Daytona 500 and Britney Spears
Motorsports writers sometimes wonder why drivers, series officials and readers ridicule them.

After reading, hearing and watching a post-Daytona 500 week of blowhards passing more gas than an anesthesiologist after lunch at the local burrito hangout, I’m starting to understand.

In classic Mark Martin fashion, NASCAR’s most respected driver ended any chance of a controversy during the post-race interview in the Media Center at Daytona International Speedway. For those who missed it, he said waving the yellow flag is NASCAR’s decision. He never lifted his foot from the throttle and didn’t expect Kevin Harvick to do it, either (even though he initially thought it was Kyle Busch).

The stories and speculation should have ended right then.

Instead, we’ve watched the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” entertain the debate with what seems to be a never-ending stream of walking, talking, breathing bobble-head dolls. If you need to giggle some time, mute the sound some time when ol’ Marty Smith takes to the screen — his head wobbles more than Stuart Scott says “Boo-Yah.” For those of you without cable TV or a satellite dish, is enough to want to send your children to chiropractic college.

Not to be outdone, the writers are chiming in with what seems to be everything from sawing the Harley J. Earl trophy in half to allowing voters on the Internet decide who won.

After nearly a week of thinking about it and hours of research (not really), I’ve come to this conclusion: NASCAR had as much to do with Kevin Harvick winning the Daytona 500 as Kevin Federline did in making Britney Spears look bad. Be honest and think back to a week ago, did you think that couple’s children were better off with him? Unless you’re Grandma Federline, I doubt it.

It’s a little sad that after watching what was probably NASCAR’s second-best finish of all time, pundits are focusing on a controversy that doesn’t exist and dwelling on the most mysterious foreign substance since Bill Clinton ran the White House.

My advice after 16 years in the media business? Watch for yourself — or better yet, buy a ticket and head to the track — then decide for yourself what you saw, because I’m starting to wonder if there’s any other way to know what happened.

For the record: Kevin Harvick won the Daytona 500 with a last-lap charge that any of the all-time greats would have been proud to call their own — including the one who drove the car before Harvick did.
Posted: 2/22/2007 9:04:00 PM
Comments:
Ron,
Amen Brother, you said it all !
Posted On: 2/22/2007 9:04:00 PM
I wish I could say that I agree, but in years past the yellow flag has been thrown every-single-time someone spun out on the last lap. It happened twice in the past two fall races at Talladega, it happened to Jimmy Spencer at Daytona two years ago in a truck race, and it happened to Dale Jr in the spring 2004 Talladega race. If NASCAR can't be consistent this controversy crap will never end. And honestly, drivers should be racing back to the line on the last lap no matter what happens, period.
Posted On: 2/22/2007 9:04:00 PM
I have listened to Sirius ALL week and the people complaining...I cannot believe how determined "some" fans(?) are to do their dead level best to "trash" Nascar. And I cannot belive how the same thing keeps being repeated, over and over and over and over despite the fact that "throwing the yellow" would have changed N O T H I N G. And as far as Nascar being "inconsistent" in their "calls"...how many of those complaining don't change your mind every day of the week as YOU see fit. Give it a rest. Let go. Move on. If you don't like the way they do things, start your own series and "be the boss".
Posted On: 2/22/2007 9:04:00 PM

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