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?

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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.

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brian Vickers took out 10 cars when they tangled late in the race. When is it OK to block, and when it such a move too aggressive and over the line?

David Caraviello: I don't understand why so many people seem to have an issue with blocking. It's legal, and it's necessary. Enough of this "let the faster car by" stuff. This isn't canasta, people. What's the old adage -- getting to him is one thing, passing him is another?

Matt Kenseth: Blocking is part of restrictor-plate racing. You have to do it. But at the same time, you almost wish there was a little give and take. There's also a time when it gets late enough in the race and something's happening. If you get a position on somebody that blocks you, the way the yellow line rule is set up, there is a potential for wrecks.

Someone's mess

Kyle Busch got caught in the 10-car crash that began when Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brian Vickers tangled late.

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Dave Rodman: You'll never get everyone to buy into anything, and this is a great example. If you're going to do that extreme a case of blocking, you need to expect to get the chrome horn. Just like when you're driving around on the street and someone does something silly, don't get out of your car unless you're prepared to go at it, because you never know who's packing.

David Caraviello: We certainly had people going at it Sunday night. Not a lot of give and take there, Matt. I don't think Earnhardt spun Vickers on purpose, but he certainly didn't give him much room. And people scream about the yellow line, but remember, that's to guard against advancing a position -- as NASCAR said Regan Smith did last year at Talladega, where blocking also was an issue.

Matt Kenseth: It's like the Talladega race last year when Tony [Stewart] won it. When the 01 [Smith] went underneath him and he blocked him, there's three choices for the 01. You can go under the line and race him to the finish line and know you're going to get black-flagged. You can hold the wheel straight and stay on the yellow line because you know he can't go under it and let the guy who blocks you spin himself out and wreck himself -- and maybe wreck more people. Or you can get out of the gas and let the guy have it.

Dave Rodman: I thought the 88/83 confrontation was 60-40 Junior's fault. Kinda like another driver told me after David Stremme pushed into Greg Biffle while they were racing for last in the Shootout. I asked, when your car's pushing real bad, do you get past a point of no return, like driving on ice? He said, "All you do is lift off the accelerator."

David Caraviello: I don't think people realize, watching from the outside, how fast this all happens and how little contact has to be made for these cars to go sideways. But Vickers has every right to protect the bottom of the race track and not let anybody by. You don't give up positions out of the kindness of your heart.

Dave Rodman: In Junior's case, he no doubt was fired up when he got run off the race track. He had to come back on and if he'd floated the throttle, he'd have had a much better opportunity to fall in behind Vickers. In this case, I think Vickers' "red mist" was rain-induced, and he probably figured he couldn't afford to let Junior -- who was obviously faster at that moment -- by to drop in behind him and draft by in another lap or two.

Matt Kenseth: The guy who does the blocking always knows there's a risk to get crashed. You've just got to figure that out and hopefully make the right moves.

David Caraviello: Definitely not the case in the Daytona 500. You'd think Vickers might be a little more forgiving, though, given how his lone Cup victory unfolded.

Dave Rodman: Well, those shoes don't often fit on the other feet as well as they should.

3. The No. 17 team won the Daytona 500. The No. 48 team was an also-ran. Heading to California, who looks strong enough to stay up front all season?

David Caraviello: Well, Daytona has tricked us before now, hasn't it? Remember all those Dodge boys last year? We never saw them again. I don't know if we can really judge anything, though it looks like Matt has hit it off with the new crew chief, and the Richard Petty Motorsports cars might be better than advertised.

Dave Rodman: I think Matt would agree that after shuffling the deck last year, they were off by just a little -- but that's all it takes in this league. They've still got all the good stuff, he's the same solid shoe, and now he has maybe one of the best young crew chiefs in the business. I don't see any reason he won't hang there for a while -- uh, like 38 weeks or so.

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Matt Kenseth: There are some people who have impressed me. A.J. Allmendinger has been impressing everybody. For whatever reason, he didn't run as good in a Red Bull car as Brian and some other guys did. But since he got over there with the Petty team he's run really good. That was pretty impressive how he ran all week really. I don't think their cars were the fastest, but he did a good job all week the way the track position and pit stops worked out.

Dave Rodman: I'd say Mr. Johnson will be back in spades this weekend. Hey -- his finger has had another week to heal. Don't dare count him out. And at several junctures in the last 10 months I've written about how generally impressive A.J. has been. The guy's ability to win in Indy cars is unquestioned, which he did with two different teams his last season there; so he's versatile and adaptive, as well. And I think his commitment to a goal and a program seems unquestionable -- so how about an early vote for "most improved driver?"

David Caraviello: No question. A.J.'s work ethic is lauded by everyone he's ever worked with. But the rules and characteristics at Daytona are so specialized, it's hard to have a feel right now.

Matt Kenseth: To be honest, it's really hard to tell until we get through the first handful of races with some downforce tracks. You can't look at Daytona and figure out who's going to be strong all year. I think when we go to Fontana, Las Vegas and Atlanta, when we get done with those races and get to that first break, I think you'll have a better idea of who's going to be strong.

Dave Rodman: Allmendinger's not a surprise because you've been seeing this coming for a while. The big question to me is, when he gets to the end of that eight-race tenure, what kind of decision might have to be made at RPM? If he keeps putting up numbers, and some of the runs he had at the end of last year -- beginning with a top-10 at Kansas in his last race with Red Bull -- indicate he can, he might put some heat on his teammates if they're not doing the same. Like, a ride swap from full-time to part-time to let A.J. keep rolling.

David Caraviello: That's a huge question, Dave, though you have to think the sponsorship will come if he continues to run as well as he did on Sunday night. For his sake, you hope so. Nobody's worked harder, or -- when you look at where he was in open-wheel -- given up more for it. As for others, Jeff Gordon certainly looked strong all Speedweeks, until getting shuffled out of the lead late in a pit sequence in the 500. They've made some changes over there on the No. 24 team that they think will transcend Daytona. Kyle Busch is still potent. And Tony Stewart and that No. 14 car are going to be stout, if they can keep the Goodyears in one piece.

Dave Rodman: Without question, that RCR bunch is going to be tough to handle this year. As Matt said, you've got to get through a couple downforce venues, since they comprise the bulk of the schedule. But as I said even last week, the big surprise of the season so far has been Stewart-Haas -- but even they have to go to the intermediates to see if that early strength stretches across those boundaries.

David Caraviello: Matt, though, has to like his chances of building on some Daytona momentum. It's not difficult to foresee him still in the points lead when the series comes back East. Those Roush cars are no stranger to Victory Lane at Las Vegas, and Matt has enjoyed some strong runs at California.

Matt Kenseth: I always look forward to going there. We've run really well there in the past. It seems like for some reason we've in the past been able to come out of the box really strong and do well there and at Vegas.

David Caraviello: No one would be surprised to see that. We'd like to thank Matt for finding a few minutes to join us in the midst of his post-Daytona 500 media tour. Hopefully, he won't suffer from the dreaded "Track Smack Curse." Matt, we did tell you about that one, didn't we? Matt?

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writers.