Favorite Daytona 500s?

1. 1998 Daytona 500 Dale Earnhardt holds off Bobby Labonte and Jeremy Mayfield coming to caution flag to win his first Daytona 500 after 20 years of trying.

2. 2010 Daytona 500 Jamie McMurray after a hard season goes back to Ganassi and leads the final two laps to the 500 win. Very emotional one of the few times I cried after a race.

3.2007 Daytona 500 Kevin Harvick comes out of no where to dash Mark Martin's dreams and wins the Daytona 500 while Clint Bowyer goes on his roof across the start/finish line.

4.2004 Daytona 500 Dale Earnhardt Jr instead of 20 years like his father, only takes four to win the Daytona 500. He took it from Smoke that year but it was good to see him win that race.

5.2011 Daytona 500 Trevor Bayne wins one of the craziest Daytona 500s in history with the two car tandem and the most cautions in 500 history. Having known Trevor a little bit before he made it to NASCAR I cried a little while he did his burnout.

Being a DW fan all my life (the driver, not the commentator) 1989 is my favorite.
When Ryan (being pushed by Kurt) took the 500 away from Tony would be my 2nd favorite on the 50th Anniversary of the 500.

'92 and '96. About the only good ones I've had as a fan. Most of them have left me #### off. The '08 race probably hurts worse than just about any other loss Tony has had. I still seethe over that one and I will until Tony finally wins that race.

I don't really have a favorite Daytona 500 race but I do have two favorites of Tony's wins. One was Tony's first win at the Brickyard and his last win at Homestead. I kept yelling "Puuuuleeese win the race" both times. I'm not sure I'll survive this year when he takes Daytona. I just have the feeling he is due this year to start the season in a grand manner.That would be practically the last notch Tony is looking for in the tracks they race.

outside of the 92 race bein my fav, 96 to me was a classic, because at the end of the race dale sr was pissin n moaning about how schrader didnt push him to the win, funny stuff......

outside of the 92 race bein my fav, 96 to me was a classic, because at the end of the race dale sr was pissin n moaning about how schrader didnt push him to the win, funny stuff......

I know a Sr now Harvick fan who told me when Schrader said "it isn't my job to help him win" that it was a rude and disrepectful comment. Same one was #### when Carl didn't help Kevin win the 2010 Daytona 500 and Kevin said Carl 'didn't know how to draft".

The most heartbreaking one was the 2005 Daytona 500. Tony lead over half that race like he did the year before. But because of Jr not sticking to his promise of helping Tony and Johnson being a complete #### in the end (that is a big reason I will never like him) and just playing defense for Jeff Gordon Tony ended up seventh.

After that 2007 Daytona 500 was heartbreaking. Won the Bud shootout, won he won his Gatorade duel, lead early, had pit issues and came back to lead when Kurt Busch and him made contact and they wrecked, Tony ended up 43rd.

The 2008 Daytona 500 would for sure go after that, i was happy for Ryan after going through a two year winless streak, but he was so close. Then the 2004 Daytona 500.

that was schraders contract yr with HMS and his job was to get the best finish he could get for the team, not push dale sr to the 500, and anyone who holds that against schrader doesnt know racing, up to that point sr had 18 chances to win the race, schrader was the first driver i followed in 88, he may not have set the world on fire as wins go, but he had a great personality and he knew not to take himself so seriously.

that was schraders contract yr with HMS and his job was to get the best finish he could get for the team, not push dale sr to the 500, and anyone who holds that against schrader doesnt know racing, up to that point sr had 18 chances to win the race, schrader was the first driver i followed in 88, he may not have set the world on fire as wins go, but he had a great personality and he knew not to take himself so seriously.

I agree Kenny Shrader was not rude. It's business and Earnhardt did have other chances to win the Daytona race. Like you said his teammates were Hendricks drivers not Childress guys. Earnhardt could gripe when he felt like it.
Also I second the fact that Kenny was a great guy and would do anything for other racer well maybe not push them for a win but he was generous with his time....

that was schraders contract yr with HMS and his job was to get the best finish he could get for the team, not push dale sr to the 500, and anyone who holds that against schrader doesnt know racing, up to that point sr had 18 chances to win the race, schrader was the first driver i followed in 88, he may not have set the world on fire as wins go, but he had a great personality and he knew not to take himself so seriously.

