Daytona 500 2012: Twitter, Tide and Fire Make NASCAR Amazing in Primetime

Where there is smoke, there is fire.

The Daytona 500 had to stop during a red flag with 40 laps remaining after Juan Pablo Montoya's car crashed into a jet dryer on the track during a caution flag. Following the crash, the fuel spilled onto the track and set ablaze.

The events to follow may be even more epic than the incident itself. Impending rain and tweeting from the track made the event one of the most memorable in Daytona 500 history.

Here are three unintended lessons learned Monday night.

Tide Can Clean Jet Fuel Spills

Who would've thought Tide detergent could clean up jet fuel spilled on a race track.

What could've been a tragedy has turned into what could be marketing genius for Proctor & Gamble.

It will be interesting to see how they come out with their next marketing campaign and if they will incorporate any of the footage from the race.

Twitter Should Be Embraced

During the red flag, Brad Keselowski tweeted out a picture of the flames from his Miller Lite car and a Twitter inferno ensued. His follower totals started increasing and the broadcast showed him with other drivers including Dale Earnhardt Jr. huddled around him and his smart phone.

Even more interesting is that Dave Blaney, the driver that was in the lead at the time of the red flag, became a trending topic on Twitter without even having an account on the social networking site.

The best thing about the whole situation was NASCAR, at least the broadcast team, embraced the use of Twitter and made light of the situation.

It would be great if for example Major League Baseball allowed players to tweet during rain delays. The increased connection it creates with fans and potential fans is like none other.

NASCAR Is Better in Primetime

NASCAR looks amazing in HDTV.

When the lights are on, the color in the paint jobs look much more visually appealing. It's amazing the difference it makes.

Although the traditional day races will always be a staple of the sport, the premier events should all be scheduled for primetime going forward. It will be interesting to see the ratings for the event when they come out to see how Monday night compared to traditional Sundays.