Ryan Newman wins Daytona
Auto racing hasn't exactly been a passion of mine over the years. Maybe that's hurt me in my career a bit, because much of the sports audience out there loves racing, and loves events like the Daytona 500.

I tried to watch the Daytona 500 today, at one point putting the channel on Fox and moving the remote.

But I couldn't stay with it. I just haven't learned to like it yet.

Which isn't to say it's uninteresting to me altogether.

One of the great things about racing is its unpredictability. A favorite can be gone from the in a moment because of an error in judgement. Unlike golf (which I love) there is teammwork involved.

But what I like most about racing is the way a winner can come out of nowhere.

How many people were talking about Ryan Newman in the week leading up to today's race?

I ran a number of NASCAR stories this week. Most focused on Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Joe Gibbs' Toyotas.

Oh, and that Dale Earnhardt Jr. guy.

And yet, none of those names claimed victory.

Newman is not an unknown. But his win was a nice surprise, even to a non-racing guy.

First NASCAR race I have ever watched for more than five minutes
It seems like there have been a lot of crashes in this thing, but then, I have very little to compare it to. I'm switiching between this and the Nissan Open. Phil Mickelson, always a favorite, is struggling, but looks like he'll hold on.
At least I know something about golf.
But as a sports writer, I need to get more into racing. It's popular, and most of my readers love it.
It's my responsibilty not to be clueless.
So I'm watching Daytona.

Update
Boy, I sure called that one. Mickelson's bogey on 17 sent him into a playoff with Charles Howell III, which Howell won.
As for Daytona, I watched most of it, and while Kevin Harvick's last-lap comeback against Mark Martin made for an exciting finish, I had trouble with the crashes.
It was hard for me, as a new follower of the sport, to get excited about the finish while a car was on fire a few feet away from the victors.
But I won't give this up. My quest to understand and follow NASCAR will continue.

Waltrip's crew chief suspended
This is becoming a bigger issue by the day. While I think suspending drivers is the next logical step, taking away points ought to act as some kind of deterrant for would-be cheaters.*

*It took three years, but there it is; your first NASCAR post.