Hello friends!
Sorry I have not kept up on this blog like I should, but if you are interested, I am going to be writing more frequently on my new site, TravisGalliher.com. Occasionally, I will post racing related things on both pages, but if you find my writing intriguing or interesting, keep an eye on TravisGalliher.com for all sorts of things. Thanks, and I hope to get something "fresh" written on here soon.
-T
Friday, August 14, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
In Memory of David Poole
David Poole, NASCAR journalist for "The Charlotte Observer" and co-host of "The Morning Drive" on Sirius NASCAR Radio passed away Tuesday morning. Following his radio broadcast, Poole suffered a heart attack. He was only 50 years old.
David Poole was not the guy who writes the article that appears in the sports page of Mondays local paper, recapping the race from the day before. David Poole was the guy who wrote the article that described what the race was about. Most newspaper articles about NASCAR are pretty cut and dry, black and white. The casual fan who saw the 60 second highlight reel on Sportscenter could write the same article. David Poole was different. He lived in the gray areas, and wrote his articles and columns the same way. A David Poole article was for the people who watched the race, but read the paper or searched the internet to learn something new about it. He never disappointed.
When Sirius Satellite Radio took over the exclusive contract to carry a 24/7 NASCAR channel in 2007, they hired David Poole to host "The Morning Drive", a call-in show that airs every weekday morning. Whomever the programming director was who made that decision is a genius. David Poole could stir the pot. He knew how to express his opinion in a way that would rile up the masses and get the phones ringing. Most of the people who would call, disagreed with his opinion. I never understood why that was. I think it's because David explained his views so well, there was nothing left to add. His opinions and his ideas were thought out so well that they were difficult to argue. Many people tried to compile an opposing view to combat him, but Davids knowledge made most of them look foolish.
David had a knack for getting the entire story. When something seemed to be pretty clear, David was able to find something to change your outlook. He would question the NASCAR organization and its forefront players without thinking twice about it. Many drivers commented yesterday that there may have been a time or two when they didn't like what he wrote about them, but it was always fair. The respect he had in the garage area allowed him to write in the manor in which he did.
David was also a softy. He rarely showed that side, but when he did, it made an impact. He devoted his column on June 14, 2008 to remind his readers about Wessa Miller, the little girl who gave Dale Earnhardt the lucky penny that was glued to his dash as he won the Daytona 500 in 1998. Thanks to that article, money was raised to help the Miller family get some needed help. Countless stories were told yesterday on Sirius NASCAR Radio about the small, random acts of kindness he passed along. David Poole heart was truly as big as his bark.
For me personally, David Poole was the best of the best. I write these blogs as a hobby, but there was a time I wanted to make a living as a NASCAR journalist. If anybody is trying to do that now, the writings of David Poole should be your textbook. Nobody has ever covered NASCAR for the print media better. It's amazing to see how much of an impact he made in motorsports journalism in just a few short years. I sure am going to miss stopping by ThatsRacin.com to read his latest post.
Besides his amazing work with "The Charlotte Observer", he was the star of Sirius NASCAR Radio on satellite radio. There was nothing better then tuning into "The Morning Drive" on Monday mornings and listen to David rant about everything from the race, to his red-eye flight home. When my phone would ring in the morning and my dads number would appear on the Caller ID, I had better fire up my satellite radio, because it usually meant Poole was going off about something. I had the honor of talking to David on that show one morning, and it was to agree with him on a particular topic. I never once called to argue a point he made because I know he would have made me look dumb, easily. Besides that, I almost always agreed with him. Most lifelong NASCAR fans did.
For me, this loss ranks right up there with the loss of Dale Earnhardt in terms of impact on the sport. David Poole was the best at what he did. Nobody has been able to fill the void left by the great Dale Earnhardt, and I don't see anybody who can fill the void left by the great David Poole. MRN Radio may call themselves "The Voice of NASCAR", but the real "voice of NASCAR" left us Tuesday morning, with way too much ink left in his pen, and too many pages left blank in his notepad.
Godspeed David Poole. You will be missed.
David Poole was not the guy who writes the article that appears in the sports page of Mondays local paper, recapping the race from the day before. David Poole was the guy who wrote the article that described what the race was about. Most newspaper articles about NASCAR are pretty cut and dry, black and white. The casual fan who saw the 60 second highlight reel on Sportscenter could write the same article. David Poole was different. He lived in the gray areas, and wrote his articles and columns the same way. A David Poole article was for the people who watched the race, but read the paper or searched the internet to learn something new about it. He never disappointed.