I agree Kenny Shrader was not rude. It's business and Earnhardt did have other chances to win the Daytona race. Like you said his teammates were Hendricks drivers not Childress guys. Earnhardt could gripe when he felt like it.
Also I second the fact that Kenny was a great guy and would do anything for other racer well maybe not push them for a win but he was generous with his time....

i always enjoy seeing a athlete, celeb or anyone in the public eye that is able to laugh at themselves, because it shows ya how down to earth they are.

The greatest Daytonna 500 was not 1998,but the year before that (1997)when Dale Earnhardt got back into the wrecked #3 and drove it to the pits and finished the race! The worst year before 2001, #3 was dominating the field,so Nascar brings out a caution to tighten the field which also helped contribute to the blown tire on the last lap,but i can't remember the exact year. Personally,there hasn't been a driver past or present who impressed me more than Dale Snr. and stats don't mean a dam thing to me,but what one can do with what they have! Brad Keselowski is about the closest i've seen so far and i don't care who agrees or disagrees.Majority of the drivers today are overpaid cry babys who still have to be spoon fed,Dale Snr.was a true American Hereo! The past decade has bored the #### out of me and unless you're into drama queens,i haven't seen anything to get excited about. OK,I FEEL BETTER NOW,let the bashing begin.

1998 was by far my fav Daytona 500. When all the crews and drivers came out and lined pit road to congratulate Dale on his victory was one of the most touching things I have ever seen in sports. That just showed how much respect each and every person in the NASCAR garage had for Dale and what he meant to our sport.


Then 2008 watchin Ryan win the race was one of the most nerve raking things I have ever witnessed. I had seen him come so close to alot of race wins and he would somehow fall short (like bouncing off the wall from the lead w/ 6 to go in the Coke 600), so although my heart started to pound out of my chest as Kurt pushed him to the lead w/ two laps to go I was nervous to let myself get too excited. When he crossed the line and won the race I started jumping around the house yelling, and screaming. My phone started going nuts w/ all the congrats from my friends. I watch the closing laps on youtube from time to time and it still gives me chills.

The greatest Daytonna 500 was not 1998,but the year before that (1997)when Dale Earnhardt got back into the wrecked #3 and drove it to the pits and finished the race! The worst year before 2001, #3 was dominating the field,so Nascar brings out a caution to tighten the field which also helped contribute to the blown tire on the last lap,but i can't remember the exact year. Personally,there hasn't been a driver past or present who impressed me more than Dale Snr. and stats don't mean a dam thing to me,but what one can do with what they have! Brad Keselowski is about the closest i've seen so far and i don't care who agrees or disagrees.Majority of the drivers today are overpaid cry babys who still have to be spoon fed,Dale Snr.was a true American Hereo! The past decade has bored the #### out of me and unless you're into drama queens,i haven't seen anything to get excited about. OK,I FEEL BETTER NOW,let the bashing begin.

whether ya like em or not, stats are how drivers are judged over time.

The greatest Daytonna 500 was not 1998,but the year before that (1997)when Dale Earnhardt got back into the wrecked #3 and drove it to the pits and finished the race! The worst year before 2001, #3 was dominating the field,so Nascar brings out a caution to tighten the field which also helped contribute to the blown tire on the last lap,but i can't remember the exact year. Personally,there hasn't been a driver past or present who impressed me more than Dale Snr. and stats don't mean a dam thing to me,but what one can do with what they have! Brad Keselowski is about the closest i've seen so far and i don't care who agrees or disagrees.Majority of the drivers today are overpaid cry babys who still have to be spoon fed,Dale Snr.was a true American Hereo! The past decade has bored the #### out of me and unless you're into drama queens,i haven't seen anything to get excited about. OK,I FEEL BETTER NOW,let the bashing begin.

whether ya like em or not, stats are how drivers are judged over time.

to the general Masses thats true. To those that are individual thinkers. Its not true. I believe (& know) there are plenty of drivers out there, that have worse stats but better than some with better stats. Stats to sports fans are like facts to lawyers. They can make them say whatever they want.
Thats why you will never have a definitive answer on the best ever.
If you go by stats, everyone would say Richard Petty. He wouldnt even make my top 5 list. But I dont argue with those that say he is the best. The only part I would argue with is if the only reason they are saying that, is becausse they are reading the stats. Stats dont tell the whole story (in any sport)

Well except maybe Batting avg. That pretty much is an individuals stat. So some baseball stats maybe the exception.

i was referencing media, not the avg joe that watches every weekend