Which Way To Daytona??

Do you remember a certain Daytona 500 moment as your favorite?  Many people point towards such legendary moments as the fight in the grass, Dale Earnhardt's win in '98, and Darrell Waltrip's 500 win as some of their most memorable moments in the sport.  My personal Daytona 500 memory that spurred me from just a fan to a fanatic was the 1997 Daytona 500 finish.  No, not because of the 1-2-3 Hendrick Motorsports finish with Jeff Gordon winning.  At that time I couldn't stand the 24.  I loved that ending because after the big wreck that took Dale Earnhardt out of contention, sending him down the racetrack on his hood, he still had the grit to get back in the car and drive it to the finish line.

The Daytona 500 is a true roller coaster of emotions for everyone from fan to tire changer to driver.  You look forward to the race for weeks, have the build up of speedweeks, and by the time the race is over you have either dug your nails into the La-Z-Boy, yelled at the television, or totally ran your spouse out of the room.  It is a drug that we cannot do without but so long, and I need a fix.

The 2012 Daytona 500 is even more anticipated due to several reasons.  For one, we have just come off the closest points finish in NASCAR history which ended a crazy 2011 Chase to the Cup.  We are all eager to see who comes out fast, who sputters, and who downright flops.  Second, with the late Superbowl date this year, the beginning of the NASCAR season is a week late.  I know, most of you did not know we had any two sport stars driving this year, but apparently NASCAR drivers are among the few in the United States that can still afford an NFL ticket, so their presence, and money, was needed elsewhere.

For blogger, opinion-givers, Monday morning crew chiefs, and the rest, there is only so much prognosticating one can do for 3 months.  I have heard enough, and written enough (read for yourself), about Kurt Busch changing teams, all the crew chief swaps, and whether or not Dale Jr will win this year.  Lets see some green flags already!  Now don't get me wrong!  I am a NASCAR fan and as such love to make my opinion known, and will probably not slow down in doing so.  But I am more than eager to be glued to the television or standing in my seat at a racetrack.

So as you prepare for the coming week or so of speeding cars, NASCAR rule changes, grumbling about restrictor plates and the rest, just think back over the past two months and be glad that finally, yes finally, it is time for some racing!

Posted in: Dale Earnhardt Jr,Dale Jr Crew Chief,Daytona,Kurt Busch,Nascar,Nascar Blog,nascar news,NASCAR Race Results,Racing,racing blog,Rick Hendrick