NASCAR's first race of 2011 did not disappoint

NASCAR's first Sprint Cup race of the season at Daytona--the Budweiser Shootout--was at times heart-stopping. 

I admit I may be less than objective when I say that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing my favorite driver at the front of the field at the end of the race. It was good to see Ryan Newman's #39 WIX Chevrolet out in front and ever so close to winning the race. A third place finish at Daytona is almost as good.

Congratulations Kurt Busch for the win.

While I'm not sure I would like a season filled with tandem-racing at breakneck speeds, this style of racing is unique to Daytona. This was the first race of its kind--with only 75 laps--so it is difficult to fully determine its appeal. A true assessment will likely become obvious after Thursday's Duels and Sunday's Daytona 500.

The negatives: An individual driver must depend on someone else because no one car is as fast as when another is pushing it. I believe this harkens back to NASCAR's strict mandate that all cars must be created equal. I would much prefer the old days when a team could devise and institute its own advantages without the prying eyes of a sanctioning body ready to pounce on violations. In addition to a fast race car, I believe overall racing success should include strategy and full utilization of technological advancements.

Racing is an individual sport, whether it be a single driver or a single team. This type of racing compromises that concept. Since no single car is as fast as it is with a buddy pushing, this type of racing negates that individuality. I believe that jeopardizes the purity of the competition based on the individual prowess of the driver and his team.

The positives: Speeds of 206 mph make for a pretty exciting spectacle. The concentration and focus needed by drivers to drive in this fashion tests these athletes as much as any racing competition.

An emphasis is placed on teamwork through the drivers' reliance on his spotter.

This style of racing is far superior to watching cars line up in 40-car packs,  driving around in circles until the last few laps when all hell breaks loose.

In conclusion, I did enjoy Saturday's Bud Shootout, but then it was the first actual cup race of the 2011 season. They probably could have driven backwards and I would have enjoyed it.

I look forward to Thursday, and especially to Sunday. I'm hoping for a good season for Newman and his #39 team.

Ryan Newman got robbed in All-Star race

From a fan's perspective, it appeared to me that Ryan Newman was trying to emulate the name of his sponsor--the tornado with its furious winds, speed, and potential devastation in the last laps of Saturday night's All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Newman was acting out the slogan from tornados--Bold is how we roll! Unfortunately, that was until NASCAR and its not-so-precise rules stopped him dead in his tracks.

Newman could smell victory. His foot had to be mashing the pedal with untold pressure as he tried to eke out every bit of horsepower from the car that seemed to have a mind of its own and had given him fits during the entire race. But in those last laps, Newman was charging toward the front. He went from seventh to fourth when Jimmy Johnson spun in front of him. There was no caution at first, so he kept charging. Then the yellow flag flew. When the field was reset, NASCAR positioned Newman in seventh position, behind Bobby Labonte, the #71.

That doesn't seem right to me, because if my memory serves me correctly, when Newman started the lap, he was behind Matt Kenseth, the #17.

Understanding the green-white checker rule, like so many of NASCAR's rules, has eluded me since it was instituted. Don't get me wrong; normally I like it. It brings excitement. But it has to be fair.

First, why did Labonte advance to his position but Newman didn't? It doesn't seem right that as the field advances, and there is a yellow flag, the entire field would revert to previous positions without restarting the entire 10-lap shootout. But that isn't what happened.

Furthermore, if the field was going to revert, why not just put Johnson back in third where he was running before he spun? Ah, because he pitted. Can we have it both ways? Johnson's current position was noted, but Newman's wasn't, even though Newman passed four spots on the last lap? Something is terribly wrong here and if anyone out there can help me understand it, I'd be real grateful.

My heartfelt congratulations to Kurt Busch on his win.

But, I will always wonder, if we could have seen another Newman/Busch finish like the one in Daytona, '08 that Newman fans will never forget.

Thanks,
Carol Henrichs,
http://www.ozarkattitude.com