The Frontstretch: Making the Grade : Daytona "2" by Dennis Michelsen -- Monday July 3, 2006

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Making the Grade : Daytona "2"

No Restricting Fence Climbing · Dennis Michelsen · Monday July 3, 2006

 

Pace Laps

Must be an election coming up soon…the VeeP showed up at the track!

Did they run qualifying on the road course? Way to go, Boris…Moose and Squirrel are proud of you too!

That first caution gets nominated as the “Weirdest Reason for a Caution” since the deer ran onto the track at Pocono many years ago.

After Saturday night, will they start marketing those seats near the flag stand as the “Stewart Mosh Pit” section?

Race Grade: B-
Frequent readers know I am not much of a fan of restrictor plate racing, but this one was entertaining. The slick track showed NASCAR that they could bring better racing to the plate tracks by snipping some spoiler and opening up the plates a little! When the drivers have to lift, it makes for better racing.

F for Fox Sports Coverage
This was the last race for Fox this season, and after that performance Saturday, I cheered loud at that news! Fox used to run laps around NBC in coverage, especially since they have the best Director in sports coverage in Artie Kempner and the best play-by-play guy for racing in Mike Joy. But on Saturday, the commercial breaks seemed to come more often and ruined the flow of the race.

D for Mark Martin's Luck at Plate Tracks
It doesn't matter if Mark runs up front, midpack, or way in the back at a restrictor plate event…trouble will find him! This is one kind of racing that Mark Martin will be glad to give up next season when he semi-retires!

C for Kyle Petty
Twenty-eighth place is nothing to get excited about for any team, but for Kyle Petty, it marks a big improvement versus the recent past. I hope that Petty Enterprises can put better cars on the track every week to show the newer fans that Kyle is more than just that guy with the famous last name and a ponytail. Those of us that recall the Mello Yello days know Kyle Petty is one heck of a racecar driver!

B for Boris Said
In this day and age of GQ looking drivers that all say the right thing and look the part, Boris is a throwback to the old days when your driving talent was all that counts. After that Daytona performance, I am ordering myself three cases of SoBe No Fear Energy Drink! Boris proved that he is one talented driver, regardless of whether the track is a superspeedway or a road course!

A for Tony Stewart
He's back! Stewart put on a driving clinic Satruday night, dashing through traffic with aggressive passes to get to the front. If anyone has any question about his shoulder, that fence climbing should put an end to that talk! It was also great to see Tony Stewart having fun again! This is one of the greatest racers to ever strap on a helmet.

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