NASCAR Speedweeks At Daytona: Week One Wrap Up

The short, but busy off-season officially came to an end this weekend, as the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hit the track for the first time since the dramatic finish to the 2011 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

This weekend began with Budweiser Shootout practice, Daytona 500 qualifying practice, the ARCA Series race, the Budweiser Shootout, and Sunday's qualifying session to set the front row for next week's main event.

Just days into the season and the biggest stories emerging were failed inspections, the return of pack racing, the strength of the Fords, and the reassurance that Kyle Busch is in a league of his own, at times, behind the wheel of a race car.

NASCAR Association With The WWE Is Not Such A Bad Thing

NASCAR got some television time Monday night when 2011 Sprint Cup Series runner-up Carl Edwards made an appearance on the WWE's Monday Night Raw. 

On a segment taped prior to last week's Raw event, Edwards was shown asking WWE Superstar John Cena to be the honorary started of this year's Daytona 500.

Some in the industry feel that any association with professional wrestling is a bad move and potentially damages the reputation of the sport, even going as far as to say it was "never a good thing."

While some may fear aligning too closely with the WWE could bring into question the legitimacy of NASCAR, they fail to see the larger picture, the similarities between the two industries and a potential to grow the fan base.  

Is is truly such a bad thing if the WWE and NASCAR have a business-to-business relationship?

Joe Gibbs Racing Crew Chiefs Working Closely To Move Team Forward

The NASCAR off-season saw a number of changes take place throughout the sport, and Joe Gibbs Racing is no exception.

Long-time crew chief Greg Zipadelli departed for Stewart-Haas Racing, while Mike Ford was replaced as crew chief atop Denny Hamlin’s pit box.

With Zipadelli gone for SHR, JGR opted to promote Jason Ratcliff from the Nationwide side of the organization to work with Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series. Ratcliff certainly knows how to win races in the Nationwide Series. In the past three years, the No. 18 car under Ratcliff’s direction scored back-to-back owner championships, 30 wins, 68 top-five, and 85 top-10 finishes.

Replacing Ford on the No. 11 team is championship winning crew chief Darian Grubb. Joining the organization after his title run with Tony Stewart, Grubb brings confidence, experience and a championship ring to the table.

After adding two new faces to the Sprint Cup organization, the Gibbs crew chiefs have been working hard during the off-season to mold a solid direction forward for the team. While crew chief Dave Rogers admitted the trio of crew chiefs are still “on our honeymoon,” he indicated the communication has been “very open.”

“I think we’re challenging each other, and most importantly, giving direction to this shop,” Rogers said.