The green flag on the 2006 NASCAR season drops on Sunday, February 19th with the annual running of the Daytona 500, stock car racing’s most prestigious event. The “Great American Race” as it is often called, is NASCAR’s Super Bowl, the Crown Jewel if you will. Naturally, it boasts NASCAR’s biggest purse, this year to be in excess of $18 million dollars. In all, 43 drivers will be vying for the coveted trip to victory lane, hoping to add their name to Daytona 500 lore, joining an impressive winner’s list that includes the likes of Petty, Waltrip, Allison, Elliott, Gordon, and Earnhardt. For the eventual winner, the moment will become the signature event in their career. This race is simply that big. In fact, some of NASCAR’s most significant moments have occurred at the Daytona 500, and unfortunately, also one of its most tragic, as this year will mark the fifth anniversary of the passing of Dale Earnhardt, who died after hitting the wall in the final turn of the final lap of the 2001 event. His son, Dale, Jr., has since won the Daytona 500, back in 2004.

Daytona International Speedway becomes the center of the racing world each February by offering up an exciting brand of racing. The track is one of the NASCAR circuit’s biggest at 2-1/2 miles around, and with 31-degree bankings in the turns, it’s easy to see how the action becomes so exhilarating. There is little that compares to the freight train like roar of the cars roar flying around the oval. Much of the excitement and competitiveness that is produced here can be traced to the NASCAR mandate of restrictor plate usage. Prior to the plates, speedometers at Daytona would reach well into the 200’s. The speeds are a bit slower now, but the cars tend to get “packed” together, giving the resemblance of rush hour traffic on a late Chicago afternoon. As such, a mistake by any driver in the pack can result in the “big one”, a major wreck that can dramatically impact the results of the race. Unfortunately, this very subject has come into question heavily this week as drivers have voiced their concerns regarding bump drafting, a necessary evil that arises when the cars race so close to one another. After last week’s Bud Shootout, incidentally won by rookie Denny Hamlin, Cup Champion Tony Stewart went so far as to predict another future Earnhardt-like tragedy if nothing was done to discourage bump drafting.

This NASCAR season brings several changes to the series, among them car specification changes, driver and personnel movement, and some slight schedule alterations. The most notable of the changes comes on the personnel front as several major players, both drivers and crew chiefs, switched homes since this past November’s Ford 400 in Miami. Among others, former Nextel Cup Champion Kurt Busch is with Penske Racing, Jamie McMurray is with Roush, Martin Truex joins team DEI on the Cup level after two Busch series titles, and Bobby Labonte has hooked up with Petty Enterprises. Of course, a pair of names you won’t be reading about are Rusty Wallace and Ricky Rudd, each of whom retired at the end of last year. With all of this “Silly Season” activity in the rear view mirror, it usually takes awhile to get accustomed to seeing drivers in different cars, so make sure to have your program handy when the 2006 season commences in Daytona.

The 2006 season will be the third in which the Chase format will be used to decide a series champion. Stewart is of course the defending champ, as he held off the Roush Racing trio of Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Mark Martin en route to his second Cup title. He is a favorite to repeat this year, but might be hard pressed to match the dominance he achieved during the summer of 2005. Biffle, now in his fourth full season, might be ready to assume the top spot, as several champion predecessors have won their first titles in year #4 of their careers. Meanwhile, Edwards will try and avoid the dreaded Sophomore Slump that has jinxed several recent contenders, and Martin will try to make the most of his swan song in the Nextel Cup series. However, when considering end of year favorites, don’t forget about the Hendrick Motorsports camp, with Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers, and Kyle Busch, all capable of making a run at the 2006 Chase for the Cup. Of course, NASCAR’s most popular driver, Earnhardt, Jr., will also be looking to bounce back from a dreadful 2005 season.

In terms of statistics at Daytona, Johnson owns the best average finish of any driver at 7.8. In fact, his average is the best of any driver during the modern era with at least five starts here. Ironically, he has yet to see victory lane, and if he does manage that this year, it will be without Crew Chief Chad Knaus, who was ejected from this week’s proceedings by NASCAR for a car violation. The active driver honors for most Daytona wins goes to Gordon, who has six, including last year’s season opener. Following on that short list are Dale Jarrett with four wins, and both Sterling Marlin & Michael Waltrip, with three each. Not surprisingly, Gordon is a favorite to capture the 2006 Daytona 500 as well. He shares 9-2 odds with Stewart. Earnhardt, Jr is next in line at 5-1 odds. A couple of underdogs to consider might be Truex, at 12-1, Joe Nemechek, at 40-1, and Casey Mears, at 60-1. Each of those drivers has proven competitive on the restrictor plate stage. Keep an eye on practice throughout Daytona Speedweeks, as well as the results of the Bud Shootout & the Gatorade Duels to get a better feel on what to expect on the 19th.

Qualifying for the Daytona 500 takes on a different look than all other races as only the top two cars in terms of qualifying lap speed earn their positions on the front row. The rest of the field is set by two 50-lap shootout events held on Thursday and then provisionals kick in. This year’s front row will be occupied by the Jeffs, Burton & Gordon, with the former on the pole. The 500-mile event, which culminates the two weeks of Speedweeks festivities, is set for 1:30 PM ET on the 19th. Those looking for a primer can tune in on Saturday for a typically exciting Daytona Busch series race. As it will be throughout the entire 2006 Nextel Cup season, the StatFox NASCAR FoxSheet, Driver Pages and Matchup Analyzer, will be ready to help you get prepared for all the high-speed action. You’ll notice some improvements made to the trends, the simulator, and the stats being kept. Your comments are always welcomed.