Well, I tell ya, that Daytona 500 back in 2007, that was somethin’ else. I remember it like it was yesterday, even though my memory ain’t what it used to be. That race, that was a real nail-biter, I’m tellin’ ya.
It was February 18, 2007, a day I won’t forget. All them cars, zoomin’ around that big ol’ track, Daytona International Speedway. That track is huge, like 2.5 miles long, a tri-oval they call it. You could fit a whole lotta stuff in there, I reckon. Now, I ain’t no expert on racin’, but I sure do enjoy watchin’ it. That year, it was somethin’ special.
- That Kevin Harvick, he won the whole durn thing.
- Drove that No. 29 car, Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet was the name.
- He was leadin’ most of the time, I think.
That fella, Kevin Harvick, he was drivin’ like a bat outta you-know-where. He was in that No. 29 car, a real pretty one, all shiny and new. They said he was drivin’ for some big-shot team, Stewart-Haas, or somethin’ like that. I don’t know much about them teams, but that Harvick fella, he sure could drive.
They was all racin’ around, and there was this other fella, Mark Martin, hot on his tail. Neck and neck, they were, right down to the finish line. And you know what? That Harvick, he just barely squeaked by. Won by a hair, they said. 0.020 seconds, whatever that means. Just a tiny little bit. Must’ve been excitin’ for them folks at the race, all 200,000 of ’em. Biggest crowd they ever had, I heard. That’s more people than I’ve ever seen in my whole life!
And then, there was another car, I think it was Clint Bowyer. Well, his car went a-tumblin’ and a-slidin’ across the finish line, upside down! Can you believe it? On his roof! It was a sight, I tell ya. Made my heart jump right up into my throat. But he was alright, thank goodness. Them cars are built strong, I reckon.
That 2007 Daytona 500, it was one for the books. They said it was the most watched NASCAR race ever. 19.4 million people watchin’ on their TVs. That’s a lotta eyeballs. And there were 32 lead changes, with 18 different drivers takin’ the lead at some point. Kept ya guessin’, that’s for sure. This race sure was popular, a whole mess of people watched it. Everyone was talkin’ about the Daytona 500.
Now, this Harvick fella, he’s won a bunch of other races too. They say he’s a big deal in the racin’ world. Won some big championship in 2014, and some other races called the Brickyard 400 and the Southern 500. Sounds important, don’t it? I don’t know much about them races, but if he won ’em, they must be a big deal. This Kevin Harvick sure knows how to drive.
It wasn’t just Harvick and Martin, no sir. There was this other fella, David Gilliland, he got the pole award. That means he started in the front, I think. He was fast too, but I guess not fast enough to win the whole shebang. And there was another fella, name of Yeley. Something about his transmission. And Sorenson, he had transmission trouble too. I don’t know what a transmission is, but it sounds important for a race car.
They had somethin’ called cautions too, 6 of ’em, for 26 laps. I guess that means they had to slow down or somethin’. Safety first, I always say. The whole race lasted over 3 hours. That’s a long time to be sittin’ in a car, goin’ round and round. The average speed was 149.335 mph. I don’t know how fast that is in regular terms, but it sounds mighty fast to me.
The first Daytona 500 was won by a fella named Lee Petty, back in 1959. That was way before my time. They say 43 different people have won it over the years. That’s a lotta winners. That must be a real special race, to have so many people tryin’ to win it.
Well, that’s about all I can remember about that 2007 Daytona 500. It was a real humdinger, that’s for sure. Lots of excitement, lots of fast cars, and a whole lotta people watchin’. I might not know much about racin’, but I sure do enjoy a good race, and that one was one of the best. I sure do hope they have another one like that Daytona 500 soon. It was a real treat to watch!
