In the 60 days since Tony Stewart hoisted the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion’s trophy in a driving rainstorm at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he’s gotten a new crew chief, Kurt Busch has found a new team and AJ Allmendinger has landed Busch’s job at Penske Racing.
In addition, Danica Patrick received a champion crew chief for her maiden Daytona 500 effort and Kasey Kahne got lots of attention from the La Leche League. All probation periods have ended for those ill-behaved drivers and crew chiefs from 2011. And no one has been sent to the hauler for the past two months.
It’s been one of the most newsworthy offseasons in NASCAR history and finally — in three days — the tires will hit the high banks at Daytona International Speedway for the first official test of the season. Happy NASCAR New Year.
Speed charts will replace the rumor mill Thursday through Saturday as silly season gives way to the real deal.
Only a few years ago, drivers moaned and groaned about a full and frenzied preseason test schedule. But with the economy forcing NASCAR to drastically scale back its testing in recent years, drivers actually seem as if they’re looking forward to strapping in for three days of Daytona 500 dress rehearsal.
Matt Kenseth declared “vacation’s over” on his Twitter page Saturday and included a photo of an empty weight room. It probably means a shave as well since Kenseth grew a full beard in the offseason.
Kevin Harvick also used Twitter this weekend to declare “everyone is ready to get back to racing” after a team party.
And Jimmie Johnson tweeted, “I’m loving where the 48 and HMS is going in 2012.’’
First up is Daytona, where teams will be scrambling to figure out new rules designed to discourage the two-car tandem drafts that dominated the 2011 Daytona 500 won by rookie Trevor Bayne.
In addition to a slightly larger restrictor plate, NASCAR has issued technical changes to the cars to make their cooling systems less effective. Radiators will be smaller – a 2-gallon maximum, compared to the 5-gallon radiators some cars used before. And the grille opening will be moved closer to the front bumper, all changes designed to make it more difficult for cars to draft in tandems without the pushing car overheating.
Softer springs and a smaller rear spoiler are also among a half-dozen key modifications being tested for this year’s race.
For many of NASCAR’s top drivers, this week’s test will be the first time they’ve given much thought to drafting or radiators. Reigning champion Tony Stewart laid low this offseason, staying stateside instead of making his annual trip to Australia to race sprint cars.
Five-time champ Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsport teammate Jeff Gordon took their young families on exotic beach vacations.
It was a little more practical vacation for last year’s championship Cinderella story, Brad Keselowski, who tweeted photos of himself getting fitted for a new suit. You may remember the ribbing he took showing up at an awards banquet luncheon in jeans while the other 11 Chase drivers were dressed to the nines in suits.
“I’m ready for the season to start,’’ Keselowski declared on Twitter back in December.
Well he, and the fans, won't have to wait much longer.
