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| Rain's paint scheme for 2014 |
After an offseason filled with change, with numerous drivers switching teams, Nascar got a bit of normalcy today, with longtime favorite Rain winning the 56th Daytona 500.
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| The other driver from Rain's rookie year |
"Woo! We did it again!", said Rain upon exiting his car in Victory Lane. "I just gotta thank our team, all our sponsors, especially my crew chief Mother Nature--we didn't qualify well, but we knew we had a shot if we hung around long enough!"
With the win--and Nascar's latest adjustment to its Chase for the Cup "playoff" system, Rain is now all but guaranteed a spot in the Chase with its win today.
"Getting into the Chase, it really means a lot to our team", Rain continued to the assembled media. "We'll just have to keep running well the rest of the season--I know we've had some problems at a few of the west-coast tracks, but if I can dominate at Phoenix every few years, I know I can contend this year too."
Rain already had a strong showing this week, posting some of the most dominating performances in practice. However, the longtime Nascar competitor posted its first Daytona 500 win since its controversial dual with surprise contender Jet Dryer in 2012.
"In racing, its all about having a great team, having a great car", Rain's crew chief Mother Nature said post-race. "But its also about having a great driver, and there's almost nobody out there who can dominate a race like Rain can. We're hoping to contend for a championship this season, and now that we have a spot in the Chase, we know we have a real shot!"
Former driver Tony Raines, meanwhile, was forced to tell everyone again that he's not related to Rain.