Winning one for Dad...

[NickHammy]

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the Pspsi 400, the first time returning to Daytona since his father was killed there...

http://rpm.espn.go.com/rpm/index

[Marc]

Thanks for bringing this up, beat me to it.

I watched the entire race and it was simply amazing how Junior pulled from fifth to first with just seven laps to go following a caution. You can't call yourself a NASCAR fan if you weren't pulling for him. This race was the first NASCAR race on the track the sport's greatest legend was tragically killed - and for his son to win it was just an extraordinary moment. We miss you, #3.

[lmanchur.]

Originally posted by mjames
I watched the entire race and it was simply amazing how Junior pulled from fifth to first with just seven laps to go following a cautionWell, I don't know what a "caution" is, but during NBC's telecast of Wimbeldon today, they said he jumped from SIXTH to first... well, I guess he was sixth at one point, but maybe not at seven laps to go, like you said, Marc.... anyway, I couldn't care less WHO won, because I don't find anything about auto racing appealing to watch.

[Rick Dogg]

Originally posted by mjames
You can't call yourself a NASCAR fan if you weren't pulling for him.

I never have called myself a fan.

[Marc]

Originally posted by SC-Lee
Well, I don't know what a "caution" is, but during NBC's telecast of Wimbeldon today, they said he jumped from SIXTH to first... well, I guess he was sixth at one point, but maybe not at seven laps to go, like you said, Marc.... anyway, I couldn't care less WHO won, because I don't find anything about auto racing appealing to watch.
Lee, a caution is when there is a wreck or something that can be a danger to the drivers - it basically pauses the race and the Pace Car comes out and the cars have to slowly drive around the track while the crashed car, etc. is cleared off so the race can continue. Caution laps count towards the actual race laps, too. Any other questions? I think I know NASCAR pretty well, it's beginning to interest me a lot again.

[Ross]

Lee, consider yourself lucky that you are Canadian and do not know these American (deep south) racing terms. The only two races I watch are the two at Daytona, so I do not consider myself a fan, but it was great to watch Little E win.

[lmanchur.]

Originally posted by Ross in Big D
Lee, consider yourself lucky that you are Canadian and do not know these American (deep south) racing terms.Well, I don't really consider myself "lucky"... example -- CTV SportsNet has FOUR stations on my dish (East, Ontario, Pacific, and West stations), and ALL FOUR of them are airing some type of NASCAR race... and the other major sports station, TSN, airs auto racing a lot, too... I'm so happy that the other sports station, TheScore, only airs highlights and MLB games!!, so I can always resort to that if the other two networks are airing auto racing....

No, I don't consider myself "lucky"... I just consider myself NOT a race-car fan!!! ;)


:D

[Marc]

Originally posted by Ross in Big D
Lee, consider yourself lucky that you are Canadian and do not know these American (deep south) racing terms. The only two races I watch are the two at Daytona, so I do not consider myself a fan, but it was great to watch Little E win.
What does that mean? NASCAR, while still predominately popular in the deep South, is American professional sport's quickest growing sport and unlike baseball, basketball, and hockey, the ratings and fan bases are actually steadily growing. NASCAR fans are now nation-wide, not just in the deep South.

That said, I'm not one who will drop everything and never miss a race, but if one's on, I'll usually watch it if I can. Don't be dissing NASCAR! :P

[NickHammy]

I honestly don't follow it and I don't care much for it...

[Rick Dogg]

What is the appeal to Nascar? What is so exciting about watching cars go round and round in a circle?

And Marc, I dont care what you say, Nascar is still the official sport for the drunk hick that proudly waves his confederate flag.

[Jersey Devil]

Whether this just happened to coincide with everything that happened with the big guy, or if it would have had nothing to do with him at all, this was a great win for Dale, Jr.!

You'll always be missed Dale Sr.!

[Ross]

Originally posted by Rick Dogg
What is the appeal to Nascar? What is so exciting about watching cars go round and round in a circle?

And Marc, I dont care what you say, Nascar is still the official sport for the drunk hick that proudly waves his confederate flag.

:lol:, but true.

[Marc]

Originally posted by Rick Dogg
What is the appeal to Nascar? What is so exciting about watching cars go round and round in a circle?
You can say the same about other sports. "What's so exciting about throwing a ball through a net?"

[lmanchur.]

Originally posted by mjames
You can say the same about other sports. "What's so exciting about throwing a ball through a net?" Well, for me, the difference between baseball or hockey or football or basketball or golf or tennis and AUTO RACING is that you can actually SEE the person doing something... in Auto Racing.... you're watching a machine do the work... now -- I know, I know, the "athletes" in the car DO do something.... but.... well, it just doesn't seem like it... that's the difference.

For me, at least.

[Marc]

From Sportsline (http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/ce/multi/0,1329,4082490_6,00.html):
Doubters cropping up in wake of Daytona finish

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Conspiracy theorists, start your engines.

Actually, they've been ready since the celebration ended Saturday night at Daytona and Dale Earnhardt Jr. left with his victory in the Pepsi 400.

Earnhardt won the first race at the track since his father was killed Feb. 18 in a last-lap wreck in the Daytona 500.

Junior was pushed across the finish line by Michael Waltrip, the teammate who won the 500 with his help. In a late charge from seventh to first, Earnhardt's car seemed to defy the laws of physics on a track where carburetor restrictor plates limit horsepower and almost always keep drivers close.

In virtually every aspect, the storybook triumph seemed too good to be true. Many skeptics think maybe it really was.

No fewer than a half-dozen newspaper columnists wrote Monday about the "wink-wink-nod-nod aspects of the result," in the words of the Tampa Tribune's Martin Fennelly. All day, the talk show hosts said it and the Internet users posted it.

And here:
A quick reality check:

Earnhardt had the most dominant car all weekend long. He led 116 of 160 laps. Sure, he only qualified 13th, but qualifying doesn't mean much in NASCAR, because the conditions are so drastically different from the races.
Earnhardt and Waltrip also had the two best cars at the Daytona 500 -- proof that the teams at Dale Earnhardt Inc. clearly have found some edge in restrictor-plate racing.
On his final pit stop, Earnhardt changed four tires, something none of the six drivers he overcame during his charge to the front had done. It's much easier to pass the way Earnhardt did on four fresh, well-handling tires than the worn ones the vanquished drivers were using.
I think that pretty much puts the debates to rest.

[Rick Dogg]

Nascar=Rigged