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Motorsport News: Russ Bonds Weekly Report

Temper, Temper

Normally when I write a story, I wait for the event to be over, but in this case, Ill make an exception, just so I can make a) a point, and b) a prediction.

If Tony Stewart, who you may remember had a quote last week about the drivers being too aggressive, wins the Daytona 500, it will be one of the weirdest and most dominant wins at Daytona. As I write this, the race is currently on lap 129, and thus far Stewart has had an incident with Jeff Gordon, which ended - so far - Gordons day. Then Stewart made his way back to the front - he arrived just past the halfway mark. Once there he drove Matt Kenseth into the grass on the backstraight, which ended Kenseths chance for a race win - seeing a trend here? Stewart got a penalty, he was sent back to the end of the longest line, and now hes on a charge back to the front - unless he runs across Kenseth, who is merely circulating, and keeping an eye out for Stewart. Stewart better not win this or all h*ll will break loose. Kenseth is fuming; he showed his displeasure with Stewart when the two left the pits. Kenseth got a drive-through penalty,

A trio of Ford Fusions race 3 wide in the Daytona pack. (Photo: Autostock)

and hes now a lap down, and really, really pissed off - with good cause. See you in 71 laps.

Damn, I cant do it! I have to tell you what is happening. Thirty five to go... here comes the big one... wait for it.... theyre three wide, and all racy. Jamie McMurray takes out Kurt Busch to cause the final dash to the flag. Ironically, McMurray is driving Buschs car from last year, and Busch had the car to win the race.

On the restart, Johnson is leading, followed by Brian Vickers, Ryan Newman, Mears, Kasey Kahne and McMurray - seven to go.

Johnson looks good, and has a teammate in Vickers behind him, and here comes Stewart, but he gets shoved down by Kyle Busch, and now here comes Dale Jr. Six to go - Kyle Busch from ninth gets blacked flagged for the move on Stewart, but he doesnt come to pit lane yet. 

Jr gets a push

Kenseth (left), who eventual finished 15th, had his eye out for Stewart. (Photo: Autostock)

on the outside and then the irony of ironies, a Kurt Busch interview gets interrupted by guess who going into the wall - McMurray, which Busch sees on the monitor while being interviewed, "Aww, look at that... thats too bad," he quips and walks off.

It will be a green, white checkered. Did I mention I dont like writing before its over?

So, Johnson leads, with Newman behind, and if I had Rick Tocchets number, Id put money on Newman, but Stewart is seventh.

Now we wait.

Double or nothing on one more crash? The question is who will go with who when the single file line becomes three wide on the final lap. Look for Sadler and Jr who are fourth and fifth to team up and make a move... here we go.

Pace car off... GREEN, two laps to go. Sadler and Jr lay too far back, its up to the top three - maybe.
Nope, here comes Sadler and Jr, Sadler has a run, with Jr in tow.

Elliott Sadlers 4th place finishing Ford Fusion leads the pack into the tri-oval. (Photo: Autostock)

Off four, one lap to go, here goes Jr on his own, with no help. Hes done. Newman needs help from Mears, Newman moves out, crash behind him - see I told you - the field is frozen, Jimmie Johnson wins his first Daytona 500 with his crew chief - Chad Knauss - at home after being booted for a technical infraction after qualifying. Mears is scored second once the field is frozen; Newman is third, which his best ever finish at the Daytona 500.

If you read those last couple of paragraphs, and can picture it in your mind, or even if you saw it live, you now know why NASCAR is as popular as it is. What a fantastic bit of entertainment, and nothing comes close to the last 30 laps of a Nextel Cup race. Next week, Fontana - I cant wait.

