Any Given Sunday

Yesterday marked the beginning of one of my favorite seasons of the year- NASCAR season! And wow, did we start it off RIGHT with the Daytona 500. If you missed it, there were tears and cheers, then a bit of yelling at the television, some more cheers, and it ended with tears through cheers when it all came together for a green-white-checkered finish that left me saying, “that’s why I love NASCAR… because anything can happen on any given Sunday.”

Let’s recap for those of you who spent your sunny Sunday out in the clear blue yonder or under a rock somewhere.

With 31 degree banking, a resurfaced track, and the penchant to race three-wide, we knew the Great American Race would not disappoint. And it certainly did not. With 74 lead changes between 22 drivers and 16 cautions sprinkled throughout the 200 (errr, 206, I think) laps, records were set left and right (or maybe left and left since racing is a bunch of left turns). 

The highlights began as early as lap 3 with the tribute to the legendary Dale Earnhardt, Sr. The fans gave a tremendous standing ovation and held up three fingers while soaking in the beautiful and unmistakable sound of NASCAR’s horses. On the tenth anniversary of NASCAR and America losing The Intimidator, it was a fitting memorial. And rumor has it that in the celebration of Dale’s life and legacy earlier in the week, fans were given stick-on moustaches. I think Dale would have liked that. J

By lap 22, Kevin Harvick was out of the race and I was forced to cheer for one of my other favorites. And no sooner than my guy was finished with his garage interview about the cracked engine block that ruined his day, “The Big One”, the crash that takes out what seems like half the field, took 17 cars out of contention in the Great American Race.

On lap 79, Little E, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., took the lead and I’m pretty sure the fans at the speedway could be heard somewhere on the other side of South Dakota. I’m told it was deafening. I don’t doubt it.

There was lead changing and bump drafting and more partner-swapping than a junior high dance and before we knew it, we were on lap 196 when Regan Smith and Kurt Busch got tangled up and sent us into a caution with four tiny little laps to go. Four tiny laps that probably felt like 400 miles to the ten or so guys who had a chance to take the checkered flag.

On the restart, David Ragan and Trevor Bayne had a plan but that plan blew up when Ragan was black flagged for changing lanes before crossing the Start-Finish line. An elementary mistake, true, but that’s what happens when the Daytona pressure gets to you. This is a purse of more than 1.4 million dollars. People tend to get in a hurry when racing for bucks that big. So, Trevor Bayne was left in the front, with no partner, and with Big Boys the likes of Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, and Bobby Labonte, nipping at his heels. Would the 20 year old rookie in just his second Sprint Cup start cave to the pressure?

Not a chance. Bobby Labonte gave the newcomer some drafting help and Bayne was able to block a hard-charging Carl Edwards to take the win.

I’m pretty sure there will NEVER be another birthday gift in the history of Trevor Bayne’s life to rival the Daytona 500 trophy he got this year. He was an unlikely bet yesterday; he was, after all, only contracted to drive a few races this season. He was working with NASCAR’s oldest team but a team that hadn’t won the Daytona 500 since 1976 (folks, I wasn’t even born then so you know that’s a long time to go on a winless streak) and hadn’t won a Sprint Cup race since 2001. The odds were against him, no doubt, but that’s why we love NASCAR. Because you never know what will happen; you never know when “The Big One” will take out your favorite driver or the driver you love to hate; and that’s why I’ve already got my schedule blocked for next Sunday’s race in Phoenix. And, by the standard set yesterday, Phoenix better bring it because the boys surely will. They’ll be non-stop, full throttle, pedal to the metal, race it till it blows up; and watching it won’t just be fun, it’ll be NASCARFUN.