The D's of Daytona

Let me be clear, I cared far more about watching NASCAR on Sunday than I did about the Superbowl a few weeks ago. Why? I'm strange, get over it. Unlike most 500's, this was not a banner day for the Cup Series. Here are the D-words I would use to describe it:

- Darn-it - Sanitized version of what Dale Jr. was probably saying on the radio after missing his pits entirely and ending up at the back of the pack (he was in the top 5 at the time). Then, after scratching his way back into the top 5, he managed to pit with his right front tire ever-so-slightly on the pit box line, which garnered a one lap penalty, setting the stage for the crash discussed below. Wasn't his day.
- Dominant - Only word to describe Kyle Busch's performance for the first 124 laps on Sunday.
- Dumb-decisions - Led to the 10-car pile up that took Kyle Busch (quit crying, Kyle, you had this coming and no-one feels sorry for you, because no one likes you and as Gandy says, you're smug) and several others out of contention or out of the race entirely. Who was the guilty party? Either Brian Vickers or Dale Jr. depending on your perspective. If either had done a little more giving and a little less taking, everyone would have continued on. The short version is that Jr. went low on the backstretch, Vickers moved to block. This forced Jr. below the double-yellow line, which meant he had to back off because you can't advance your position below the double yellow at Daytona. When Jr. tried to get back in line behind Vickers he clipped Vickers' bumper and sent him spinning into the field. If you don't like Jr., the story is the same, except you think Jr. clipped Vickers on purpose. NASCAR didn't think it was intentional.
- Dumb-luck - Led to Jeremy Mayfield and Elliot Sadler holding the lead briefly after the Vickers/Jr. incident. They were in the pits at the right time and ended up on the point by no particular skill of their own. Thankfully the faster cars overtook them before...
- Downpour - By lap 100 it was clear that rain would either temporarily stop or potentially shorten this race. That's probably part of why Vickers and Jr. were racing so hard (a lap down no less). Shortly after Kevin Harvick pushed Matt Kenseth into the lead the rains came and halted the event.
- Disappointment - For having invested all afternoon in watching this race when it got shortened by rain before we were treated to the typical scramble to the finish at Daytona. I have no problems with Kenseth winning, I just wish they could have run the whole race first.