NASCAR dream season Daytona 500

Now for the post that you've all been waiting for.

Since the opening of Daytona International Speedway in 1959, the Daytona 500 has become the greatest race in the stock car world, and the Harley J. Earl Trophy perhaps the greatest individual trophy.  A win makes a career; multiple wins make a legend.

The moments make the ultimate highlight reel: Lee Petty's win in the first race, confirmed only by photo finish; the 1976 collision in which David Pearson outlasted Richard Petty; the first national telecast in 1979 and the post-race fight; Ned Jarrett's emotional reaction after his son Dale won the 1993 race; Dale Earnhardt's highly popular breakthrough victory in 1998; Michael Waltrip's first career win on the day Earnhardt was killed in 2001; Kevin Harvick's narrow win and last-lap crash behind in 2007; Denny Hamlin winning the closest finish ever in 2016; Kurt Busch's first win as "old man" Tony Gibson acted like a little boy in 2017.

For the race I'm running, the field includes 20 drivers who have won 43 of the 59 races held to date.  Of those, 12 have won more than once.

I would book Garth Brooks for the pre-show entertainment concert, Carrie Underwood for the national anthem, and as grand marshals I would hire Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., and Junior Johnson.  The Frances and Johnson were three of the five members of the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  The other two - Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt - will drive in the race.

This looks like an awesome race, so let's drop the green flag on this one.

February 18
Daytona International Speedway

500 miles/200 laps (stages: 60, 60, 80)

Mark Martin, who once lived in Daytona Beach, was the pole sitter at 193.021 miles per hour; he went on to lead the first nine laps before Earnhardt's stalking efforts led to the first lead change.  Jeff Gordon passed Earnhardt on lap 16; three circuits later came the first caution when Tim Flock brought a cut tire to pit road.  The next caution came for debris on lap 45, by which time there were four more lead changes.  The lead changed hands twice more before Richard Petty completed a dramatic comeback from 16th to 1st to win stage 1.  (This was based on Petty's seven Daytona 500 wins, more than any other driver.)

A.J. Foyt stayed out to lead at the start of stage 2.  On lap 78, Harry Gant cut a tire and slammed into Adam Petty on the superstretch.  Then Jimmie Johnson spun off turn 2 to cause the race's fifth caution.  A wide variety of drivers led throughout the stage, including Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Davey Allison; however, Fred Lorenzen had a remarkable 46-lap run on fuel and had just enough to win stage 2.  (Lorenzen had an average finish of 6.91, best of all of those in the field with at least six starts.)

Stage 1 top 10: Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bill Elliott, Sterling Marlin, Jimmie Johnson, Michael Waltrip
Stage 2 top 10: Fred Lorenzen, Ned Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt, Earnhardt Jr., Elliott, Terry Labonte, Petty, Benny Parsons, David Pearson, Davey Allison

Lap 144 brought the track's dreaded "big one" in which 18 cars sustained at least some damage.  It began when 1975 winner Benny Parsons lost a right front tire.  When some other cars checked up, they were all brought together into the same narrow spot, with the usual bad consequences.  Among the stars who ended with wrecked cars: Martin, Stewart, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett, Jeff Burton, and Matt Kenseth.  The race was stopped for some 28 minutes.

Once everyone came back, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and then Kurt Busch and Davey Allison asserted themselves as the front-runners.  But on lap 190, Earnhardt used the slingshot to take over the lead for the fourth time - and the last.

On the anniversary of the day he was killed in this very race, I have Dale Earnhardt as the winner of this mythical special event.  What's more, Dale Jr. came home in second place.  In third place was Davey Allison; his crew chief that day would be Larry McReynolds, the same one who led "the Intimidator" to victory in '98.

Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top five, while Michael Waltrip surprised with a sixth-place finish for a part-time team.  Richard Petty finished eighth, Jimmie Johnson 12th, and Lorenzen came home 19th.

Earnhardt would have been the first driver to win the Advance Auto Parts Clash, his race at the Can-Am Duel, and the Daytona 500 in the same year.

