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Daytona 500

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 13 2008 08:27 AM

Refresh your memory of how fun this can be by watching last year's final 2 laps. Awesome! Daytona is like the Super Bowl of Nascar, only it starts the season instead of ends it. This year the big stories going into Sunday's race: * Dale Earnhardt Junior is now a teammate of Jeff Gordon & defending series champ Jimmie Johnson in the 88 car. * Johnson (48) is on the front row with perennial 500 threat & former D500 winner Michael Waltrip (55) * Wild-eyed douchebag enemies Tony Stewart (20) and Kyle Busch (2) wrecked one another in a qualifying race then apparently went mano-a-mano off-camera afterward. They're on double-secret probation. * More open-wheel guys trying to crash the Nascar party: French Canadian F1 drivers Jacques Villeneuve (27) and Patrick Carpentier (10); and Scot-Italian Dario Franchitti (40), who's married to Ashley Judd. Some may need to post good performances in the qualifying races tommorrow to get in however.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 17 2008 06:20 AM

Hugely popular topic of discussion so far. TV starts at 2 today. Your starting grid: 1 Jimmie Johnson (48) Chevrolet 187.075 mph 2 Michael Waltrip (55) Toyota 186.734 mph 3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) Chevrolet 185.479 mph 4 Denny Hamlin (11) Toyota 185.947 mph 5 Reed Sorenson (41) Dodge 184.264 mph 6 Tony Stewart (20) Toyota 185.651 mph 7 Ryan Newman (12) Dodge 185.143 mph 8 Jeff Gordon (24) Chevrolet 185.858 mph 9 Casey Mears (5) Chevrolet 186.054 mph 10 Kasey Kahne (9) Dodge 184.828 mph 11 Carl Edwards (99) Ford 184.487 mph 12 Mark Martin (8) Chevrolet 185.429 mph 13 Bobby Labonte (43) Dodge 183.857 mph 14 David Ragan (6) Ford 185.594 mph 15 Juan Pablo Montoya (42) Dodge 184.241 mph 16 Kevin Harvick (29) Chevrolet 184.589 mph 17 Kenny Wallace (187) Chevrolet 184.953 mph 18 Greg Biffle (16) Ford 185.071 mph 19 Sam Hornish Jr. (77) Dodge 184.226 mph 20 Dale Jarrett (44) Toyota 185.345 mph 21 Paul Menard (15) Chevrolet 184.415 mph 22 John Andretti (34) Chevrolet 183.673 mph 23 Brian Vickers (83) Toyota 185.475 mph 24 Kyle Busch (18) Toyota 184.809 mph 25 Martin Truex Jr. (1) Chevrolet 184.290 mph 26 Robby Gordon (7) Dodge 184.850 mph 27 Scott Riggs (66) Chevrolet 185.193 mph 28 Matt Kenseth (17) Ford 185.517 mph 29 Regan Smith (01) Chevrolet 184.964 mph 30 Travis Kvapil (28) Ford 185.958 mph 31 Clint Bowyer (07) Chevrolet 184.106 mph 32 David Gilliland (38) Ford 185.410 mph 33 Jeremy Mayfield (70) Chevrolet 184.612 mph 34 Dave Blaney (22) Toyota 186.120 mph 35 Elliott Sadler (19) Dodge 184.521 mph 36 Jeff Burton (31) Chevrolet 183.884 mph 37 J.J. Yeley (96) Toyota 182.994 mph 38 Jamie McMurray (26) Ford 185.010 mph 39 Kyle Petty (45) Dodge 183.374 mph 40 Dario Franchitti (40) Dodge 184.351 mph 41 Joe Nemechek (78) Chevrolet 186.498 mph 42 David Reutimann (00) Toyota 186.463 mph 43 Kurt Busch (2) Dodge 184.540 mph

metirish Feb 17 2008 06:39 AM

Great finish last year, IIRC that was a big discussion around here, I'm rooting for Dario Franchitti .

