DAYTONA PHOTO QUEST
Photo Quest Story and photos by Dwight Drum
© 2008 Dwight Drum Web work by Larsen & Drum
NATIONWIDE SERIES
The beginning of the 2008 NASCAR season may seem to be a future event to many race fans across the USA during mid-winter January, but at Daytona International Speedway the active practice days of Preseason Thunder consume much of the first month of the year for Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman teams.
Five cool, sunny days helped the Nationwide Series breeze through its practice sessions and Fan Fest celebration at DIS during the final week of January. As always much is learned by crews and drivers about the cars that will compete soon on the famed 2.5 mile trioval track.
Drivers may have an easy time testing the 31 degree banking at DIS before an actual race, but expect some to have a hard time with new names. Not saying Nextel or Busch in 2008 will be a challenge, but in time the newness of Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series branding will become familiar. Expect verbal slips to fade during the long season.
Name changes aren't the only changes coming. The Car of Tomorrow is now the current car in the Sprint Cup Series for 2008. NASCAR may tweak the championship point structure in the Nationwide Series and talk is under way for increasing the minimum age for drivers in the NSCS to 21. The current car will also become the standard car in the NNS in 2009.
If the past is any measure expect NASCAR to make good changes for safety and the enhancement of the show for fans.
Nationwide champion Carl Edwards will be a presence in both NSCS and NNS in 2008 as fresh images with fans suggest. Busy team members often offer active images for photographers.
{Images Presented Below}
Carl Edwards
Fan Tony Rovito Jr., Olean, N.Y., had a question for Carl Edwards about his 2007 championship season:
Did the plan you had for the season at the start of the year end up being the plan that allowed you to win the championship?
"Yeah. The plan at the beginning of the season was to go out and be very, very consistent. That's what we did for the first half of the season. We won a few races. We were real consistent. That's what it takes to win a championship. If we didn't have that spectacular first half of the season and that plan didn't work, we wouldn't be a champion team."
I thought you handled the adversity toward the end of last season real well. There were far too many media questions about you and Matt Kenseth. Now that it's over do you have a comment?
"I have the most blessed life, the most fun and the greatest job. I have a blast. But it's just like everything else there are going to be days when I get upset when things go wrong. The thing is to just keep it in perspective.
Looking back at the year I learned so much about myself. I learned a lot about dealing with frustration and things like that. I'm 28-years-old and if I can learn those lessons now they are going to serve me for a long time. I'm grateful for the experience."
Pierre Kuettel (No. 60 Ford Crew Chief)Your comment on winning the 2007 Busch (Nationwide) Series Championship?
"Yeah. It's fantastic to won the Busch Series championship. Also, being the last sponsorship of the 26 years that Anheuser-Busch did this. That's really cool. It's going to be a great challenge to come into the 2008 Nationwide Series and try to be a repeat champion. Nothing could be more exciting to win this championship than win next years and be champions two years in a row with different title sponsors."
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