What we’re thankful for in 2014
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We wanted to take some time and go through things that we were thankful for in 2014 when it came to racing. Think we’re missing something? Add it in the comments below.
• Madison Rising’s incredlbly horrible national anthem at Daytona before the first Nationwide race of the season.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s immediate Twitter excellence. The man tweets like a thoughtful human being, and that’s a monstrous compliment for someone of his status.
• The overreactions to the new-format implications of Junior’s fuel gamble at Las Vegas. We can all go back and shake our heads at all of it, right?
• The rain that saved a potential green-white-checker restart at Bristol as a result of the accidental caution lights.
• The feud between Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski at Martinsville. It was a moment of good old-fashioned hate, and it didn’t end in fisticuffs or continuous wrecking of racecars as Busch won the race and made the Chase.
• The turnaround that Auto Club Speedway has made from a track that lost a Chase race to one that’s revered by many for its multiple grooves and tire wear.
• Keselowski’s idea to overhaul the Sprint Cup schedule. While we know the schedule won’t suddenly look different, big ideas may be necessary for small changes.
• Formula 1’s act of sympathy towards NASCAR for the Bristol malfunction.
• While we don’t condone punching in the slightest, we appreciate that Marcos Ambrose and Casey Mears gave us an appetizer of the ridiculousness that was to come in the Chase.
• Kurt Busch’s preparation and effort in his Memorial Day double attempt.
• The craziness of this crash at Bowman-Gray Stadium and that there were no injuries from it.
• That Cup drivers aren’t fans of the numerous commercial breaks during NASCAR races either.
• The fantastic racing between AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose for the win at Watkins Glen. Finishes at the Glen won’t be the same without Ambrose in NASCAR any longer.
• The fighting spirit Sherry Pollex, the girlfriend of Martin Truex Jr., has shown as she’s battled ovarian cancer. The same goes for Fox’s Steve Byrnes and NASCAR.com’s Holly Cain. We’re rooting for you all.
• Jimmie Johnson’s MacGyver skills.
• That the crazy Richmond fence-climbing fan didn’t fall.
• Keselowski’s pass for the win at Chicago.
• Clint Bowyer’s exuberance about becoming a father. Oh, and the fact that he got a flamethrower as a baby gift.
• Milka Duno’s presence in NASCAR, which gives us hope that we too can become NASCAR drivers with the right financial backer.
• Brett Favre’s odd birthday poem to Earnhardt Jr.
• Keselowski’s move against Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson for the win at Texas. We’re omitting what happened on pit road, but no matter your reaction to it, that move was why we all love and watch NASCAR, right?
• The brilliance each of the four championship drivers showed at Homestead. What happened that Sunday when all were in the top five at one point is something that may never happen again. Appreciate it and cherish it.
• And speaking of appreciating and cherishing, that goes for you. Thanks to you. It’s been a wild ride this year and thanks for joining us. We’re looking forward to enjoying the offseason and whatever 2015 brings.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
