The rain falling on Daytona today is symbolic of the decline in NASCAR's popularity in recent years. Even though last season featured an exciting rookie winner at Daytona and a very close battle for the Winston Cup, the ennui resulting from years and years of tinkering with NASCAR's traditions continues to plague the circuit. And now, the one afternoon in the sports year usually given over to NASCAR is being rained out, as middle-aged men across America change the channel to see if Rory McIlroy can win the World Match Play Championship. But maybe we're not missing that much. As you can see, it's been a while since a big-name driver won Daytona:
Last ten winners of the Daytona 500:
2011: Trevor Bayne
2010: Jamie McMurray
2009: Matt Kenseth
2008: Ryan Newman
2007: Kevin Harvick
2006: Jimmie Johnson
2005: Jeff Gordon
2004: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2003: Michal Waltrip
2002: Ward Burton
Last ten winners of the Winston Cup (or whatever it's called these days):
2011: Tony Stewart
2010: Jimmie Johnson
2009: Jimmie Johnson
2008: Jimmie Johnson
2007: Jimmie Johnson
2006: Jimmie Johnson
2005: Tony Stewart
2004: Kurt Busch
2003: Matt Kenseth
2002: Tony Stewart
For the first time in history, bad weather has forced a postponement of the Daytona 500. NASCAR will try again tomorrow at noon EST.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, on NASCAR Radio (channel 90 on Sirius Radio), they are broadcasting a replay of the legendary 1979 Daytona 500. This is FANTASTIC. It sounds like the Motor Racing Network was using the same announcers back then as they are now. (Eli Gold, for example, is in Turn Two.)
This was an amazing race -- one of the great events in modern American sports history. Of course, it's best known for the famous fight between Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough on the last lap. But there are all sorts of other great stories. For example, it was the rookie year for Dale Earnhardt and Harry Gant, and Earnhardt in particular did very well.
On the other hand, it is sad to hear the references to Oldsmobile and Pontiac. I miss them both.
To be fair to NASCAR, I'm not sure that any sport has gotten better since 1979.
ReplyDeleteSince almost no one has ever heard of Dale Earnhardt -- this was the first race of his first season -- the announcers keep referring to him as the man from Kannapolis, North Carolina.
ReplyDeleteNow we're coming to the end of the race. Three of the MRN announcers expect Cale Yarborough to slingshot past Donnie Allison and win the race, but one of them expects Donnie Allison to hold off Yarborough.
ReplyDeleteOf course, all four of them will be wrong.
Now they're reporting on the fight between Allison and Yarborough. Richard Petty, of course, went on to win the race -- and my 12-year-old self thought that this was just about the best sport in the world.
ReplyDeleteNASCAR now says that the 2012 Daytona 500 will start at 7:00 EST tonight. So it'll be like the Firecracker 400, but in Feburary.
ReplyDelete