Leftovers: NASCAR fans relive the past

Jimmie Johnson was waiting out Sunday’s rain delay at the Daytona 500 when he got some surprising news.

“I hear I won the #Daytona500?” Johnson tweeted. “Haha! I also have friends confused and texting congratulations to me.”

Fox’s coverage left a lot of NASCAR fans confused. The network, forced to fill air time when a storm rolled in, showed a replay of the 2013 race that Johnson won.

Deadspin.com compiled a list of tweets from fans who didn’t realize they were watching a year-old event, with viewers commenting on Danica Patrick’s strong run near the front, Tony Stewart’s return from injury, and why color schemes on some cars didn’t change as promised.

“This year’s #DAYTONA500 is looking a lot like last year’s. #SingleFile,” read one tweet.

It’s bad enough when fans are fooled.

“JUST IN,” tweeted Fox News, “Jimmie Johnson wins the Daytona 500 for the third time in his career. He previously won in 2013 and 2006.”

Some in NASCAR had fun with the confusion, with driver Clint Bowyer tweeting, “Wait a minute! I’m confused, did JimmieJohnson win or not?”

Bowyer obviously knew better. Others are so gullible.

We at Leftovers are looking forward to this new show called “Friends.” We hear Thursday night on NBC is must-see TV.

■ LEFT BEHIND — Dylan Kwasniewski, the 18-year-old phenom from Las Vegas, was feeling pretty good about himself as he was getting ready to compete in his first Nationwide Series race on Saturday.

He had won the pole at Daytona, and thought how cool it would be to lead at the famed track just one lap in.

“I thought I got a great start,” Kwasniewski said during a media appearance Wednesday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to do this and lead a bunch of laps.’ Then I just got absolutely plowed by on the outside. I didn’t even lead one lap. I thought, ‘Well, that was short-lived.’ ”

Kwasniewski, though, is expected to have a long career. Johnson even approached him in Daytona and gave him advice on how to handle the track.

It’s doubtful a three-time Daytona 500 champion — wait, he didn’t win Sunday? — would provide insight to just any young driver, but only someone with real promise.

Kwasniewski dropped hints about an impending announcement, but wouldn’t divulge exactly what.

Be sure to watch for a replay of the announcement in 2015.

■ PORNUCOPIA — Pitcher Carlos Martinez loves pornography so much that he favorited many explicit photos and links to such shots on Twitter.

His employer, the St. Louis Cardinals, noticed and helped the right-hander clean up his account.

“We’re embarrassed, and he’s embarrassed,” manager Mike Matheny told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’m not trying to shove my morality down anybody’s throat. I’ve made that very clear. But I also need to be concerned about it. ... Realize — is this something you’d want your kids to see? Is this something that you want to be known for? Is this how you want to be remembered?”

Let’s give Martinez the benefit of the doubt. He may have been trying to favorite links to Johnson winning the Daytona 500.

COMPILED BY MARK ANDERSON LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL