NASCAR is unusual in sports in that it has its biggest event at the beginning of the season rather than at the end.
The Super Bowl of stock car racing, the Daytona 500, is also unique in its qualifying procedure. It's the first outing for new rules, new car configurations, and a host of other things that always seem to pop up to get our attention during Speed Weeks. This year the hot topic is bump drafting. It's something that's been around for a long time, but recently has evolved into "slam drafting," with teams reinforcing car noses to the point where one of them could probably sink an aircraft carrier with a solid hit.
Remarks by Tony Stewart after the Bud Shootout about "somebody getting killed" prompted NASCAR to take action (funny how having a couple of Cup championships under your belt makes your remarks more audible). For last week's Gatorade 150 qualifying races, and for the 500, NASCAR spotters will be stationed around the track calling bump drafting infringements, sort of like NFL referees looking for pass interference.
I wonder if they'll use replay to overturn calls. Of course, the intent is to reduce the likelihood of "the big one," but if NASCAR was really serious about that it would replace the hated restrictor plates with some other method of slowing the cars. But that's another story.
Based on last month's testing at Daytona I expected the Chevrolet contingent to be strong in the qualifying races and the 500, particularly the Hendrick cars. Unfortunately, Jimmy Johnson's No. 48 was just a little too good in qualifying, resulting in Johnson's qualifying time being disallowed. Crew chief Chad Knaus was sent home for the rest of the weekend, and possibly the next couple of races as well.
A clever adjustment to the rear window of the 48 car was discovered after qualifying and determined to be outside the rules. This is not Knaus' first run-in with NASCAR's tech sheriff, but it is his first time to be ejected from the track. Despite all this, Johnson ran well in the qualifying race, but might face additional penalties in the coming week, including loss of team and driver points.
Fords were also strong in the qualifiers, with Elliot Sadler's Robert Yates Ford taking a victory and all five Roush drivers finishing in the top 10 in their respective heats. Bobby Labonte posted the best Dodge finish in fourth, with Kyle Petty in sixth. It would be good to see Petty Enterprises back on track after several seasons in the doldrums. So far they seem to be out-performing the Evernham, Penske, and Ganassi Dodge teams but it remains to be seen if any of the Mopar guys have anything for the Fords and Chevys.
Probably the most confusing thing about Daytona is figuring out who will be in the 500. In years past it was pretty simple: the fastest two qualifiers had the front row and everybody else lined up as they finished the Twin 125s (as they were then known). However, with NASCAR giving the top 35 cars in points from last season guaranteed starting spots, coupled with qualifying times, finishes in the Gatorade 150s, past champion's provisionals, etc. even the commentators on NBC and SPEED seemed to have trouble figuring things out.
Mike Skinner (a former track champion at T-Car Speedway here) lost a spot in the 500 in the final laps of his qualifying race when Bill Elliot passed him for position after Skinner blistered a tire. In any event, the field is set and the 2006 official NASCAR racing season is about to begin. So buckle yourself into your recliner, make sure your snacks and beverages are close at hand, and....Race Fans, Start Your Remotes!
In other racing news, Danica Patrick, the darling of the Indy Racing League, will have some competition for press this season. Britain's Katherine Legge, a 25 year old racer who scored a couple of wins in her debut season in Formula Atlantic, will drive a PKV Racing Champ Car for 2006. Without the Indy 500 on Champ Car's schedule, Legge probably won't get quite the press that Danica garnered last year, but might just compile a better finishing record.