Dave would qualify 4th for tonight's event. After the invert he would start on the outside pole.
There would be an incident on the first lap where cars piled up going into turn one. The field would be restarted. Dave would resume his position, take the lead and hold it for thirteen laps. On lap fourteen Dave would be passed, he settled into the second spot for the next forty laps. He would be black flagged for an oil leak, which the team attempted to repair on pit road, causing Dave to go three laps down. Dave's night would end on lap 147 as the oil leak worsened and caused us to park the car.

Dave's #34 shown on the score board on lap 57

#34 in the pits because of an oil leak.

In regards to the question why a driver who was three laps down would try and race to the front? Mike Daniels, Dave's father, offers the following explanation.

If you are three laps down and running on the race track because the leader passed you and put you three laps down in the race, that's one thing. BUT if you started the race in the lead and lead the race for thirteen laps and ran second for the next forty laps, you obviously have one of the fastest cars on the track. Unfortunately you get black flagged for an oil leak and that's what caused you to go three laps down. There is not one driver out there who would not attempt to gain those laps back.

Any competitor and or their spotter, would see a fast car coming, no matter how many laps down they are, and warn their driver or at the very least, consider advising them to let them go. The #34 car has done this on many occasions this year. He has waved competitors around him that he recognized as being faster as not to hold them up, regardless of what lap they were on. It's a shame some cannot recognize this and want to create controversy. Spotters are critical to their drivers; they are their eyes on the track, they serve one purpose, assisting their driver through traffic. Emotions should always be removed from the equation.

Dave had every right to try and get the Lucky Dog position.

Drivers who have been several laps down have come back to win or finish well. At Watkins Glen in 2006, Kyle Busch went down 5 laps. He gained them all back under the Lucky Dog Rule and finished the race in 9th place.

In 2006 Jeff Gordon made a comeback from 4 laps down in Indy. From 2003 through 2006 seven drivers who benefited from the Lucky Dog Rule have come back to win the race.

After the race I spoke with a couple competitors regarding this situation. One veteran driver summed it up by saying, "there were very few cars left on the lead lap, if it were me, I would have done the exact same thing".

Dave making his way back up through the filed after having to pit.

BEFORE AND AFTER RACE PHOTOS - HERE

Dave's Race Summary can be found - HERE