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DAYTONA 500
RE-CAP
The
Racers Prayer:
Lord I Pray as I race today, keep me safe along the way. Not
only me but others too as they perform the jobs they do. I know
God, that in a race I , the driver must set the pace. But in
this race of life, I pray, help me Lord along the way. Although
I know I am a sinner, Help me to believe, that with God you're always
a winner.
PRE RACE STUFF ....
--
Mariah Carey sang in honor of the crew of Columbia THEN ...
--
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WAS PROUDLY RECITED!!!!!
-- Mariah Carey sang the National Anthem! (OH, TEARS again!
What a GREAT song!)
-- The flyover crew, 4 Air Force F-16's
-- John
Travolta (from right down the road from the track) was the Grand
Marshal and said those 4 great words ...Gentlemen Start your Engines!
-- Bart Simpson said "Gentlemen, eat my shorts"!!
--
Smoke on the Water! Deep Purple tune kewl! Great montage!
--
Mostly cloudy; threat of rain looms, warm and humid, in the mid 70's.
--
Rusty Wallace (failed inspection - carb), Mark Martin (wrecked
primary car), Johnny Benson (wrecked primary car), Casey
Mears (wrecked primary car), Kevin Harvick (unproved
engine) start at the back of the field.
Some Fun Facts: No Daytona 500, except the inaugural event,
has been won by a driver making his first 500 start. Junior Johnson,
Mario Andretti and Pete Hamilton won the Daytona 500 in their second
start. Tony Stewart finished last in the 2002 Daytona 500 and went on
to win the NASCAR Winston Cup championship, repeating a feat
accomplished by Cale Yarborough in 1976. Yarborough then came back in
1977 and won the 1977 Daytona 500, the only time that a Daytona 500
was won by a driver who finished last the previous year. Yarborough
also won the championship in 1977 (and 1978). Two of the last four
500s have been won by the reigning champion, Jeff Gordon (1999) and
Dale Jarrett.(Nashville
City Paper-Jack Flowers)(2-15-2003) Jayski's
!~!~!~!~!~!
Recap
(Unofficial)
8 LAP LEADERS
Michael Waltrip
(68 laps),
+10 Points
+ 5 Points ... Matt Kenseth (2
laps),
Tony Stewart (6
laps),
Dale
Earnhardt, Jr.
(22
laps), Casey Mears (1 lap), Todd Bodine (1 lap), Ricky Craven (1
lap), Jimmy Johnson
(8
laps),
~~~
GREEN,
GREEN, GREEN, GO, GO, GO!!!! Boogity, Boogity, Boogity......
-- Lap 0 - Jeff Green gets a jump on the field ....
-- Lap 1 - Michael Waltrip leads the first lap!!!!!
-- Lap 20 - Terry Labonte having ignition problems, fell to last
place.
-- Lap 30 - Rusty Wallace (2 tires) and Mike Skinner (4
tires) pit starting GREEN
Flag
pits early .....
-- Lap 35 - Matt Kenseth takes the lead as Michael Waltrip
gives it up to pit ...
-- Lap 35 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr. takes the lead ...
-- Lap 36 - Jeff Burton takes a penalty for a gas can left in the
car, it came out if the car on the backstretch.
-- Lap 37 - Tony Stewart leads after GREEN
Flag
pits cycle out
CAUTION
1
Lap #43 - Bobby Labonte Spins in turn 2 ...
VERY tight pits, many Close calls ...
RESTART
Lap #45 (after 2 caution laps) Dale
Earnhardt, Jr., Michael Waltrip, Tony Stewart, Elliott Sadler
(from 19th to 4th!) and Robby Gordon are the top 5
-- Lap 44 - John Andretti smokin from tire rub ... he pits
-- Lap 46 - Joe Nemechek's radio is not working, he will have to
pit again.
CAUTION
2
Lap #57 - Kenny Schrader hits the wall and contacts Ryan
Newman, Newman flips over and over (7 times) .... OMG, the car
came to rest on its roof .... Ryan is moving in the car, he is
motioning that he is okay. Ryan WALKED to the ambulance
PHEW!
Kenny Schrader slid through the infield and made contact with Bobby
Labonte in the pits, Amazing no one was injured in any of this!
Ryan Newman came out of the infield care center and
reported he Schrader and Labonte are ALL okay, he
explained he still had dirt in teeth, after the car came to rest he
had a "wad of sod" in his lap!
Newman
unhurt in accident
http://www.nascar.com/2003/news/headlines/wc/02/16/rnewman_wreck/index.html
Ryan Newman escaped injury in a spectacular airborne wreck just over
a quarter of the way through the Daytona 500.
Rain
drops
are reported in the area ....
Lap 63 - 1 hour and 4 minutes into the race -- RED
FLAG
for rain DARN it ....
Jr. was explaining that he is able to catch race coverage on
the Jumbo-trons on the backstretch! Michael Waltrip enjoys
them also!
CAUTION
2
Lap #64 - after an hour and 8 minutes .... the track is dry!
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s car will not restart ..... he was push
started by a tow truck. That IS Legal and keeps his lead position.
He forgot to turn on the main power switch LOL!
Casey Mears lead during this yellow
RESTART
Lap #68 (after 11 caution laps) Michael Waltrip,
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Robby Gordon, Kevin
Harvick, Casey Mears, Elliott Sadler, Ward Burton and Mike
Wallace lead the field off....
-- Lap 69 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., reports losing alt's
-- Lap 72 - Sterling Marlin advanced a position below the yellow
line...he is getting the black flag. Sterling was trying
to avoid a slowing Elliott Sadler. Sadler was switching
ignitions.
-- Lap 79 - Very near Daddy, Jerry Nadeau, is in
5th!!!!!!!!
-- Lap 87 - Dale Earnhardt, Jr's, car keeps cutting on and off.
He pits, gets a new battery pit time was well over a
minute.
CAUTION
3
Lap #95 - Jeff Green wrecks and Jimmy Spencer gets
caught up in it.
Todd Bodine and Ricky Craven led during this yellow
RESTART
Lap #99 - ONE Lap from Half Way (after 4 caution laps) Jimmy
Johnson, Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon,
Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace and Mike
Skinner are the top 10.
VERY DARK CLOUDS
CAUTION
4
Lap # 103 - Mike Skinner is flaming and smoking all over the
track ....
RESTART
Lap #106 (after 3 caution laps)
CAUTION
5 Lap
#107 - Ward Burton spins and wrecks hard. Jr gets a
lap back, he is now one lap down.
Rain
drops
Robby Gordon reports having electrical problems.
Lap 110 - 3 hour and 10 minutes and 42 seconds into the race (1:08
for rain under red
for
rain) -- RED
FLAG
for rain AGAIN ARgggggg .... 33 cars on the lead lap ....
Michael Waltrip, Kurt Busch, Jimmy Johnson, Kevin Harvick and
Mark Martin are the top 5.
CALLED DUE TO RAIN
Michael
Waltrip wins the 500 for his 2nd time!!!!
Congratulations to the entire #15 team! And all their fans!
All drivers in todays race go home healthy and in one piece! Thank
you Lord!
I am in tears right along w/ ya DW! |
