New Qualifying Rules Begin This Weekend
Starting this weekend in Phoenix, if bad weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by practice speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book. Also, the qualifying order will be set based upon slowest to fastest practice speeds.

Marquee Names Looking To Brush Off Rough Opener
There were some unusual names at the top of the Daytona 500 race results – Trevor Bayne, David Gilliland and Regan Smith, for instance.

Just as odd were the names at the bottom, notably championship contenders Kevin Harvick (42nd), Jeff Burton (36th), Greg Biffle (35th), Matt Kenseth (34th), Jeff Gordon (28th) and Jimmie Johnson (27th).

Are we worried about Jimmie Johnson already?
Nope, it’s way too early for any of those big guns to get worried. Take five-time reigning champion Johnson, for instance. His last four finishes in the season-opener: 35th, 31st, 27th and 29th.

Of all the above names, Johnson likely has the best shot at a quick bounce back. He has won four of the last seven Phoenix races. Look for Harvick to have a good run, as well. He scored a perfect Driver Rating at Phoenix in his win in November win of 2006.

Last Race On Old Surface
This weekend’s race will be the last on a surface that has hosted NASCAR Sprint Cup Series since the inaugural race there in 1988. After Sunday’s event, workers will lay down new asphalt, and the blueprint calls for a few design wrinkles that will promote side-by-side racing.

Some of the principles:
–       Widen the front stretch from 52 to 62 feet
–       Reconfigure pit road with the installation of concrete pit stalls
–       Push the dog-leg curve between Turn 2 and Turn 3 out 95 feet
–       Tighten the turn radius of the dog-leg from 800 to 500 feet
–       Implement variable banking to ensure the immediate use of two racing grooves, including 10-11 degree banking between Turn 1 and Turn 2; 10-11 degree banking in the apex of the dog-leg; and 8-9 degree banking in Turn 4