It still seems like yesterday, but it was 20 years ago when we last saw the iconic #3 car reach the start/finish line at the Daytona 500 ahead of its competition. On Sunday, Austin Dillon repeated that feat last achieved by the late great Dale Earnhardt. The celebration in the Richard Childress camp continued late into the morning.
A Memorable Daytona 500
There were many stories over the weekend and Dillon’s historic victory certainly leads the list. Here are a few others.
Read Our Race Report Here: https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsports/2018/02/19/3153/
Who had a great weekend:
NASCAR – The grandstands were a complete sellout with nearly 168,000 people watching fast cars and soaking up a warm Florida sun. After suffering lags in popularity in recent years, it’s great news to have the sports biggest event sellout for the third consecutive year.
Aric Almirola – How could a driver who led the Daytona 500 on the final lap and finished eleventh make any list for having a great weekend? Here’s how. Immediately after the race he did not bash Austin Dillon for making contact with his #10 Stewart – Haas Ford. He understood that Dillon, and he were both battling for NASCAR’s biggest prize. Almirola after the race said, “I’m heartbroken to say the least, but this is a strong team and there’s always next week.” Sometimes we learn more about someone in defeat than in victory. Almirola taught a lot of us a lesson in class on Sunday.
Darrell (Bubba) Wallace – In a sport that cries in need of personalities, Wallace very well might be what the Doctor ordered. Darrell was all over the track the entire week, grinning and joking along the way. His second place finish was a popular one, especially in the Richard Petty household. The King himself, was emotional after Wallace’s finish saying, “For us, that’s like a win.”
The Underdogs – Darrell Wallace wasn’t the only unheralded driver to score a good finish on Sunday. How about Chris Buescher and Michael McDowell who finished 5th and 9th respectively?
Who had weekends to forget:
Car Builders – I know we’ve come to expect the “Big One” at restrictor plate races but the people who’ve invested their blood and sweat and hard-earned money had to be nervous wrecks watching what unfolded Sunday. If I’ve done my math correctly, 24 cars will be headed to body shops. That’s a lot of scrap metal.
Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motor Sports – Jimmie Johnson and restrictor plate races are not a good mix of late. Johnson, once again got caught in an early race wreck and his day was done. His Hendrick teammates didn’t fare much better, all getting caught up in wrecks.
Brad Keselowski – There was an overwhelming feeling at the track this weekend that the eventual winner of the Daytona 500 would come from the Penske racing stable. Keselowski, at the top of my prerace pick selection, got caught up in a multi-car wreck and he was finished for the day.
Danica Patrick – This was not the ending that Danica had in mind for her final ride for NASCAR. She joined the list of cars involved in accidents and her day ended early. Danica seemed to enjoy her weekend though as many fans took the opportunity to wish her well in her future endeavors.
Other Daytona 500 Notes
Dale Jr. gave the command to start the race. Before the race, he was asked if he holds bad memories of the track given that it was the scene of the tragic death of his father. Dale replied, “I’ve made peace with this place years ago. I don’t have any plans to honor him this weekend. The fans do that all the time. I love this place and since I’ve made my peace with the track, I enjoy everything about the place.”
The USAF Thunderbirds did the flyover prior to the race. They even came back around for an encore, giving the fans a huge treat……… Rascal Flats performed prior to the race……. Past Daytona winners, Bobby Allison, AJ Foyt and Bill Elliott were honored at the track over the weekend.
Thanks For reading. Listen to WTBQ Radio on Monday and Friday mornings at 8:45 as I join Frank Taylor and the Morning Show gang to discuss the current happening in NASCAR. 1110 AM, 93.5 FM or online at WTBQ.com. Follow me on twitter @JimLaplante.
MAIN PHOTO:
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