What a weekend!

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

What a weekend! The start of the 2012 NASCAR season has so far, been extraordinary. And the biggest race of the year hasn't even happened yet. It isn't even until tomorrow.

My heart skipped a beat when Jeff Gordon flipped during the Budweiser Shootout last Saturday night. I'm glad he walked away from that one. What a wild ride! In a way, that set the stage for what was to follow. 

Tony Stewart's wreck during practice this week gave us another hint. Then there was Danica Patrick's hard crash during the Duel races. It all led up to the first competitive race of the season--the truck race Friday night. 

Wow! It was a wreckfest. It is no wonder cup drivers were a little squeamish about pack racing during their two Daytona 500 practices. When final practice was reduced to just a handful of laps by a only a few drivers, Ryan Newman noted that there was simply more to lose than to learn by riding around in the pack. I'm sure he was right, given what kind of action has already been seen on the race track.

It isn't clear how the racing will look on Sunday for the Great American Race. I suspect it will be pretty mundane until the last few laps. At that point, there will probably be so much happening, we will be very grateful for the many camera angles because it is likely there will be too much to take it all in. 

For me it isn't all about the wrecks

This weekend certainly had some highlights--the kind of moments in racing that keep me coming back for more. Racing isn't just about the wrecks; not for me anyway. I like the human relations side of the sport. And there was certainly some of that. 

How about the fact that Danica Patrick's return to the race track after an earlier head-on collision with the wall resulted in earning the pole position for the Nationwide race? She is the first woman to do so. 

I stand by my earlier prediction that Danica is going to be a force to be reckoned with this season.

Another feel-good moment occurred Friday night when a rookie, who, in only his eighth career start--John King--won the truck race and is now leading the points in the series. 

If this is a promise of things to come, don't call me on Friday night, Saturday, or Sunday. I'm busy!

Bud Shootout did not disappoint

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Not only did the Bud Shootout not disappoint, but it probably breathed new life into NASCAR's 2012 season.

For anyone who didn't watch the Bud Shootout, you really missed something. Hurry over to NASCAR.com and catch the highlights, or watch the video of the entire race. It is well worth your time.

The race was certainly a nail biter from start to finish.

For me, the most memorable part involved two incredible saves by Kyle Busch. Ordinarily what occurred on the track would have resulted in the "big one," except that Busch saved it; not once, but twice. He did an incredible job and has certainly earned my respect for his driving ability.

Sparks flew as his car was literally sideways, seemingly taking on a life of its own, as it hurled itself back and forth between the racing surface and the apron. Then, as it was completely sideways, what seemed impossible, Busch saved it and got it headed in the right direction. He didn't even lose too many spots as he fought his way back up to draft with Tony Stewart. That same kind of driving allowed him to finish the race just inches ahead of Stewart. It was amazing--almost as amazing as how Stewart won five of the ten final  races that secured him the 2011 Championship title.

The wrecks were nothing short of spectacular. Personally my heart was in my throat. I admit being more than a little nervous as the cameras panned in on the cars wobbling perilously close to one another at such breakneck speeds. Those camera angles illustrate just how challenging it would be to drive a race car.

Needless to say Saturday night saw plenty of on-track wrecking action,. It was scary to watch Kevin Harvick's flaming race car unable to stop because he had no brakes. The worst though was when Jeff Gordon's car, was lifted by several others, causing it to do a pirouette several times only to land upside down on its roof. Thankfully Gordon was okay. And so were all the other drivers involved in one melee or another. There was not one "big one" but several. This was only 75 miles with 25 drivers. I shudder to think of what will happen on Sunday with 43 drivers in 500 miles. I can just about guarantee it will be a wreckfest.

Some of the wrecks were due to the changes made by NASCAR this year, with the hope of putting an end to the much maligned tandem racing. Both fans and drivers alike felt the two-car draft racing was boring. Saturday night, the tandem racing was minimized in favor of pack racing, which was their intent.

In accomplishing their goal however, another problem surfaced. In changing the size of the spoiler, the side fin, and other rule changes, caused it to be really easy to turn a car in front around simply by touching the left bumper. It was evident not just during the race but in practice when Tony Stewart got into Kurt Busch.

One other change this year, is that drivers are no longer able to communicate with one another on the track. Previously, if a driver changed his line, he could warn the driver behind him. He could also communicate if a driver is slow in front. That is no longer the case and it seems to have added to the chaos.

