Here's what everyone will be talking about as the NASCAR haulers roll into Daytona International Speedway next month for the start of one the most unpredictable seasons in recent memory.
What will we be talking about when the winning Daytona 500 car is being wheeled out of victory circle and the blue collar portion of the schedule kicks in? Daytona is an anomaly -- a one-of-a-kind, everybody's all-in race. The true tests of NASCAR viability will come in late spring and summer away from locales like Daytona, Las Vegas and Los Angeles and into the backcountry of Darlington, S.C. and Martinsville, Virginia; into hard-hit economies in places like Pocono, Pa. and Detroit.
Even with blue-light ticket specials at many tracks, will fans still be willing to spend money on race tickets and tacky t-shirts?
For the week-to-week field filler teams, prize money from just entering the Daytona 500 isn't going to sustain them into the meat of the Cup schedule. That's when lack of sponsorship and budget-tightening are inescapable. Although it's doubtful a venue might not offer a full 43-car field (the start-and-parkers will make sure of that), it's safe to say qualifying will be a formality at many places.
But the ever optimistic owner-driver Michael Waltrip said he doesn't necessarily think a short field is a negative.
"It's not a bad thing at all,'' said the two-time Daytona 500 winner and driver of the No. 55 NAPA Toyota. "There's always waves of cars come and cars go.
"All you need is enough people for Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. and Jeff Gordon to pass and everybody will be happy.''
We're going to find out.
