DataGrange Motorsport

Junior Lives Up to the Incessant Hype at NNS Daytona.

NNS at Daytona, Friday Night

After months of interminable hyperbole surrounding Junior’s running of his father’s former Wrangler colors at NNS July Daytona, the collaboration between Hendrick, RCR, Teresa Earnhardt, and JR Motorsports pays off in storybook fashion with his dramatic holdoff victory over Joey Logano (20). In the closing circuits, Earnhardt clearly ran with the superior motor as no other drafting combinations behind him could mount a serious challenge for the point.

NCS at Daytona, Saturday Night

In a night filled with shredded sheet metal, Kevin Harvick survives both a late restart and a Green-White-Checker to snare the Firecracker 400 that finished well after midnight, Florida time. Late race shunts take out major contenders such as Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray and a host of others, yet Harvick (20 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) still fought off teammates Curt Bowyer and Jeff Burton, as well as Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon during the G-W-C to win honors.  Chevrolet utterly dominates the top ten places, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. somehow avoids the late race major wreck to steal a top-five finish and lift himself into Chase contention.

Kevin Harvick (29, lower right) Holds Off a Thinned Out Field During the Final Green-White-Checker at NSC Daytona.

Even the Spectre of Earnhardt Could Not Overcome Jamie McMurray's (1) Brilliant and Dramatic Run at the Beach.

On a day brimming with both raw frustration and elation, a late race Green-White-Checker dash under the lights, coming after an interminable six hours after its initial green flag, transforms a seemingly disastrous Daytona 500 into one of its most memorable runnings in NASCAR history.

Greg Biffle (16) and Clint Bowyer (33), the primaries among a host of other racers, dominate the point at crossed flags, yet with 85 laps to go, a host of drivers, most notably Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson (48), complain of a growing pothole situated amidst the Turn 4 exit. Johnson consequently drops a tire after running through the rut, and Race Control issues a red flag condition with 78 laps remaining in order to inspect and repair the damage. Much to the bewilderment of both drivers and race fans around the globe, NASCAR spends an hour and forty minutes to repair the depression, and although Fox Sports puts a pleasant face on the debacle, other media commentators vent their frustration with the agonizing delay in racing.

After racing again resumes, Bowyer and Elliot Sadler (19) pierce the headwind at the point for eleven laps before Daytona demon Kevin Harvick (29), winner of the Shootout and clearly driving the most powerful car on the track, brashly joins the lead pack. Harvick primarily receives his lift through the field with drafting assistance from Martin Truex, Jr. (56), and with the latter now in the fray, fans settle in for the event’s final climax.

In utterly unfathomable fashion, the drivers again complain with 45 laps remaining about the growing pothole in Turn 4, again prompting Race Control to issue another red flag caution five laps later for repairs. Fox Sports attempts to salve the wound by frantically extracting vapid commentary from anxious drivers, yet as the sun drops below the horizon, many weary fans at the track (and surely viewers at home), including many needing to catch flights out of Orlando, walk away from the event as the repair delay again extends beyond the hour mark. NASCAR, well aware of the complete botch job and the upwelling of negative publicity on its hands, lays the blame on the recent torrential rains, unseasonably cold weather, and how both hinder the bonding process in regards to the failed patch.  Despite its red faced explanations, experienced race fans can see that NASCAR now places all of its fading hopes on the fact that the cars, after pit service, can reach the finish on one final run under the glamor lights.

As the cars come in for service, backmarker Scott Speed (82) opts to remain on track for position and then earnestly defies the Fox Sports pundits by running at the point on worn tires in a fierce side by side battle with Biffle for twenty four laps before others finally kick him from the draft with 16 laps remaining. Bowyer agains engages Biffle for the lead, followed by Kurt Busch (2), Truex, Jr., and Harvick, and the front group appears to control the race until a mixup between Sadler and Ryan Newman (39) puts the latter into the wall with six laps to go. Race Control restarts the race with only two laps left on the ticker with Biffle and Bowyer on the front row, and Bowyer, receiving a push from teammate Harvick, briefly snares the lead before the inside line, led by Truex, Jr., pushes Biffle back past Bowyer into the lead (Race fans afterwards chastise Bowyer for not jinking left to block Biffle’s charge, yet others insist that he made the correct choice to stay in line with teammate Harvick).  Biffle seemingly appears on his way to NASCAR immortality,  yet a dustup between former NASCAR champion Bill Elliot (21) and Joey Logano (20) brings out another caution.

