Hello Angels, Bosley, Mr. X and the UnNamed One,

I'm glad to be back here again for another season of NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing, and the Charlie's Angels' Fantasy Racing League. With the new year you see many changes including this Web site, and another player in Charlie's Angels' Fantasy League.  If you all remember back to the original series, there are six angels, Jill, Kelly and Sabrina were the originals, while later in the show series, there was Tiffany, Kris and finally Julie for the last season.

Julie, whose real name is Jen, joins us from about an hours drive from the site of today's race, Daytona, Fla.  Julie, let me be the first to wish you a welcome to Charlie's Angels, and also to wish you the best of luck this Winston Cup Season.

Congratulations to Mikey Waltrip on his second Daytona 500 victory in two years.  I'm sure all of you remember his first victory celebration was cut quite short when the news of Dale Earnhardt's death was made public. Although this was a rain shortened race, I think everyone could concede the fact that Mikey was the car to beat once Dale Earnhardt Jr's battery problems started.  Congrats to Mikey. I'm sure he's celebrating this time much better than in 2001.  

Julie, earlier I wished you good luck with our fantasy league.  Unfortunately, you were doomed before the green flag flew today because of you picking Casey Atwood.  I've looked in all the rosters and can't seem to find him on anyone's list, except the RPM.ESPN Stockcar Challenge Web site.  As I've said that is unfortunate, but even more so, because in your first appearance with our fantasy league, you are our "Golden Caboose" Award recipient.  Even if Atwood was in the race, your team's average finish would have probably put you in our caboose category anyway.  This is because your "main man," Earnhardt Jr., had his battery problems and finished 36th.  This followed by Jamie McMurray finishing 31st and Elliott Sadler finishing only 23rd.  Your only bright spot in all the rain was Jimmie Johnson finishing 3rd.  I was unable to calculate your average finish because of Atwood's absence from NASCAR.  So, I think all the Angels will help me this week by wishing you much better luck next week.

Kelly (Sarah), you were very lucky to have Julie and her misfortunes in drivers overshadow your drivers accidents.  I believe that you had a driver involved in every accident today.  Unfortunately for you, two of your drivers were taken out in the same wreck.  Ken Schrader was looking good today except that he got tangled with your heartthrob, Bobby Labonte on pit road after he was hit coming into the tri-oval.  Labonte went into the pits to avoid the maley, but Schrader had no brakes or steering and hit Labonte, pinning the car against the wall.  I believe that was the same wreck that took out Ryan Newman...who flipped his car four or five times after hitting the wall at 185 MPH.  All three drivers walked away, but the damage to your team was done with Schrader and Labonte finishing 42 and 41 respectively.  Adding to your misery was Ward Burton (last year's Daytona 500 winner)'s spin and crash after a tire went down on his car.  He finished 38th.  Sadler wasn't able to help you too much with his 23rd place finish.  Keeping you from getting drenched in the rain was Kurt Busch's 2nd place finish.  Your average finish when it rained on your parade was an astonishing 29.2.  Like Julie, all of us Angels wish you much better luck next week.

Tiffany (Jen Y), you too weren't unscathed by mother nature's wrath....well, ok, it wasn't mother nature, but Jeff Green's crash didn't help the sun come out for your team.  He finished 39th. Earnhart's 36th, McMurray's 31st and Steve Park's 29th didn't help you either.  Your only sunshine was of course the two-time Daytona 500 winner, Mikey Waltrip.  Your average finish today was also a dismal 27.2.  Much better luck next week.

Bosley (Jude), You have the distinction of having the 43rd place finisher, Ryan Newman, on your team.  I'll tell you what though, I was very happy to see him get out of his mangled vehicle and wave to the crowd.  The rest of your team didn't help shield you from the rain either.  I've already mentioned McMurray's finish, but Rusty Wallace's 25th should never have happened.  His being penalized for the wrong carburetor definitely cost him a Daytona 500 win. He never recovered from starting in the back of the pack.  Todd Bodine looked like a contender for the win, but after a late pit during a caution, wasn't able to move back to the front of the pack before the rain started again.  He finished 18th.  Your top finisher is the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, Tony "Sabrina's Italian Stud" Stewart and his 7th place finish.  Your average finish is 24.8.  Better luck next week.

