Take 5: Five Takeaways From The Daytona 500

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Daytona Once Again Breaks Tony Stewart’s Heart

Tony Stewart has taken the green flag in the Daytona 500 17 times in his NASCAR career and 17 times he has failed to win the biggest race in the sport. This isn’t a knock on Stewart as he is a three-time NASCAR champion and has accomplished more in this sport than most ever will.

However, it’s heartbreaking to see Stewart not be able to accomplish what might be the last thing he wants to do in this sport. Stewart is good at Daytona which makes this all the more frustrating. Stewart has won at the track more than a dozen times in his career but none of those times happen to have been during the Daytona 500. To add insult to injury, Stewart finished the race on Sunday outside of the top-40. After a tough season in 2014 I am sure that Stewart was hoping to get off to a better start in 2015.

The good news for fans of the No. 14 is that despite the poor finish he did look good this weekend. Stewart showed off speed that he was often lacking last season and before his wreck he was running in the top half of the field. Finish aside it would seem that 2015 might be a bounce back year for Stewart that could end in a return to the chase for the first time since 2012.