With the Green-White-Checker rule in effect, Biffle chooses the inside line against Truex, Jr., yet the racing world takes clear note of hard charger Harvick, sitting in P4 on the outside line behind Truex, Jr. As the green flag drops, Harvick’s strong motor pushes Truex, Jr. forward, yet as the lead pack enters Turn 1, Harvick dramatically swerves left down the banking and cuts across Biffle’s bow for the race lead. Harvick’s move upsets Truex’s hard charge on the outside line, and the former’s aggressive dive prevents Truex Jr. from diving down and applying his own subsequent block for the lead. (Biffle afterwards bemoans his failure to move up the track and shut the door on the surging Harvick). Harvick appears on his way to his second Daytona victory as Jamie McMurray (1) tucks in close behind at P2, yet rough play among Jeff Gordon (24), Kasey Kahne (9), and Tony Stewart (14) leads to another shunt and caution condition.

Under the old NASCAR rules, Harvick would win the race by technical knockout, yet the new regulations call for another Green-White-Checker restart (maximum of three), and the fans who stick out the event suddenly receive the payoff … another metal scraping shuffle between Harvick, McMurray, Biffle, and Bowyer for the marbles. Even NASCAR begins to believe that its new finish format will rescue its premiere race from a miserable epitaph …

In fact, NASCAR luckily receives, like a bolt of lightning, in the closing moments one of its biggest boons in recent memory, a gift from the heavens that unquestionably transforms the 500 from a sullied race meeting to one of its all time classic runnings ….

On the succeeding GWC restart, Harvick and McMurray sprint away to settle matters while further back in P10, fan favorite and series crown prince Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (88), saddled with an ill handling car all day, suddenly finds some grip and form in the final moments. Harvick momentarily breaks away for the lead in Turn 2, yet McMurray receives a big push from former Roush teammate Biffle that in turns allows the 1 car to push past Harvick. Further back on the backstretch, Earnhardt, Jr. boldly swerves into the middle line and draws up into P7 behind Carl Edwards (99). Harvick loses in the exchange as the outside line of McMurray, Biffle, and Truex, Jr. pull away from the inside tow.

As the leaders begin the final circuit, Biffle dives low and slips inside of McMurray as Earnhardt pushes Bowyer and himself past Edwards behind leader Biffle. Bowyer swerves left to assist McMurray’s Chevrolet instead of Biffle’s Ford on the backstretch as Earnhardt tucks in behind Biffle, and just as McMurray makes his break for the line with Bowyer’s assist, Earnhardt receives an incredible boost from David Reutimann (00). Carrying an incredible head of momentum and showing some of his former DEI form, Earnhardt brazenly worms his way up between both Biffle and Bowyer into clean air and immediately draws up to the back bumper of McMurray, catching the breath of Fox Sports pundits, NASCAR honchos, and the entire racing world as glorious outcomes emerge in their minds (McMurray afterwards admits to pangs of horror after espying the Amp 88 car in his rear mirror).

The ultimate NASCAR fantasy fails to materialize as Earnhardt’s momentum finally trails off between Turns 3 and 4, and with Biffle and Bowyer both unwilling to assist the 88 with a push to redemption, McMurray’s (1 Earnhardt-Ganassi-Sabates Chevrolet) blocks out of Turn 4 prove more than enough to hold off Earnhardt’s charge. A tearful McMurray claims his first Daytona victory with grace as owners Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates celebrate the tremendous victory with unmitigated glee.

Despite McMurray’s brilliant and momentous victory, the racing world nonetheless focuses its eyes upon Earnhardt, Jr. and his bedazzling charge through the field on the final lap, a dash that came up woefully short, yet allowed NASCAR to escape the disastrous day with a tale that surely will chafe the legions of fans who sullenly stalked away from the race prior to its dramatic finish.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.

Jimmie Johnson Noses Out Kevin Harvick In Duel Number 1 ...

