Matt Kenseth drifted high on the final restart to pick up teammate Greg Biffle, who never made a move on his teammate down the stretch. While Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Jr. battled for second, Kenseth drove to his second Daytona 500 victory in four years.
Race One – A caution froze the field on the final lap of the race as Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was trying to mount a challenge on Tony Stewart for the win. Race Two – Greg Biffle dominated the race but swept up on the final lap thinking he’d hook up with teammate Matt Kenseth to seal the deal. Instead, Kenseth dove down into the lower lane Biffle had opened for him, towing Jimmie Johnson in his wake to take the lead and the win.
Kyle Busch used a David Pearson, patent perfect slingshot pass to get around Tony Stewart coming to the line.
*Who… gets my shoutout of the race?*
Talk about being there at the end. We barely heard a whimper from *Denny Hamlin* all night long, but when it counted, there he was, finishing fifth. The run is made all the more impressive by the fact Hamlin lost two laps early on, involved in a Lap 10 wreck only to stay patient, work with a damaged engine and draft to perfection after earning Lucky Dogs to get those laps back. Now, it’s too early to say if new (and defending Cup champion) crew chief Darian Grubb is having that big of an impact or if Hamlin will regain the form that nearly carried him to the 2010 title himself. But if the 31-year-old can run like he did Saturday night – quietly staying out of trouble only to make some noise at the end – Hamlin could well roar back into championship contention this year. Sometimes. you don’t have to be overtly spectacular to turn heads; you just have to get it done right.
I’d like to see everyone raise their hands who was absolutely gobsmacked shocked into silence that Kyle Busch drove Ron Hornaday into the wall, then didn’t apologize instantly. Anybody? Bueller? That’s what I thought. But wait, I have another one. A show of hands, please, on who couldn’t believe their ears when the Catawba County …
ONE: Who Can Blame Steve Addington for (Possibly) Leaving?
“Branding” – and all of its various forms (as in to “brand” and/or to become “branded”) – seems to be finding its way into the lexicon of NASCAR.
How will NASCAR, in 2012, try to draw more fans to more events so these attendees might spend more money?
During a press conference at Atlanta, Tony Stewart mentioned that he’d been considering Mark Martin as a “co-driver” to Danica Patrick for the 2012 season.
Is Danica good for the sport? NO! The sport is good for Danica and Danica’s bottom line, end of story.
Recent events surrounding NASCAR have oddly paralleled recent events in the news, especially with regard to geological and metrological concerns.
Now that I’m back at home, Firebase Beckwith, I can provide for you my latest creation: the Ups and Downs of NASCAR 2011.
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