Sportsman of the Week Ending 2/14/2021

An annual rite of Spring (or at least late winter) is the restart of the NASCAR season in warm and sunny Florida for the Daytona 500.  Well at least it was warm and later, the rain that precluded the sun abated.  As unpredictable as the weather was the result of the race.  With former Cup champions Denny Hamlin leading the most laps, and Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski leading the final lap, it seemed certain a winner would be from the Final Four of 2020.  Au Contraire.  After Brad took out Joey, it was underdog Michael McDowell who took the checker after a fiery final lap and a yellow flag just before he was passed by 2020 Cup winner Chase Elliott.  It was McDowell's 358th Cup Series career start.  And first Cup Series race victory.  He was listed somewhere between 66-1 and 100-1 at the start.  But he's number one so far in 2021 and now punched his ticket to the NASCAR playoffs.  Michael McDowell is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!