Daytona 500 !

Considered the super bowl of Nascar, the Daytona 500 is a week and 1/2 long experience.  It started last weekend with the Bud Shootout.  If you like racing, this is exciting.  I have been watching Nascar for the most part since early 90s.  I know, I know, it is or was considered a "redneck" sport.  But not anymore.  I am not a redneck and neither is Michael Jordon, he is now a sponsor for Denny Hamlin #11. 

I have been to Texas Motor Speedway for 3 races and loved it!  The sounds are great!

When I was a little kid, my mom had friends who drove race cars and there was a track that we went to and it was crazy loud and exciting even at a very young age.

It has to be said that Dale Earnhardt, Sr. is/was/still is my favorite and long story short, he died in race crash in the Daytona 500, ten years ago.  His son, Dale Jr. became my favorite after that.

So here are the cliff notes of this week at Daytona.

Dale Jr. won the pole for the 500, which happens tomorrow.

But then in the practice, he crashed his car, which now makes him start at the back of the pack in the 500 because he had to go to a back up car.

I was on pins and needles last night watching the truck portion of this event.  Now it was almost boring at first, watching lead changes and drafting with no real incident, but when it got to the big wrecks and down to the last 30 laps or so, drivers were starting to kick it in to get to the front and stage themselves to be at the front at the end of this race.  It was exciting and nailbiting.  They had two "big ones" and I mean big.  This is the huge pile up wrecks, about 15+ trucks crashing at approximately 200 miles an hour.  The safety has been so fine tuned in Nascar, especially since Dale's death, that these big ones didn't have any injuries, just drivers out of the race.

Michael Waltrip won this race, by calling the play to come and although his call was doubted, he played it out exactly as he called it and won the race!  He drove the #15 truck, with the colors of Dale Sr's famous #3 car, in remembrance of his friend in the race 10 years ago.  Michael drove one of Dale's cars in that fateful race.  On the last lap, Michael won the race in one of Dale's cars and as he was crossing the finish line, his friend, car owner and boss was hitting the wall and his life ended as Michael won his first race of his career.

Today is the Nationwide series of Nascar, the JV team, if you will.  This is the one that Danica Patrick will be running in!  She almost got the pole.  Also Dale Jr. and Michael Waltrip.  Who will win?  There is no telling!!  I am rooting for these three for todays race, what a trip if Waltrip won this one also and he will also race in the 500 tomorrow!

Who will I be pulling for tomorrow?  In the 500 - it is Jr all the way! 

One to watch out for today, tomorrow and in years to come - Bayne #21, he is the rookie and he is rocking hot right now!  Watch out boys, the youngin' is on your bumper!