Kevin Harvick Wins NASCAR’s Summer Trip To Daytona

Kevin Harvick won – or survived – an absolute demolition derby of a race on Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway to strengthen his points lead in the Sprint Cup Series.

Harvick held off Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon to win his second race of the season, but more cars failed to finish the race due to crashes than those that did.

For the past few years, NASCAR has been lacking in feel-good storylines.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. fixed that for his legion of fans on Friday night.

Though he declined to go into specifics, NASCAR Chairman Brian France said Friday that NASCAR is seriously considering making policy changes in the Nationwide Series next year that would help open up more seats for young drivers.

Sprint Cup drivers have dominated the Nationwide Series in recent years, and up-and-coming drivers have had more difficulty than ever finding a ride to develop their talent.

For years, people who closely follow NASCAR have understood that “fastest in practice” is a bit of a misnomer.

After all, being fast for a single lap (which is how the practice charts are ordered) and being fast on a longer run during the race are completely different.

Jeff Gordon is one of the leading veterans in the garage now. So when he says drivers are racing differently than they have in the past, it’s worth paying attention.

Here are some of his selected comments on the state of racing and the balance between competition and entertainment:

The track surface that has seen so many legendary moments – and some tragic ones, as well – gives the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars one final ride on Saturday night at Daytona.

Following the race, crews will tear up the pavement and resurface it in time for the Daytona 500 next year. The infamous pothole in this year’s 500 was the catalyst for the change.