{"id":3160,"date":"2018-02-19T08:52:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-19T13:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/?p=3160"},"modified":"2018-02-19T08:52:00","modified_gmt":"2018-02-19T13:52:00","slug":"memorable-daytona-500","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2018\/02\/19\/memorable-daytona-500\/","title":{"rendered":"A Memorable Daytona 500"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/strong>. The celebration in the Richard Childress<\/strong> camp continued late into the morning.<\/p>\n

A Memorable Daytona 500<\/h1>\n

There were many stories over the weekend and Dillon\u2019s historic victory certainly leads the list. Here are a few others.<\/p>\n

Read Our Race Report Here: https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2018\/02\/19\/3153<\/span>\/<\/a><\/span> \u200e<\/strong><\/p>\n

Who had a great weekend:<\/h2>\n

NASCAR<\/strong> \u2013 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\u2019s great news to have the sports biggest event sellout for the third consecutive year.<\/p>\n

Aric Almirola<\/strong> \u2013 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\u2019s how. Immediately after the race he did not bash Austin Dillon for making contact with his #10 Stewart – Haas Ford<\/strong>. He understood that Dillon, and he were both battling for NASCAR\u2019s biggest prize. Almirola after the race said, \u201cI\u2019m heartbroken <\/em>to say the least, but this is a strong team and there\u2019s always next week.\u201d<\/em> Sometimes we learn more about someone in defeat than in victory. Almirola taught a lot of us a lesson in class on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Darrell (Bubba) Wallace<\/strong> \u2013 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\u2019s finish saying, \u201cFor us, that\u2019s like a win.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The Underdogs<\/strong> \u2013 Darrell Wallace wasn\u2019t the only unheralded driver to score a good finish on Sunday. How about Chris Buescher<\/strong> and Michael McDowell<\/strong> who finished 5th and 9th respectively?<\/p>\n

Who had weekends to forget:<\/h2>\n

Car Builders<\/strong> \u2013 I know we\u2019ve come to expect the \u201cBig One\u201d at restrictor plate races but the people who\u2019ve invested their blood and sweat and hard-earned money had to be nervous wrecks watching what unfolded Sunday. If I\u2019ve done my math correctly, 24 cars will be headed to body shops. That\u2019s a lot of scrap metal.<\/p>\n

Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motor Sports<\/strong> \u2013 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\u2019t fare much better, all getting caught up in wrecks.<\/p>\n

Brad Keselowski<\/strong> \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

Danica Patrick<\/strong> \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

Other Daytona 500 Notes<\/h2>\n

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, \u201cI\u2019ve made peace with this place years ago. I don\u2019t have any plans to honor him this weekend. The fans do that all the time. I love this place and since I\u2019ve made my peace with the track, I enjoy everything about the place.”<\/em><\/p>\n

The USAF Thunderbirds<\/strong> did the flyover prior to the race. They even came back around for an encore, giving the fans a huge treat\u2026\u2026\u2026 Rascal Flats<\/strong> performed prior to the race\u2026\u2026. Past Daytona winners, Bobby Allison<\/strong>, AJ Foyt<\/strong> and Bill Elliott<\/strong> were honored at the track over the weekend.<\/p>\n

Thanks For reading.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 1110 AM, 93.5 FM or online at WTBQ.com.\u00a0 Follow me on twitter @JimLaplante.<\/strong><\/p>\n

MAIN PHOTO:<\/strong>
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>