Nascar Fans

[eagles_victory]

Would you rather your favorite driver win the points championship or win the Daytona 500? And when you look back and judge the greatness of a racer how much of that is based on Daytona wins and how much is based on points championships overall wins etc.? Why is Daytona so much more important then other races?

[Emerson1]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
Why is Daytona so much more important then other races?
Probably just the history of the race and the track. Same way some PGA tour tournaments are bigger than others. It's the same exact field as the joe blow tournament the week before, but it's such a bigger deal

[D_bird]

On Speed Channel this week there was a special documentary about how Daytona became a big motorsports city. It has all to do with the beach because for a very long time they held speed trials there (around 100 years ago) 1900s thru the 30s. there were several land speed records set there during that time and the speeds kept rising and the beach became too rough and too short to run on. The speed trials were then moved to the Bonneville Salt Flats in rither Utah or Nevada. Daytona then hosted a stock car race on the beach thru the 40s and 50s, it is where the organization NASCAR was founded in 1948 and then the Daytona International Speedway hosted it's first 500 mile race in 1959.

That is the short version of the history of Daytona and why it is an important event for Nascar . And also the reason you hear Daytona refered to as "The birthplace of speed" sometimes.

[turbostud]

Daytona is just all in all a great place. There is always alot going on in that town. I used to live about 45 minutes south of Daytona. It starts with the Daytona 500 then Bike Week and then Spring Break. Then another NASCAR race in the summer and then Biketoberfest in October. Not to mention all the beautiful girls. Its a very happening town.

[K-MAC Chuck]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
Would you rather your favorite driver win the points championship or win the Daytona 500? And when you look back and judge the greatness of a racer how much of that is based on Daytona wins and how much is based on points championships overall wins etc.?

Simple.
Championships defines a driver.

Winning the Daytona 500 barely hits the radar when compared to championships won.

Look at Dan Marino - the greatest QB never to win a Super Bowl. You think Dangerous Dan would trade ALL of his passing titles, stats, etc. for a Super Bowl ring?

[crzyjournalist03]

Originally posted by K-MAC Chuck
Simple.
Championships defines a driver.

Winning the Daytona 500 barely hits the radar when compared to championships won.

Look at Dan Marino - the greatest QB never to win a Super Bowl. You think Dangerous Dan would trade ALL of his passing titles, stats, etc. for a Super Bowl ring?

but the difference is, the Daytona 500 is considered to be the Super Bowl of the sport. There are plenty of drivers out there today who are racing just to win races, not championships. There's a definite demarkation that separates two schools of thought in the Winston-Nextel-Sprint Cup. Matt Kenseth drives to win championships; Kyle Busch drives to win races. Both have their own set of fans, but the goals are clearly different for the two.

[rockdale80]

Nascar is rigged.

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by K-MAC Chuck
Simple.
Championships defines a driver.

Winning the Daytona 500 barely hits the radar when compared to championships won.

Look at Dan Marino - the greatest QB never to win a Super Bowl. You think Dangerous Dan would trade ALL of his passing titles, stats, etc. for a Super Bowl ring? The Dan Marino comparison doesnt really work since Daytona is the Super Bowl of Racing

[K-MAC Chuck]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
The Dan Marino comparison doesnt really work since Daytona is the Super Bowl of Racing

I politely disagree.
Super Bowl of NFL = NFL League Championship
Drivers' Title = Sprint Cup League Championship

Daytona 500 may be known as the "Super Bowl of NASCAR racing," but it is (literally) one RACE..it is not the league championship, as is the Super Bowl is in the NFL.

[crzyjournalist03]

Originally posted by K-MAC Chuck
I politely disagree.
Super Bowl of NFL = NFL League Championship
Drivers' Title = Sprint Cup League Championship

Daytona 500 may be known as the "Super Bowl of NASCAR racing," but it is (figuratively) one RACE..it is not the league championship, as is the Super Bowl is in the NFL.

who's your favorite driver?

[K-MAC Chuck]

My favorite driver is Matt Kenseth - has been since his rookie year in 2000 when he beat out Junior for the Rookie of the Year title.

My other favorites (in no particular order) are Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, David Reutimann and Brian Vickers.

[crzyjournalist03]

Originally posted by K-MAC Chuck
My favorite driver is Matt Kenseth - has been since his rookie year in 2000 when he beat out Junior for the Rookie of the Year title.

My other favorites (in no particular order) are Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, David Reutimann and Brian Vickers.

That's exactly who I would have predicted was your favorite from your stance on this issue. Your line of thinking is right in line with his. Not that there's anything wrong with that at all, but I just know that there are two clearly distinct schools of thought on this issue, and Kenseth is the leader of the "it's all about winning championships" brigade!