The Best Of 2014
For better or
worse, the 2014 NASCAR season is now a thing of the past. I know in the coming
days and weeks, countless articles will be written about the new Chase format
and how the season ended. I'll leave that for others to discuss, at least for
now.
Though a long time fanatic about stock car racing, like many of you I had grown
disenchanted with what I'd seen NASCAR become over the past few years. I did however, follow the 2014 more closely than I had any recent
season. The biggest reason was if I was going to parody the "esteemed
leader" of the sport on Twitter, I thought I should pay closer attention
to what was going on. Based on my own personal thoughts, here are what I consider some highlights of the 2014 season in no
particular order.
1. Dale
Earnhardt, Jr. winning the Daytona 500. Whether you're a fan of the man or not,
having the biggest name in the sport win the biggest race in the sport was a
huge moment. Entering his seventh season with Hendrick Motorsports, he had only
won two races for the organization prior to that race. After a winless 2013
season, the 500 victory was a major milestone considering all the expectations
fans had previously held for him with that team. As we learned while the season
unfolded, that win showed that Earnhardt was back and in a big way as he went
on to score three more wins. I believe that night in Daytona was the first time
a lot of realized he'd matured from the good time, partying kid to a mature,
serious racer.
2. Aric Almirola winning
the Coke Zero 400. There might still be plenty of questions
about how good Almirola is or might be as a driver but I don't know how anyone
could be upset to see the famous 43 in Victory Lane. Sure, some talked about
the fact the race was rain-shortened but let's not pretend that's never
happened before. The fact is, even without rain a lot of drivers win
superspeedway races simply because they're in the right place at the right
time. After the loss of Lynda Petty in March, it was great to see King Richard
smiling and talking about winning again in July.
3. A. J. Allmendinger
winning at Watkins Glen. This race provided one of the
most dramatic on-track battles we witnessed all year with Allmendinger and
Marcos Ambrose fighting for a Chase berth and putting on a clinic in road
course racing. Not only did Allmendinger become another first time Cup winner,
it provided a great story of personal redemption. It was also a great underdog
story as this one car team earned a Chase position against the mega-teams.
Additionally, I was personally thrilled for Tad and Jodi Geschickter;
good people who once helped me at a track when they didn't have to and provided
some great hospitality in the process.
4. The renaissance of Jeff
Gordon. Remember when the season started and we kept
hearing reports that Gordon might be close to retiring? His back was bad, his
consistency had dropped and he might be nearing the end. Yeah,
so much for that. 4 wins, 3 poles and 23 top tens
this year showed there's still plenty of talent in this "old" man.
Considered a strong favorite for the Chase championship when the field of 16
was set, without some bad luck at Texas, Gordon might very well have been
racing for his fifth title.
5. The Emergence of Kyle
Larson. With the way Larson drove this year, the fact that
he didn't capture his first Cup victory might be one of the season's biggest
surprises. He still put together an impressive season, particularly for a
rookie, with 2 pole positions and 17 top ten finishes. The only two questions
surrounding this guy now seem to be when that first win
will come and whether you're going to root for him or Chase Elliott in the
years to come.
6. Love for Tony
Stewart. It's often said that the best in people is
displayed in the worst of times. I'm old enough to have seen this bear out a
few times in life and this situation was one of those times. The Tony
Stewart/Kevin Ward accident was obviously a tragedy unlike any we've seen in
racing. Yes there have been deaths on the track before but this was different
because of the dynamic involved; Tony Stewart the star and Kevin Ward, the
young, local kid.
I realize there were a lot of negative
comments made about Stewart on social and main stream media. None of those people are
race fans. Yes, I mean none of them. A knowledgeable race fan knows good and well that even at the rowdiest local short track,
no driver in any series would ever try to kill someone. Of course the Stewart
fans voiced their support as immediately as the ignorant non-fans spewed their
hatred. But something else happened, something good.
As the days then weeks passed, the ignorant comments and speculation dwindled
but the support and concern for Tony the person, grew.
It grew from race fans who aren't necessarily Stewart
fans. It grew because as cliche-ish as it sounds,
this is a family. We share a common passion, a common love of racing and we saw
that thing we love and someone who represents that object of our passion, being
attacked and other members of this family weren't going to tolerate it. The
tragedy brought renewed attention to driver safety at tracks around the country
and that can never be a bad thing.
And if, in the aftermath of that dark moment, even one person reflected on the
frailty of life, something good did indeed happen.