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Greatest American Race - Making the Grade, Daytona 500
2/19/08: SOZ Studios, MI - By Dennis Michelsen "DMIC" (RaceTalkRadio.com)
A disclaimer needs to be thrown into this article because restrictor plate racing has never been my favorite type of NASCAR racing. But the 50th edition of the Daytona 500 should go down in history as one of the most entertaining in the history of this NASCAR palace of speed! This race gave us everything you want as a race fan with close competitive racing and even a last lap pass for the win. If this is indicative of the type of racing we will get this season we better get strapped in for the fun!
Race Grade: A
Finally NASCAR came up with an acceptable rules package for restrictor plate tracks! The big change from Talladega last Fall was a softer tire and a harder to drive track. Maybe when the tour heads to Dega we will see the forty-three-car freight train again. But I hope we get more of this brand of exciting racing!
F for Chubby Checker
That was the worst lip-synching we have seen in the history of entertainment! Perhaps the next time Mr. Checker performs in public he can get the assistance of Milli Vanilli to get some tips on faking a song! It was still cool to see the original twister do his thing.
D for Juan Pablo Montoya
There is nothing wrong with aggressive driving but there is also a fine line between being aggressive and being stupid! JP Montoya bagged two different drivers within five laps. Accident number two doomed Montoya to a 32nd place finish and earned this grade.
C for Team Junior
Dale Earnhardt Jr can say it wasn't about the tires but the lack of fresh rubber kept him from having a shot at winning this race. Bickering on the team radio caused Junior to miss an opportunity to pit for tires. Finishing ninth isn't a bad start when that finish is the best of a super star team but it was the lack of tires that cost him maneuverability when he needed it most!
B for Kyle "Rowdy" Busch
There will never be a boring race with Kyle Busch around! How he managed to keep control of his M&M's Toyota during the Daytona 500 is one of life's great mysteries! Weaving in and out of traffic on his way to the front without causing a wreck is testimony to the theory that Kyle Busch is one of the most exciting drivers in the sport!
A for Ryan Newman and Team Penske
Breaking an 82-race drought in the biggest race of them all is simply amazing! After so many years of trying the Captain Roger Penske finally has the one race win that has eluded him. Maybe this isn't as thrilling as when Dale Earnhardt finally got his 500 win ten years ago but it is close! Kurt Busch was a great teammate pushing Newman to the win and Crew Chief Roy McCauley called a terrific race.
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