Daytona 500: The Great Race

[The General]

The Greatest Spectacle in Racing has been a misnomer for more than a decade, while The Great American Race has gone on to truly live up to its name – and then some.

Ever since the bitter split between CART and the Indy Racing League in 1996, the Indianapolis 500 has watched its supremacy as the biggest, most popular race in the world supplanted by the Daytona 500.

TV ratings prove it. Media attention proves it. Fan talk around the water cooler proves it.

For decades, nothing could compare to the Indy 500. But when the Indy car world imploded in a battle of vanity and power, NASCAR was there to offer a different kind of four-wheel alternative.

Now, in an effort to boost its sagging fortunes, we have an Indy 500 that over the last few years has morphed from promoting exciting driving to pushing good looks and sex appeal.

Look at the flesh-and-flash persona of Danica Patrick, who has yet to win her first Indy car race, yet gets more attention for her blown hair, deep cleavage and come-hither look in advertisements and promotions than she does behind the wheel of her race car.

Somehow, I don't remember four-time Indy 500 winners Rick Mears or A.J. Foyt ever posing for sexy ads touting perfume or racy clothing.

Another potential reason why the Indy 500 began to wane in appeal over the years is the lost connection between Indy drivers and American fans. For old-time fans, the Indy 500 meant American drivers with names like Foyt, Mears, Unser and Andretti (admittedly American through naturalization).

But since 1989, 12 of the last 19 winners of the 500 have been foreign-born drivers – and in fields dominated by non-Americans.

As a result, the shift away from American driving heritage at Indy caused many alienated race fans to migrate to the sunny climate and beaches of Daytona Beach, Fla., in mid-February.

That's a key part why NASCAR calls the sold-out Daytona 500 its Super Bowl, even though the event is held at the start of each season, rather than the culmination. It's the biggest, most popular and most attended race on the circuit, bar none.

Of course, the $1 million-plus paycheck for winning doesn't hurt.

As we prepare for the golden anniversary of the Daytona 500 – and what could arguably be the most glorious race Daytona International Speedway has ever seen – the late Bill France Sr.'s dream is at a crossroads of sorts.

But unlike what happened with the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, once Indy's little brother, is on the verge of becoming bigger than ever. For the Great American Race is set to become The Great International Race.

Unlike the Indy 500, that's not necessarily bad for the Daytona 500, as stock car racing continues its international growth both on and off the track.

With a record four foreign-born drivers in this year's field bringing an unparalleled level of past experience in other racing series including CART, IRL and Formula One, as well as four past Indy 500 winners – also a record – the Daytona 500 is ready to extend its global reach farther than ever before, which, in turn will make NASCAR bigger and stronger than it ever has been.

A field that includes Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya – making his second start in the 500 – as well as Canadians Jacques Villeneuve and Patrick Carpentier, plus Scottsman Dario Franchitti, all first-timers at Daytona, will usher in an entirely different look to Sunday's race.

In the past, foreign newspapers were lucky to carry maybe a line or two about what happened in Daytona, if they carried anything at all.

But because of the foreign driver contingent, Sunday's race will likely be front-page news throughout Europe, Canada, South America and beyond, with a record-sized foreign media contingent already in Daytona to spread the gospel about the wonders and joys of American racing.

Even if one of those foreign-born drivers doesn't find his way to victory lane Sunday, Indianapolis should give up its self-proclaimed "Racing Capital Of The world" title.

With the crown jewel of American stock car racing now a true global event, The Great American Race has become somewhat of a misnomer now, because it's bigger than that. It's gone global, baby.

"The Daytona 500 has always been a great race from the time Bill France Sr. got that track built and they opened up in 1959," Bobby Allison said. "It has remained The Great Race."

Allison has it right. It doesn't need to be called The Great American Race.

Perhaps the simplest explanation is the best: The Great Race.

Daytona 500: The Great Race - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports

[Ego74]

Jarrett prepares for final Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Veteran NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett competes in the Daytona 500 Sunday for the last time in his career.

In the 50th anniversary of the "Super Bowl" of auto racing, Jarrett starts in the 44th position among 43 participants.

"Certainly I wanted to be part of the 50th Daytona 500, and now we'll tune up a little more and see what we can do Sunday," the UPS-sponsored Jarrett told the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal after he qualified for Daytona by finishing ninth in the second of the two Gatorade 150-mile Duel races Thursday.

The three-time "500" winner is retiring after the Sprint Cup's first five races this season.

Jarrett also will drive at the Auto Club 500 in Fontana, Calif., Feb. 24, the UAW Dodge 400 at Las Vegas, Nev., March 2, the Kobalt Tools 500 in Hampton, Ga., March 9 and the Food City 500 in Bristol, Tenn., on March 16.