Monday, February 19, 2007

Kevin Harvick Sweeps Daytona !

Kevin Harvick won the Busch 300 on Saturday and returned to win the Daytona 500 on Sunday. The wreck strewn race was an ever changing strategy session as favorites were eliminated during the race due to crashes. Tony Stewart, an early favorite, and Kurt Busch, who led several times during the race, crashed when Stewart slipped coming out of the second turn and Busch bumped him. The crash took both competitors to the garage. Former Daytona 500 winners Jimmy Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Jeff Gordon also retired due to crashes. Chevrolets finished in the first 4 positions with Jeff Burton and Mike Wallace finishing in third and fourth positions, respectively.

Juan Pablo Montoya, the former Cart champion, Indianapolis 500 winner and winner of 7 Formula One races. struggled throughout the race. I think Montoya is going to be good in Nascar and merely needs some more experience in these cars, which far outweigh anything he's ever driven.

Mark Martin, who was in a new part time ride for this season, looked like he was going to be the man to beat with two laps remaining, but Harvick got a good push from Matt Kenseth and nipped Martin at the wire. Kyle Busch, who drove his usual dangerously reckless race, was running second to Martin coming out of turn two. As the pair entered turn three, with Harvick and Kenseth freight training rapidly on the outside, Busch lost control of his car and turned into Kenseth, starting the melee that took out quite a few cars.

Nascar rules went into a grey area during Sunday's race with at least two different incidents where I saw cars go below the yellow line (out of bounds) and improve their positions, without penalties. The ultimate faux pas was Nascar's decision not to throw the yellow flag immediately upon the onset of the last lap crash, which would have possibly allowed Martin to finish first. According to the rules, the yellow flag would have frozen the field at the time of the unfurling of the yellow flag and the competitors would have finished the race in that order.

My personal opinion, although I don't completely like the rule, is that if it would have been thrown, Martin would have won. Controversy, as usual, always sticks it's head into the fray.     

The Pictures: (1) Kevin Harvick drove an intelligent race and came on to win the Daytona 500. (2) The race came dow to the wire with Harvick narrowly beating Martin to the finish line. (3) Clint Boyer, who was involved in the crash cause by Kyle Busch, finished the race upside down and on fire. Boyer was unhurt in the crash. (4) Busch and Stewart crash early in the race. (5) Jimmy Johnson, last year's 500 winner ran poorly and crashed late in the race.

This Date In History: 1847:  After spending a winter under harsh conditions that forced them to cannibalism, The Donner party is rescued. 1945;  During World War II, the United States Marines storm the island of Iwo Jima.

My cat, Possum S. Hemmingway or Shithead, as I affectionally call him, snores. He swears that he doesn't but I've got him on my cell phone camera and one of these days I'm going put it on You Tube (don't tell him). 

Birthdays: Stan Kenton, jazz musician (1912), Lee Marvin (1924), Smokey Robinson (1940)

My aunt's 79 years old and she doesn't use glasses. She drinks right out of the bottle. I asked her if she had a fairy godmother and she said, "No, but I've got an uncle we keep an eye on".

That's it for today my little nieces and nephews. More tomorrow.

Stay Tuned ! 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi there..I found you  by Journal surfing..;-) where in Florida are you? I am in florida too..stop by my journal and say hi..
Lyn