Frayed Knot Feb 17 2008 07:39 AM

]TV starts at 2 today Race gets going about 2 hours later.

MFS62 Feb 17 2008 08:30 AM

Frayed Knot wrote: ]TV starts at 2 today Race gets going about 2 hours later. That makes their pre-event show about six hours shorter than the stuff before the Super Bowl. Later

Farmer Ted Feb 17 2008 10:23 AM

As always, I'm rooting for the redneck.

Nymr83 Feb 17 2008 10:34 AM

]Hugely popular topic of discussion so far. not alot of rednecks on the board.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 17 2008 01:04 PM

Pregame entertainment! Michael McDonald performing "Takin it to the Streets."

MFS62 Feb 17 2008 01:15 PM

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Pregame entertainment! Michael McDonald performing "Takin it to the Streets." I wonder how many people heard that and thought of that street racing in Maryland the other night during which seven people were killed by a driver who drove into the crowd with only his parking lights on. Later

RealityChuck Feb 17 2008 04:16 PM

Wow. Watching people drive cars. The LIE should charge and make a mint.

KC Feb 17 2008 05:10 PM

Exciting finish. Like I've said in past year's threads it's really the only race that I tune into and watch a couple of hours of. I couldn't put myself through a season of late race cautions and listening to those announcers go on and on. I will follow what Kasey in the 9 Bud car does on ESPNews over the course of the year - he was in first late in the race for about 15 seconds today!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 17 2008 05:45 PM

Wasn't the best ever, but a good finish, and lots of potential winners throughout. The Busch-Newman train at the end there showed just how useless a car is on that track if they're not drafting. I'm glad btw it was Newman winning and not Busch, who's pretty much a douche. In fact I was mildly surprised and mildly disappointed, that Stewart didn't try and wreck 'em all on their way by.

Frayed Knot Feb 17 2008 07:22 PM

metirish wrote: I'm rooting for Dario Franchitti . Admit it, you just wanted to see Ashley Judd drenched in beer and champange. A few too many caution flags down the stretch there today. A longer sustained stretch of jockeying would have been more fun.

metirish Feb 17 2008 07:30 PM

Can't believe I actually missed the finish, I was going back and forth and last I saw was lap 170......I wouldn't misd seeing Judd drenched in beer. Rooted for Franchitti because he's a Scot and apparently a really nice guy, hangs around the Irish pubs in Manhattan to watch Glasgow Celtic games and people say he's the best.

Rockin' Doc Feb 17 2008 08:26 PM

I seldom ever watch NASCAR races. Just not much of a fan, but a friend called me and invited me to watch the Daytona at his his with several other buddies. I arrived just as the race started. They asked me if I wanted in on their pool to pick a driver with the best finish taking all the money and I said yes. They allowed me to pick a driver even though the race was in the second lap when I arrived. The top four qualifiers were taken and since I had never heard of Sorenstem, I chose the best qualifier (that I had heard of) still available and kicked in my $5 as I settled on Ryan Newman (starting in the 7th position) as my driver. Much to my delight and everyone's shock, Ryan Newman won his first race in over 2 years. I am greatly indepted to Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch for my unexpected windfall.

AG/DC Feb 18 2008 08:54 AM

I never watch any races, but I root for Martin Truex, Jr. It's a known medical fact that meditating on the mantra of "Martin Truex, Jr., Martin Truex, Jr." cures erectile disfunction.

Farmer Ted Feb 18 2008 09:16 AM

I never got into the race thing, even when I was living in NC. I started to notice a bit when the in-laws would visit and take over my TV on Sundays. Then there seemed to be a wreck every race with about two laps to go and you'd get these free-for-all re-starts giving the guy in 14th place, who otherwise was out, a chance to win. That guy taking advantage of the wrecks and winning was usually named Gordon, Stewart, or Johnson. NASCAR sucks without Jimmy Spencer anyway.

