Daytona second update. My original plans were to write an update after tonight’s duels, which by the way I think, these races are now obsolete. More on that subject later. Diana and I noticed there are a couple of new restaurants along the beach and knowing our son Derrick will be here on Friday we thought we should try them out. Yesterday we tried the Mexican restaurant and I would swear they are using the salsa from Margaritas in Kansas City. Today we tried Landshark.

Landshark is noisy, of course they had a gal singing live, but noisy like a Buffalo Wild Wings. We’re older now and noisy restaurants are not really our cup of tea anymore. However, I was hungry for fish and wanted to try this new place only open 3 weeks. Sitting there eating our lunch, Chicken Strips for Diana and fish sandwich with japaleno tartar sauce for me and above the noise we hear “Hey JD”.

Now my first thought was there was someone else named JD in the restaurant but walking by and the owner of the booming voice was Casey Bowyer. Three tables away he sat down with his son and his brother Clint. Diana sitting across from me with her back to Casey was asking, who was that, and I said Casey Bowyer. At the Bowyer table you could tell Casey was saying he saw us because about that time Clint was waving to us. I know I have written about this before but the Bowyer family, Clint, Casey, Andy, Chris (Pops) and Jana, have remained grounded to their Grass Roots. Some people have reached the upper level of racing and will not give anyone they raced with or who may have crewed for them the time of day. The Bowyer family will still stop and say howdy every time.

Finishing our lunch, we went over, shook hands, and shared a few moments of family catch up, wished Clint luck on Sunday and headed our separate ways. Would love to see Clint again at the Champions Breakfast on Monday!

Now about those Duels tonight. There are 40 cars here to qualify for 40 positions in the race. Nobody will be bumped from the field. So, these races will probably be nothing more than glorified practice sessions. Don’t be surprised if there are several laps of boring single file laps. The Daytona 500 race can be won from any starting position provided you do not lose the draft so there is no need to take chances. Tonight, they are racing for starting position on Sunday. As an enticement NASCAR is rewarding the top 10 finishers in each race bonus points. Maybe that will make them race, we will see, but as an owner, I know I am in the race, driver take care of the car, pay day is Sunday.

Of course, I told four drivers in a Pony Stock B feature several years ago, one of them my wife, you four are the cream of the crop in this B feature, get single file, doesn’t matter who wins what matters is you transfer to the A feature by finishing in the Top 4. I went to the grandstands to watch and it was obvious on the first lap what I told each of them went in one ear and out the other. Diana led a lap, Mark led a lap, Clay got in the mix, and Jim took the point for a lap, and I believe they each led a lap with Diana claiming the win in the end. Lot more money on the on line with tonight’s races but you never know what will happen when the green flag drops and the adrenaline takes over.

Interesting note for the Daytona 500, there will not be any beer sponsors on the cars. Yes some of the drivers still have beer sponsors just not this weekend at Daytona.