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TURNING LEFT: Newman Wins the 50th Daytona 500
By Charlie O February 18, 2008 |
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The “Car of Tomorrow” which is now the “Car of Today” created one the most competitive Daytona 500 races in history on Sunday. The “COT” may not be the best-looking configuration, but it may be the most competitive setup in the 60-year history of the series. Winner Ryan Newman went to Victory Circle for the first time in 82 starts! It was the first restrictor plate race win for the Roger Penske Racing in his 24-years of NASCAR competition. With Kurt Busch finishing second, it gave Penske his first 1-2 finish as a NASCAR owner. The race featured 42 lead changes among 16 different drivers. The 42 lead changes are the second most in Daytona history (2001, 49 lead changes). There were 81 passes under the green flag. The bottom-line: the race was filled with action from start to the finish. On the final lap, it appeared that Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch were going to give Joe Gibbs a 1-2 finish in their first race for Toyota, but Newman and Kurt Busch had a different idea. Stewart ran up top after the restart until the final lap. With the two Penske cars on his rear bumper, Stewart felt the need for help. The No. 20 Home Depot car dove to the inside where his teammate Kyle Busch could provide drafting help. The Penske Dodges and the Gibbs Toyotas were in a drag race down the back straight with the Dodges winning the challenge. With a bump and good draft position behind the leader, Kurt Busch pushed his teammate Newman to the front and the victory. The Dodge racing machines had not been much of a story during Speed Week. Not only did Dodges finish 1-2, six of the first ten were Dodges! The Hendrick Team had one tough day. The new guy on the block, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., had the best day finishing 9th and having a chance to win up until the last 2 miles of the race. Jeff Gordon dropped out due to mechanical problems on lap 186. Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears were both eliminated in accidents. Newman’s win was impressive, but the star of the day was the “Car of Today”. The car proved it belongs on a super speedway. The “aero package” with the rear wing stabilizer kept spins and wall contacts from becoming race killers that collect 10 to 12 other cars in an incident. What we saw on Sunday was a very, very competitive race. This may be one of the most competitive racing seasons in NASCAR’s 60-year history. In the immortal words of D.W., “Let’s go racing boys (oh BTW, the girls are welcome too)!” Up next: The haulers are packed up and headed for SoCal. The California Motor Speedway in Fontana will be the site of next week’s action. The Auto Club 500 will start at 12:30 PM PST/ 3:30 PM EDT. Fox Sports and MRN Radio will provide the coverage. |
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