Gatorade Duel Race 1

D500 pole sitter Mark Martin (5), early leader in the race, maintains his lead at crossed flags after leading the pack off pit lane during a caution condition. Jeff Gordon (24) slingshots around Kyle Busch (2) into the lead on Lap 31, triggering a battle between the pair and Greg Biffle (16) for twenty four laps. Busch powers past Biffle with eight laps remaining, yet a shunt involving Michael Waltrip (51) and Regan Smith (78) brings out a caution condition.  As the lead pack pits for rubber, Jimmie Johnson (48) and Max Papis (13) both elect to stay on track for position. Ky. Busch takes the challenge to Johnson, yet the defending champion again proves his driving skill by remaining on the point on worn tires. On the final lap, Kevin Harvick (29) receives a big push from Clint Bowyer (33) on the Turn 3 entry that puts his car ahead of Johnson on the outside line. As both cars enter the tri-oval for the last time, Johnson dives left for the yellow line and his momentum carries him just past Harvick by mere inches for a dramatic Race 1 victory.

Gatorade Duel 2

At crossed flags and just after a caution condition, Matt Kenseth (17) and Kurt Busch (2) battle SBS for the point for a brief spell before Busch takes the lead on Lap 33. Busch leads for the following twenty laps until Brian Vickers (83), receiving a push from late charger Tony Stewart (14), blows past the front runners into the lead with seven laps remaining. Stewart takes the air off Vickers’ spoiler and breaks the latter loose a lap later for the lead, and seemingly holds the race in hand until Kasey Kahne presents a final challenge and dashes out front with two laps to go. As the cars sprint around on the final circuit, Stewart receives a big bump draft assist from Montoya on the Turn 3 entry in a repeat of Harvick’s move in Race 1, yet Kahne in turn mimics Johnson’s leftward lunge in the tri-oval during the final meters and holds off Stewart in a nearly facsimile Race 1-Race 2 repeat finish.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.

... and Kasey Kahne Completes a Similar Feat in Duel 2.

Jeff Gordon's (24) Tip of Greg Biffle (16) Springs Kevin Harvick (29) Free For His Second Consecutive Bud Shootout Victory.

NASCAR brings a more streamlined racer, bigger restrictor plates, and looser on track rule enforcement to the Beach in order to spice up a show that admittedly lost a bit of glitter during the Jimmie Johnson parade season of 2009.  Carl Edwards (99) wins the pole by way of random draw.

First Segment

Pole sitter Edwards dominates the first twenty-five lap segment by steadfastly keeping his car on the point and handily fending off repeated challenges from Tony Stewart (14).

Second Segment

As the final fifty lap segment unfolds, P1 Edwards again faces challenges from Stewart and restrictor plate stalwart Jamie McMurray (1). After Kurt Busch (2) slides through the infield and into the Turn 1 wall with some help from Mark Martin (5), Kevin Harvick (29), Greg Biffle (16), and Brian Vickers (83) join the fray at the front with 29 laps remaining. Harvick takes control of the race with 11 laps to go after receiving a big push from McMurray, and both seem fit to battle for the victory until Ryan Newman (39) puts Michael Waltrip into the fence with six laps remaining, bringing out a caution that permits Biffle, Stewart, Kasey Kahne (9), and Jeff Gordon (24) to crowd the two leaders on a final Saturday night restart. With only two laps remaining, Biffle bests McMurray on the restart and presents one last challenge to hard charging Harvick out front, yet an aggressive bump draft by J. Gordon in Turn 3 tips Biffle, who breaks loose and collects Matt Kenseth (17), Edwards, Bobby Labonte (71), Martin, and Ken Schrader (82). Harvick (29 Richard Childress Chevrolet) sprints away unscathed and coasts through the final caution circuit to collect his second consecutive Bud Shootout victory.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.

The Cayenne V8 Powered Riley Stuns Both Ganassi and the Consensus During the Twice Around the Clock Classic at the Beach.

In an utterly stunning display of Teuton durability, the No. 9 Active Express Racing Team (in lateral conjunction with Brumos Racing), running with a homebrewed and therefore heretical version of Porsche’s lumbering Cayenne SUV V8 powerplant, shatters the consensus opinion with a shattering upset of Team Ganassi Racing, along with its interminable list of celebrity drivers, at the 2010 Rolex 24.

Race Summary

First Quarter

A steady rain greets both drivers, techs, and spectators at race start, prompting Race Control to trigger the event with all entries streamed behind the Safety Car under a yellow condition for approximately twenty minutes before dropping the green flag. Plenty of dicing for P1 occurs during the first six hours, yet race favorite Team Ganassi BMW Riley, donned in its familiar red-white-blue Telmex chassi, dominates the point for the first quarter, with the celebrity 02 entry (Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Juan Pablo Montoya) carrying the heavy load. Scott Pruett in the 01 Ganassi entry also looks impressive in holding off charges from the other Daytona Prototype contenders during the early hours. Ganassi runs the race under BMW power for the first time after a last minute withdrawal by longtime partner Lexus-Toyota from endurance racing.