When Sirius Satellite Radio took over the exclusive contract to carry a 24/7 NASCAR channel in 2007, they hired David Poole to host "The Morning Drive", a call-in show that airs every weekday morning. Whomever the programming director was who made that decision is a genius. David Poole could stir the pot. He knew how to express his opinion in a way that would rile up the masses and get the phones ringing. Most of the people who would call, disagreed with his opinion. I never understood why that was. I think it's because David explained his views so well, there was nothing left to add. His opinions and his ideas were thought out so well that they were difficult to argue. Many people tried to compile an opposing view to combat him, but Davids knowledge made most of them look foolish.
David had a knack for getting the entire story. When something seemed to be pretty clear, David was able to find something to change your outlook. He would question the NASCAR organization and its forefront players without thinking twice about it. Many drivers commented yesterday that there may have been a time or two when they didn't like what he wrote about them, but it was always fair. The respect he had in the garage area allowed him to write in the manor in which he did.
David was also a softy. He rarely showed that side, but when he did, it made an impact. He devoted his column on June 14, 2008 to remind his readers about Wessa Miller, the little girl who gave Dale Earnhardt the lucky penny that was glued to his dash as he won the Daytona 500 in 1998. Thanks to that article, money was raised to help the Miller family get some needed help. Countless stories were told yesterday on Sirius NASCAR Radio about the small, random acts of kindness he passed along. David Poole heart was truly as big as his bark.
For me personally, David Poole was the best of the best. I write these blogs as a hobby, but there was a time I wanted to make a living as a NASCAR journalist. If anybody is trying to do that now, the writings of David Poole should be your textbook. Nobody has ever covered NASCAR for the print media better. It's amazing to see how much of an impact he made in motorsports journalism in just a few short years. I sure am going to miss stopping by ThatsRacin.com to read his latest post.
Besides his amazing work with "The Charlotte Observer", he was the star of Sirius NASCAR Radio on satellite radio. There was nothing better then tuning into "The Morning Drive" on Monday mornings and listen to David rant about everything from the race, to his red-eye flight home. When my phone would ring in the morning and my dads number would appear on the Caller ID, I had better fire up my satellite radio, because it usually meant Poole was going off about something. I had the honor of talking to David on that show one morning, and it was to agree with him on a particular topic. I never once called to argue a point he made because I know he would have made me look dumb, easily. Besides that, I almost always agreed with him. Most lifelong NASCAR fans did.
For me, this loss ranks right up there with the loss of Dale Earnhardt in terms of impact on the sport. David Poole was the best at what he did. Nobody has been able to fill the void left by the great Dale Earnhardt, and I don't see anybody who can fill the void left by the great David Poole. MRN Radio may call themselves "The Voice of NASCAR", but the real "voice of NASCAR" left us Tuesday morning, with way too much ink left in his pen, and too many pages left blank in his notepad.
Godspeed David Poole. You will be missed.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Jeff Gordon's Win Good For NASCAR
Love him or hate him, Jeff Gordon is the face of NASCAR for many people, and when he wins, it's good for the sport. Jimmie Johnson, winner of the last 3 Sprint Cup Championships, is known by many, but he is not the household name Gordon is.
Just look at the PGA. TV ratings dropped significantly while Tiger Woods was on the mend from his broken leg and knee injury. When the face of a sport is absent, the entire sport suffers. Ticket sales drop, TV viewership drops, apparel doesn't sell, and sponsorships become harder to come by.
During these tough economic times, a sport like NASCAR that is fueled by its sponsors needs to have its most famous competitors winning. It brings extra attention to the sport in the form of coverage on local TV newscasts, front page features in newspapers, and feature articles on sports related websites.
Jeff Gordon may not be as popular among race fans as Dale Earnhardt Jr., but it is Gordon who non-race fans know about. When Gordon wins, NASCAR wins.
Just look at the PGA. TV ratings dropped significantly while Tiger Woods was on the mend from his broken leg and knee injury. When the face of a sport is absent, the entire sport suffers. Ticket sales drop, TV viewership drops, apparel doesn't sell, and sponsorships become harder to come by.
During these tough economic times, a sport like NASCAR that is fueled by its sponsors needs to have its most famous competitors winning. It brings extra attention to the sport in the form of coverage on local TV newscasts, front page features in newspapers, and feature articles on sports related websites.
