What an Amazing Speedweeks So Far!! This Will Be an Amazing Daytona 500

Daytona usually suppresses us race fans once or twice during speedweeks however what a couple of races we have seen so far this year. The Budweiser Shootout provided some great side by side racing with an amazing battle between Kevin Harvick and McMurray until the caution ended the race. Yes NASCAR has gotten a lot of crap because of the stale racing we have seen since the COT came into competition back in 2007. These speedweeks those has made the sport of NASCAR even more exciting heading into the 2010 season and this could be the most exciting season we have seen in a long time.

Now with the Gatorade Duals comes drama and usually some great racing that always ends with a pretty good finish, well I don't think anybody saw this incredible finishes happening today. The first dual race was all about handling and who was your drafting partner at the end of the race. The race reminded me of an old school type of race like say 2003 or 2002 but at the end there was a caution that left the drivers a very tough decision, pit or do not pit? Jimmie Johnson and Max Papis were the only two guys who didn't pit however it payed off for both of them as Johnson held off Harvick in one of the greatest finishes at Daytona while Papis held his ground to make the Great American Race. Race number two was even better because the grip in the race track was there because of the cooler temps. It seemed like if your car could handle pretty well, then you were going to be fast. There were several guys who could have won at the end of the day but Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart battled all the way to the finish with Kasey Kahne winning a close one.

Both Dual races have provided us enough evidence that this Sunday's Daytona 500 is going to be special. I have never been this excited over a Daytona 500 but this year just seems diffrent, I mean the bump drafting rules are relaxed, the bigger restricter plate puts the race somewhat back into the drivers hands, and you can see anybody win the big one!