Second Quarter

With the onset of night and intermittent rains at the Beach, the 59 Brumos Porsche Riley entry (D. Donohue and Daytona legend Hurley Haywood) rises to the fore and triggers a Teuton power battle between the Stuttgart (Porsche) and Munich (BMW) auto houses. Brumos furiously fights for the lead point with Ganassi (02, Montoya), and the bare knuckle frenzy allows the 6 Michael Shank Ford Riley (Allmendinger and Frisselle) to creep in and join the engagement. Montoya bests his challengers during the thrilling exchange, yet the 02 powerplant unexpectedly betrays him and explodes in the ninth hour, leaving the Brumos, 01 Ganassi, and the sudden upstart No. 9 Action Express Porsche Riley (Cayenne V8), also creeping up from the midfield, to challenge for P1. Each entry takes its turn at the point, yet the 01 Ganassi leads all challengers after all travel once around the clock (crossed flags at halfway). As an aside, 59 Brumos driving legend Haywood (five time overall winner) makes his thirty-seventh and final Daytona start in his illustrious Rolex 24 career

Third Quarter

The grueling race gradually emerges as a three car skirmish between the 01 Ganassi, the 9 AER, and the 6 Shank entry. The German makes, in their inimitable prideful manner, settle in to wage bitter war for engine supremacy, yet the American Blue Oval entry artfully plays the skulking spoiler in close hot pursuit.

Final Quarter

The 01 BMW Ganassi and the 9 Porsche AER play keepaway during the closing hours as both exchange the point with matching pit service pauses. The 9 AER ekes out a slender advantage of a few seconds while on the pit lane, and the racing world prepares itself for a glorious small margin finish between the Teuton engines, yet with 2H:40M remaining, 01 Ganassi driver Justin Wilson suddenly slows and informs his crew of a loud noise in his engine. Wilson hurries his chassis into the garage for a swift fix, yet a frustrated Ganassi crew cannot locate any damage or problem with the 01 car. Recognizing his ever glaringly gross blunder, Wilson rushes his car back into the race in a mad dash to recover lost ground, yet the 9 AER in the meantime opens up a two lap margin over the BMW. Wilson, filled with anger and shame, earnestly hustles one lap back from the leader before the 9 AER picks up its pace to maintain a fifty second margin over its competitor.

With ninety minutes remaining on the clock, the ever sly Blue Oval challenge finally fails when the 6 Shank entry (Allmendinger) drops an engine, yet hopes still remain for a thrilling finish as Pruett takes over the 01 Ganassi and charges hard into the early afternoon, gradually chipping away at the 9 AER lead margin. As the race slips into its final half hour, Team Ganassi finally admits that only a catastrophic failure will halt the 9 AER charge, and true to form, long proven Porsche reliability again rules the day as the V8 Cayenne motor easily manages the remaining distance to claim the stunning upset victory over omnipotent Ganassi and business rival BMW. Porsche earns its first back-to-back power victory at the Beach since the 1986-1987 command performance pulled off by its famed 962 models during the Group C era.

Diehard Ford enthusiasts should check out our new Ford Performance Model E-Book, a true collectible, at Classic Car Gear.

Paul Goldsmith (3) and his Quick Hands Eke Out a Narrow Victory on NASCAR's Final Run Over the Daytona Sand.

NASCAR’s final run over the venerable 4.1 Beach-Road course proves among the most memorable in February 1958 as series president Big Bill France announces during SpeedWeeks his recent ground breaking of a modern high speed 2.5 mile hardtop super oval facility just outside the city limits.  France surprises most observers by declaring that his new ’superspeedway’ will host the 1959 Daytona event.

The 35,000 spectators in attendance enjoy SpeedWeeks in its full glory as France runs several events over the extended period, including a modified race that in unprecedented fashion includes foreign makes, and the ever popular convertible special on February 22, the day before the points-paying Big Show. Packaged along with the festivities, France arranges for the United States Air Force Thunderbirds stunt team and their speedy F-100 Super Sabres to put on a show that even impresses the intrepid racers, who swiftly adopt the term ‘turn on the burners’ for their own brand of racing after watching the remarkable aerial performances overhead.

