Notebook: Time for new pavement?

            DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Shortly past the halfway point of Sunday’s Daytona 500, NASCAR’s most famous track crumbled.

            The race had to be halted and the track repaired after craters in the pavement occurred between turns one and two of Daytona International Speedway.

            In other words, NASCAR’s most famous track might as well have been taking place on the perpetually-under-repair stretch of Interstate 95 that runs through Georgia. Unlike I-95, no one lined up orange cones. NASCAR officials just stopped the cars on pit road after lap 122.

            NASCAR’s spin was to blame the interminable delay on unseasonably cold weather.

            “That’s right, Mike,” said NASCAR chairman Brian France to Fox television anchor Mike Joy. “Combination of moisture and the cold temperatures.

            “The normal solutions used to patch the track are not working, but we’re actually turning the corner. We’re on the third different solution. Normally we would’ve had it resolved a lot quicker.”

            Clean living, huh? – On the 118^th lap, Jimmie Johnson’s car had a flat tire. Fortunately, he was near turn four so that he could get on pit road. Doubly fortunate, at almost the exact time Johnson detected the flat, John Andretti’s Ford spun.

Pit road was closed, meaning that Johnson had to restart at the back of the pack, but he could easily have lost a lap had everything not worked so perfectly.

            Needle threaded – The race’s first crash occurred on the eighth lap in turn two and involved two of Roger Penske’s three entries, the Dodges of Brad Keselowski and Sam Hornish Jr.

            Others involved were Regan Smith, Mike Bliss, Max Papis and Boris Said.

            “Brad (Keselowski) wasn’t doing anything stupid,” said Smith. “He just blew a tire, or that’s what it looked like.”

            Fortunate – and skillful, as well – was Jeff Gordon, who had started at the back of the field and narrowly avoided the crash.

            “You spend two weeks getting your car ready,” said Keselowski, “and then you never get a chance.”

            He’d take Tony – Junior Johnson said that, if he still owned a NASCAR team, Tony Stewart would be his first choice as driver.

            “Jimmie Johnson’s a great, great race-car driver,” said Johnson, himself a legendary driver, “but he’s got a mechanic (Chad Knaus) who’s one of the very best I’ve ever seen.

            “I believe if I was hiring a driver, I’d go after Tony.”

            Well, they didn’t park ‘em – Joe Nemechek’s Toyota spun on lap 66, and Mike Bliss crashed his Chevy on lap 78. Both accidents occurred on the back straight off turn two.

            If you’re interested – Clint Bowyer led at the halfway point, followed by Gordon, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick.

You may contact Monte Dutton at mdutton@gastongazette.com.