By Scott Adamson
Scripps Howard News
If NASCARís series of fortunate events continues in 2011, the folks who claim the Sprint Cup Series is scripted will look like theyíre on to something.
Just examine the evidence:
Trevor Bayne, a fresh-faced newcomer, won the Daytona 500 in dramatic and unprecedented fashion to start things off.
Jeff Gordon ended a lengthy absence from victory lane with a checker at Phoenix last weekend, tying him with Cale Yarborough for fifth most wins in Cup history at 83.
And this Sunday, as the series moves to Las Vegas, two Las Vegas drivers ó Kyle and Kurt Busch ó get to celebrate homecoming.
Oh, did I mention the brothers enter the race ranked 1-2 in the pointsí standings?
For all that has gone wrong for NASCAR in the last few years, from potholes to rainouts to fans losing interest in the sport, the venerable stock car organization is hitting on all cylinders early this season.
At Daytona, of course, it was the wow factor of a ěnobodyî winning the circuitís biggest race that created all the buzz.
On the one hand you have a 20-year-old, camera-friendly driver who any sponsor would love to have pushing its youth-oriented product to the all-important 18-35 demographic.
On the other hand, Bayne has barrels of throwback appeal. Not only was he born and raised in Knoxville, Tenn. ó which plays to NASCARís Southern fan base ó he drove a Wood Brothers car to victory in Daytona.
It doesnít get much more ěold schoolî than that.
And last week, Gordon was able to show he still has some wins in him ó which means he might still have a championship left in him, too.
But apart from snapping a 66-race winless streak, the race mightíve finally marked Gordonís evolution from a driver some fans love to hate to one many love to love.
After the event there didnít seem to be a boo in the house as thousands and thousands of patrons cheered for Driver 24 like they meant it.
ěI was feeling the emotions but to see them react like that … and then the push truck pushed me around and to see them all the way down doing that, I was like, ëI donít know if Iíve ever experienced something like that,íî Gordon said. ěAnd that, to me, made it all worth it right there to have that feeling.î
This week the plot shifts to the battling Busches, as Kyle returns to his home track in Las Vegas with a 3-point lead over big brother Kurt in the standings.
It marks the first time family members have held the top two spots in points since Bobby Allison and the late Davey Allison were first and second following the 1988 Daytona 500.
Certainly two races and three neat stories do not a successful season make, but NASCAR has to be feeling a lot better about itself these days.
This time last year people were still cussing and discussing the pothole crisis at Daytona.
A year before that it was a rain-shortened Great American Race that left fans feeling shortchanged.
No reason to get overly excited since the Cup season has so far to go, but hey ó so far, so good.