insight this morning. Bless her heart, she is one of those who knows nothing, or very little, about racing, but she was determined to speak out. Reminds me of others I have encountered around the racing world.
Junior's win is big news! A very popular win and one well earned. He drove that race as well as I have ever seen him drive and he made all the right moves. On that last lap I was actually cheering out loud hoping that the Jap Trap wouldn't mess him up but, alas, "any questions" Hamlin could do no better than second.
Junior was impressive throughout the race. But even more impressive, to me, was watching him after the checkered flag had fallen. NO STUPID BURNOUT. I have a strong dislike of those displays and Junior simply turned around and saluted his fans who, by this time, were gathered next to the grandstand fence as he slowly drove by and looked their way and acknowledged them, the fans. I'm thinking whether they were all Junior fans or not it didn't matter, it was a popular win.
Next, Junior pulls into Victory Lane and instead of going directly to the interviews of television and radio, he goes to each and every single member of his crew and gives that crew member a deeply heartfelt hug. To me, that was one of the most impressive Victory Lane celebrations I've ever seen in my 62 years around the sport. Then, when Rick Hendrick showed up, the raw emotion in Junior's eyes as he hugged Rick and said something to him made me believe that, for that brief instant, the reason I love this sport so much was clearly displayed once more! All of this is beside the fact that the day before, when Junior caused two cars to be severaly damaged in the Nationwide race, he told them, not directly to the camera trailing behind him, that he would take care of their cars. Class act all the way.
Also, for me, it was quite refreshing to see Junior give his winner's interview. None of the Carl Edwards/Matt Kenseth/Denny Hamlin/Jimmie Johnson rehearsed before the mirror sponsor message, but a heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped Junior get to Victory Lane. His thank you to his fans seemed to be to be the most sincere thank you to fans that I've seen since The Richard Petty Fan Appreciation Tour. So, Junior, congratulations on your second Daytona 500. You are qualified now that "Chase" deal so this may be your year for a Championship. Whether or not you win another race this year, or the Championship, you have shown to this old fan what a true Champion is all about. If I ever doubted you, I apologize, but you have to admit it seemed you lacked the fire of your Daddy. Maybe, it was just that you wanted to have something special to say and you said it Sunday night.
Now on to some issues on things that happened at Daytona for which I have questions. For instance, it was clear, very clear to me and to Dale Jarrett and to every one else in the booth Saturday that Kyle Busch had actually pushed another car half way down the back straight, no question. Yet just a few laps later, James Buescher is very close to Brad Kesolowski for maybe 50 yards coming off turn two and NASCAR gives Buescher a "pass through" for violating the absolutely, totally ignorant rule NASCAR came up with about Nationwide cars "pushing". As the broadcast crew stated, NASCAR had put themselves in a box on that rule having such a subjective agenda on issuing penalties. The rule is absolutely stupid and the call on Buescher was totally inappropriate. Kyle Busch can get away with it but if you're James Buescher it's a no-no. Not right NASCAR.
I got to see quite a number of interviews with drivers who were sitting in the "Fan Zone" to interact with fans. I don't know how much the fans were charged to be admitted to this "Fan Zone" but if it was free, that was a overcharge. Did anyone else see the drivers sitting behind bulletproof glass as if in a bank drive-thru with a slot where fans could stick something through to be autographed. The drivers I saw signing those autographs never even acknowledged the fan, just signed whatever was slipped through the slot and took the next thing. Satan will be competing in figure skating on the ice rink in Hell before this boy ever participates in such a travesty.
I saw an interview with Kurt Busch before the race saying that the 500 would be two distinct races. He stated, point blank, that 450 miles would be raced one way and the last 50 another way. Of course, our resident big mouth, D.W. jumped right on that explaining that what Kurt meant was that they would ride around in a line for 450 miles and then race the last 50. FOX broke for a commercial and when they came back, D.W. went into a long explanation of what he and Kurt had meant and said that didn't mean they wouldn't be racing the first 450 miles, just that it would be a different type of racing. I could almost see Mike Helton coming into the FOX booth and slapping D.W. across the mouth and instructing him to "watch what you say, that is not the picture we want to paint for those fans whose money we want". It was almost comical.
I also became quite tired of two statements repeated over and over by driver after driver all during the week. I began to notice it before the end of the Shootout when all of a sudden all the drivers seem to repeat "it is what it is" and "at the end of the day". As for the first statement, our former President, Bill Clinton, once said when asked a certain question about Monica Lewinski, " it depends on what the definition of is is". Remember that? As for this "at the end of the day" thing, that is something that seems to have hit the world vocabularly over the past few months and it is wearing on my nerves. At the end of the day, I say my prayers and go to bed. Really bothers me that we have to listen to this tripe repeated over and over and over. Stop it!!! At least I didn't hear Junior say either one of those things at any time during the week.
Another thing that really bothers me is a statement made by one of the broadcast crew, I believe Larry Mac, but I wasn't in the room when it was made I could only hear it. The statement was about the return of the number 3. It was said that "the number 3 is the most famous number in the history of sports". Without even going into whether or not he meant NASCAR, Indy Car, Basketball, football, baseball, or tiddlywinks, the statement was made that the number 3 was the most famous number in sports. I won't go down that road again explaining my feelings on the number 3, but to those out there who want to believe it is some desecration to Dale, Sr. to have someone else running the 3, get over it. Haven't you heard Childress AND Junior say that Dale, Sr. wanted the number to continue? Don't try to use the argument that Dale died in the 3. What about Fireball and the 22? What about Joe Weatherly and the 8? At the stages of their career in which they died in those cars, they were every bit as important to the sport as was Dale, Sr. And that is NOT disparaging Dale, Sr., it is just being honest. If that statement did not come from the mouth of Larry Mac, then I apologize to him, but to whomever it was that said that, perhaps you need to rethink that statement.
Two more quotes I wish to address. In an interview just before the 500, Danica said, quoting now and I wrote it down as she said it "I hope the drivers will concentrate on moving forward and NOT racing each other". Excuse me!!!! NOT RACE EACH OTHER. Really. There we go with that same idea that got D.W. a rap across the mouth from Mike Helton.
Finally, the news came out that NASCAR is considering limiting drivers from the Cup series from entering truck events and Nationwide events. My point here is not so much my position on this issue as the statement that was made by Kyle Busch in response to that. Kyle was incensed that such a matter would even be considered by NASCAR. His statement about racing in the lower series was "it is taking candy from a baby and they can't do that to me". I overcame my strong dislike of Kyle Busch in his early career as I believed Samantha had calmed him down. Also, I learned of Kyle's extreme dedication to the interest of helping kids, a real soft spot for me. But to make such a statement as that put him right back up there with those with the "God Complex" that he can do no wrong. He should win every truck race. He has more money supporting his truck team than 20 of the other teams put together. As for the Nationwide, he wins far too often, but again, it's all the money thing. Personally, I don't like Kesolowski, Logano, Hamlin or any of those guys being allowed to run the lower divisions. Just my preference.
So, our 2014 season is underway. Junior has won the Daytona 500. As a friend of mine here in South Carolina said "in a period of two weeks, we have had ice, snow, an 86 degree day, an earthquake and an aftershock AND Junior wins the Daytona 500. The end is near". As I said last Legendtorial, I'm taking this season as a one race at a time deal. D.W. is already talking about that infernal Chase. I don't care about that. I want to see each race for what it is. An event with a winner. I'm sure there will be controversy and fighting throughout the year, but I will concern myself only with the winner of each race. After all, at the end of the day, it is what it is.
