While watching the big game on Sunday, I thought about how the Daytona 500 is always called the “Super Bowl of auto racing”. I personally have never liked this moniker, as a sports season never starts with the most important event of the year. If anything Homestead’s championship weekend should carry a mention of the “Super Bowl” of our sport.

This being said, in the grand scheme of things; the Daytona 500 is no more important to the championship than any of the other 35 races on the schedule. It’s not very often that the “500” winner goes on to be the champion at years' end. However, it is an event so steep in lore that merely winning it once puts you in very high society.

To win (or not to win) this race can certainly define a racers career. Who can forget the amazing pit road scene when Dale Earnhardt Sr. won his only 500? How about Darrell Waltrip in victory lane after 17 years of trying? His emotions in victory lane definitely tell the tales of just how important this race is to every racer who ever dreamed of being the victor. For these reasons alone, this is the biggest event of the year.

I personally would love to see another story from Daytona on February 26th, about a racer getting their first Daytona 500 trophy after a long history of attempts. (Mark Martin are you listening?)

Points Buying….. This is something that has driven me crazy for years. Personally, I really dislike the top 35 in owners points rule that locks 35 cars into every field. Why does NASCAR feel that nearly 90% of the field should be locked in based on points?

The 125 mile (now 150 mile) qualifying races used to be some of the highest drama of Speed Weeks at Daytona. Those races used to lock in starting positions 3-30 (if I remember) then qualifying time and a few provisional secured the rest. Now only eight spots are determined by these races, it’s just not the same.

Approaching the 2012 version of “The Great American Race”, one racer who has never even attempted to qualify for a Sprint Cup race is actually locked into the race. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that Danica Patrick is going to be in a full time NASCAR racer, it just seems absurd to me that she should be locked into this race because of some “points dealings” Dave Blaney earned the points to be in the top 35 and locked in, but now he has to race his way in. do you see my point?

Along the same lines is the idea that a team or teams that were amongst those top 35 in points close up shop and leave the sport yet their points can be bought! If a team ceases to exist, their points should also cease to exist; and the next teams in line should move into the top 35. This would reward loyalty for the other teams who have supported the series but were just outside the magical 35th spot. I also think that the magic 35 number should be revisited, with maybe 20-25 being a much more exciting number. It is conceivable if not unlikely, that at an event with more than 43 entries; a team could qualify 9th fastest but not make the starting field. Seems kind of absurd to me….

To all of you short track fans out there, the month of racing at Florida’s short tracks has already begun. East Bay Raceway near Tampa had racing Thursday through Saturday for the Nesmith Crate dirt late model division. Jack Nosbisch Jr. won the opening night, and Dennis “Rambo” Franklin was the winner of the other 2 nights. Next weekend holds some big events in southern Georgia on February 10th-12th for Dirt super late models, then back to Florida for a majority of the rest of the month.

Only 12 more days until the action at Daytona gets started up, here’s to a great season to all racers.

Until next week, keep the shiny side up!

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