Jeff Gordon may not be as popular among race fans as Dale Earnhardt Jr., but it is Gordon who non-race fans know about. When Gordon wins, NASCAR wins.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Who is "The Other Busch"?
Following Kurt Busch's dominating victory on Sunday in Atlanta, many news organizations took indirect shots at the oldest of the famous Busch Brothers in their headlines, calling him the "Other Busch", "Not That One", and other various clever ways to announce that it was not Kyle in victory lane. Lately, Kyle has been in the news more then Kurt. He has already won 4 races in the top 3 NASCAR series this season, and won a total of 21 last year. Kyle has 13 victories total in the Cup Series. Quite an impressive résumé.
Kurt, up until Sunday's win, has been out of the spotlight lately. He has not found the same success he had with Roush Racing since moving to Penske in 2006, but he has been in victory lane every season since 2002 with a total of 19 Cup wins (6 more then Kyle). The "Other Busch" has one thing that his younger brother does not have, a Sprint Cup Series Championship, the first crowned under The Chase format in 2004. As far as I am concerned, Kurt is not the "Other Busch". Regardless of what Kyle does in his career, unless he is crowned with a championship, Kurt is number one in the family, not Kyle.
NASCAR has had a great tradition of families in the sport, with many father/son and brother combos running in the top series at the same time, including the Pettys, the Earnhardts, the Allisons, the Waltrips, the Jarretts, and many more. If Dale Jr. was having a run on wins like Kyle Busch is now, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. won a race and was called "The Other Earnhardt" by a media outlet, they would have to install extra security in their buildings and shut down their website, and rightfully so. You wouldn't call a 7-time champion the "other" anything.
You can have a great career without winning a championship (see Mark Martin), but without one, you are not part of the elite. Kyle Busch has the talent to win tons of races, and be regarded as one of the best drivers of his generation, but his career won't be complete without that championship. I am sure some day, he will hoist that trophy in the air (unless he crosses the pond to F1), but until then, only Kyle should be called "The Other Busch".
Kurt, up until Sunday's win, has been out of the spotlight lately. He has not found the same success he had with Roush Racing since moving to Penske in 2006, but he has been in victory lane every season since 2002 with a total of 19 Cup wins (6 more then Kyle). The "Other Busch" has one thing that his younger brother does not have, a Sprint Cup Series Championship, the first crowned under The Chase format in 2004. As far as I am concerned, Kurt is not the "Other Busch". Regardless of what Kyle does in his career, unless he is crowned with a championship, Kurt is number one in the family, not Kyle.
NASCAR has had a great tradition of families in the sport, with many father/son and brother combos running in the top series at the same time, including the Pettys, the Earnhardts, the Allisons, the Waltrips, the Jarretts, and many more. If Dale Jr. was having a run on wins like Kyle Busch is now, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. won a race and was called "The Other Earnhardt" by a media outlet, they would have to install extra security in their buildings and shut down their website, and rightfully so. You wouldn't call a 7-time champion the "other" anything.
You can have a great career without winning a championship (see Mark Martin), but without one, you are not part of the elite. Kyle Busch has the talent to win tons of races, and be regarded as one of the best drivers of his generation, but his career won't be complete without that championship. I am sure some day, he will hoist that trophy in the air (unless he crosses the pond to F1), but until then, only Kyle should be called "The Other Busch".
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Struggle of the Shadow
Following the accident that took him out of the Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas Saturday, Steve Wallace called Dale Earnhardt Jr. a "moron" and an "idiot" for wrecking him after the caution flag came out. After hearing that, all I could think of was how these two drivers are very much the same.
Steve Wallace is the son of 1988 NASCAR Cup champion Rusty Wallace. Rusty, besides his Cup championship and 55 wins, he has won an ASA championship, Rookie of the Year honors in the Cup level, an All-Star race, and an IROC championship. He was also named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. Steve, on the other hand, won championships in the INEX Bandoleros and a handful of ARCA races, but has not found victory lane in any of NASCAR's major divisions. His career is still young, but the pressure is building.
Dale Earnhardt Jr's father is Dale Earnhardt Sr., considered by many to be the best driver in NASCAR History. His 7 NASCAR Cup championships ties him with the most all-time. He is also a Daytona 500 Champion, a 4 time IROC champion, he won the All-Star Race 3 times, was a Cup Series Rookie of the Year, and won 76 Cup races during his career. There is a good possibility that he could have added to many of these numbers if his life had not been cut short in Daytona. Dale Jr, NASCAR's Most Popular Driver has had a great career by most standards; a two-time Nationwide Series Champion, past winner of the Daytona 500, the All-Star Race, and 18 Cup Series wins.