Full-field rundown with point totals

1. #3 Dale Earnhardt - Nationwide Chevrolet - 48
2. #8 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - Budweiser Chevrolet - 47
3. #28 Davey Allison - Havoline Ford - 35
4. #97 Kurt Busch - Monster Energy Ford - 33
5. #24 Jeff Gordon - Axalta Chevrolet - 39
6. #51 Michael Waltrip - Seminole Hard Rock Toyota - 0*
7. #21 David Pearson - Motorcraft Ford - 32
8. #43 Richard Petty - STP Ford - 43
9. #25 Tim Richmond - Farmers Insurance Chevrolet - 26
10. #11 Cale Yarborough - FedEx Toyota - 36
11. #31 Dave Marcis - Caterpillar Chevrolet - 26
12. #48 Jimmie Johnson - Lowe's Chevrolet - 27
13. #9 Bill Elliott - McDonald's Chevrolet - 34
14. #16 Ned Jarrett - KFC Ford - 32
15. #4 Joe Weatherly - Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet - 22
16. #42 Lee Petty - Kroger ClickList Ford - 21
17. #5 Terry Labonte - Kellogg's Chevrolet - 25
18. #88 Dale Jarrett - UPS Ford - 25
19. #98 Fred Lorenzen - Florida Lottery Ford - 28
20. #78 Fireball Roberts - Furniture Row Chevrolet - 17
21. #2 Buck Baker - Miller Lite Ford - 16
22. #13 Sterling Marlin - Geico Chevrolet - 18
23. #10 Ricky Rudd - GoDaddy Chevrolet - 14
24. #7 Alan Kulwicki - Golden Corral Chevrolet - 13
25. #12 Bobby Allison - Mobil 1 Ford - 20
26. #1 Neil Bonnett - Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet - 11
27. #14 A.J. Foyt - ABC Supply Chevrolet - 10
28. #27 Rusty Wallace - AAA Ford - 9
29. #15 Kenny Wallace - NAPA Chevrolet 8
30. #18 Bobby Labonte - M&M's Toyota - 7
31. #41 Benny Parsons - Target Chevrolet - 9
32. #38 Tim Flock - Camping World Ford - 5
33. #00 Buddy Baker - Haas Automation Chevrolet - 4
34. #34 Matt Kenseth - Dockside Logistics Ford - 3
35. #17 Darrell Waltrip - Tide Toyota - 2
36. #20 Tony Stewart - The Home Depot Toyota - 1
37. #6 Mark Martin - Valvoline/Walmart Ford - 1
38. #99 Jeff Burton - Exide Ford - 1
39. #33 Harry Gant - Dow Chemicals Chevrolet - 1
40. #44 Adam Petty - Bush's Baked Beans Ford - 1

*Not eligible for points

Top 16 in points (this includes Duel races as well as the Daytona 500)

1. Dale Earnhardt - 58
2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - 55
3. Jeff Gordon - 49
4. Richard Petty - 46
5. Cale Yarborough - 45
6. Bill Elliott - 42
7. David Pearson - 37
8. Davey Allison - 35
9. Kurt Busch - 33
10. Ned Jarrett - 32
11. Jimmie Johnson - 30
12. Bobby Allison - 29
13. Tim Richmond - 28
14. Fred Lorenzen - 28
15. Dave Marcis - 26
16. Terry Labonte - 26

Additional statistics
Pole winner and speed: Mark Martin, 193.121 mph
Race speed: 152.853 mph
Margin of victory: 0.339 seconds
Time of race: 3 hr., 16 min., 16 sec.
Cautions: 9 for 40 laps
Lead changes: 28 among 16 drivers

B.W. comments: "This is an awesome thing.  Dale Earnhardt was one of my favorite drivers growing up, and he is part of the family that is the very reason I and so many others watch NASCAR today.  And for this to happen on the anniversary that killed him is sweeter than I can describe.  Even in a small, mythical way, it brings joy to the whole racing world."