On Saturday NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie Michael McDowell crashed during qualifying. While the crash looks extremely devastating, it's a testament to the focus the sport has made on driver safety.
Several years ago, NASCARS most dominant figure, Dale Earnhardt was killed in an accident similar to the one McDowell had. As you'll see from the video, McDowell had a much more positive experience.
Watch video here.
I've been a Tony Stewart fan for a very long time. I've seen the ups and downs, and this season Tony only wanted two things... a win at Daytona and the Championship. Well, at least he has a shot at one of them.
In NASCAR's season opener, the Daytona 500, it looked like Tony was on his way to a first place finish. He managed to get by Kurt Busch, who was the cause of Stewarts last place finish. Kurt inadvertantly bumped Tony in the left rear causing both Stewart and Busch to hit the wall resulting in damag that put both drivers out of the race.
It's sad really. Both Steward and Busch had great cars. Tony had a speeding penalty for leaving the pits too fast and and had to start a push from the rear. He did it, with speed and accuracy. This race Tony showed a lot more patience than in previous years. He knew the car was fast, he just had to stay clear of the "big wreck". He did that, and took back the top spot.
I give Tony high marks for performance and racing skill. The finish was one of the best I've ever seen. As Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin drove neck and neck across the finish line, the rest of the field was wrapping themselves up in a major crash that saw Clint Boyer slide across the finish line upside down. It was incredicle. Harvick just nosed Martin out for a win. I would have loved to see the old man win.
After a short battle with cancer, race car driver Benny Parsons is dead at age 65. Personally I like the way he called a race. He seemed to get along with the other announcers. He was a soft spoken guy. He was also a pretty good driver. There aren't too many of the "old timers" left. The guys who drove cars with little if any safety gear and did it for nearly nothing but the fun.
Again Tony has the race at his fingers and some how manages to fall back. He led the most laps, but could only finish 3rd. Bright point? He moved up 3 in the points standings. I guess in the end it only matters where you are in the points. For the fan's, they want to see a win.
I love the short tracks and Martinsville is one of my favorite. No matter what place you are in when entering the pits, it could change drastically. It was funny to watch Tony Stewart comes into the pit first then exits the pits just behind Jimmy Johnson. Man that had to be frustrating. It's all about positioning.
Good job Tony, hope to keep it going. Only moved up one spot in the rankings, but it's better than falling down one.
Looks like Tony has moved up the points latter into the top 10. He was in a really good shape Sunday but pittered in the end, again. Way to go Tony.
[1] NASCAR.com
[2] Tony Stewart