Steve Wallace is in the beginning of his NASCAR career, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in the middle of his, but the sons of two NASCAR legends find themselves stuck in the shadow of their famous fathers. Steven Wallace has been known more for his on-track incidents then his driving abilities during his time in the Nationwide Series. His 2 top 5's and his 8 top 10's dont equal his 14 career DNF's. In 2008, his second year on the circuit, his average finish was only a 20.1. Even considering his age and experience, this is not what everybody expected from Rusty's son.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has made his mark in the Sprint Cup Series. Regardless of how the remainder of his career goes, he will be regarded as one of the best drivers in the sports history. He is currently tied with Kurt Busch and others for 26th on the all-time win list. But the son of the great Dale Earnhardt was supposed to be the as good as his father. In 2008, many expected to see that come to fruition, after signing with the best team in the garage, Hendrick Motorsports, home to 8 Sprint Cup Championships. His victory in Michigan was supposed to be the first of many last season, but it wasn't to be. This year, Dale Jr. finds himself 29th in points, not where he wanted to be.
Steve Wallace and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are talented drivers, there is no doubt about it. You don't get to this level without some ability to drive a race car. The question is, where would they be if they had a different last name. Some will argue that their name got them here, and they otherwise would not have made it this far. What I wonder is, if they were not stuck with the added pressure of being behind the shadows of their famous fathers, could they have gone even farther?
Steve Wallace is the son of 1988 NASCAR Cup champion Rusty Wallace. Rusty, besides his Cup championship and 55 wins, he has won an ASA championship, Rookie of the Year honors in the Cup level, an All-Star race, and an IROC championship. He was also named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. Steve, on the other hand, won championships in the INEX Bandoleros and a handful of ARCA races, but has not found victory lane in any of NASCAR's major divisions. His career is still young, but the pressure is building.
Dale Earnhardt Jr's father is Dale Earnhardt Sr., considered by many to be the best driver in NASCAR History. His 7 NASCAR Cup championships ties him with the most all-time. He is also a Daytona 500 Champion, a 4 time IROC champion, he won the All-Star Race 3 times, was a Cup Series Rookie of the Year, and won 76 Cup races during his career. There is a good possibility that he could have added to many of these numbers if his life had not been cut short in Daytona. Dale Jr, NASCAR's Most Popular Driver has had a great career by most standards; a two-time Nationwide Series Champion, past winner of the Daytona 500, the All-Star Race, and 18 Cup Series wins.
Steve Wallace is in the beginning of his NASCAR career, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in the middle of his, but the sons of two NASCAR legends find themselves stuck in the shadow of their famous fathers. Steven Wallace has been known more for his on-track incidents then his driving abilities during his time in the Nationwide Series. His 2 top 5's and his 8 top 10's dont equal his 14 career DNF's. In 2008, his second year on the circuit, his average finish was only a 20.1. Even considering his age and experience, this is not what everybody expected from Rusty's son.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has made his mark in the Sprint Cup Series. Regardless of how the remainder of his career goes, he will be regarded as one of the best drivers in the sports history. He is currently tied with Kurt Busch and others for 26th on the all-time win list. But the son of the great Dale Earnhardt was supposed to be the as good as his father. In 2008, many expected to see that come to fruition, after signing with the best team in the garage, Hendrick Motorsports, home to 8 Sprint Cup Championships. His victory in Michigan was supposed to be the first of many last season, but it wasn't to be. This year, Dale Jr. finds himself 29th in points, not where he wanted to be.
Steve Wallace and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are talented drivers, there is no doubt about it. You don't get to this level without some ability to drive a race car. The question is, where would they be if they had a different last name. Some will argue that their name got them here, and they otherwise would not have made it this far. What I wonder is, if they were not stuck with the added pressure of being behind the shadows of their famous fathers, could they have gone even farther?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
All-Time DNF Streak Safe.........For Now!
A hole in the oil filter. That's what caused Kevin Harvick's car to slam into the turn one wall at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday (video can be seen here). With that impact, his streak of 81 races without a Did Not Finish (DNF) was over. 81 is now the longest streak ever in NASCAR's modern era [1972-current]. Harvick was only three races away from the all-time streak of 84 races held by Herman Beam from April 30, 1961 thru March 10, 1963.
