my thoughts on the 500

As someone on another forum said "Earnhardt wins, and the 3 car wrecked half the field. Just like old times!"

Seemed to me that the #3 was front and center every time they showed a big one. I'm not saying he's no good but I do think he was trying too hard.

I'm happy that Junior won (as I predicted). I don't like him as a driver, but he seemed genuinely pleased and it looked like he took the time to thank every one of his crew members. This means he won't win another race until 2016, but he picked a good one to be in front of.

The video clips that Chase and Tim have been putting up made it very obvious to me what is wrong with the modern Daytona 500. Two, three, four cars running together on the last lap is exciting. Twenty is not. You knew there would be a crash that would reduce two hundred laps of racing to only two.

That's it for me for awhile. I don't like listening to DW. I think the new rules are ridiculous. I'm tired of not knowing who's who because the paint job changes every week. I've been watching every possible race since 1968 but I've decided that this is no longer the sport I loved. I'll tune back in sometime during the chase. The rest of the regular season doesn't mean anything so why should I devote any time to it? I'll be watching Indycar this year.

I totally understand your position Andy. While I can't seem to give up thesport, now that my grandson is playing soccer every Sunday afternoon through May, it is not likely I will see any race in entirety run on a Sunday until after his season is over. I love watching him play. Further, THANK GOD, the Waltrip Dummy Duo knows NOTHING about soccer so I won't have to see or listen to them. Regardless of your position on the state of affairs in NASCAR today, please don't stop visiting RacersReunion every day. Your comments and insight are very important.

Did they have a race??????????? I was watching follow the leader

Thanks

Harlow Reynolds

The best part..... it's OVER! I'm just glad they got it in on Sunday...don't think I could have stood another time and another rendition of the "broadcast" team.

LOL i called the Legdon on Sunday after the race started to see what readio station was carrying the race could not bear to here that TV DW no more sounds better on the readio

Its all I can do to type this statement but here goes - I'm OK with Dale Jr having won that race. There, I said it. I think the guy genuinely had 'em covered, didn't back into it, wasn't the beneficiary of an oddly timed caution or lucky dog, etc. And he really reacted afterwards with the exuberance of a first time winner. Can't say I was happy with another HMS win - but hey, the arms race of cash is simply the reality anymore. Cubic dollars = wins + championships.

The part of the broadcast I absolutely loathed though was DW's commentary down the stretch when he all but shut down Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds.

When Greg Biffle's Ford went to the front and began to bob and weave amongst the 2 lines, Waltrip all but labeled him reckless. "What's he doing?" "He's all over the place" "He can't hold 'em off for long that way."

Yet when 'Junebug' went back out front & did the same thing, DW treated it was a strategy of brilliance.

Daytona 1993 was a special day for TV. I was perfectly OK then as I am 20+ years later when Ned Jarrett excitedly but calmly called his son to the finish line. Daytona 2014, I was nauseous listening to Waltrip call home 'Junebug' as if Jr was his own flesh and blood.

THAT kind of reaction is one of many reasons I simply can't break through to be a Jr fan. Its not fair to the driver because I've heard many times from him his admiration for the old schoolers. He also seems to have done as good a job as can be expected to keep his fame in check. But the syrupy, open championing by a network's hired anchors and analysts for a specific driver to win was about enough for me to purge the few bottles of suds I'd otherwise enjoyed yesterday.

One of the most absolute nonsensical schticks slathered upon us was Michael Waltrip's grid walk. But I have to admit I chuckled loudly at MW's encounter with Sparkle Pony beginning around 1:20 mark. Pretty clear he agrees with the King's assessment of her opportunities to win.

I'm often suspicious of NASCAR pulling strings in order to make an outcome more likely, but I agree that Junior legitimately won that race. Every driver is happy to win the 500 but I sensed a humbleness in Dale that I don't often see in other drivers. He's said before that he's embarrassed that he can't quite live up to his role as face of NASCAR. I think this was a redemption for him.

My primary complaint is that packs of cars they have wherever they run. NASCAR seems to like having all the cars run together because it gives them big crashes for the highlight reels. I like the crashes as much as anyone, but there are too many and for stupid reasons. I put the blame entirely on Dale Earnhardt for creating this style of racing where you knock people out of the way instead of passing them through superior skill and technique. I didn't like finishes under the caution and thought G-W_C would be great. Instead it just shows that these guys can't run two laps without hitting each other. The 1976 Daytona 500 is famous because of how rarely the best drivers ran into each other while battling for the finish. I had great hopes that yesterday's 500 would be caution-free, or at least the last fifty laps.

I actually like Mikey's goofy style and he seems fairly genuine. DW is a scheming shill for whoever slips him a check under the table. He knows what he's talking about but will lie if it suits the agenda for that day. And he talks way too much. I don't think McReynolds adds much to the conversation. Mike Joy used to be good but he just wants to limp along until retirement now. I know how he feels and give him the benefit of the doubt. Rusty, Hammond and Brad Dougherty and all those others in the remote booth are a waste. You only need two people to call any sports event, and if they're good, only one.

I've tried listening to the races on radio, and those guys are good. But I'm always tempted to turn on the TV and see what they're talking about. In doing so, I increase ratings and feed the machine. MRN is also NASCAR owned, and by tuning in I'm silently agreeing that I'll still follow the sport no matter what they do. No, I'm not throwing out false threats. I'm cutting my participation in what NASCAR has become.

I know almost nothing about baseball, but there's a minor league team nearby. It's a pleasant sport to watch, played on warm, sunny days, and it's easy for a novice to get the basic concept. I may go to a few more short tracks nearby, although I never really warmed up to Modifieds. On TV there's Indycar. They have fewer races so I won't waste so many weekends on the couch. They usually race in the rain too.

It took just two people to ruin NASCAR for me. Brian France and Darrell Waltrip.

That you, Perry, for pointing out the scoring boxes used by Fox. Made me dizzy trying to watch them. Gave up.

I understand that even Fox News reported JJ won, then issued a retraction. What a bunch of pros... not.

Had to go work a C.A.R.T. race once at M.I.S. Could hardly decipher which car was which from 25 feet away.

I didn't like the box that Fox had up for the shootout. I appreciated that it took up less room and it didn't block my view, but it was always bouncing up and down and distracting me. The one they used for the 500, but again, it updated too often for my taste. I always had to look twice to see if they were showing the next ten positions or updating the ones they'd just shown me. I was fine with what they had been using up until now, it was all of the extra ones for promos and sports scores that I objected to. I think they'll improve upon the new one as the season goes by.

I can recognize Indycars because their livery doesn't change that often and the same sponsor is usually featured even if the design changes. Nobody can read the numbers, but there are fewer cars so it's easier for me to keep track. The splashy paint jobs are an annoyance to me in all forms of motorsports. It's hard to get an idea of speed when the color pattern breaks up the outline of the car.

As to Perry. You're as big a blowhard as I am. I've had it out with you before and it seems that we just disagree on everything. I've said my piece, you've said yours, so be it.

Amen to the assessment of D.W. I wrote FOX but I doubt it will do any good.

i don't like to hear fox do the race but when you go to the mrn for the race it is about 5 to 10 seconds ahead of the race, fox put the race on a dlay so you would have to hear the race from them.

I am in a great mood today, but could not pass on this comment.

.

Will, you are a riot!!! lol