Track Smack: Talkin' it over with a Daytona 500 winner

1. Everybody could see it on the radar, and for several laps drivers complained of rain on the race track. Did NASCAR make the right call, ending the Daytona 500 when it did?

Dave Rodman: Kevin Harvick said it best. He pays attention to what he can control and he lets NASCAR worry about the rest. Anyone could be selfish and say what they think would be best for them, but appreciate the show you had and hit the road earlier.

David Caraviello: It certainly seemed they made the right call at the time. During the red flag, officials sounded very worried over the radio about losing the race track. And it had been drizzling for a while. But the fact that it stopped raining while Matt was still in Victory Lane makes me wonder.

Matt Kenseth: Absolutely, because we were leading. Really, they did. We ran almost 400 miles. A few years ago when Michael Waltrip won I think it was just barely over 100 laps. We ran almost 160 laps, which is the distance of the race in July. So we ran way past halfway.

David Caraviello: No question there. But driving out of town later that night, and not even needing to use the windshield wipers, makes you wonder if they could have resumed. Of course, it all depends on whether they could have gotten the track dry, no small task at night.

Dave Rodman: Matt, you're right. Not everyone could stay over until the next day -- though considering it was past halfway, staying over was not an issue. As you pointed out with Mikey's win, once you get past halfway, it's a race, so if something comes up, you've earned the celebration.

Matt Kenseth: The rain was heavy and going to be there for a while. When I got done that night, it was still raining pretty hard and they had at least a three-hour project to dry the track. So I think they absolutely made the right call.

Night moves

The Daytona 500 was called after 152 laps due to rain, but was it the correct move?

• Your Turn: Weigh in
• Head2Head: Daytona 380
• Let the sun shine on Daytona

Dave Rodman: I can't fault 'em for making a decision. I wonder how much more peeved people would have been if they sat around for two-and-a-half hours, the track was almost dry and then it rained again. The radar looked bad. I can't believe they actually got in as much as they did.

David Caraviello: I don't think anyone doubts the veracity of Matt's win, though anything can happen in just a few laps at Daytona. The guy I feel bad for is Elliott Sadler, who was leading late and insistent over his radio that rain was already coming down. He finished fifth. What bad timing for the guy. I'll tell you, though, the racing in that last hour or so before the rain was furious. It was like the Budweiser Shootout all over again. Guys were slicing and dicing all over the place, because the finish line had turned into a moving target.

Matt Kenseth: Everybody on pit road knew it was going to rain -- every team, every driver. So everybody was racing as hard as they could race to be in that lead spot because they knew there was the potential of rain being there. It's not like it snuck up on everybody. We were all ready for it and pretty confident that the race was going to be shorter than 500 miles.

Dave Rodman: From Sadler's perspective, as he pointed out, he led more laps in one race than he did all last season, and he had a top-five finish. If he can go to California this weekend and run almost as well, that really will be a cause to celebrate. His day will come. That was his, what, sixth consecutive top-11 finish in the Daytona 500?

David Caraviello: No question, Dave. But man, the guy was heartsick afterward. You could hear it in his voice. What a career breakthrough that would have been. And quite a different scene from what we saw in Victory Lane. Matt, you got by him at just the right time.

Matt Kenseth: I really made sure I had a good run on Elliott. Kevin was behind me, and I thought Kevin would go with me because I thought we had the fastest cars. Plus I helped him a couple years ago when he won the race, so I was thinking he would probably go with me. When I finally did make that move, we had a good run and Kevin had a good run. I thought that was going to stick.

Dave Rodman: At least for a lap or three. (Continued)