The Shootout last night provided the baby steps of a very long season, like the first tulips that rise from the frozen earth in the spring. I know that I was saddled up to the TV last night with my other racing buddies and pounded some hotdogs and Ford Dave's famous macaroni and cheese. The season is truly upon us, and there is much to be excited about. Qualifying is on in the background as I write and Truex is still on the pole. You just get the sense that the DEI/Ganassi, whoeverthehelltheyare cars may have a good run in the 500, but will most likely fade into oblivion when the circus heads to circuits that require braking and cornering ability.

I think the savvy racefan and all of the Cup crew chiefs last night will have learned a good bit from the Shootout, even if they were not in it. One lesson was stay away from Logano and Stremme. However, the biggest lesson was that taking tires late in the race is death sentence. Vickers relinquished the lead and took 4 tires with 7 laps to go. He restarted in 13th or 14th and just did not have enough room or time to use the extra grip to his advantage. The 83 crew chief tripped on his dick for sure. The Daytona tire is total junk, and you can see how dicey it starts to get after about 15 or 20 laps, and that is only half of a fuel run. The car will field way better with new rubber, but if you are in the top 5 or 10 late in the race, I think you have to stay out and try to ride it out. Too many times, the end of the race gets three wide all the way through the field and there is no room to pass people. Obviously McMurray probably got too far out in front on that last lap to win, but if they wrecked behind him, the victory would have been his.

Alot of times with RG will want to take tires at the end of the race because he likes passing people. It's more comfortable to race on the front foot when you have the comfort of the added grip on new tires. One time at Atlanta he pitted from 16th for tires with 2 laps to go and ended up 12th. So it worked out. I hope they think twice about that move after last nights race.

I know the qualifying lap was nothing to write home about for the 7 car. The crew guys will extatic about getting an early draw and getting to leave the track early, so atleast they have that going for them. They are smart enough to know that Rob will most likely hang out at the end of pack in the 500 and that qualifying does not matter at all for this race.

It is still a long week. You need to have a clean drafting practice on Wednesday, and hopefully stay out of the wrecks in the 150's on Thursday. Being locked into the field gives Rob the luxury to protect his equipment, and expect him to stay out of the funny buisness until 30 to go nexy Sunday.