Unlike driving in a school zone, it’s time to speed into the NASCAR season. Even if watching cars drive around in an oval at 200 MPH isn’t your thing, read on because we feature more than just the five things. Besides you never know what sport your lunch meeting will be into.
Racing through the day,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five Fascinating Things to Know About the Daytona 500
- The Daytona 500 kicks off the NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) season which runs until November. The race is 500 miles long, hence the “500” after Daytona.
- The Daytona race originated on the beach in 1903. Although the race looked a little different than the babes of Baywatch cruising up and down the coast. Check out the photos here.
- After the race, the winning car goes on display at the Daytona museum. The driver nor their team are allowed to touch the car, clean it up, take parts off of it, etc. - it as it goes on display as is. The team will not be able to use car at all during the season.
- Concussions aren’t only in football. Last year Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed extended time due to the effects of a concussion, but he returns to the notorious track this weekend. Earnhardt’s father, driver Dale Earnhardt Sr., died in a crash on the same track 16 years ago.
- NASCAR’s new title sponsor is Monster Energy. The company’s VP of Sports Marketing stated, “Monster, we were built on girls, music and racing. We think that fits with NASCAR really good.’’ We wonder what driver Danica Patrick thinks about that?
Overtime
- Mark Zuckerberg, also known as “The Facebook Guy" to University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban, was on campus to visit with the Alabama football team. Zuckerberg spoke their language by saying “Many of the same things go into building a good company and a winning football program -- a focus on recruiting, developing talent and setting high expectations.”
Sideline stat
- 8-1…the odds from a bookie that the goalkeeper from the Sutton United soccer team in England would eat a meat pie during the game. Once there was no chance he would go into the game, the 322-pound goalkeeper Wayne Shaw decided to take that bet and down a pie during the game. We guess a man’s got to eat. #piegate
Coaches’ Corner
- Baseball has been trying to speed up the game, which has a reputation for being slow. This season a new rule will help the cause. An intentional walk used to take four pitches obviously thrown outside of the strike zone to walk a hitter. The new rule states that a signal from the dugout is all it takes to walk the hitter, no pitches needed. Hurry up already!