The racing season has begun and we now look forward to the biggest race of the year--the Daytona 500--now just days away. I'm a little on edge, but excited just the same.

Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle will start on the front row. The remaining field will be set by the Duels races on Thursday. Those two races promise to be exciting as well. It is all in preparation for Sunday, the day we have all been waiting for, probably since the last Great American Race.

Daytona testing live on Speed

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Seeing the race cars back on the track for Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona was a healing prescription for the off-season doldrums. Thanks speedtv.com for the very accommodating live video stream during the morning sessions and afternoon sessions televised for three consecutive days.

This little tease may make the next thirty-five days even more difficult as we wait for the first official race—the Budweiser Shootout on Feb. 18. The Daytona 500 is forty-three days from now, on Feb. 26.

NASCAR has implemented many changes for the 2012 season. One change that I don’t agree with has to do with radio communication. Drivers can no longer access other drivers, their teammates, or crew chiefs other than their own, during a race. As a fan, I admit it was often times difficult to monitor the action on the track, since I can access only one driver at a time. But I would gladly sacrifice my access in favor of safety. I have to agree with something tweeted Friday by Kenny Wallace when he called the change “dumb and dangerous.”

My only reference point here is when I listened to Ryan Newman--which I always do--talking to Denny Hamlin on the radio when the two of them were running in tandem. Newman, who was being pushed by Hamlin, gave Denny a heads up over the radio about what he was about to do, such as going to the inside or passing other cars on the high side. Since Hamlin couldn’t see through both his and Newman’s windshield, it was like he was driving blind. I think that information through communication made for safer racing overall. Without that communication, I think the driver in the rear will have a more difficult time of it. Oh there will be hand signals, but I’m not sure that is adequate or entirely safe.

This and many other changes were implemented by NASCAR, supposedly to make the racing better for fans and less costly for car owners. We don’t yet know how that will affect the racing. One of the goals though was to cut down on cars driving in tandem for 500 miles at Daytona and Talladega. Personally, I didn’t mind watching that style of racing, however, I can imagine it is frustrating for the drivers. Driving should be an individual activity, not reliant on someone else to make judgment calls and similar decisions.

The result of the changes so far, seem to be faster speeds, less tandem racing, and an overall better product. In addition to the radio communication, other new mandates include a smaller opening in the restrictor plate, a change in air flow through the radiator, shorter spoiler, larger shark fin, and electronic fuel injection engines.

We probably won’t know how the performance will change during the 2012 racing season based on this weekend’s testing. All we can hope for is that our favorite teams figure out how to take the best advantage of all they learned.

The rules were not the only changes. With all the team changes, it will be difficult, for example, to recognize A.J. Allmendinger in the Penske Racing’s #22 car. Former driver Kurt Busch is now in the Phoenix Racing #51 car. How strange will it be to see Kasey Kahne in the #5 car formerly driven by Mark Martin and Kyle Busch before that.

The first cup runs by Danica Patrick look really promising. How exciting it will be to see a woman running with the boys at the front of the pack. Go Danica!

Ryan Newman shows grit at Daytona

There is no question that restrictor plate racing isn't a favorite of the #39 team. Ryan Newman has had more than his share of challenges on restrictor plate tracks like Daytona. 

Prior to Sunday's opening 2011 season race, Newman's crew chief Tony Gibson commented to Scene Daily about his expectations. 

"If we can come out of there with a solid top-20 finish, then we know our mile-and-a-half program has been good; our short–track program has been good,” Gibson said. “The rest of our season is great. It’s just the darn restrictor-plate races that we can’t seem to get through.

“We finally finished one [plate] race, and that was the last Talladega race. Up until then, we had not finished a restrictor-plate race in almost two years. You just can’t give up those points, because there are 12 other guys [in Chase contention] that aren’t going to have those problems. When we made the Chase in 2009, we had a problem at Daytona, we wrecked, but we didn’t’ have those problems from there on out.

“For us, it’s all about coming out of Daytona with a decent finish. If we can start our season out good, the rest of the season will be fine.”

While Newman's finish was slightly short of the team's expectations, his was a decent finish, given the circumstances. 

Even some bad luck at the end can't take away from Newman's stellar performance in the first 186 laps of the 200-lap race. Newman's car was fast, both in and out of the draft. He led laps. 

In fact, he led 37 laps, the highest number of anyone in the field. 

Newman finished in 22nd place Sunday, eaking out 24 points. 

