Mammoth Blog

Now that the afterglow of Ryan Newman's thrilling victory in the Daytona 500 is beginning to fade, it's time to get down to the serious business of real racing.

The Daytona 500 was spectacular indeed -- it usually is -- but, as most real NASCAR fans know, it has little to do with what happens the rest of the season and has little bearing on the championship race.

The 500 is almost like a separate event -- one that is so much bigger and so drastically different from NASCAR's other 35 races that you almost have to immediately disregard what happened as you settle in for the rest of the season.

Just as the racing this week at California Speedway will pale in comparison to the breath-taking action at Daytona, so will the performances of drivers and teams.

The top 10 at Daytona was filled with surprises, raising question after question as the second stop on a grueling, 10-month journey approaches.

How many of those do you think will show in the top 10 again this week at California or next week at Las Vegas?

About half? Maybe.

Newman's win was a mild upset, considering that he hadn't won a Cup race in more than two years. The fact that he has 12 career victories and was once one of NASCAR's hottest young drivers keeps it from being a complete stunner.

But can Newman's dramatic win spark a turnaround for his team?

Can he use the momentum to win on NASCAR's more traditional ovals and return to the title-deciding Chase for the Sprint Cup for the first time in three years?

He has a better shot than most of those who finished in the top 10 at Daytona.

Kurt Busch, the runner-up at Daytona, and Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch will all win and contend.

But what about the rest of those drivers who produced impressive finishes at Daytona?

Is Reed Sorenson, fifth at Daytona, on the verge of a breakout campaign that will make him NASCAR's newest young star?

Or did he just have a fast car for Daytona and will continue to struggle on NASCAR's tougher ovals?

His rise, or fall, will be as interesting to watch as Newman's attempt to sustain the incredible momentum he carries out of Daytona.

What about Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne? The Gillett Evernham Motorsports teammates snuck into the top 10 late in the race at Daytona. Is that a sign that the struggling organization has turned things around under its new leadership?

Or, will the Dodge team continue to struggle on tracks where it used to be strong?

And what about Robby Gordon? Did his switch to Dodge and Gillett Evernham engines make that big of an immediate impact, one that propelled him to an eighth-place finish?

Now closely aligned with GEM, does Gordon finally have the technology and resources to match his immense driving talent? If so, he could win races and be the year's biggest surprise.

Greg Biffle not only finished 10th, but led seven laps and challenged for the lead throughout the race. Certainly, it will be no surprise if he and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (ninth at Daytona) both bounce back and make the Chase.

But what about Bobby Labonte, who finished a surprising 11th at Daytona? He promised that his Petty Enterprises team would be better this season and even predicted that he would win one of the first eight races.

Was his respectable finish at Daytona a sign of things to come? If so, that would be a feel-good story to top Newman's warm-and-fuzzy breakout at Daytona.

The other two surprises were Brian Vickers, who finished 12th, and rookie Sam Hornish Jr., who finished 15th in his first trip to Daytona with Penske Racing.

Vickers, who missed the 500 last year with Team Red Bull, battled back from adversity throughout Speedweeks. He rallied from a lap down in the 500 to produce a strong finish.

Now Vickers goes to California, where he finished 10th last year. Could he be Toyota's biggest surprise this year?

Hornish was impressive in the draft at Daytona, but how well will he adapt to driving stock cars on the more traditional ovals?

And, of course, the biggest surprise and question coming out of Daytona was the performance of Dodge, which was given little chance against the powerful Chevrolets and Toyotas.

Instead, the struggling automaker put six cars in the top eight. Is that a sign that Dodge is ready to become a major player again on the Sprint Cup circuit?

Of course, more than likely, all of these surprising finishes were a direct result of the top contenders suffering problems in the race.

Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin all had some sort of problem or they would have probably been in the top 10 at the end.

That's why the next few races will be intriguing.

Were the surprises we saw at Daytona simply a tease? Will reality set in and things return to normal this weekend at California Speedway?

Or, did Newman's spectacular victory, ignite a year of suspense and surprise on the Sprint Cup circuit? source