This streak is one of the most impressive records in all of motorsports. Think about this, Harvick's last DNF before Sunday was in the Dover 400 on September 24, 2006. The streak covered parts of 4 seasons. In those 81 races, he ran a total of 8 races at Daytona and Talladega, home of restrictor place racing and "The Big One". He took his number 29 to the wreckfest at Bristol Motor Speedway 4 times. He visited the bullring at Martinsville 5 times. And he even competed in the 600 miler at Lowes Motor Speedway, a race historically tough on engines, twice.
But this is Kevin's style. When he passed the previous streak holder, he passed his own streak of 58 races that lasted from 10/3/2002 to 8/1/2004. During his 9 year Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup career, a span of 288 races, he has only failed to complete a total of 14 races. He knows how to take care of his equipment, and this is also a testiment to his ability to drive a race car. Only a driver with good car control can keep himself in that many races. Even though the record is held by the driver, it unbelievable that Richard Childress Racing can build equipment that durable year after year. As impressive as Harvick's feat is, there is another driver who can eclipse his mark of 81 races and soon; his RCR teammate Clint Bowyer.
Clint Bowyer started his streak during his rookie season in November 2006, not long after Harvick started his. Bowyer's streak stands at 75 races without a DNF. During his Cup career, Bowyer has only recorded a DNF 4 times out of 110 races entered, which is only 3.6%. Impressive when you consider defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson has a total of 6 DNF's during his 3 championship winning seasons, 1 each in 2006 and 2008, and a 4 DNF season in 2007. In his 257 starts, Johnson has failed to complete 25 of them, almost 10% of all races. It's clear to see that even though having a DNF streak as long as Harvick and Bowyer, it doesnt equal a championship.
Bowyer is on pace to catch Harvick's 81 at Phoenix in April. Where will he pass Harvick and reach 82 straight? Talladega. He will catch Herman Beam's all time streak of 84 at Darlington, probably the most historical track on the circuit. But if Bowyer is successful in passing Beam, where will he become the all time record holder? Lowes Motor Speedway, following the Coca-Cola 600. One thing is for sure, if Bowyer does it, nobody will be able to say he wasn't tested getting there.
This streak is one of the most impressive records in all of motorsports. Think about this, Harvick's last DNF before Sunday was in the Dover 400 on September 24, 2006. The streak covered parts of 4 seasons. In those 81 races, he ran a total of 8 races at Daytona and Talladega, home of restrictor place racing and "The Big One". He took his number 29 to the wreckfest at Bristol Motor Speedway 4 times. He visited the bullring at Martinsville 5 times. And he even competed in the 600 miler at Lowes Motor Speedway, a race historically tough on engines, twice.
But this is Kevin's style. When he passed the previous streak holder, he passed his own streak of 58 races that lasted from 10/3/2002 to 8/1/2004. During his 9 year Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup career, a span of 288 races, he has only failed to complete a total of 14 races. He knows how to take care of his equipment, and this is also a testiment to his ability to drive a race car. Only a driver with good car control can keep himself in that many races. Even though the record is held by the driver, it unbelievable that Richard Childress Racing can build equipment that durable year after year. As impressive as Harvick's feat is, there is another driver who can eclipse his mark of 81 races and soon; his RCR teammate Clint Bowyer.
Clint Bowyer started his streak during his rookie season in November 2006, not long after Harvick started his. Bowyer's streak stands at 75 races without a DNF. During his Cup career, Bowyer has only recorded a DNF 4 times out of 110 races entered, which is only 3.6%. Impressive when you consider defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson has a total of 6 DNF's during his 3 championship winning seasons, 1 each in 2006 and 2008, and a 4 DNF season in 2007. In his 257 starts, Johnson has failed to complete 25 of them, almost 10% of all races. It's clear to see that even though having a DNF streak as long as Harvick and Bowyer, it doesnt equal a championship.
Bowyer is on pace to catch Harvick's 81 at Phoenix in April. Where will he pass Harvick and reach 82 straight? Talladega. He will catch Herman Beam's all time streak of 84 at Darlington, probably the most historical track on the circuit. But if Bowyer is successful in passing Beam, where will he become the all time record holder? Lowes Motor Speedway, following the Coca-Cola 600. One thing is for sure, if Bowyer does it, nobody will be able to say he wasn't tested getting there.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The Daytona 380?
