Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

Danica Patrick isn’t the first woman in history to race in NASCAR, but she is the first woman in history to earn the Pole to lead the Daytona 500 55th race on Sunday, February 24, 2013. As she walked to her car, she was heavily surrounded by security and cameramen. She still found a way to wave acknowledgements to the fans celebrating her accomplishment. It’s exactly this mindset that has propelled Patrick’s career and resulted in her string of historic accomplishments -- from becoming the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500 (as a rookie in 2005) to becoming the first female Daytona 500 pole-sitter in the race’s storied 55-year history.

It seemed like everyone was behind her for the race and what she certainly gained in popularity she also gained in respect from fellow racecar drivers and owners. She wants to be known as a fast racecar driver and not as a fast female racecar driver. After Sunday’s race, the second thing every fan talked about right after Jimmy Johnson’s Daytona 500 win was how Patrick held tough and rallied to take the point twice for five laps and ran solidly among the top five and top 10 for most of the 200-lap race. But the five laps she did lead on Sunday make her one of only 13 drivers in racing history to lead both the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500.

There were several multi-car crashes during the race, none approaching the magnitude of the wreck that injured more than two dozen fans a day earlier in the second-tier Nationwide Series race on the same track. Daytona International Speedway workers were up until 2 am repairing the fence that was damaged in the accident.

The race itself, the debut for NASCAR’s new Gen-6 car, was quite similar to all the other Cup races during Speed weeks in that the cars seemed to line up in a single-file parade along the top groove of the track. It made the 55th running of the Daytona 500 relatively uneventful.

Still, Patrick became the first woman in history to lead laps in the 500 when she passed Michael Waltrip on a restart on Lap 90. She stayed on the point for two laps, and then was shuffled back to third. She ended up leading five laps, another groundbreaking moment for Patrick, who in 2005 as a rookie became the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500.

Janet Guthrie was the first woman to lead laps at NASCAR’s top Cup Series, in 1977 at Ontario, where she led five laps under caution.

The field was weakened by an early nine-car accident that knocked out race favorite Kevin Harvick and sentimental favorite Tony Stewart. That accident also took former winner Jamie McMurray, his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, and Kasey Kahne out of contention.

The next accident -- involving nine cars -- came 105 laps later and brought a thankful end to Speedweek’s for Carl Edwards. He was caught in his fifth accident since testing last month, and this wreck collected six other Ford drivers. Edwards was quoted over the weekend as saying he hasn’t wrecked any rental cars lately.

DAYTONA 500 RESULTS

Jimmie Johnson won his second Daytona 500 to become the 10th driver with multiple wins in “The Great American Race.”

THE TOP TEN FINISHERS

1. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet

3. Mark Martin, Toyota

4. Brad Keselowski, Ford

5. Ryan Newman, Chevrolet

6. Greg Biffle, Ford

7. Regan Smith, Chevrolet

8. Danica Patrick, Chevrolet

9. Michael McDowell, Ford

10. J.J. Yeley, Chevrolet

DAYTONA DUEL, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2013

Kevin Harvick ran strong enough to take Thursday’s race, the first of two 150-mile Budweiser Duel qualifying races, and the victory has positioned him as the top, although Harvick likes to be known for being an underdog rather than starting from the top of the line-up. Kyle Busch, winner of the second duel, believed more cars on the track created a much different race than what most fans are used to seeing. Many fans were quiet as each race had long stretches of 15 to 25 laps with no change in order of drivers at all. With the exception of the expected but still startling racecar accidents, all three races at Speedweek’s to date have lacked much action as drivers continue to learn the new Generation 6 cars and how they react in traffic, and different aerodynamic situations and weather conditions. All races had the typically strong and exciting last 5 laps.

DAYTONA DRIVE4COPD 300, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Tony Stewart won Saturday’s DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway, but the elation of his victory disappeared in the wake of a heart-stopping wreck that saw Kyle Larson’s car demolished after flying into the crossover gate that provides access from the asphalt to the main grandstand. As the day passed after the race, virtually nothing was mentioned about Stewart’s win.

Jimmy Johnson # 48 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 as they approach the finish line to place 1st and 2nd respectively.

As Stewart dodged the crash and crossed the finish line, the front clip of Larson’s car was sheared off, ripping the engine out of its compartment. The front suspension and engine ended up on the walkway at the bottom of the stands with a tire from Larson’s car ending up in the grandstands. The wreck started in front entrance of pit row and continued to the exit of pit row. It happened within seconds and it was difficult to fully comprehend until the monitor replayed the accident several times. Fans were quickly cleared from the stands and as they walked back to the parking lots, there were scores of ambulances and first responders heading to the track.

Stewart’s win on Saturday ties with Dale Earnhardt’s record of seven Nationwide Series wins at Daytona International Speedway. All seven of Stewart’s Nationwide wins at Daytona have come in the February race. He has 14 starts here in NASCAR’s second-tier series.