Posted by Luke Krmpotich in NASCAR: Week in Review on February 20, 2012  |  0 Comments More from this author  |  Website

My thoughts on the week that was in NASCAR...

So far, the Chevrolets are getting the short end of the stick.

Prior to Saturday, a member of the bow tie brigade had won 19 of 31 Bud Shootouts. However, on Saturday night Kyle Busch survived a demolition derby and drove his battered Toyota to Victory Lane.

On Sunday, the Fords of Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle swept the front row during Daytona 500 qualifying, an event that the Hendrick Chevys had dominated in recent seasons.

Adding insult to injury, the Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet failed inspection before official inspections even began. Crew chief Chad Knaus and other team members could be facing suspensions and fines after NASCAR discovered illegal modifications to the C-posts, an area of sheet metal between the roof and the side windows. NASCAR officials noted that the violation, which caused the C-posts to stand out, was clearly visible to the naked eye.

Way to go, Chad.

Come to think of it, Knaus being suspended could turn out to be a good thing—the infamously innovative crew chief was suspended before the 2006 Daytona 500, and Johnson went on to win that race with an interim crew chief.

Clint Bowyer's Michael Waltrip Racing car also failed inspection following Daytona 500 qualifying, when the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota was found to be 6/100 of an inch too low on the left front. Bowyer's 22nd-place run was disallowed, although that shouldn't matter. Other than the top two spots, the field for the Great American Race is set by the Gatorade Duel 150's on Thursday. Bowyer is locked into the field as a top-35 car, so he won't need to earn a starting spot in the 500 through one of the Duels.

But back to that Shootout, what a crazy race it was. Wrecks left and right—pack racing is back at Daytona!—and Kyle Busch driving like the insanely talented madman that he is.

After surviving two near-certain spinouts with some bare-knuckled driving and an incredible amount of skill, Kyle Busch put himself in position to slingshot to victory past Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart by just 0.013 seconds, the closest finish in Bud Shootout history. It was the first win for both Busch and Toyota in the season-opening event.

On Sunday, NASCAR announced that the qualification rules for the 2013 Shootout will go back to the way they were from 1979-2008. Pole winners from the previous year will be eligible to compete, as will past Shootout winners (provided they attempt to make at least one race during the prior season).

Mark Martin, who moved over to Michael Waltrip Racing from Hendrick Motorsports after the 2011 season and will be driving part-time this year, gained a guaranteed spot in the Daytona 500 thanks to a points deal with the No. 32 of FAS Lane Racing. As part of the deal, FAS Lane Racing minority owner Bill Jenkins will be listed as part owner of the MWR No. 55. Terry Labonte is driving the No. 32 at Daytona and is guaranteed a starting spot as the most recent former champion (1996) not in the race via the top 35 rule.

Meanwhile, Martin's boss at MWR will also be running the Daytona 500. Michael Waltrip will take the wheel of the No. 40 Toyota of Hillman Racing. It will be Waltrip's 75th career Daytona start between Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series races. Waltrip is a two-time winner of the Great American Race (2001 and 2003), and also won the Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona last February.

David Reutimann, who is driving the majority of the season for Tommy Baldwin Racing (when Danica Patrick isn't in the car, that is), found a ride for the Daytona 500 in the No. 93 Toyota of BK Racing, the team that purchased the assets of Red Bull Racing. Travis Kvapil, who lost his job with Front Row Motorsports when that team signed David Ragan, will be driving the rest of the season for BK Racing after Daytona. Landon Cassill will be driving the No. 83 as the team's other wheelman.

Bill Elliott scored a Daytona 500 ride with the No. 97 Toyota of NEMCO Motorsports. The team is fielding two cars for the race, including team owner Joe Nemecheck's No. 87 machine. After a sub-par qualifying effort on Sunday, Elliott will need to either earn a spot via his Gatorade Duel or hope that Terry Labonte doesn't use the past champion's provisional, in which case Elliott would get an automatic berth as the 1988 champion.

Michael McDowell, who drove most of last season for HP Racing, found a full-time ride for 2012 with Phil Parsons Racing. McDowell's No. 98 Ford will sport Roush Yates Racing engines under its hood.

The next Speedweeks events are the Gatorade Duel 150's on Thursday afternoon, broadcast on SPEED. But next year, fans won't need to wait out a three-day lull in the season-opening festivities. Daytona International Speedway announced on Wednesday that a 0.4 mile short track will be built in time for 2013 Speedweeks.

The plan is to run a NASCAR K&N Pro Series race, a Whelen Modified Tour race and a Whelen All-American Series late model race. Series champions and race winners will be invited to compete, and international drivers from the NASCAR series in Canada, Mexico and Europe will also be invited to the races. Other entrants will have to qualify on time for the events. The races will likely take place under the lights on Monday and Tuesday, and participants will get to choose which event they want to run.

Sounds like a sweet deal to me. The more racing there is, the better!

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