Look out Twitter, the rednecks are coming.

Appropriately enough, Jeff Gluck, the Motorsports Editor at SBNation.com, summed the situation up on Twitter.

It's becoming clear the Daytona 500 will be remembered for two things: The jet dryer explosion and Keselowski's tweet.

He was nearly dead on. He probably should have said tweeting, as NASCAR's Brad Keselowski made major headlines this week for using Twitter on his smartphone from his race car during an extended delay in the action - the result of a bizarre jet-fuel fire on the track (which was as strange a spectacle as it sounds). The singular tweet Gluck is likely referring to is what would turn out to be the first in a string from Keselowski - a photo tweet showing driver's view of the fire that had halted the race. As ESPN and plenty of others went on to document, Keselowski  " posted pictures, answered questions and kept fans informed of what was happening during the stoppage that lasted just over two hours."

As silly as it seems, it was likely a historic moment for Twitter and the growth of social media.

When the red-flag delay and tweeting started Keselowski had a little over 70,000 followers. Two hours later, when the race finally resumed, Keselowski was up to 192,729. It was a dramatic rise. So dramatic, in fact, that someone made a graph about it (which I saw because of one of Keselowski's tweets two days later.)  

But the impact of Keselowski's tweeting can't be summed up in gained followers alone (he was over 200,000 about an hour after the race ended).

The bottom line is, if they hadn't already discovered Twitter already by stumbling upon and ultimately following the accounts of porn stars, Monster Jam, or Toby Keith, rednecks across the country were now hip to the social media platform thanks to Keselowski's nimble tweeting thumbs and one long-ass race delay.

Not that many NASCAR fans likely read such liberal hogwash, but the freakin' New York Times even did a story about Keselowski and his tweeting (New York City! ... I write in my best Pace-Picante voice), giving a minute-by-minute, message-by-message account of his rise in Twitter popularity.

In all honesty, it's been a bit surreal. And just one more sign that social media and our fancy-pants phones have changed the world forever.

There will be no going back. Even NASCAR is at this social-media party.

And, for anyone wondering or worrying, NASCAR is very much at this social-media party. While some racing commentators initially questioned whether having a phone in his car constituted a rules violation, NASCAR quickly announced that as long as the tweeting doesn't become dangerous, or come at a time when it puts other drivers at risk, they're all for it.

"Nothing we've seen from Brad violates any current rules pertaining to the use of social media during races," NASCAR said in a statement. "As such, he won't be penalized. We encourage our drivers to use social media to express themselves as long as they do so without risking their safety or that of others."

Shortly thereafter, ever other major sports league likely shit itself. Especially the NFL, which is known for its conservative stance on Twitter and social media.

Game on.

Advantage, Twitter.

BOX SCORES

While we're still five-plus months away from the start of the 2012 NFL season and a meaningful professional football game, it's not too early to get excited! It was announced this week that the 2012 regular season will kick off on Wednesday, Sept. 5 with a game pitting the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants against an opponent to be named later. The game, which will be played at the Giants' Met Life Stadium, was moved back a day from the now-traditional Thursday-night start to the NFL season because President Barack Obama is scheduled to address the Democratic National Convention that night. The NFL tells ESPN.com News Services that the league hasn't played a game on a Wednesday since Sept. 22, 1948, when the Rams faced the Lions. It probably wasn't a good idea then either. If he even returns to the team next year, there's no telling how much Brandon Jacobs might age in the 11 or 12 days between the Giants' first two games. ...  As you've no doubt heard by now, reigning National League MVP Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers just became the first player in MLB drug-testing history to beat the rap on PEDs. Last week Braun's 50-game suspension for testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone in his pee was overturned by the MLB, thanks to Braun's appeal which took major issue with the fact that the urine sample in question was held for an alleged 44 hours before being shipped off for testing. The guy who was holding the pee - professional pee-collector Dino Laurenzi Jr. - came forward this week, telling a slew of media outlets through a released statement that he followed strict protocol in the testing of Braun, and that the situation has "caused great emotional distress for me and my family." Classified by ESPN.com News Services as a professional pee "collector," Laurenzi says that at the time of the test he got Braun's signature to verify that the samples were capped and sealed in his presence. Tuesday, Laurenzi wanted to "set the record straight," telling anyone willing to listen that he followed protocols set by Comprehensive Drug Testing, his employer, in keeping the samples until they could be shipped of via Fed Ex. (Really? Major League drug testing involves Fed Ex?) Laurenzi went on to say Braun's "sample" never left his custody and that no one other than his wife was in his home while the samples were stored. Which, I suppose, is just one more reason we can all be thankful we're not married to a pee "collector." ... Finally, new Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine took a bold stand this week when he announced booze would no longer be furnished or allowed in the Red Sox locker room - even after games. As you'll recall, the Red Sox's epic collapse last year was blamed by an irate fan base, at least in part, on the fact key players were drinking beer and eating fried chicken in the locker room instead of paying attention to the game. (Awesome, right?) Playing "new sheriff in town," Valentine publically announced the team's new beer policy Saturday, also saying beer consumption would be cut off on the last leg of road trips. In an odd and slightly awkward switch of positions, the Red Sox former manager, Terry Francona, is now an ESPN pundit - a similar gig to the one Valentine had before being hired by the Red Sox. Francona called the move "PR" based on ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike in the Morning," and questioned what its overall effectiveness will be. Valentine responded by telling ESPN.com News Services, ""Remember, you're getting paid over there [at ESPN] for saying stuff,'' Valentine said."You're getting paid over here for doing stuff.'' But by that time Francona was back to worrying about why pictures of him and his "20-something rebound beef(s)" keep popping up online.