It can't be the Daytona 380
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009
Charlotte Observer sportswriter Ron Green Jr. offers these thoughts on Sunday's Daytona 380, er, 500:
If the Daytona 500 is truly the biggest event in NASCAR racing, it can’t end prematurely because it’s raining.
They wouldn’t call the Super Bowl after three quarters because of lightning. They’d wait around until they could finish it.
The U.S. Open isn’t over until 72 holes (and sometimes 18 more) are complete, regardless of the weather and the inconvenience.
It rains all the time at Wimbledon but they wouldn’t call the championship match with someone leading two sets to one. Postpone it, sure. But end it? Nope.
I know the way the Daytona 500 ended Sunday night followed NASCAR’s rules, such as they are. But it’s not the Daytona 380, it’s the Daytona 500 and it’s a race on which legacies are supposedly made.
Who’s making the decisions, Bud Selig?
If it’s as big as everyone says it is – and I’m a fan of the Daytona 500 – it needs to be run to its proper conclusion.
Sure, it would be a royal pain to bring everyone back on Monday to run 48 laps. But it would be worth getting it right.
This isn’t meant to take anything away from Matt Kenseth, but the guy led one green-flag lap and happened to be in front when rain clouds arrived. Had they run the last 48 laps, imagine what might have happened with Dale Jr. out there.
It’s one thing to cut short a race at Richmond or Pocono.
But not the biggest race of the year. There’s a reason it’s called the Daytona 500.
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