Final Turn of Events
Two big races take place on Memorial Day Weekend – The Indy 500 and The Coca Cola 600. Generally, open-wheel racing and stock car racing are very different sports, but Sunday, both races ended in similar fashion: the leader was well ahead of the competition – could all but taste victory – but couldn’t cross the finish line first. In the Indy 500, the leader rookie driver JR Hildebrand crashed into the wall right on the final turn just before the finish line, allowing Dan Wheldon to pass him and cross the finish line first. Wheldon lead the Indy 500 for only 825 feet, but it was the last 825 feet. And that’s what counts.Down in Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600, after four time champion Jimmie Johnson blew his engine with four laps to go, a few extra laps were added to the race. Avid race fans will tell you that adding laps adds excitement and a lot of fuel saving frustration. On the restart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. – who hasn’t won a race in 105 starts – was poised to finally break his losing streak. With two laps to go, Junior pulled out to a comfortable lead, leaving the ten cars remaining on the lead lap in his dust. On the Final Lap, it was Junior’s to win, through the first two turns he was on fire, uncatchable. The crowd was on their feet, even people who don’t normally cheer for him were shouting his name. In the final turn of the last lap, with the finish line in his view, his car RAN OUT OF GAS…. he coasted across the line in 7th position, losing the victory to Kevin Harvick.
And that’s racing. You spend four hours watching a race and it all comes down to the last turn.
Tags: coca-cola 600, earnhardt, hildebrand, indy 500, racing