DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – What a difference an hour makes.

Sunday night, Matt Kenseth took home the coveted Harley J. Earl trophy and the title of Daytona 500 champion after NASCAR called the race 48 laps from the finish thanks to a heavy rain shower that persisted through the evening.

No, NASCAR didn’t have a matter of darkness to contend with because Daytona International Speedway has lights. And I’m not faulting NASCAR for calling the race, either, because the rain here at the track didn’t let up for several hours.

I am, though, quite sympathetic for the fans that spent a good deal of money to sit in the grandstands at DIS and for the drivers who saw the scheduled 500-mile race shortened to a 380-mile affair that left entirely too many wondering “what if?”
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It’s hard to say who will be the favorite for Sunday’s 51st running of the Daytona 500, but as is usual in the sports writing world, I’ll make an attempt. Here goes:

Jeff Gordon – Coming off 2008 where he failed to earn a victory, Gordon is motivated to find victory lane. He got there once already this week by winning his Gatorade Duel qualifying race, but wants to get there for real. His car has been plenty strong all week and Saturday, the team finished practice with 45 minutes to go in the session.

Tony Stewart – Wouldn’t the story of using a third car in a week make a great one for a 500 champion? It’d be the ultimate way to start a season as a car owner. Read the rest of this entry »

Tony Stewart got over his skirmish with Goodyear Saturday morning, and in good fashion.

The Columbus, Ind.-driver scored his fourth win in 9 Nationwide Series starts at Daytona International Speedway after holding off a charging Kyle Busch during a valiant last-lap charge.

The win, however, didn’t make his thoughts towards NASCAR’s sole tire supplier any better.

Busch and Stewart ran nose-to-tail for many for the final laps and on the last one, Busch attempted to push Stewart out of the way as the field entered turn 2. Amazingly, Stewart kept control with the battering ram of Busch placed squarely in his No. 80 Chevrolet’s rear bumper and sneaked out a win.

At the line, Carl Edwards grabbed second, Clint Bowyer third and Busch wound up 4th.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. — Anyone wearing a Goodyear logo was best advised to stay away from Tony Stewart on Saturday.

During the final practice for Sunday’s Daytona 500, Stewart’s teammate Ryan Newman lost a right rear tire and crashed in turn 2. The crash collected Stewart, and thanks to the damage that was deemed unfixable for such an aerodynamic track, both drivers went to backup cars for Sunday’s race.

As a result, they will both start at the end of the field for Sunday’s race, though that wasn’t the primary focal point of Stewart’s anger. Read the rest of this entry »

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. — Never before has a driver won multiple races at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Until Friday, that is.

Todd Bodine scored his second-straight victory in the season-opener Friday night for the third-tier of NASCAR’s top three national touring divisions after holding off a last lap charge from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Kyle Busch. Read the rest of this entry »

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. — The Daytona International Speedway is known for its impressive banked corners, but where did all that fill dirt come from to build those harnesses of speed?

Answer: Lake Lloyd — a 6 acre body of water located along the backstretch in the infield of DIS that Friday, doubled as a fishing tournament venue.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. — Jeff Gordon — winless since October 2007 — and Kyle Busch both got the season off to a great start Thursday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway by winning the pair of Gatorade Duel at Daytona 150-mile races. The races set the field for Sunday’s Daytona 500 and by winning, Gordon and Busch will now start 3rd and 4th, respectively.

Two other Indiana natives, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart, had their races end at the opposite end of the spectrum. Stewart swapped the lead with Gordon twice in the closing laps in dramatic fashion while racing for the first time in his No. 14 self-owned car. That first result? 2nd-place.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. — The sun is out, the heat is on and all systems appear to be a go for today’s Gatorade Duels at Daytona. The pair of qualifying races for Sunday’s Daytona 500 are set to start at 2 PM/EDT on SPEED Channel.

The format for today is simple: two races, 60 laps, and the finishing positions set the grid for Sunday’s race.

The races will be the highlight of the day, which is certainly a good thing after a morning discussion involving FOX Sports’ crew about an animated gopher and his future merchandise got a little interesting in the media room. Simply, FOX is trying to make some unabashed cash off the sales of some t-shirts and the journalists in the room wondered if that blurred the line of journalism ethics for FOX’s crew.

In other words, let’s hope today’s races provide some excitement as expected. See you after the race.

After answering my alarm clock far too many hours before sunrise, hitting the McDonalds at Walnut St. & the Bypass as it opened at 5 a.m. and sitting on the tarmac of Indianapolis International Airport for an extra one hour and 17 minutes while waiting for Atlanta’s airport to again accept arrivals — my trip to Daytona International Speedway is nearing completion.

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Race fans and non-race fans alike, welcome aboard the IDS’ newest adventure into the blogosphere — Daytona Dispatch. This blog will offer you a little bit of news and notes from Daytona International Speedway as I (Geoffrey Miller, currently the not-so-famous national sports columnist) take you inside NASCAR’s biggest stage — the Daytona 500.

I’ll be arriving at the track on Thursday morning in Daytona Beach, Fla., to cover the Sprint Cup Series’ Gatorade Duels qualifying races and will remain trackside through the 51st running of “The Great American Race.”

Look for a few updates each day regarding trackside activities, a video or two and a few photos from my time at Daytona. We’ll also plan to have a race preview column and a post-race column that will appear here as well as within the paper confines of the Indiana Daily Student.

I hope you’ll enjoy this as the IDS takes you inside the high banks of Daytona. See you at the track.