Daytona 500 Results (Fin St Car Driver Make Sponsor Pts/Bonus Laps Status):

• 1 9 #48 Jimmie Johnson  Chevrolet Lowes 185/5 202 Running
• 2 14 #42 Casey Mears  Dodge Texaco/Havoline 170/0 202 Running
• 3 18

  Jimmie Johnson wins his first Daytona 500. (Photo: Dorsey Patrick)

  #12 Ryan Newman  Dodge ALLTEL 170/5 202 Running
• 4 3 #38 Elliott Sadler  Ford M&Ms 165/5 202 Running
• 5 15 #20 Tony Stewart  Chevrolet The Home Depot 160/5 202 Running
• 6 37 #07 Clint Bowyer * Chevrolet Jack Daniels 150/0 202 Running
• 7 35 #25 Brian Vickers  Chevrolet GMAC 151/5 202 Running
• 8 7 #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Chevrolet Budweiser 152/10 202 Running
• 9 23 #21 Ken Schrader  Ford Little Debbie 138/0 202 Running
• 10 25 #88 Dale Jarrett  Ford UPS 134/0 202 Running
• 11 27 #9 Kasey Kahne  Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 130/0 202 Running
• 12 10 #6 Mark Martin  Ford AAA 132/5 202 Running
• 13 20 #7 Robby Gordon  Chevrolet Jim Beam 124/0 202 Running
• 14 28 #29 Kevin Harvick  Chevrolet GM Goodwrench 126/5 202 Running
• 15 11 #17 Matt Kenseth  Ford DeWalt Power Tools 123/5 202 Running
• 16 19 #1 Martin Truex Jr. * Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops/Tracker 115/0 202 Running
• 17 43 #96 Terry Labonte  Chevrolet DLP HDTV/Tweeter 112/0 202 Running
• 18 30 #55 Michael Waltrip  Dodge NAPA Auto Parts 109/0 202 Running
• 19 33

  Mark Martin takes the checkered flag to win the FlexFuel 250 in his Roush Racing prepared Ford F-150. (Photo: Autostock)

  #136 Bill Elliott  Chevrolet Ginn Clubs & Resorts 111/5 202 Running
• 20 42 #27 Kirk Shelmerdine  Chevrolet Apex Electric 103/0 202 Running
• 21 16 #16 Greg Biffle  Ford National Guard 105/5 202 Running
• 22 29 #49 Brent Sherman * Dodge Serta 97/0 202 Running
• 23 22 #41 Reed Sorenson * Dodge Target 94/0 202 Running
• 24 34 #22 Dave Blaney  Dodge Caterpillar 91/0 202 Running
• 25 31 #61 Kevin Lepage  Ford Amp Energy Drink 93/5 202 Running
• 26 4 #5 Kyle Busch  Chevrolet Kelloggs 90/5 202 Running
• 27 24 #109 Mike Wallace  Dodge Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts 82/0 202 Running
• 28 2 #24 Jeff Gordon  Chevrolet DuPont 84/5 202 Running
• 29 40 #32 Travis Kvapil  Chevrolet Tide 81/5 202 Running
• 30 32 #40 David Stremme * Dodge Lone Star Steakhouse/Saloon 73/0 202 Running
• 31 17 #11 Denny Hamlin * Chevrolet FedEx Express 70/0 202 Running
• 32 1 #31 Jeff Burton  Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 72/5 202 Running
• 33 38 #01 Joe Nemechek  Chevrolet U.S. Army 64/0 199 Running
• 34 39 #14 Sterling Marlin  Chevrolet Waste Management 61/0 199 Running
• 35 8 #43 Bobby Labonte  Dodge Cheerios/Betty

  Champ Car Champion Paul Tracy. shown here at practice at Daytona, was doing well in his Busch series debut until John Andretti bumped him off the track. (Photo: Bob LeSieur, General Motors)

  Crocker 58/0 198 Out of Race
• 36 6 #26 Jamie McMurray  Ford Crown Royal 60/5 197 Running
• 37 26 #19 Jeremy Mayfield  Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 52/0 196 Running
• 38 13 #2 Kurt Busch  Dodge Miller Lite 54/5 188 Out of Race
• 39 12 #45 Kyle Petty  Dodge Wells Fargo Financial 46/0 172 Running
• 40 41 #00 Hermie Sadler  Ford Aarons 43/0 170 Out of Race
• 41 36 #18 J.J. Yeley * Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 40/0 156 Running
• 42 21 #66 Jeff Green  Chevrolet Best Buy 37/0 155 Running
• 43 5 #99 Carl Edwards  Ford Office Depot 34/0 79 Out of Race

* Denotes Rookie

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