By Sam Atwell 

Well true to my word, I did spend some time watching the Rolex 24.  I just don’t get it.  There were cars on the track and high rates of speed, but just wasn’t my thing.  People complain about stock cars not being stock, what kind of cars were those?  The Penske-Newman Riley Sport GT, huh?  I know that’s not a real name, but my point is the same.   It’s not stock cars in general and cup cars specifically.  What about the way they fly apart when they run off course into the grass, doesn’t happen to a stock car.  I know the cup drivers that were in the Rolex 24 had a great time and enjoyed driving the different type of cars and all that, but just give me my stock car’s at Daytona.  It’s great that this little event is out of the way, now the real racing at Daytona can begin.  We are just a few short days away from the Sprint Cup thundering herd barreling down the front stretch!   I can’t wait!

By Sam Atwell 

Most of you who listen to the show know that I am a stock car snob.  I don’t care about open wheel, F1, Drag Racing, Boat Racing or anything else.  However, I must be suffering from withdrawal, because I am going to watch some of the Rolex 24.  I will admit right from the start, I don’t understand the rules or the points or how the teams work, but I will watch just to see cars on the track.  I am come back on Monday as a new man and think sports car racing is the greatest, (yea right).  I will give it a chance and see what happens.  I will say the cup cars on the Daytona road course would be very interesting!

Sam 

Well Daytona testing is over for this pre-season and this was probably one of the most important tests at Daytona in recent memory.  This was so important that even Tony Stewart showed up to work with his new team.  One of the biggest surprises to me was the results from Toyota.  I thought that Gibbs Racing would show up well for Toyota, but all the other teams had great results too.  Toyota dominated the overall testing speed chart, with the cars from Michael Waltrip racing in the top ten.  Those cars haven’t shown up in the top ten in their history!  This was the kind of testing session Toyota wanted last season, but didn’t get.  Toyota news last season was occupied by the cheating scandal for the #55 NAPA Auto Parts team.   I haven’t quite figured out what the difference is, but I think the addition of the Joe Gibbs Racing engine department has had to help. 

I was also glad to see the fastest lap by a single car for both sessions was turned in by the number 88 team of Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  I really believe that Junior is focused, like a laser beam, this season.  I think he knows that this is the time to put up or shut up.  I think he will.  Junior and his new team will make it to victory lane this season, maybe multiple times.  I also believe that he will be in the chase and I know for sure his biggest competition will be from his teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.

Sam