NASCAR Transitions Into Season

By Chris Wirth (Commentary)
Posted Friday, February 22, 2008

The Daytona 500 winner is decided and all the media week hype is over. Four races in three days are definitely worth all the excitement that surrounds the opening week at Daytona, but they do not provide a proper forecast of the upcoming Sprint Cup season.

The Sprint Cup teams are finished with the circus at Daytona and now prepare for a 35-race marathon to decide the 2008 cup champion. Ryan Newman took the checkered flag first and that earned him 190 points and the points lead for a week. However, many of the storylines born at Daytona will die at Daytona. Traditional super-speedways only account for four of the 36 tracks on the schedule. It's time to give a look at the intermediate size tracks that will determine the Sprint Cup champion.

The past Daytona week gave us two stories with some value looking ahead. The first is the success of the Toyota engine program. If the Toyota teams can continue to make more power than the other manufacturers in NASCAR they will have a huge advantage. This advantage could be seen this weekend at California, possibly giving Toyota a valuable edge in power.

The second story to watch is Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and communication with his crew chief regarding pit strategy. Earnhardt passed up the opportunity to take fresh tires late in the 500. This decision could have cost him a chance at the win, but with the precision of Hendricks Motor Sports, this could be a problem that’s already solved.

Last season Kevin Harvick won the Daytona 500 and went on to finish outside the top 15 in the next three races. Jimmie Johnson won two of those three on his way to the Sprint Cup championship. This coming weekend’s Auto Club 500 will show the NASCAR community what stories they can look forward to following throughout the 2008 season.

Carl Edwards could be the driver to watch this coming weekend at California Speedway. In a February 1 test run there, Edwards recorded the fastest speed at 180.954 mph. Edwards drives the No. 99 Roush Fenway racing Ford. Roush was the top competition for Hendricks Motorsports in years past, but they have recently fallen behind teams such as Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing.

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge was the winner of the Daytona 500 and posted the third fastest speed in the test at 180.140 mph. The most interesting Information from the February 1st test results are the names not on the list. Tony Stewart, Kyle Bush and Denny Hamlin all drive for Joe Gibbs Racing and were a part of the Toyota group, which showed a significant advantage in engine power.

In off-track news this week, Robby Gordon was fined 100 owner and 100 driver points. His crew chief was also suspended for six races and a $100,000 fine was levied following rules violations committed by them during the Daytona weekend. Gordon drives and owns his No. 7 Dodge Avenger race car. The penalty was handed down from NASCAR after an inspection found Gordon using a Dodge Charger nose that was not yet approved by NASCAR. Gordon made the appropriate changes to pass inspection before qualifying for the Daytona 500. The point penalty dropped Gordon from an eighth place points finish to 40th place.

The Auto Club 500 at California Speedway can be seen on the Fox network on Sunday, February 24. Coverage starts at 3:30 p.m. EST. Look forward to an exciting weekend that will provide NASCAR fans with a preview of what the 2008 season will offer.