THREE THINGS TO WATCH
1. Ford surge
Yes, there is strength in numbers. The long-suffering Ford brand added the Stewart-Haas Racing stable of four cars and the “Blue Oval” picked up momentum during the first week of Daytona Speedweeks. Joey Logano topped the list by winning the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona. It was the first time a Ford had won the Clash since 2004. Other Ford drivers in the top five were Danica Patrick and Kevin Harvick.
2. New rules
NASCAR announced a batch of new rules and regulations for the 2017 Cup Series, including a new way to inspect cars, instant penalties and a traveling medical team. All were utilized during Clash weekend, including the surprising disqualification of Kyle Larson after too many pit crew members came over the wall to service his No. 42 Chevrolet. You need to keep an eye on these updates.
3. Upside down
The Super Bowl was played on Feb. 5, and it was the final football game of the 2016 season. They call it the “big game.” In NASCAR, the racing schedule is flip-flopped. The biggest single race of any Cup Series season is the season-opening Daytona 500. It is one of the quirks of stock-car racing. “It would be great to get a 500 win,” Danica Patrick said. “We start off with the biggest race of the year.”