One thing about Daytona — there’s plenty to talk about.
As Speedweeks unfolded, there were storylines out the wazoo. Hendrick engines with imperfectly finished lifters, punches both on-track and off, 50th running (Daytona 500) this and 60th anniversary (of NASCAR) that, drivers racing their way into the 500 (John Andretti) and racing their way out (Patrick Carpentier).
All of them coalesced into a miasma of color, sound and sun that is, annually, one of the highlights of the racing year.

Everybody’s happy to be here, but nobody wants to stay a minute longer than necessary.

Some observations:
• No matter which way you’re going on the many roads around the speedway, there’s always a car in the other lane that has to go through you to get where he needs to be. Traffic at any race can be a monumental pain, but 11 weeks off seems to befuddle even race fans who regularly attend.
• Everybody’s happy to be here, but nobody wants to stay a minute longer than necessary.
• History is prevalent here in Daytona, being the home of NASCAR, the International Speedway Corp. and Smokey Yunick. Give it another 50 years and it will be able to compete with Indianapolis on somewhat even footing.
• Technology can be a wonderful thing, but how much is too much? Between the coughing and sneezing and other winter-associated maladies, there beats a tattoo of cell phones and PDAs on vibrate mode. It reminds you of that picture from the American Revolution, with the flag, a guy playing the fife and the drummer.
• There are probably enough golf carts on the property to stretch from Jacksonville to Miami, and everybody driving one thinks he ought to have his own ride in Sunday’s race.
• Is it just me, or does it seem that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is actually having fun this year? What a difference it has been in gaining new teammates and losing an old albatross…you can take that however you prefer.
• I for one was glad to see Speedweeks arrive. There’s finally something on Speed to watch amid the endless loop of Pinks episodes, the Barrett-Jackson auctions and anything starring Alain de Cadanet. That’s overstating things a bit, but hey, it’s all good!
• Which one of the racing gods did Boris Said offend, and is there any chance of parole, probation or early release?
• After careful consideration, there’s a clear winner in the energy drink taste test that yours truly has conducted over the past few months. It’s NOS, which sponsored Stanton Barrett’s Cup and Nationwide rides as well as Kyle Busch’s truck last weekend. It tastes a lot better than anything on the market, and the bottle is really cool for gearheads. Contrary to speculation, there is no basis that the drink tastes so good because it actually contains nitrous oxide (otherwise known as laughing gas).
• Race fans are good people, for the most part, and judging by the cheerful nature of most of them, genuinely happy to be on the grounds despite the massive undertaking it is to navigate, organize and above all, pay for the privilege. God bless race fans, and that’s from the heart.
• No matter how you slice it, the pre-race festivities for the Daytona 500 are second only to Indianapolis in pageantry, and the flyover is way cool. This year it was the Thunderbirds, the U.S. Air Force’s stunt flying team. How ‘bout booking the Navy’s Blue Angels for the 51st running?
• The former winners of the Daytona 500 gathered for autograph sessions as well as bull sessions, and some of the quotes were hysterical. Cale Yarborough’s comments were classic: “I had to milk a cow in the morning before I went to school and plow with a mule in the afternoon. Before I got home, I went to football practice. Instead of doing a lot of socializing and a lot of dating, I went to the race tracks on Saturday night.”
• Finally, as much complaining as there is, there’s no other place to be the third week in February every year. It’s a gathering of the clan, so to speak, and one that is getting better with time. Another 40 years, and Indy will have real competition.