Daytona 500

On Sunday, February 15th, was the start of the NASCAR season. For those who don't know the Daytona 500 is like the Super Bowl in football but, instead of ending the season it starts it.

Over the break there were a lot of changes made to teams and drivers. One of the biggest changes for me is that Tony Stewart is no longer in the No. 20 Home Depot car. He decided that he would take a deal that allowed him to be both a driver of the No. 14 Old Spice and Office Depot car and part owner with Haas racing to form Stewart-Haas Racing. Ryan Newman also moved over with him as the second driver in the team from the No. 12 to the No. 39 Army car. This year I will be cheering for both drivers.

The 500 started out with Martin Truex Jr on the pole. Tony was scheduled to start 5th, but after a crash in the last practice, which also included Ryan, Tony had to start at the back of the field. Good thing in Daytona it doesn't matter where you start, because as long as you choose the right lane and avoid the crashes it is easy to move from back to front without worrying about going a lap down.

The first caution flag was on lap 9 when Aric Almirola spins going into Turn 3 after slowing and getting a bump by David Ragan.

By lap 50 Tony Stewart was running third after starting in the back of the grid. By lap 54 Tony Stewart pulled out and passed Dale Earnhardt Jr. to take the lead.

Lap 66 two lanes are racing for the lead. Tony Stewart leads the bottom lane, with Jeff Gordon on top.

Lap 70 Jeff Gordon pulls ahead to take the lead from the top side with a huge push from Kyle Busch. Tony Stewart lead a total of 9 laps.

On lap 80 Joey Logano spins coming off Turn 4 trying to avoid a loose Scott Speed and slams head-on into the inside wall. He appears OK but his car's nose is smashed. (Joey Logano is now driving the No. 20 Home Depot car.)

On lap 124 a major crash on the backstretch involving several contenders. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a run on Brian Vickers on the inside lane near the front of the pack, but Vickers blocked. Earnhardt's car caught Vickers' car, setting off a 10-car crash.
Cars involved:
• Kurt Busch No. 2
• Kyle Busch No. 18
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88
• Carl Edwards No. 99
• Robby Gordon No. 7
• Denny Hamlin No. 11
• Jimmie Johnson No. 48
• Jamie McMurray No. 26
• Scott Speed No. 82
• Brian Vickers No. 83

Lap 146 Matt Kenseth is the new leader, passing Elliott Sadler with a push from Kevin Harvick. Aric Almirola goes spinning off the backstretch after contact from Kasey Kahne. Caution is out again.

Lap 152 cars have pulled onto pit road and stopped due to the rain. Two crewmen from each team are allowed to cover the cars. Drivers are out of their cars. The race is declared official (6:49 p.m. ET). Matt Kenseth is the Daytona 500 winner.

NASCAR had been worried about the rain all day and on about lap 132 sprinkles had been spotted. The race was called fairly quickly because it was past the half way mark and would have taken too long for the track to be dried.

Tony Stewart ended up finishing 8th and because he led laps is 7th in the standings. Ryan Newman finished 36th and is 36th in the standings.

On Sunday is Fontana, CA and then on March 1st is Las Vegas where Mike, Dad H, RaeAnn, Krystal, Mom S and I will be watching live. We will be in Vegas from February 25-March 2. Yeah for warm weather.