1. Horses, bourbon
Kentucky is synonymous with horse racing (Kentucky Derby), bourbon (Jim Beam, Wild Turkey) and college basketball (Kentucky, Louisville), but has little to do with racing. Kentucky Speedway was built in Sparta, which is an hour south from Cincinnati, and hosted its first Cup Series race in 2011. Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch have combined for five wins in seven Cup races there.
2. Chevy, young guns
Both Chevrolet and young drivers fared well at Daytona. Chevrolet had seven cars crowded into the top-10 finishers in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, while 22-year-old Erik Jones, wheeling a Toyota, won the race. Both were solid developments for each camp. Chevy scored only one win in the first half of the 2018 Cup Series season, but is beginning to show more life as teams figure out the new Camaro body.
3. Slide job!
Dale Earnhardt Jr.s debut as a racing announcer was a hit at Chicagoland Speedway with his Slide job! Slide job! hollering on the last lap of that race. Earnhardt was quick to say before the race at Daytona not to look for more catchphrases. We are going to have different on-track action every week, and Im going to hopefully have a genuine reaction to it, he said. Whatever happens, happens.
Godwin Kelly, godwin.kelly@news-jrnl.com
