Wrap Up of the Daytona Pot Hole 500

The best part of this February Sunday is Daytona. I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than watching the 500 on the really big flat screen. Add in NASCAR.com and twitter.com plus surround sound and a dozen friends and it is almost live and in person.

Since I'm more club suites than grandstand I'm don't miss the lack of noise nor the chicken bones and Budweiser cans. But I do miss the roar of the crowd.

Below: Daytona from 1956. Three years later the 500 was born.




What will become known as the Pot Hole 500, Sunday's Daytona was full of unexpected surprises. The out of nowhere win by Jamie McMurray after two red flags on perfect weather afternoon and the middle of the pack run by Dale Jr to finish second, will not be over shadowed by the pot holes that put the race on hold twice.

Tim McGraw waiting for his pre race performance.


Photo Marty Smith ESPN Via Twitter

Tim McGraw sings for a full house at Daytona.


Photo Marty Smith ESPN Via Twitter

Below: No that's not Danica it is team mate Mark Martin.


Photo Marty Smith ESPN Via Twitter

This was Martin's 25 Daytona 500, a race he has never won. With a pole and the lead for the first five laps Martin looked good even though he would slip back to 12th at the 1/2 way mark and finish there.

Jimmie Johnson's Lowes number 48.


Photo Marty Smith ESPN Via Twitter

Jimmie's car would take a beating again and again and finally head to the garage six hours later with only four laps remaining.

Best tweet so far: NicoleMBriscoe RT @paultracy3: Is it me or has hoenash been involved in both yellows, I will say it again , he is a retard--what's PT doing these days?

Good to see the 43 car out in front for a while and the crowd actually cheered Jeff Gordon when he took the lead at the half way mark.

Best Radio Traffic JR on the red flag delay and the road crew fixing pot holes on the track "I know how they are going to fix the track they're just going to put a cone over it and we'll have to dodge it.

Second best: DW says hello to JR "Jr, you have the fastest car on track down the back straightaway into T-3." JR: "Are u serious? I'm 21st"





And after nearly 7 hours and 2 Red Flags 52 lead changes 21 Leaders Jamie McMurray wins with JR closing in on him fast.

OK for this you had to been there, the last two laps in shoot out format, with Dale, JR coming up the middle taking second only because he ran out of track. The crowd was insane!




In the end in was McMurray. Jamie McMurray was so emotional that he broke down twice after winning, and really no one blames him. He has been on the same economic roll coaster so many of us have endured this last year.

Final Tweet:

RyanMcGeeESPN Impossible not to be happy for #Daytona 500 champ @JamieMcMurray. Great guy. Career was up on blocks. #NASCAR