Another great race is in the can.
I predict (keeping in mind none of my predictions come to pass) with the new surface the 2011 Daytona 500 will be one of the greatest races ever.
The new Nationwide cars are a big step in the right direction. Hopefully one day the other manufacturers will be able to build cars as easy to recognize as the Challenger.
Headline from CNET: “Blind person to drive at Daytona”. Some might say that’s been going on for a long time.
7.4.85: Firecracker 400. Greg Sacks gets his one and only Cup win. According to his crew chief Gary Nelson, he “may or may not have” had an oversized engine.
7.4.53: At Spartanburg, a Champion Spark Plug Rep backed over a napping Tim Flock and another driver in the infield. The car parked on Tim’s head. Doctors said he would be out of action for a few months.
7.4.54: Asheville-Weaverville Speedway. Herb Thomas won from the pole. He made his pole run with Joe Littlejohn as passenger. According to the race recap, it was the first time in recorded history a Grand National car had a passenger during a record run. Does that imply there had been passengers in other runs? Have there been any since?
If Ned were in the booth we’d know what’s up with Liz Allison.
Ref: racing-reference.info, Greg Fielden’s “Forty Years of Stock Car Racing”, Richard Sowers’ “The Complete Statistical History of Stock-Car Racing”.