Getting Ready for The Great American Race

This Sunday is the 51st running of the Daytona 500 and that means that there will be lots of smiling come race time on Sunday. Whatever day the Daytona 500 occurs on every year is like a holiday for me and my brother. I have lots of stuff to get ready and plenty of cleaning here in the basement as I prepare to welcome folks over to watch the race.

As I write this, I understand that not everyone is a NASCAR fan, so let me help you understand why you should watch the 500 on Sunday...

Everyone enjoys a big event. Whether it's a competition, an awards show, a brand new season of your favorite TV show, or even a reality television extravaganza, there's almost always a big television event that someone will enjoy.

Most guys and a lot of girls all across America enjoy watching sports. For many there is nothing bigger than the World Series, the Stanley Cup finals, the Final Four, WrestleMania, the Masters, the BCS Championship game, or the Super Bowl. All of those are examples of the biggest event that their respective sports have to offer.

Every February, there is a 10 day period of time that captivates millions of people known simply as Speedweek at Daytona. The event takes place at a magical place. This place is one where time can stand still, where history lives and breaths all around you. Here you can feel 50+ years of excitement, passion, triumph, and tragedy swirling around you as you bask in the glory of these hallowed grounds. This place is the Daytona International Speedway.


After the preliminary events have taken place over the first nine days, the main event is set. The greatest race in the world. The Daytona 500. Since it's inception in 1959, the Daytona 500 has become an annual tradition of great racing and great racing moments.

In the first Daytona 500, Lee Petty sped toward the finish line in a side-by-side battle with Johnny Beauchamp, a hiccup finish made even more complicated by the fact that Joe Weatherly, two laps down, was wedged in beside the two leaders. The three cars crossed the finish line in a dead-heat blur. Who won? Nobody knew. It was too close to call. It took three days of studying still photos of the finish before NASCAR president Bill France Sr. finally proclaimed Petty the victor. The margin of victory was determined to be 24 inches, give or take.


The 2007 edition of "The Great American Race" was another barn burner that came right down to wire. Kevin Harvick, driving for the same team who's driver died in the race six years prior to the day, edged out Mark Martin for the win in a finish that saw a major crash happen as the top 2 crossed the finish line. The margin or victory? Mere inches. Two or three at the most. NASCAR now measures the margin of victory using how many seconds it takes the second place finisher to cross the finish line after the winner. Using this formula, Kevin Harvick beat Mark Martin by 0.020 seconds. This was the closest finish in the Daytona 500 since Lee Petty won in 1959.


Last year was the 50th Daytona 500. In celebration of this race's history, NASCAR gathered all of the living winners of the 500 on stage to honor their status as Daytona 500 Champions.


Over the past 50 years, there have been many other memorable Daytona 500s. Each running is special in it's own way. As an event, you can't get any bigger. It's a brand new season of your favorite TV show since it's the start of the NASCAR season. It's a competition where drivers, cars, and crews are pitted against each other in an effort to be the best at managing all three well enough to beat the other drivers, cars, and crews. It's a reality television extravaganza where emotion is raw, tempers flare, and at any given moment someone could make a mistake and the consequences could be as little as an inconvenience or as big as the loss of a life. Finally, it's an awards show where the man who can survive and do it faster than anyone else rolls into Victory Lane and gets his name enshrined in immortality as the winner of the Harley J. Earl Trophy, signifying that he will forever be known as a champion of the Daytona 500.


As the days pass coming to the 51st Daytona 500, I will be watching lots of Speed Channel. I'm so ready for this race. It's time to reach up, pull those seatbelts tight, and brace yourselves for what could be another great Daytona 500! Wanna join me?