Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Daytona in Review

Daytona verified a lot of what we already knew heading into the 2008 Sprint Cup Season.

1. Toyota is going to be a player this year.  All the old Toyota teams, Bill Davis Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Red Bull were improved and we all knew Joe Gibbs racing would be very competitive. Joe Gibbs almost won the 500, Tony Stewart was leading at the white flag, and Kyle Busch easily had the fastest car in the race.

2. Dale Jr. is still the biggest deal in this sport even if he is not driving for DEI or Budweiser.  The crowd in Daytona went ballistic when he took the lead.  The crowd around his souvenir rig was absolutely incredible; everywhere you looked, race fans were sporting expensive new 88 jackets.

3. The so-called car of tomorrow produced a pretty good show, especially during the last 50 laps. The drivers decided to ride for the first 150 laps and race for the final 50. Hopefully the on track product will continue to improve over time.

We found out a couple of other interesting items.

Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson don't win EVERY race.

Kurt Busch is a real team player.  Without his help, Ryan Newman doesn't win the Daytona 500.  Mark Martin has stated the Kurt is the ultimate team player.  Eventually, his public perception will turn around.

The Dodge teams look to be somewhat improved.  Six of the top ten in Daytona carried the Mopar brand.  Don't know if Dodge is going to dominate but they will be better.  Both the Gillette-Evernham and Ganassi looked vastly improved.

Overall, the 50^th running of the Daytona 500 was very satisfying and produced a great finish.  I've got to admit I'm already looking forward to next year.  

Now the real season begins.