As some of the star drivers bolt hardtops onto their already race-tested convertible cars for the main event, the garage talk centers upon the driver showdown between the wealthy Curtis Turner (26 Holman-Moody Ford), backed by motor specialist John Holman, and Paul Goldsmith (3 Yunick Pontiac), the popular former national motorcycle champion who providently catches his engine tuning from local Daytona personality Smokey Yunick and his ‘Best Damn Garage’ operation. As the race gets underway and the fans enjoy their annual treat of watching the wide-tail transitions from road asphalt onto the long two mile beach sprint, Goldsmith benefits from early service by Turner and other racers to build up a leading margin of over a minute. Goldsmith finally comes in for service on Lap 25 of 39, and the determined Turner immediately slashes the margin down to six seconds.

The 1958 drama unfolds in grand style at the onset of the final lap when the hard charging Turner, desperate to run down the over cautious Goldsmith, who suffers from visibility problems through his dirty windshield, presses too hard in the transition turn from the beach sand back to the state highway asphalt. Turner breaks loose into a spin before making a swift recovery, yet the race seemingly breaks in favor of Goldsmith, who opens up a twelve second margin due to the mishap. Misfortune still lurks out on the Daytona sands, and Goldsmith confronts his own moment with destiny on the long run north when his dirty windshield prevents him from spotting a deep sand rut on the racing surface before him. Goldsmith hits the rut, breaks loose, and swerves high off the line into true peril before finally breaking loose into a spin. Utilizing a quick head and even swifter hands, Goldsmith rights his car in mere seconds and guns the accelerator over the final closing distance to edge out the manic Turner at the finish line by a mere two car lengths.  The beloved Daytona Beach-Road course fittingly provides its fans a dramatic finish for its final NASCAR run.

Daytona Winner Bill Blair and Hard Luck Runner-Up Fonty Flock Both Drove a Strictly Stock Version of Oldsmobile's 1953 model.

Long before Bill France constructed his famous speedway on the western outskirts of Daytona Beach, the series ran its winter classic on the already esteemed Daytona Beach and Road Course.  The 4.2 mile circuit consisted of a southerly two-mile paved asphalt section (Highway A1A) and a more spectacular two mile dash north along the ocean upon the hard packed sands of Daytona Beach. In 1953, the event was a scheduled 39-lap festival for a distance of 160 miles.

T. Fontell Flock (14 Frank Christian Oldsmobile) put his Olds on the pole and easily gapped the field during a Daytona era when drivers only stopped for mechanical trouble and not regular fuel service. Running free and clear to the cheers of a jubilant beach crowd with over a minute margin to spare, Flock sped by the white flag, sprinted back down Highway A1A, and turned back north onto beach for the final time.  Moments later, Flock’s Oldsmobile sputters due to lack of fuel and slows as the driver feathers the pedal in order to nurse his car back up the beach towards the finish. Meanwhile in the background, Bill Blair (2 Bill Blair Oldsmobile), who worked his way up to P2 from his starting sixth position,  turns onto the beach, takes notes of Flock’s predicament, and charges up the hard sand with the scent of victory in the air. As Flock desperately creeps toward the finish, Blair roars past in an utter surprise and steals the trophy, his only win in 1953 and the last in his NASCAR Grand National career. Flock’s fuel pressure finally expires as he coasts across the line with an agonizing second place finish, thirty seconds behind Blair but still minutes ahead of third place runner Tommy Thompson.

Rising Star David Pearson (3) Emerges as the Speediest of All at the World Center of Speed.

The blistering Florida heat bears down upon another Firecracker 250 at Daytona as the fans come out to witness a showdown between popular driver favorites Glenn (Fireball) Roberts and Joe Weatherly, yet the series’ fastest rising star seizes his chance to step forward into NASCAR legend.

As anticipated, Roberts (22 Smokey Yunick Pontiac) dominates the early and mid portions of the contest as the event proceeds caution free, prompting the media to predict a new series’ speed record in excess of 150 miles per hour for the winner.  Roberts seems to have all well in hand until eighteen laps remain, when he agonizingly drops a right rear tire on the Turn 3 exit. Roberts breaks loose into a spin, slides up the banking, yet keeps his car off the fence and avoids damage. Fred Lorenzen (28 Holman-Moody Ford) dives low to avoid Roberts and rushes into the lead, closely tailed by the hard charging David Pearson (3 John Masoni Pontiac).

