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1999 Season Begins
1999 Season Begins
What: Daytona 500
Where: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Florida
When: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 14, CBS
(Don't want to read my insightful and witty comments? Click here to go straight to making your picks.)
Get ready to plant your butts on your couches, because the 1999 Winston Cup NASCAR racing season kicks off this Sunday. That's right, the long, bitter months of waiting are over. Unlike most sports that start their season with a bunch of crummy games that mean next to nothing, NASCAR explodes into the season with the world's most famous and beloved racing event: the Daytona 500.
It's always tough to make predictions for this race, because we don't know what may have occurred during the offseason. NASCAR amends its regulations, teams alter their car configurations, and drivers try to improve their racing techniques. No one knows until the race starts whether or not these changes will pay off.
Another onion in the ointment is that Daytona isn't your average race track. It's a 2.5-mile oval with blistering fast straight-aways and mild turns, allowing unfettered cars to scream around the track in excess of 200 miles per hour. Because cars can get going so fast here, NASCAR dictates that each car must be fitted with a restrictor plate that limits the force of engine combustion, thereby decreasing RPMs and top speeds. Restrictor-plate races are few and far between on the Winston Cup circuit, so car teams and drivers aren't as practiced or prepared for the special requirements of this kind of racing.
As much fun as it is for us fans to watch a Dayton race, most of the drivers secretly admit that they are tepid about this and other restrictor-plate races. Even with the plates attached the cars can approach 200 MPH, but the lowered RPMs inhibit their ability to make strong passing actions. In other words, they've got plenty of speed but not enough acceleration. Every second of the race each driver is on the verge of losing control of his car, and the heat doesn't let up until he crosses the finish line. This is a bumpy, hot, loud, crazy ride. As Darrell Waltrip (by the way, that's how you spell "Daryl" country style) says, this race is like the worst plane ride you've ever been on.
Despite the unknowns of a new season and the treacheries of NASCAR's most traditional track, I think I've gotten a fix on some good drivers. I won't get into my season predictions this week, but I'm really liking Mike Skinner. He was strong in the second half of last year, and he won last Sunday's qualifying race (by the way, there's about 7 qualifying races for Daytona, so we won't know the official list of entries until Saturday). Although my unlove for Earnhardt is undying, this is a track where he's strong, so I like him to do well, too. Another prediction I'll spell out in more detail in coming weeks is that this will be a big year for Ford, so gimme Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace in the top five.
My pick to win this race will come as no surprise to those who know me: Bobby Labonte. Last year he dominated the restrictor-plate races, winning at Taladega and holding the pole position for three of the four races. He's got a teammate this year named Tony Stewart (who will, by the way, start the race in second place), so now he'll have a partner to draft with. He's going to be hard to beat on Sunday. I could go on, but why don't you make your picks and tell me what you think.
What's your name?
Name of First Place Driver:
Name of Second Place Driver:
Name of Third Place Driver:
Name of Fourth Place Driver:
Name of Fifth Place Driver:
Name of your surprise pick:
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