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LIVE Daytona Blog: Day 1

By Greg Engle
Cup Scene Daily,January 9

TUESDAY BLOG CLICK HERE ->>

-7:30AMIn route to the Speedway from Orlando. Expect reports to begin around 9AM, pictures to follow shortly there after.

-9:55AM Ah the sights, sounds and smells of a race rack when cars are there. It feels like I’ve come home.

Under a bright blue Florida sky, the Daytona International Speedway opened the track to the first round of NASCAR Nextel Cup competitors at 9:12 AM. The first car to hit the track was the 19b of Jeremy Mayfield at 9:25.

-11:25AM Cars will spend today and tomorrow making solo runs and those continue throughout the morning. The first scheduled press conference of the session will be with Dale Earnhardt Junior around 12:20.

-12:15PM Jeff Gordon led the morning sessions with a speed of 187.029. Gordon led a Chevy contingent in the top 3. He was followed by his team mate Jimmie Johnson and veteran Bill Elliott.

The new Ford Fusions made a strong debut, led by 2003 champion Matt Kenseth with a speed of 186.023 in fourth.

The Dodges appear to be struggling, as the top Dodge was Jeremy Mayfield in 12th with a speed of 184.983

-1:00PM(Story Filed for Scripps-Howard Newspapers for Tuesday's editions)

The 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season has begun.

The man made thunder of stock car engines echoed through the infield of the Daytona International Speedway as the first round of Nextel Cup Series testing kicked off Monday morning.

The testing sessions themselves aren’t necessarily about finding the most speed, on the contrary, the inspection process here is ‘relaxed’ to say the least and historically teams will use a trick or two in order to appear at the top of the speed charts. The sessions are better suited as a way for teams to ‘shake off the rust’ after a short off-season.

In fact veteran drivers will freely admit that the hours spent behind the wheel driving solo lap after solo lap can be downright boring, at least the first two days when only single car laps are allowed. On Wednesday, drafting practice will be allowed, the first time that many will have a chance to run in packs under actual race conditions. For some drivers not only is it boring, even three days is too long for testing.

“Three days is a long time to be out here testing,” quipped Dale Earnhardt Junior. “It gives those guys who are cheating a lot of time to figure it out. I think two days is plenty of time to test here, at least under the rulebook they give us.”

In years past the testing here wasn’t deemed that important. This year however, NASCAR has mandated new testing rules. In 2006 teams can only test six times and the only tracks they will be allowed to test at are Las Vegas, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Richmond, Homestead and here at Daytona; this being the only track and the only opportunity teams will get to practice restrictor plate setups like those raced here and at Talladega. So look for the testing to take on a bit more importance.

Cup teams are still allowed to test at tracks that don't host Cup events, Kentucky and nearby Lakeland USA Speedway for example, but they can't use current Goodyear race tires there. In fact those Goodyear tires will be at a premium this year thanks to a new leasing program that has teams turning in their remaining inventory of tires after each event.

These sessions are also the only time when cars are equipped with on-board computers that relay telemetry back to engineers in the garage, something that is strictly forbidden during the regular season. And more than a few cars will be running "special" equipment that would never make it through inspection on race weekends.

For the next two weeks there’ll be several story lines that the media hounds will be chasing down.

-New teams, new drivers, old teams with new crews, old drivers with new teams, that’s just one of those story lines to watch this week and next; and perhaps the biggest. Fans almost need a scorecard to keep up with all the driver/team changes.

-The new Ford Fusion will hit the racetrack in a competitive mode for the first time. Will the new model outperform the old Taurus? Or will they have a less than stellar debut like the poor performing the Dodge Charger did last year.

-The biggest crop of rookies in recent years will hit the track for the first time. Defending Busch Series Champ Martin Truex Jr., along with his rival in that series from last year, Clint Bowyer will renew their battle, this time however the prize will be the Raybestos Rookie of the Year title. Other rookies moving up to the Cup Series this year include hotshot driver Reed Sorenson, Brent Sherman, Denny Hamlin, David Stremme and J.J. Yeley. Expect these rookies to try and make a strong statement right out of the gate.

"The most important aspect of the test for me will be getting some practice running in the draft, “said first year Nextel Cup driver Reed Sorenson, “I don't have a lot of super speedway experience so I'm looking forward to getting out there with a group of cars to get a feel for how the car handles in the draft and how to work myself around in the pack."

-Two of NASCAR’s most visible stars will start their seasons here looking for redemption. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both had forgettable 2005 seasons; neither made the Chase for the Cup and both will start full seasons with new crew chiefs.

-NASCAR officials are famous for dropping bombshells without warning. Several big stories are floating in the air and could land this week or next. From sponsor changes, to new procedures or lingering questions about the new NASCAR Hall of Fame and even Toyota’s entry into the top tier of the sport in 2007.

Teams that finished in the odd positions in 2005 owner's points will make up the bulk of attendees at the first session. The teams who finished in the even positions will test from Jan. 16-18.

-5:01PM The track has offically closed for the evening. After a short news conference with Kasey Kahne, I'll head home. Bill Elliott posted the fastest time for the afternoon session. His speed if 187.219 is the fastest of today's first session. Elliott was followed by Jimmie Johnson, Elliott Sadler and Jeff Gordon.

DO NOT HOTLINK TO THESE PICTURES. TRACERS ARE INSTALLED

AFTERNOON

DO NOT HOTLINK TO THESE PICTURES. TRACERS ARE INSTALLED

LATE MORNING

DO NOT HOTLINK TO THESE PICTURES. TRACERS ARE INSTALLED

EARLY MORNING

Greg Engle, the Editor of the Cup Scene Daily is seeking employment within the motorsports journalism industry. If you are interested, please contact him at:
greg@cupscene.com

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