In the midst of a Daytona 500 that featured 52 lead changes, a record 21 leaders and a thrilling chase to the checkered flag by the winner Jamie McMurray with the fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. closing fast, Nascar’s premier event was marred by an embarrassing track failure. The race was stopped twice, delays totaling 2 hours 25 minutes, because of a pothole in the asphalt between Turns 1 and 2.
The hole developed during the race at a dip in the pavement at that point, and racecars were bottoming out and digging into asphalt that was cold and moist underneath from recent rains. The pothole measured about 9 inches by 15 inches, and was two inches deep, large enough to damage racecars traveling close to 200 miles an hour.
“We are always prepared for these types of issues,” Robin Braig, Daytona’s track president, said before acknowledging that track officials did not have the proper materials to patch a pothole in the unusually cold and wet weather. Sunday’s high was 55 degrees.
The first delay lasted 1 hour 40 minutes and 45 seconds. But the fix failed, the pothole doubled in size and officials were forced to stop the race for another 44 minutes. They used Bondo, a filler typically used for auto body repair, as a last resort. That did not work, either. Drivers reported the hole had reopened by the end of the race.
The damage was done. Overnight television ratings came in at 7.7 (13.3 million viewers) compared to 9.2 in 2009. This after Nascar had announced rules changes designed to help promote better racing in hopes of lifting sagging ratings and attendance.
“We are always prepared for these types of issues,” ?? Did you really say that Mr Daytona track President? Please explain to me and the rest of your fans HOW you have prepared for 'these types of issues'... Let's see, oh, you surely have prepared a HUGE bank account for yourself and your constituents, now haven't you?
Please tell us WHY you haven't paved the racetrack that is considered one of Nascar's pristine jewels, the track that holds Nascar's Premiere race, WHY YOU haven't paved the track in 32 years..
Let's do the math shall we? 200,000 spectators at an average of say $50 per person equals $10 million, and thats only ONE RACE! How many races have you held at Daytona in 32 years oh Mr 'prepared for anything' President? Please explain to your fans how this is all 'the weather's fault', hell, maybe its Global Warming?!? Someone alert Al 'Internet' Gore!
Bondo... Really?? Prepared for anything? Really?
You embarrassed Nascar and lost the credibility and respect in the eyes of the fans.
And while Im on the stump here, let me pose a question to FOX, ESPN and TNT... Does the fact that someone is a great driver, or an excellent crew chief also make them a viable candidate for an announcer's position to call races on national television? Did it ever cross any of your minds to send these otherwise bright and talented individuals to speech therapy? At what point did 'boogity boogity boogity' become an intelligent term to begin a race? Talk about degrading a race, and degrading the dignity of the fans that (once) enjoyed Nascar. Please take the microphone away from Larry McReynolds and someone offer him a job under the hood of a racecar.. And DW, stick a fork in it, you've BEEN done..
And Eddie Gossage, president of Texas Motor Speedway. “It’s not Daytona Speedway’s fault, it’s not Nascar’s fault. Really? Then just who's fault is it? Who made the decision not to repave the rack for over 30 years?
Mr Daytona 'ready for anything" President, do the world of Nascar a favor by scraping the dust from your mountain of money and PAVE THE DAMN TRACK!!
Look at the wonderful press you would get, and you might, you just might even redeem yourself! In doing so you will have stimulated the economy, at least in Florida, why just imagine the amount of illegal aliens you could hire to do the job?!?!
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