Wait, Who?

Trevor Bayne, that's WHO!!

The 2011 Daytona 500 is now in our rear-view mirror but this one will be talked about for a long time to come. In a race that saw a record number of lead changes AND caution flags, 20-year old Trevor Bayne scores his first career Cup Series victory in just his second career start!

What makes this such a great win is that he didn't back into it. He was up front and competitive for the majority of the race. He showed maturity behind the wheel well beyond his level of experience. TREVOR BAYNE is a name we will be hearing alot more for several years to come.

Other News/Notes/Thoughts from the Daytona 500:

 - BAD DAY TO DRIVE FOR RICK HENDRICK:
ALL 4 Hendrick Chevrolet's were involved in some type of wreck during the Daytona 500. Mark Martin was able to come back and  secure a 10th place finish after repair work was done on his car car. As for the other 3 Hendrick cars; Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt Jr scored finishes of 27th, 28th, and 24th, respectively.

- YOU WANNA DANCE?:
The 2-car breakaway came into play as it did in the Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade Duels BUT this time it made for a good show. This was one of the most entertaining Daytona 500 that I can remember. That being said, the constant shoving through the corners made for ALOT of crashes (a record number of caution flags actually!). All in all, the 2-car draft made for an interesting race and it will be interesting to see what, if anything, NASCAR does about it when we go to Talladega in a few weeks.

-MORE SURPRISING FINISHES:
Sure, Trevor Bayne winning was surprise but he wasn't the only surprise finish of the day. David Gilliland came across the stripe in 3rd and Bobby Labonte came home 4th! Great finishes for two drivers who haven't had much good news to speak of the past few seasons.


So tell me, what were your thoughts/reactions to the 2011 Daytona 500?