NASCAR // SUBWAY JALAPENO 250 @ DAYTONA

I find myself back at Daytona for the third time this year. The biggest difference this time was that the weather would finally be typical Florida weather, well into the high 80’s with equal or higher humidity and just enough rain to keep things sticky!  

This weekend was full of action, Friday night the Nationwide cars would race in the Subway Jalapeno 250 powered by Coca-Cola, Saturday the Rolex cars would race in the Brumos Porsche 250 and on Saturday night the Sprint Cup cars raced in the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola... [read more]

Unlike most other forms of racing (read: F1), NASCAR has always been about the fans and giving them access to drivers and pre-race activities, and to this day that still holds true.  



Thirty minutes prior to the start of the Nationwide race, fans gathered at what looked like a holding pen. Once the gates were opened and the herd of fans released from the holding pens, the massive crush of fans crowded onto the most hollowed grass in all of racing, the inside of Daytona’s tri-oval. I have to say, this being my first time at a NASCAR weekend at Daytona, I too was a bit excited to take a walk on this same grass and sign the checkered start finish line.

Myself and a few thousand fans had twenty minutes of free time to cross the track, sign the start/finish line and hang around for driver introductions.  Once all the drivers were given their five second intros and paraded passed us in the backs of trucks, it was nearing the time to here the most fabled words in auto racing. During our free time I meet a couple all the way from Portland, Oregon (above) it was their first time to Daytona.



During qualifying I had an opportunity to meet one of the Pacific Northwest young guns, Tayler Malsam, driver of the #10 Toyota.  We had a nice chat with each other before he was to qualify.  Tayler also races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck series in the number 56 Toyota.  You can check out Tayler's blog here.





This race would see the new Nationwide Series car debuted this weekend, the Chevrolet Impala, Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang and Toyota Camry usher in a new era in the series.  It was getting closer to hearing the most fabled words in motorsports “gentlemen start your engines” so I had to get in place for the start of the race.  I positioned myself in the grandstands above the track to see 43 cars take the green flag, what an amazing sight I must to say. The cars looked great and the sound of 43 cars ripping beneath me was exciting.













The race would end with Dale Earnhardt Jr. taking the checker flag. In an interview with Dale: "I worked hard to try to win, not only for daddy-I'm proud of him going to the Hall of Fame, and he would be proud of this, I'm sure - but just all these fans. I hope they enjoyed this. This is it - no more '3' for me. That's it."



I remember watching Dale Earnhardt race the Wrangler car in the Winston Cup Series back in the 70’s at Ontario International Speedway and had always liked that car. What a fitting end to a great race for Dale Jr. We all know that his father would have been very proud of him!

Photo/Editorial: Curtis Creager