Nascar Roars Back to Life with the Daytona 500

Nascar roars back to life on Sunday, February 18^th at 2pm EST. You can catch the race on Fox, which will cover the first thirteen races of the season. It's only been a few months since Jimmie Johnson won the 2006 championship, but a lot has changed in the Nascar world. In case you haven't kept up with the quickest growing sport, here's a brief off season recap to get you caught up.

There's a New Points System in Town...

The 2004 release of the new points system was met with little fanfare and even less enthusiasm from Nascar's fans. President Mike Helton admitted as much during the off season when he announced an overhaul of the Chase for the Nextel Cup Champion system. It's quite complicated, but to boil it down, the top 12 drivers from the regular season will compete for the championship during the last ten races. Drivers who win during the regular season will be rewarded, and past champions can no longer fall back on unlimited provisionals.

Where's My Driver?

Many drivers switched teams during the off season. Here's a crib sheet for easy access:

Mark Martin will drive 22 races in the #01 Army car.

Ward Burton will be back in Cup driving the #4.

Joe Nemechek will pilot the #13 machine.

Elliott Sadler will drive the #19 formerly of Jeremy Mayfield.

Casey Mears will join the Hendrick bunch in the #25.

Kevin Lepage will be in the #34.

Jeremy Mayfield will drive the #36 for Bill Davis Racing.

Bill Elliott will drive a limited schedule in the #37.

Dale Jarrett will move to the #44 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing.

Mike Bliss will take over the #49.

Johnny Sauter will land in the #70 this season.

Brian Vickers will lead Red Bull into the sport in the #83.

Ricky Rudd's team has stayed the same but his car is now #88.

Who's Driving That Foreign Car?

2007 marks the first season that Toyota will be involved in Nascar. The inclusion of a foreign automobile maker was met with skepticism, but the issue seems to have died down during the off season. It will certainly be a huge issue at Daytona, though. Regardless of how well the machine performs, there will be plenty of fans, not to mention those involved with Nascar, discussing its comparison to the Fords and Chevys. Seven full time teams will operate Toyotas during the season, with Dale Jarrett, Michael Waltrip, Jeremy Mayfield and Brian Vickers leading the charge. Hopefully Toyota will be granted a learning curve, but expectations may be high from the start.

Look at all the Yellow Stripes!

Eight drivers are looking to achieve the impressive title of Rookie of the Year. Among the bigger names vying for the title include Juan Pablo Montoya, an F1transplant, and Paul Mendard, a Busch series standout. Other rookies this season include AJ Allmendinger, David Ragan, David Reutimann, Regan Smith, Jon Wood and Brandon Whitt. I'm putting my money on David Ragan to do well this season and Regan Smith to excel in the series down the road. Montoya will be faced with huge expectations that may be difficult to meet, and Menard is driving for DEI, which is currently embroiled in contract negotiations with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. After Denny Hamlin's 2006 season, though, a standard rookie season may look subpar to many.

Remind Me Again...

In case you've forgotten, the Daytona 500 is Nascar's premier race. The 2.5 mile oval track produces speeds close to 200mph and forces drivers to run in the draft in order to do well. Odds are good that we'll see The Big One, a wreck that takes out around 20 cars. Safety advances in the sport should mean that the drivers stay safe, a concern always on the forefront of everyone's minds. Qualifying for the race takes place in stages, with the traditional two lap qualifying run to determine the top two spots. The remaining 41 positions will be decided based on the finishes in the Gatorade Duels, two 60 lap races that take place on February 15^th. This year's Daytona 500 will pay out over $18 million dollars, including a payout of over 1.4 million dollars.

Well, Nascar fans, the countdown is nearly at zero, and it's almost time to hear D.W. shout "boogity" a few times. The Nascar season is more of a long distance race than a sprint, so I hope you've got your gear ready. I'll see you at Daytona!