Ninety-One Days. Three Months. 13 Weeks. 2184 Hours. 131,040 Minutes, 7,862,400 Seconds. That's how long NASCAR fans waited to see a points-paying race since the 2008 Sprint Cup season ended at Homestead on November 16th. The first race is not just opening day for the 2009 season. This is the Super Bowl. This is Game 7. This is the National Championship Game. For NASCAR fans, and fans of motorsports across the nation, this is as big as it gets. The Daytona 500, or at least what is billed as the Daytona 500. Of all the major sporting championships in the world, auto racing is one of the very few that will allow their premier events to be terminated early because of weather coniditions. Why is this?
Keep in mind, NASCAR is not exclusive in this. This occures in almost all major forms of motorsport. The Indianapolis 500 has been shortened by rain seven times, and as recently as 2007. I personally believe these two events, The Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500, should run at least the full 500 miles (green-white-checkered could make it a bit longer). We owe it to the fans, the advertisers, and the teams that are in the event. Both events are run on holiday weekends. The Daytona 500 runs on Presidents Day weekend, and the Indy 500 on Memorial Day weekend. This provides a built in make-up day for a large part of the fans who spend their hard earned money to come to Daytona and watch the race. Many fans, in fact, plan to have Monday off in case the race gets pushed back a day. I heard the argument that the teams need to get back to the shops to prepare for the long trip out to California for next weeks race. Re-align the schedule so there is an off week between Daytona and the second race of the season. That way, there is no rush, and you have a built-in rain weekend if the race gets totally wiped out on Sunday. Once again, why do they allow these races to end early?
I have been listening to Sirius NASCAR Radio on satellite a lot this week, taking in what some of the "experts" and fans had to say about the topic. I have heard everything from, "that's the way it is and always was", and "it doesn't make sense to make the Daytona 500 different from every other race". These points hold no validity with me. Up until 2004, the NASCAR Cup championship was awarded to the driver with the most points over the entire season. Now, it's the 10 race Chase for the Cup format that was added to create excitement. NASCAR can make changes to improve the series. Every starting lineup for every race is set by time trials. One or two laps of qualifying, with the fastest lap earning the pole, going back to 35th, EXCEPT the Daytona 500, which has the Gatorade Duels qualifying races to help set the field. That's different then every other race. Once again, why do we allow the Daytona 500 to end early?
Don't get me wrong, Matt Kenseth is the Daytona 500 champion. He deserves the money, the trophy, and the points. The way the race ended does not take anything away from his victory, but in my opinion, it does take away from the race itself. I am sure I will never see this rule change in my lifetime, but it's something that should be addressed. The Daytona 500 should always be the Daytona 500, not the Daytona 250, 350, or 380.
Keep in mind, NASCAR is not exclusive in this. This occures in almost all major forms of motorsport. The Indianapolis 500 has been shortened by rain seven times, and as recently as 2007. I personally believe these two events, The Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500, should run at least the full 500 miles (green-white-checkered could make it a bit longer). We owe it to the fans, the advertisers, and the teams that are in the event. Both events are run on holiday weekends. The Daytona 500 runs on Presidents Day weekend, and the Indy 500 on Memorial Day weekend. This provides a built in make-up day for a large part of the fans who spend their hard earned money to come to Daytona and watch the race. Many fans, in fact, plan to have Monday off in case the race gets pushed back a day. I heard the argument that the teams need to get back to the shops to prepare for the long trip out to California for next weeks race. Re-align the schedule so there is an off week between Daytona and the second race of the season. That way, there is no rush, and you have a built-in rain weekend if the race gets totally wiped out on Sunday. Once again, why do they allow these races to end early?
I have been listening to Sirius NASCAR Radio on satellite a lot this week, taking in what some of the "experts" and fans had to say about the topic. I have heard everything from, "that's the way it is and always was", and "it doesn't make sense to make the Daytona 500 different from every other race". These points hold no validity with me. Up until 2004, the NASCAR Cup championship was awarded to the driver with the most points over the entire season. Now, it's the 10 race Chase for the Cup format that was added to create excitement. NASCAR can make changes to improve the series. Every starting lineup for every race is set by time trials. One or two laps of qualifying, with the fastest lap earning the pole, going back to 35th, EXCEPT the Daytona 500, which has the Gatorade Duels qualifying races to help set the field. That's different then every other race. Once again, why do we allow the Daytona 500 to end early?
Don't get me wrong, Matt Kenseth is the Daytona 500 champion. He deserves the money, the trophy, and the points. The way the race ended does not take anything away from his victory, but in my opinion, it does take away from the race itself. I am sure I will never see this rule change in my lifetime, but it's something that should be addressed. The Daytona 500 should always be the Daytona 500, not the Daytona 250, 350, or 380.
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