Race React: Daytona Donnybrook Goes To The Survivor

Let’s get this out of the way first: I hated the way this race ended. Mother Nature prevailed over a Daytona 500 that left more bumps and bruises than Mike Tyson. By the same token, I remember how everybody bitched about how the California race got handled last year, and frankly, I thought that was a cluster, so while it wasn’t the call many fans wanted, it was the right one to make.

You hate to see a race cut short, but even worse is watching a driver’s season get screwed up by weather-related track conditions.

Regardless of how the race ended, it should not diminish Matt Kenseth’s first Daytona 500 victory. As solid as Matt the Brat’s career has been, it’s hard to believe this is his first in the “Great American Race.” Even harder to believe is the fact this is Jack Roush’s first victory in his storied history as a NASCAR owner.

As far as I’m concerned, Kenseth is a fitting winner on at least two counts: 1) The 2003 NASCAR Cup champion drove right through the heart of that Brian Vickers- Dale Earnhardt Jr. melee on lap 125. The DeWalt #17 Ford drove right through the eye of the hurricane and came out the other side unscathed in a rumble that collected everyone from Kyle Busch to Robby Gordon. 2) On lap 2, Kenseth was DEAD LAST- proving once again he’s learned a thing or two from former teammates Mark Martin and Jeff Burton.

You can’t win a race on lap 2, but you sure can lose one. The pride of Cambridge, Wisconsin kept his nose clean long enough to be the beneficiary of the unsettled elements along the Florida coast.

Given his black hat persona, I’m not sure anyone envisioned themselves feeling sorry for the tempestuous Kyle Busch. Arguably, Rowdy’s piece was the class of the field, grabbing the lead on lap 4, and holding it for much of the first half of the race. Vickers collected Busch after getting booted by Dale Earnhardt Jr. while the two were fighting for position around the yellow line.

You should see the heated debate on message boards all over NASCAR Nation. Love and loyalty are blind. I need not tell you the usual suspects are lining up for and against Junior’s culpability in the incident. The accident capped off a day of futility in which it seems that the “88″ was determined to beat himself.

The truly sad part was Junior had a pretty good car and even led back on lap 53. Here he is running in NASCAR’s Super Bowl and he’s missing his pit box, getting pit penalties for a tire on the line, and then there’s that Vickers incident.

For what it’s worth- and I’ll acknowledge it isn’t much- I think Dale Jr. and Vickers are both knuckleheads for fighting over what Busch aptly described as “nothing.” I take Earnhardt at his word that hooking Vickers was unintentional, but at the same we see one more example of Junior seems to find a way to beat himself. As far as Vickers is concerned, this is another example of a driver racing himself out of a victory.

I really thought this was going to be a day of dominance for HMS. Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin, in particular had good cars. Not so for Jimmie Johnson. He finished 31st and was virtually invisible.

Look for the defending champ to be loaded for bear in Calfornia.

Though the race was shortened, we still got the same topsy-turvy scoreboard we’ve come to expect from a plate race. Behind Kenseth, Kevin Harvick overcame what he described as as a “slow car” to finish second. A.J. Allmendinger made his case for turning the #44 into a full-time ride. Clint Bowyer and Elliott Sadler rounded out the top 5.

OTHER RANDOM OBSERVATIONS

In spite of practice maladies, Tony Stewart managed a perfectly respectable 8th….Stewart’s teammate, employee and defending Daytona 500 champ Ryan Newman wasn’t so lucky with his 36th place finish. You know it’s gonna be a long day when the jack falls during a pit stop…Hey, check out who else made the top 10: David Ragan, Michael Waltrip, Stewart, Reed Sorenson and Kurt Busch. You’re a fantasy genius if you picked these guys….What is it about Dodges and Daytona? 4 made the top 10, which isn’t bad for the nameplate that put NO ONE in the Chase last year…Speaking of manufacturers, the Toyota weren’t was racy as they were last year….How ’bout that Drew Blickensderfer? He wins his Cup debut as a crew chief…speaking of debuts, poor Joey Logano. I’m sure a 43rd is not what he had in mind.

For you Kenseth fans, enjoy the day. This win ends a monster dry spell and gets 2009 started right. If your guy stunk up the yard, fear not. Remember that the 2008 Daytona 500 was hardly a bellweather.

Well, we’re off and running after a near three-month break. It’s good to talking track and not business again.

COMING UP TOMORROW

The latest top driver rankings in the usually humble opinion of your truly.

PHOTO CREDITS- Kenseth by Jessi K., Roush by TotalPhoto (Leon), Daytona emblem by mlb523. Kenseth Car by NIKONCANDY. More of their photos may be found at flickr.com.