Psych class and the Daytona 500 By-Danny Zeeff Check out ALL our sections and features here!! There is plenty to keep you busy on our main page! As long ago as schooldays were for me I still remember being intrigued by the Psych class exercise involving a group of people witnessing a particular event, then later relating what they saw. This edition of the Great American Race would have been a textbook writer's dream. Was this really good racing? Of course it was! Three wide dicing it up lap after lap with mere inches separating the cars. Or did you see the endless laps of Sterling leading a freighttrain of cars around an unending circuit? Did Harvick cause the big one with his amateurish rookie careless approach? Or did Jeff Gordon fail to give due respect and driving space to a fellow competitor? Is hanging back on restarts a legitimate tactic? Or is it simply a recipe for disaster? Some saw Sterling dive down below the yellow line in an attempt to pass Jeff. Some saw Jeff force Sterling down off the track in a blocking move. Then the people that matter saw it as a response to what was happening behind them and said no foul. What did that official say to Sterling during the red flag? Some figured it was "Hey man, your right front fender is digging into your tire!" Maybe that's why Sterling jumped out of his car and pulled it away. Or maybe he said "You can't do anything to your car because we are under the red flag." And then Sterling jumped out of his car and pulled the fender away. Of course there are those who would also argue the red flag being used in this situation, but that is a matter of regulations and therefore is not relative to interpretation by the fans or officials or um. Damn, never mind! So what did you see on Sunday? Was it another episode in a long running display of ineptitude by Nascar, with all the resultant unfairness and bias precluding the deserving teams from their place in racing history? Was it a fantastic race with all the drama and excitement that has brought this sport to the forefront of American viewership? Or was it one hell of a good excuse to suck down some cold ones with some good friends and eat some deep fried turkey and corn on the cob? I'll tell you what I saw. I saw an event produced with all the flair and pageantry due a race of this magnitude. I saw a TV screen blurred by tears when The National Anthem was imbedded into our conscience by a voice from an angel. The eagle flying around the track and the flyover of our fighters. I saw Tony smile and act like a total gentleman while his heart had to be breaking. I saw racing ten laps into this race that looked more like the last ten laps were being run. Amazingly, the skill and expertise of these drivers allowed them to put on a show of this magnitude for nearly 150 laps before "the big one". I saw Prayers answered as each driver left their mangled vehicle safely. I saw men show how big they are by not placing blame, by not letting their emotions speak louder than their words, and if all else failed, having the grace and dignity to say "I'll have to see the films". Nascar may not be perfect, [or even close], but as long as we have men [and Shawna] that represent the sport this well, we, as fans, can look forward to a bright year this year and many more to come. Happy Racin' Danny Zeeff DannyZ@insidethepitbox.com Check out ALL our sections and features here!! There is plenty to keep you busy on our main page! (Editors Note:The views and opinions of our writers are just that, theirs. If you have comments, write to them. We take no responsibility for their articles... Do you blame us?) Article archives Return to the Main Page