Only two outdoor sports in America fail to continue play in the event of inclement weather: Baseball and Motorsports. In baseball however, there are 162 games, meaning another game is usually only a day away. Motorsports, particularly NASCAR, holds events once a week. And always in another venue, most of the time hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away. Much like baseball, in NASCAR if an event reaches the halfway point, it is considered official from then on regardless of weather or other unforseen happenings that would prohibit the conclusion of the race. So it is possible that when rain occurs after the halfway point and stops the race, the driver curently leading may not have the been the best car up to that point, but could be declared the winner. This has occurred three times this 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season. Twice, in what could be considerd NASCAR’s two biggest events of the season. The season opening Daytona 500 where Matt Kenseth won
 despite leading only 1 green flag lap, and the Memorial Day Coca-Cola 600 when David Reutimann was the unlikely winner that failed to lead a lap under green. And now this past week, history was made when 19 year old Joey Logano became the youngest winner in Sprint Cup history winning on his hometown track in Loudon, New Hampshire. Logano did manage to lead 10 green flag laps during the race, but those were at the end of pit stops where every other car on the track was forced to stop for fuel. However, since Logano spun his car on Lap 223, he was forced to pit for tires and received fuel at that time,10 laps after the rest of the field.  This provided the the number 20 Home Depot Toyota just enough extra laps on the track to become the leader and stay there until the impending rains came and washed out the last 27 laps.

Joey Logano has immense talent. His nickname is “Sliced Bread” as in he’s the greatest thing since…. I’m sure he’ll win many more Sprint Cup races in his career, most under green flag conditions I’ll assume. But twenty years from now, when asked what he remembers about his first win, he may be somewhat embarassed in his description. He shouldn’t be. Winning a race on NASCAR’s highest level is extremely difficult. There are anywhere from 15 to 20 drivers in the field each and every week seeking that elusive first Cup win. Drivers as accomplished as Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, and Ryan Newman have gone entire seasons without a win. No, don’t hold it against Kenseth, Reutimann, and Logano for the way they won. As a couple of Grammy Award winning lip-synchers once said, “Blame it on the Rain”.