MFS62 Feb 18 2008 09:25 AM

I'm with Farmer Ted. People were watching the race? How could they? The Sci-Fi channel was having their monster snake movie marathon Sunday. Later

AG/DC Feb 19 2008 08:39 PM

So here's the strange stuff. Please tell me where I have this wrong because I'm figuring this out as I go. People get ranked on strange formula based on finishes and finishing position and laps led and real rocket science. A few weeks before the end of the season, the top dozen guys (I think it's 12, but I don't know this sport) get grabbed off the top and entered into "The Sprint for the Cup," formerly "The Chase for the Championship" and also formerly "The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup," and certainly subject to change based on the intrusion of a new sponsor. The NEXTEL Cup itself is formerly the Winston Cup. The rankings are tossed out the window and these dozen guys start a new ranking during this "Sprint" period. The rest of the drivers on the circuit are eliminated, so I guess their motivation is to get in the way of drivers competing with their teammates. As this "Sprint" progresses, the points leaders presumably get more and more conservative, and in the last race, the leader's goal is to finish in maybe the top 20 and not wreck. What drama! How about the last race is a race for the season's championship, but the points accrued lead to a staggered start? So only the real slackers from the season have to finish 500 laps, but the leader only has to finish, say, 460, his nearest rival, 463, and so on.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 19 2008 08:58 PM

I don't think anyone understands the whole points system. But there is an advantage to being first, 2nd, 3rd, ect when the "chase" begins, since the points you accrued over the rest of the qualifiers do "carry over," so those drivers begin with an advantage. I believe they let the top 10 in, plus anyone else w/in a set point limit from 10th, which is why its sometimes 11 or 12 guys. If there's a guy whose been so dominant over the course of the year that the last race or two are formalities, it wouldn't be all that different than a baseball team that clinches in early September, or whatever. The Chase isn't perfect but attempts to make up for the fact that racing lacks a natural "playoff system" And it's no longer the Nextel Cup but the Sprint Cup.

AG/DC Feb 19 2008 09:07 PM

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: But there is an advantage to being first, 2nd, 3rd, ect when the "chase" begins, since the points you accrued over the rest of the qualifiers do "carry over," so those drivers begin with an advantage. Sure, but if you pull a couple of high finishes off early, you'd be encouraged to become more conservative as the "Sprint" continues, making it anything but a sprint. Not very climactic. What place did the winner finish in the final race last year? John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: If there's a guy whose been so dominant over the course of the year that the last race or two are formalities, it wouldn't be all that different than a baseball team that clinches in early September, or whatever. Understood, but then there's championship drama. Here, there's none. As the NASCAR circuit seems to already have a license to print money, such a championship would be a ticket to the gold mine.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 20 2008 09:50 AM

I don't think it's in Nascar's interest to make certain the last race is the one that necessarily settles it when the season goes February to November. Sometimes it will and sometimes it won't. Generally, being "safe" is the way to gain points anyway since a great deal is about laps turned. You know, stay out of acccidents and make sure your motor don't blow up. The 10 or 12 who qualify will show to have been the most consistent anywhoo.

AG/DC Feb 20 2008 10:12 AM

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I don't think it's in Nascar's interest to make certain the last race is the one that necessarily settles it when the season goes February to November. Why not? What's wrong with the staggered start proposal? That way the last race may well be largely settled earlier, but it will be clinched by the champion crossing the line first in the big one. YAY! There's just something wrong with a guy taking a champagne bath after finishing fifteenth.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 20 2008 10:22 AM

Well, I got nothin' expressly against that idea, other than it being next to impossible for fans to follow along with. You'd need 43 different white flags! Besides, there are points awarded for things other than turning X laps, so while Cole Trickle would "win" by finishing 300 laps, there's also a chance he'd win by turing 299 laps and leading 1 lap, or 298 laps, leading 1 lap and leading the most laps, etc etc. If you want to chase down the points leader before he has a chance to take it easy there are dozens of chances to do that. The last race isn't the best time though.