What was more important than race stats, Newman showed his grit. After the first wreck he got caught up in, Newman came back to make his way up to the 10th position. Then another wreck causing heavy damage to the #39 car. Gibson announced they were done because the radiator was involved. 

"Just put some water in it and let me get back out there," Newman said as he coaxed his car to the finish.

Newman and Stewart-Haas Racing can be proud of what Newman accomplished in the 53rd running of the Daytona 500. 

Newman's performance in the Budweiser Shootout was also worth noting. There too, he was oh-so-close to taking the checkered flag with leading laps and a 3rd place finish. 

Now, it is on to Phoenix, the track that scored Newman's most recent win. 

NASCAR's first race of 2011 did not disappoint

NASCAR's first Sprint Cup race of the season at Daytona--the Budweiser Shootout--was at times heart-stopping. 

I admit I may be less than objective when I say that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing my favorite driver at the front of the field at the end of the race. It was good to see Ryan Newman's #39 WIX Chevrolet out in front and ever so close to winning the race. A third place finish at Daytona is almost as good.

Congratulations Kurt Busch for the win.

While I'm not sure I would like a season filled with tandem-racing at breakneck speeds, this style of racing is unique to Daytona. This was the first race of its kind--with only 75 laps--so it is difficult to fully determine its appeal. A true assessment will likely become obvious after Thursday's Duels and Sunday's Daytona 500.

The negatives: An individual driver must depend on someone else because no one car is as fast as when another is pushing it. I believe this harkens back to NASCAR's strict mandate that all cars must be created equal. I would much prefer the old days when a team could devise and institute its own advantages without the prying eyes of a sanctioning body ready to pounce on violations. In addition to a fast race car, I believe overall racing success should include strategy and full utilization of technological advancements.

Racing is an individual sport, whether it be a single driver or a single team. This type of racing compromises that concept. Since no single car is as fast as it is with a buddy pushing, this type of racing negates that individuality. I believe that jeopardizes the purity of the competition based on the individual prowess of the driver and his team.

The positives: Speeds of 206 mph make for a pretty exciting spectacle. The concentration and focus needed by drivers to drive in this fashion tests these athletes as much as any racing competition.

An emphasis is placed on teamwork through the drivers' reliance on his spotter.

This style of racing is far superior to watching cars line up in 40-car packs,  driving around in circles until the last few laps when all hell breaks loose.

In conclusion, I did enjoy Saturday's Bud Shootout, but then it was the first actual cup race of the 2011 season. They probably could have driven backwards and I would have enjoyed it.

I look forward to Thursday, and especially to Sunday. I'm hoping for a good season for Newman and his #39 team.

Stewart-Haas Racing isat the 'at the ready'

The Budwiser Shootout is now just days away.

Like the start of a new year, I am excited about this upcoming racing season. Armed with untold possibilities, I like what I'm reading about the off-season prep work at Stewart-Haas Racing. They seem more prepared than ever, with their inaugural season behind them, to begin their second season. I imagine that Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman are chomping at the bit, waiting for that first green flag fall. As a fan, I can hardly wait either.

I like the fact that they have hired a third pit crew. That shows forward thinking. It seems as though this is the move to prepare for Danica Patrick, or some other driver next year. They will be ready. I think a backup is an excellent idea, even if a third driver isn't in the offing.

While I am saddened that Greg Newman will no longer be spotting for his son, I understand the strategy behind it. I have long felt sorry for Greg, unable to sit back, as we fans can do, and 'watch' his son race. After all, Ryan is an elite driver who is living his dreams -- and the dreams of his father. Ryan is well aware of what his father sacrificed for his career. It is time Greg should be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor. At his age, he shouldn't have to subject himself to the grueling pace, the elements, and the emotional roller-coaster that goes with the job.

I admit it will certainly not feel the same, not having Greg and Ryan share radio banter during caution periods. Having the two of them talk together was like having them over for Sunday dinner.

It was comforting to have Greg on the box communicating with his driver, his son, like he has for Ryan's entire racing career. But, perhaps it was too family-oriented. Though it is doubtful, perhaps those close family ties did hold Ryan back to a degree. Maybe they were too comfortable. It will be very interesting to hear how Ryan reacts to a new spotter, one who isn't as familiar with his driving style or the way he wants to hear 'what he wants to hear.' I imagine it is going to be a real learning curve for both of them. But that might put them both right on that edge - the razor's edge that tough competition requires. Oh, I can't wait to see the results. I have a feeling we will see a new resurgence of the 'Rocketman.'