Half the teams interested in competing in the Daytona 500 tested at the track this week. The other half will test next week. The "test" is a 3 day event - 2 days in single car drafts and 1 day in multi-car drafts. In a couple weeks, the various series head for Las Vegas for testing on an intermediate track.
Drivers, by and large, say running the laps is boring because they run a few laps, come in, make adjustments to the car, run a few more laps, compare times, car touch and start over again.
The media followed every minute from multiple press conferences for the drivers with questions on actual nascar related topics, (such as who was sandbagging, who was fast, and who was adjusting to a new team), to questions on non-nascar related themes (like what did you do in your off-season of one month and is that a new haircut or when are you getting a new haircut).
The question is: Do we really need this much coverage of testing? There are 4 restrictor plate races during the entire season (OK, 5 if you count the Bud Shootout). And while winning the Daytona 500 is a prestigious, one wonders if public testing is necessary. Couldn't the teams test at Daytona in a more efficient manner without the press swarm and the fan mob running around the facilities?
It's not like these teams are sharing what they learned with the general public. These are closely held secrets on the teams as to what slight adjustment make their car go faster, handle better, or just plain look good on the track.
Now, I'm a girl who likes to watch qualifying, but I don't know that the sport is served by public "testing" sessions. Isn't this just another way to generate media hype and concession sales?
Let the teams do their work in private - with all the officials, engineers, safety workers, and team members they want. Just have the press and the fans stay home until the actual race weekend.
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