| The qualification procedures may be arcane, | | | | and teams that drive Fords, and though |
| Speed Weeks may take too long, and the | | | | they've all changed from the Taurus to the |
| kvetching about restrictor plates may make | | | | Fusion, aero tests have indicated that they |
| the Smokeless Set's drivers sound like Oprah | | | | haven't lost much in translation. Watching |
| Winfrey bitching out James Frey ("How could | | | | Elliott Sadler lead his qualifying heat last |
| you lie to me? I'm Oprah"). But once Sunday | | | | Thursday, you'd have a hard time convincing |
| afternoon comes, NASCAR nation is set to be | | | | too many drivers that the Fusion isn't sound |
| completely psyched once again, and so am | | | | as a drum.But what are we supposed to do with |
| I.They call Nextel Cup's the shortest | | | | all this data? Over the past four seasons |
| offseason in sports, but the truth is that | | | | (what I refer to as the "modern era" of |
| Homestead (November's final race) seems like | | | | Nextel Cup racing), the three drivers with |
| a long time ago. I mean, gosh, way back then, | | | | the best average finish at Daytona (Jeff |
| the Pittsburgh Steelers were just a glimmer | | | | Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt |
| in Bill Cowher's eye, Louisville looked like | | | | Jr.) drive Chevy. The highest Ford is Jarrett |
| it was going to field a darned good college | | | | in fourth, and the highest Dodge is Marlin in |
| basketball team, and Dick Cheney had shot as | | | | 13th (though of course he's moved to Chevy |
| many people in the face as you had. Also, | | | | this year). Tony Stewart drives Chevy. Kevin |
| Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, Michael Waltrip, | | | | Harvick drives Chevy. And the leading team in |
| Bobby Labonte, Sterling Marlin, Scott Riggs, | | | | Ford's stable, Roush Racing, has never won |
| Ken Schrader and Terry Labonte drove for | | | | the Daytona 500 (Greg Biffle is the only |
| different teams. But the future is now, and | | | | Roush driver to post a win at Daytona, and |
| the '06 season is set to begin with a bang. | | | | that was the '03 Pepsi 500 he won on a fluky |
| Finally.The leading storylines for the big | | | | fuel strategy). While I'm impressed by Yates, |
| race will include whether or not a Ford or | | | | and you can't help but love the Roush cars, I |
| Dodge can break Chevrolet's hold on the 500; | | | | have to admit that for the foreseeable |
| Chevy has won three 500s in a row, 10 of the | | | | future, at plate tracks I'm thinking Chevy.So |
| last 13 and 13 of the last 17. And the GM | | | | which drivers do I think represent the best |
| cars are just as dominant overall on | | | | wagers on the first race of the 2006 season? |
| restrictor-plate tracks: before Dale | | | | Read on!Last Season: I finished +54.6 units |
| Jarrett's caution-aided win at Talladega last | | | | in 2005, which is pretty darned good, and |
| fall, Chevy had won 13 straight races on that | | | | looks even better when you consider that I |
| track, and has won more than 70% of the | | | | posted 30 winning weeks out of 37 events (I |
| events held a the Daytona superspeedway since | | | | include the mid-May All-Star Challenge). I |
| 1992. Will Dodge break the skein? I don't | | | | selected a correct outright winner in 17 |
| think so. I'm not consoled by what I hear | | | | events, and got a head-to-head wager correct |
| between the lines of what Dodge drivers like | | | | in 28 of 36 events. Let's see if we can do |
| Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne have said about | | | | even better in 2006.Note that outright we |
| the 2006 Charger, which is basically the same | | | | will be quoting our odds direct from this |
| as the 2005 Charger, which simply didn't run | | | | season, which may result in release delays, |
| well at the restricted superspeedways or the | | | | but will accomodate a wider audience.Chris |
| unrestricted intermediate speedways. Will | | | | Harris covers Nascar for Brian Gabrielle |
| Ford break through? That's a far trickier | | | | SportsChristopher Harris is a featured writer |
| question. There are some incredible drivers | | | | for the Professional Handicappers League. |