2007 Top Moments: Daytona 500
As I think back on 2007, I started making a list of the most memorable moments, both from work and in my personal life.
I am a HUGE David Letterman fan, so making lists comes naturally, I guess.
I figured I could share some of those memories with you, so we'll start off with what was probably the most amazing sporting event I've seen live: the 49th running of The Great American Race, the Daytona 500.
It was the second year I'd covered Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway, but the first time I'd attended the Sunday race.
Despite record-cold temperatures (for Central Florida, anyway), me, Jody Barr, Chief Photographer Jimmy Moore, and former News13 Sports Director Ryan Gunn set up shop all week just outside the Busch Series garages, along with what was eventually 25 TV satellite trucks.
Jimmy had been the year before with Ryan and I, so he knew to get there early, how to park, and where to plug in, so that News13 had the prime spot for all of our live shots.
This came in handy as the checkered flag dropped on Sunday, too, but I'll get back to that in a moment.
All week, we fought through the howling, chilly wind to put together stories like Jody's profile of James Hylton, who attempted to qualify for the 500 at age 72, almost four decades after he was NASCAR's top rookie driver.
We also canvassed the race track, asking fans about Toyota's foray into NASCAR Nextel Cup Series racing, and caught up with Darlington Raceway President Chris Browning and Darlington native (and Busch series crew chief) Trent Owens.
Jody Barr also landed the only local TV interview with Kevin Harvick the day before he won the Daytona 500, and we consider Jody's good fortune as Kevin's good luck charm. That, and probably .025 more horsepower!
Harvick's bumper-to-bumper finish with wiley veteran Mark Martin was amazing.
Jody and I watched it from atop the risers in Victory Lane, which is right behind pit road at Daytona, meaning we had a perrfect vantage point, and, even without the aid of radio or TV announcers, I knew Harvick had won.
No one in attendance--or the millions watching on TV--had long to ponder the finishing order, as the huge crash happened behind Harvick and Martin sent Clint Bowyer across the tri-oval on his roof, and on fire.
I had never seen anything like it.
I am also glad Jimmy set up early, so we could have such a great seat for the great finish!
We sat through all the interviews in Victory Lane, and through most of Harvick's "hat dance," before we finally climbed down, and walked back to our truck, frozen and awe-struck.
We didn't leave the track until sometime before 1 a.m. after our live shots and cleaning up from the week.
Ryan Gunn and I decided to have a little fun, and we took our WBTW Ford Escape for a little spin, just down the front chute and then off one of the side roads that makes up the infield portion of the road course. But we were driving on Daytona! The World Center of Racing!
To celebrate that, we took the WBTW #13 Ford into victory lane, and some lady from CNN, who was loitering around for no reason, took our picture.
It's so hard to believe that we were working, having so much fun, and were witness to the greatest finish in Daytona 500 history.
Speaking of history, News13 plans to be back in Daytona in February for the 50th Anniversary race.
Posted by on 12/17 at 08:19 PM