Jill (Jennie) and Mr. X (Dave), both of you have an average finish tie in this first race of the season. 

Mr. X, I'll start with you.  Burton's crash made him your worst driver today.  That was unfortunate, because your remaining drivers, while not breaking the top-10, still had decent days.  This includes "Front-Row" Joe Nemachek, who had to sit out the Busch race yesterday because of a stomach virus.  He finished 22nd today.  Matt Kenseth and Johnny Benson had average days with their 20th and 19th place finishes respectively.  Your top finisher today was Ricky Rudd (Go Air Force) and his 15th place finish.

Jill, the two drivers hurting you today was Schrader and Earnhardt Jr.'s woes.  Had it not been for those two, your average finish would've been much higher (I know, I'm stating the obvious).  Bodine's 18th definitely helped.  Jeff Gordon was a contender for the top-spot, but because of shuffling with the draft, he finished 12th.  Your best driver today was the "other" Gordon, Robby, finishing 6th.

Your average finish today Mr. X and Jill was 22.8.  Better luck next week.

Kris (Peggy), the two drivers that hurt you were Burton and Earnhardt Jr and their 38th and 36th place finishes.  In the middle of your pack is Bodine and his 18th place finish.  Helping you the most though were the two most-outspoken "Young Guns" in 2002, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch.  Harvick vowed to keep a low-profile publicly this year and concentrate on his driving.  That paid off for him today with a 4th place finish.  Busch is still just as out-spoken, but he definitely backs it up with his driving.  He finished 2nd. Your average finish with the rain falling on Daytona is an average 19.6.  Better luck next week.

The UnNamed One (Ray), your worst driver today is McMurray (who's not driving a Ford???  Have you deviated from your plan?) and his 31st place finish.  I thought it was interesting that you took on a second rookie with Greg Biffle, but that paid off for you with his 21st place finish.  Kenseth's 20th place finish helped, along with Rudd's 15th...but what gave you the boost that your team needed was Dale Jarrett's 10th place finish.  Your average finish is just a little bit better than Kris's with a 19.4.  Better luck next week.

Sabrina (Susan), when I saw you having three drivers with top-10 finishes I thought for sure that you were going to be in our top spot today.  Unfortunately for you, you had two drivers finish 31st and 34th...hurting your team considerably.  In that 34th position was John Andretti. I believe he led a lap, but came in late in the race to top off his gas.  McMurray's finished in the 31st spot.  Your Italian Stud, Stewart definitely helped you to our runner-up position this week with his 7th place finish.  That other Gordon and his 6th place finish helped too.  I never thought I would see the day when you picked a Hendrick Motor Sports car and driver, but here you are picking Jimmie Johnson, and of course he was your top-finisher today with his 3rd place.  Leave it to one of the "Wonder Twins" to help your team...   :)  Your average finish is 16.2.

I guess that leaves me to be the TOP-ANGEL AWARD WINNER for the Daytona 500 two years in a row.  I hope I'm not jinxed for the rest of the season.  My worst finisher this year was again the 2002 Daytona 500 winner, Ward Burton.  His crash was the last of the rain-shortened race and ultimately put him into 38th spot.  Bodine's 18th place finish didn't hurt me any, and neither did the "original" Gordon's 12th.  Having the "other" Gordon on my team definitely paid of with his 6th place finish.  What put me over the top this week though was picking Mikey Waltrip for my team.  I'm definitely not surprised to see him with the race today.  I honestly do believe that he would've won it anyway had it not continued to rain.  Anyway, my average finish is an even 15. 

Look below for the official scores from the Web site.

Speaking of the Web site, I'm changing the address.  I registered a domain name for the site and it will be up and operational sometime this week.  I'll send an e-mail to let you know when it's ready.

Next weeks race is the Subway 400 at North Carolina Motor Speedway (known as the Rock).   Qualifying will most likely be Friday, so have your teams updated (if you choose to) by Thursday.

Below is an spreadsheet that I use to write the commentary each week.  It has everyone's drivers along with where they placed.  On the bottom of each team's entries is the total finish and their average finish for each team.  If you have any questions, let me know.