It started out on such a high note. The start of NASCAR’s 2012 season was delayed for an entire day when for the first time in its history the Daytona 500 was delayed for rain. In fact not only were fans forced to wait an entire day, they had to wait until Monday evening before the green flag dropped.
It turned out to be worth the wait. Five time champion Jimmie Johnson and rookie Danica Patrick making her first Daytona 500 start, crashed out on the first lap. Then in one of the most bizarre accidents to ever occur, Juan Pablo Montoya suffered a suspension failure on his car during a caution period and crashed into a jet dryer and igniting a fireball. No one was injured, but the race was delayed for several hours. Matt Kenseth would power to victory early the next morning wrapping up a Speedweeks the likes of which will probably never be seen again. The TV ratings were a big hit and there seemed to be a great deal of optimism moving forward into the season.
There was some great racing in the spring; Tony Stewart scored some rare early season victories with his new crew chief. His teammate Ryan Newman scored a popular victory at Martinsville after the top runners, Johnson his teammate Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer, crashed out near the end. MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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