by Mike Maruska
2/10/2008
“What a way to start this deal, baby!”-Rick Hendrick to Dale Earnhardt Jr after their winning debut.
Anyone still have any questions about Junior and Hendrick? One Saturday night feature race does not make a season, but it was kind of like a new quarterback throwing deep on the first play of preseason. It’s at least mildly ironic that in potentially the final Bud Shootout the man that made the company synonymous with NASCAR would win the race with his new team. Everything is changing in NASCAR, and yet Dale Earnhardt Jr and Budweiser were connected again for a night.
It was a good race and Speedweeks are in full effect. That giddy feeling returned for me the moment I heard the NASCAR on Fox opening bumper music. Instictively I began drooling and recognized that NASCAR was back. No more testing or media tours, just 38 weekends filled with racing. The race itself was pretty interesting for several reasons. Obviously the biggest story is Junior’s return to the winner’s circle, but no one should be surprised. It’s Daytona, Junior always runs well here whether it’s the 500, Pepsi 400, Bud Shootout or Twin 150 qualifying races. Tony Stewart went so far to say he thinks Junior might be a better plate racer than Senior. Keep that in mind all week, when he scores a top 3 in his qualifying heat and then, barring a crash finishes in the top 10 next Sunday.
For the first 50 laps Junior looked like he could take the lead anytime he felt like it. It’s not that DEI’s recent series of plate cars were bad, but they lacked the handling. That necessitated drafting partners for Junior to stay at the front. Yes he got help at the finish, but for most of the race the #88 could go wherever he wanted.
The bottom line is that it was an entertaining and popular way to kick off 2008.
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I thought when Tony Stewart showed up with the long hair it meant a more contemplative, mellowed out, koombaya-esque Smoke. That notion lasted for about two hours. Sure it’s something for writers and bloggers to talk about and it will be forgotten by Tuesday, but Stewart will always keep things interesting.
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Speaking of Stewart, it took four cars to out run he and Dave Blaney. Blaney stayed in the top 5 all night and will certainly be a threat the rest of Speedweeks. Of course, that’s assuming he doesn’t repeat his brain freeze from ’07. It was basically the two Camrys versus the four Hendrick cars. Foreshadowing for the season?
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Preseason means working off the rust, and that goes for fans too. That means adjusting to who is actually in what car (I confess I still struggle seeing Mark Martin in the Army Chevrolet). Earnhardt Jr is easier because A, he’s apparently pretty famous, and B, his paint scheme is brand new. It’s harder when you see the Bud car and do a double take before realizing it’s Kasey Kahne. Or wondering when Tony Raines won a pole? It’s even stranger seeing the bright yellow Kellogg’s car and not thinking, here comes the fireworks–no wait, it’s Casey Mears.
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Watching some of the near misses from Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch, it’s obvious the heavier car and wing will be a huge safety improvement at Daytona and Talladega. It made me wonder if we have seen the end of the wild, aerial crashes. I’m sure drivers like Bowyer, Elliott Sadler, Ryan Newman and Scott Riggs hope so.
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One thing you can always count on at restrictor plate races is Mike Joy telling us that Dale Earnhardt Jr is running the Richard Petty high line. Which then leads to his go-to quote about Petty driving up there because hitting the wall wouldn’t hurt as bad. Death, taxes, Mike Joy’s Richard Petty High Line anecdotes.
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I realize that because it’s the Daytona 500 and the first race of the season, qualifying holds more excitement than other weekends, but what’s the point, really? The front row is set(congrats, we have this lovely pit stall for you) and two “bubble” drivers get locked into the race. Beyond that 50 other drivers make two laps, do a few interviews and come back Thursday for the Duel. A lot could happen to the track by Thursday, and plus, starting position doesn’t matter very much at a restrictor plate track. It seems like the only newsworthy thing that comes out of Daytona qualifying is when teams break rules.
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