Both cars race nose-tail over the closing moments until with two laps remaining, Pearson, the 1960 Rookie of the Year and clear heir apparent to series’ icons Buck Baker and Lee Petty, pushes his Daytona Kennel Pontiac past Lorenzen on the Turn 2 exit. Lorenzen gamely battles back against the young South Carolinian on the final lap, yet clever blocking by Pearson on the backstretch provides him with enough room in Turns 3 and 4 to prevail by a narrow car length for the dramatic victory.

Pearson establishes a new series’ and track record with an average speed of over 154 miles per hour (the race only endured Roberts’ caution condition) and becomes the first driver to win twice at the ‘Big Four’ tracks; Daytona, Darlington, Atlanta, and Charlotte. The Early Era promptly ends.  The New Era promptly begins.

Lee Petty (42, 1959 Oldsmobile, middle car) Noses out John Beauchamp's Thunderbird in the Final Metres at Daytona.

Racing the 500 mile distance for the first time at Big Bill France’s spanking new 2.5 mile circuit at the Beach, the drivers treat the fans to a memorable photo finish that still brings smiles to old timers and hardcore racing enthusiasts.

Jack Smith (47 Bud Moore Chevrolet) at first seems class of the field during the midrace before Lee Petty (42 Petty Enterprises Oldsmobile) and John Beauchamp (73 Roy Burdick Ford) both seize the point with thirty-five laps remaining.  Both cars sprint away from the rest, eventually putting a lap over the entire field, and appear evenly matched over the closing laps. The duo enter the white flag lap side by side, yet Petty, running with a bit more speed on the inside line, pulls ahead on the backstretch and beats Beauchamp into Turn 3 as both cars close in upon lapped racer Joe Weatherly (42). Petty maintains a two-car length margin as all three vehicles shovel through the final turn, yet as the drivers enter the tri-oval, Beauchamp, still on the outside line, turns his Thunderbird hard left down the banking for one final rush at the leader. Beauchamp’s momentum carries him up along the inside of Petty’s Olds, and both racers cross the line side-by-side in a remarkable finish.

Everyone in the press box fumbles with their thoughts for a pregnant moment over the final race result until impresario France makes an executive decision to declare Beauchamp the winner. As the race announcer declares France’s fiat over the DMS speakers, many in the press area and and the pit lane, especially Petty Enterprises, heatedly contest the call, prompting the normally bull-minded France to visit the local newspaper in order to inspect the race photos. After a cursory review, France immediately rules the Daytona result as provisional pending a race investigation, and both he and the local media spend overnight and the next day pouring over the pictures.  Some reporters on Daytona +2 begin openly speaking of how Petty held off Beauchamp’s hard charge for the win, and that France botched the race call as the latter takes another day to review even more photos and television footage. Finally, three days after the race finish, a sheepish France reappears with hat in hand, ruefully admits his mistake regarding his hasty race ruling, and then belatedly awards the victory to Petty.  Both Petty and Beauchamp assert later that the 42 car reached the flag first.

Kyle Busch (18) Takes a Barroom Beating After His Ill-Timed Move Near the Finish at Daytona.

The otherwise droll and heat scorched Firecracker 400 now glows like a jewel after NASCAR moved the race under the lights, and the 2009 version enlivens the Independence Holiday like no other prior running. Tight racing among the leaders and restrictor-plate related shunts dominate the evening up through the closing moments as Kyle Busch (18 Joe Gibbs Toyota) and Tony Stewart (14 Stewart Haas Chevrolet) earnestly tussle for property rights at the spearhead. Busch deftly holds off the horde down the backstretch, yet longtime observers clearly see Stewart lagging back in Turn 3 as he sets the obvious trap for the 18 car.  As Busch turns for home, Stewart sagely uses the banking to build a head of steam before diving left and inside on the lead car. Busch, clearly caught out of pocket by Stewart’s ruse, panics, reflexively jinks his car left in desperation to block, and pays for his error as Stewart’s nose turns his car off the rail. Busch soars airborne and hard into the outer wall, and then the racing world winces in virtual pain as the 18 car receives two vicious back-to-back high velocity blows from Kasey Kahne (9) and Tony Logano (18).  Busch groggily walks away from the horrific scene, yet buckles at the knees while fighting off track officials working hard to hustle him into an awaiting ambulance. Stewart apologizes for his role in the shunt, yet the twinkle in his eyes lets observers know that he simply beat the younger Busch to the punch.

NASCAR's COT and Strident Moves Towards Safety Allow Kyle Busch to Walk Away From His Massive Daytona Shunt.