Saturday, February 27, 2021

2021 Daytona 500 Postscript

As I must be really Desperate if I’m Scribbling ‘bout RASSCAR’, Eh?

 

So I’m not sure what’s more confounding for me? The fact that I set out to watch, Err listen to the Day-Toner’ 500 on Ye Telie’, or that I stuck thru it’s Mega five-plus hours Rain Delay to it’s Gory Conclusion! Or that I decided to Tune into my first Busch, Err Xfinity cup Lite race in a long, long time the week after, not to mention the following weekend’s Cup Road Course race.

 

Another Memorable Day-Toner’ 500

Although it’s funny how I once again decided to skip the Busch Clash Replay during that Mega Rain Delay, since I already knew it’s outcome. Ultimately Skipping it twice, since I really couldn’t handle the Sophomoric Hijinx Screaming of Pretty Boy Floyd and ‘Ol Fisticuff’, aka Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer in the Broadcast Booth!

 

But I suppose I decided to watch that Mini Documentary on the making of what I’ll forever call Dazes ‘O blunder! Better known as Days of Thunder, starring Tom “I Feel the Need, The Need for Speed!” Cruise since I’ve always liked him as an Actor.

 

As I was happy to hear somebody say what I’d Arse-sumed’ after reading, Err listening to a Biography on Paul Newman a year ago that it was indeed ‘Ol Blue Eyes during the filming of The Color of Money that enticed Cruise’s yearning to go Racing…

 

Although somehow I wasn’t aware that the movie was Directed by Tony Scott, who had just Directed Cruise in Top gun, a film I totally enjoyed Wayback when. Which contrary to the Documentary, top gun still resonates with me more than Days of Thunder! As somebody in the Documentary says how many Films are we still talking about after 30 years? Whale’ I’m never talking ‘bout Dazes ‘O blunder, except to Mock It!

 

I also learned that Tony Scott had Died, although his widow, former Miss North Carolina, Model and Actress Donna Wilson never mentions the cause of Death, which I’ve subsequently learned was suicide, when he Jumped off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in California in August, 2012 at age 68. Along with learning he was the younger brother of Ridley Scott.

 

And I enjoyed the tidbit ‘bout Chase Briscoe driving thru the nearby Panda Express in his Nomex Firesuit, which his wife then dually Tweeted during that Mega Rain Delay, since after all Driver do get hungry also…

 

Continuing plying thoust Seas ‘O Synchronicity, and I Don’t know it’s actually Apropos but, Did Y’all notice that 62yr old Derrike Cope collided with Bubba Wallace on Lap 3, cutting a tyre and promptly Smacking the Wall! When everybody in the Stands was supposed to be standing and saluting with three fingers raised for Thee Intimidator (Dale Earnhardt) in honour of his passing 20 years ago.

 

As it was Cope as I mentioned before who shockingly won the 1990 Daytona 500 when ‘Ol Ironhead’, aka Earnhardt errantly struck an undeserving Seagull whilst leading the race on the final lap! Or at least that’s my memory of what happened. As it was Cope’s final Daytona 500 entry, and he finished 40th and last.

 

“True Memory is as Illusive as A Bar of Wet Soap”

(John Le Carre: The Pigeon tunnel – Stories from My Life, 2016)

 

And Y’all know the crazy but predictable Racins’ Rubbin’ outcome of this year’s race, where 100-1 longshot Michael McDowell won his very first ever NASCAR Cup race on his 358th start over 14yrs, which is relatively quicker than ‘Ol Mikey “aw Shucks!” Waltrip’s Ginormous 0-for-426 Starts record before winning for the first time in that Dreaded 2001 Daytona 500.

 

And I’m just totally guessing here, but does that make McDowell just the third ever Open Wheel Racing Driver to win the Day-Toner’ 500? Since I know that ‘Ol SuperTex’, aka A.J. Foyt and Ye Original SuperMario’, nee Mario Andretti had both won the Daytona 500 previously.

 

As McDowell cut his teeth in Single Seaters, winning the 2004 Star Mazda Championship before eventually gravitating to an Ultra short stint at Rocketsports Racing during the 2005 Champ Car World Series season, where he replaced the unceremoniously Dumped Ryan Hunter-Reay for the season’s final two races before ultimately departing for RASSCAR’.

 

But my favourite Quip of the whole race was provided by LarryMac’, (MacReynolds) with one of his McNuggets’ when the Talking Heads were foaming over how well Austin Cindric was doing during his NASCAR Cup Debut, claiming he could become only the eighth driver ever to win the Daytona 500 on his Roundy-round Cup Debut.

 

As Larry noted tht ‘Ol Lonestar JR, nee Johnny Rutherford had won one of the two Daytona 150 Duels on Debut Wayback in 1963 and NO, I wasn’t at the race, Hya!

 

And talkin’ of Cindric, as in Team Penske’s Main Man tim Cindric’s son who was making his Cup Debut aboard a further Team Penske entry, Isn’t it Ironic Alanis? That it would be the two Team Penske Mainstays, i.e.; Joey Logano leading the race with team-mate “Bad Brad” Keselowski on “His six” that collided with each other whilst running 1-2 on the last lap! Leaving the Door wide open for eventual winner McDowell…