NASCAR: Off to the Races

February 22 2010 by Mark Deyer

nascar-2010-wr.jpgThe start of the NASCAR season is upon us and as fans, we have plenty to be thankful for. Changes to the cars, new rules to help facilitate better racing, and an early flash of brilliance by Best Western Racing driver, David Reutimann, have us excited about 2010.

Things to watch for in 2010:

The Car: NASCAR has finally listened to the plethora of engineers employed by NASCAR teams and made adjustments to the famed 'wing'. A wing no longer, its more of a spoiler, now. This change should help the cars become a bit racier and will hopefully bridge the gap between teams who have sunk major dollars into engineering the wing to work for them and teams who are scraping by.

The Personalities: If the Daytona 500 was any indicator of performance for 2010, it will be a big year for NASCAR's more popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR and many of its sponsors are hinging a lot of their future success on the ability of the #88 team to rediscover the magic he had early in his career. Additionally, the arrival of Danica Patrick, open wheel's golden girl, will be a huge boost for NASCAR back into the mainstream. Her endorsement dollars, personality, and media posse will be a big jolt to NASCAR in 2010.

The Rules: It seems NASCAR is going to give the fans what they want in 2010. Minor rule adjustments to green-white-checker finishes, bump drafting, and restrictor plate sizes don't sound like much, but will mean more exciting, aggressive, and competitive finishes in 2010. NASCAR has wised up to the notion that angry, aggressive drivers produce exciting races and by all accounts, we're in for some wild finishes in the next year.

The Teams: Last year it was shakeups at Hendrick Motorsports that dominated headlines, this year it's all about changes to Best Western sponsored Michael Waltrip Racing. With owner/driver Michael Waltrip stepping down and running a limited scheduled, this means a full schedule for Michael McDowell in the #55. Also, the addition of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated castoff Martin Truex Jr. will surely make MWR a contender in 2010. Always a favorite, Best Western driver David Reutimann showed early success in the #00 car in Daytona with a top 5 finish. Does this mean Reuti will finally scratch The Chase this year?

There are plenty of exciting changes and storylines in NASCAR. What's your pick to turn heads the most in 2010?

Email This Comments (0)

Categories : Packed & Ready

0 TrackBacks

http://www.youmustbetrippin.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-t.cgi/431

Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry

    0 Comments


    Leave a comment

     

    Your comment may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.


    Type the characters you see in the picture above.