That was the week that was.
7 really good to really great races at Daytona Beach ( or Danica Beach as Tom Sorensen of The Charlotte Observer calls it).
ARCA is what it is and usually takes its cues from Nascar in regard to rules and safety. However, Nascar could take a look at ARCA’s restraint in the use of the yellow flag. Nascar hasn’t always had such a quick caution trigger. Dale Jarrett stuck in the middle of the track some years ago – driver’s side exposed to oncoming traffic racing back to the flag – prompted Nascar to err on the side of safety. Some might say they erred WAY on the side of safety. There must be some common ground between the Nascar way and the ARCA way.
Did you notice the similarities between the 1500 meter skating event and racing at Daytona?: the use of strategy, drafting, a little pushing and shoving, going from the front to the back to the front, and an anything can happen finish.
2.11.51: The Fabulous Hudson Hornet, driven by Marshall Teague, got its 1st ever victory. Marshall finished 1 min 14 sec ahead of Tim Flock at the Daytona Beach & Road Course.
2.14.74: Bobby Isaac won the first Twin. It was his first race since he quit in the middle of the Talladega 500 six months earlier after heeding the advice of a voice in his head. The second Twin, won by Cale Yarborough, included Tony and Gary Bettenhausen, A.J. Foyt, Red Farmer and Richard Childress.
If Ned were in the booth, we’d know what’s up with Jeff Purvis.
Thanks again to Greg Fielden’s “Forty Years of Stock Car Racing”, racing-reference.info, and Richard Sowers’ “The Complete Statistical History of Stack-Car Racing”.
