The NASCAR Nationwide Series Daytona season-opener, the Drive4COPD 300, delivered quite the exciting finish to the end of the day that already had a few news-worthy moments.
The pole-sitter for the day, Danica Patrick, was tapped out by her own JR Motorsports teammate in the No. 88, Cole Whitt. This took Danica out of the race early, by lap 49.
Throughout the next couple of hours, the race had small events take place.
As the race was winding down, my eye was on the tandem of Tony Stewart and Elliott Sadler up towards the front... but then they started to fade back into the bulk of the racing pack. It fooled myself and the race announcers because it looked like they were running into issues and fade out.
The pack up front started to jostle about in the closing laps of the Drive4COPD 300. Kyle Busch pushed Kurt Busch to the front and for but a moment, it looked like the brothers Busch were going to pull off that coupe fans have talked about.
But then Joey Logano and his drafting partner started poking their nose into the fray. With some dodging and blocking going on, the viewers were looking at a Busch or Logano possibly winning the race.
Danica Patrick "chicked" the field of drivers to win the top starting spot in Saturday's NASCAR race at Daytona! And that's great media for NASCAR!
Despite the naysayers, and her abrupt welcome to NASCAR with that devastating looking hit on the inside wall during the Gatorade Duel last Thursday,
it looks like Danica Patrick has made yet another mark on the history of NASCAR books.
Danica Patrick nabbed the pole for Saturday's (2-25-12) Drive4COPD 300 Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway.
Guys, as they say in running, you've been chicked. (Don't fret, I've been "baby carriaged" and "walkered" and... well, you get the point!)
By Danica winning the pole for today's Nationwide Series race, Danica Patrick becomes only the 2nd woman in NASCAR history to win a pole position... in ANY of the three NASCAR divisions. Shawna Robinson nabbed the pole at Atlanta back in March of 1994.
After setting her qualifying time late in the session, having gone 35th out of 50 drivers, she then had to wait for the next 15 drivers to step up and knock her down.
She said waiting for the 15 drivers, like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, felt like it was a hundred drivers.
Joining her on the front row of the starting field of the Drive4COPD 300 is Trevor Bayne.
