The 2012 NASCAR season kicked off at Daytona with three days of testing which gives the teams a chance to prepare for Speed Weeks and most importantly, the 54th running of the Daytona 500. It was also a chance for the teams to test the new rules for the 500 race which included a smaller spoiler, different cooling package and restrictor plate. These changes were made to try and keep the cars from coming together two by two which has become a boring race for the fans. On the first day of testing the new rules package proved ineffective as the cars were still able to hook up at will so at the end of day 1 the officials announced further changes which still didn't help on day 2 so the effort continues to eliminate racing in pairs. Hopefully they will come up with a solution that will bring back the style of racing that has thrilled NASCAR fans for the past fifty years.

The test session has grown into much more of an event for the fans and is now known as NASCAR Preseason Thunder at Daytona and Jan 12th-14th was filled with opportunities for fans to see the cars on track and get close to the drivers as they appeared in fan forums and autograph sessions. Traditionally, testing went unnoticed by the media but now its a big deal with SPEED covering each day and the media roamed the garage looking for stories. I had a great time taking pics in the FanZone and out by the high banked turns.There is just enough break in the off season to get me craving for some NASCAR racing and when they pull out on the track for the first time I know the thrill is back!