A major NASCAR rule change for the 2016 season could be in the hands of the United States Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency. (LAT Photographic)
With the first weekend of Daytona Speedweeks now officially in the books, here’s what we know for sure, so far:
THERE IS NO DAYTONA 500 FAVORITE Yes, the usual suspects — Hendrick, Roush, Gibbs and RCR — are expected to do well in the Daytona 500 and beyond. But all of the best cars are close enough together that another shocker like last year’s Penske 1-2 wouldn’t really be a shocker at all.
So much of what happens at Daytona comes down to late-race and last-lap drafting decisions, that the fastest driver in the race can finish 25th if he doesn’t make the right move at crunch time, or if he doesn’t have the right partner to go with him. Conversely, if two teammates in good cars can hook up — as Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman and runner-up Kurt Busch did last year — they can make magic.
And this year’s Penske equivalent could be Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, which looked spectacular in Daytona 500. Martin Truex Jr. put his EGR Chevrolet Impala SS on the pole, with teammates Juan Pablo Montoya, Aric Almirola and John Andretti showing well also.
THE BALANCE OF POWER HASN’T CHANGED Yes, the Daytona 500 is wide open, but it’s unlikely that the championship still is. While some outsiders might jump up this year — Red Bull Racing comes to mind here — the powerhouses are still the powerhouses. As Penske showed last year, finishing first and second in the Daytona 500 isn’t an accurate predictor of the season ahead. It just isn’t. Regardless of what happens next Sunday, Daytona is its own animal entirely.
MARK MARTIN, SECRET WEAPON Talk with the members of the media, and they’ll tell you Carl Edwards is the biggest threat to knock off Jimmie Johnson after three consecutive Sprint Cup championships. Talk with the other Sprint Cup drivers and they’ll tell you that Mark Martin might just be the man to finally dethrone Johnson. Tanned, rested and ready after driving part-time for two years, Martin has a lot of fire in his belly and a lot of firepower under the hood. Underestimate him at your own peril.
NO TESTING IS A GOOD THING Almost without exception, the drivers, crew chiefs, team owners and others that I talked to were thrilled — thrilled — at not having to go testing in January. No burning up millions of dollars and burning out crewmen to find half a tenth of a second. I would not be surprised to see NASCAR make the testing ban permanent or at least extend it indefinitely.
