by Lee Spencer

Around the track

Follow the action:

• Daytona schedule
• Daytona practice speeds

Watch:

• Video Central

Picture perfect:

• Action from Daytona
• 2010 Hall of Fame nominees

Read all about it:

• NASCAR boss defends drug policy
• Stewart on pole after qualifying rainout
• NASCAR announces Hall nominees
• Mayfield misses deadline for Daytona

Analysis:

• DW: Let's be clear
• Spencer: Drivers to watch in Daytona

On Saturday, Smith sat in the front row for the Craftsman Truck race. He was accessible to fans and patrons as well as able to derive a feel for the current track configuration should he decide to raise the banking or alter the length in the future.

On Sunday, Smith met with season ticket holders in the infield to address their current concerns and wishes for the future.

And Smith is familiar with how many properties are in his motorsports portfolio. Of his seven SMI speedways — soon to be eight once the deal with Kentucky has been finalized — fans and competitors alike won't find better facilities on the circuit. As the crowds continued to clear out on Monday, the bulldozers were ready to move in. It's a short construction season in New Hampshire. If Smith hopes for NHMS to mirror his crown jewel Bristol, there's no time to waste.

Still, Smith has been conscientious when it comes to his neighbors. He hopes to continue the open book philosophy established by previous owner Bob Bahre. Smith has dealt with the ecological concerns of his Infineon Raceway neighbors and will continue to approach the wetlands surrounding NHMS. The only obstacle he hopes to overcome is the installation of a lighting system to lengthen the window of racing opportunity should weather interfere.

When competitors return next summer, they will be greeted by state-of-the-art garages. When the fans pull into the campgrounds, they'll experience creature comforts such as restrooms, family sections and a midway complete with carnival rides and state fair-style goodies.

Today's promoters must discover other ways to entice the fans to the track. Fans are looking for more bang for the buck. Smith is offering just that.

Now back to the Sylvania 300 and other hot weekend topics.

First, the good stuff:

1. The Show Must Go On — After qualifying was a rain-out on Friday and a second weather system threatened Sunday's race, NASCAR and track officials worked closely and quickly to get the race rolling close to the original 2:00 p.m. start. NASCAR called a competition caution on Lap 35 to ensure everyone was good to go.

2. Junior's Just Say No — NASCAR is expected to unveil its new drug policy before the end of the month. Dale Earnhardt Jr. said on Friday that he feels random drug testing on reasonable suspicion is not enough. NASCAR needs "a strict consistent policy," says Earnhardt. "I would like to have drug testing every two weeks or something like that," Earnhardt said. "That would be awesome. I want to catch somebody who is fooling around. I don't want to be a jerk about it but I don't want it anywhere around me. I don't want to be involved in a race with anyone that's not playing by the rules and not making good judgment decisions." Earnhardt added that "while there have been calls for change" in the past "that don't necessarily mean it happens".

3. Kudos to Kevin — After attempts to sensationalize Ron Hornaday's use of a testosterone cream to aid what turned out to be a thyroid issue, his truck owner Kevin Harvick not only defended his driver he also stood up for Hornaday's wife Lindy, who also was mentioned in the story. Hornaday has Graves' disease and is treating his condition with Synthroid to regulate his thyroid. Hornaday and Harvick were forthcoming with media and offered legal folders nearly an inch thick with information regarding the situation. But while Hornaday is a public figure, his wife is not and should remain off-limits.

Now back to the drawing board:

1. It's Too Late Baby — NASCAR is finally polling the teams to see what can be done to improve the new car. Are they just realizing that the COT could be the biggest flop in the history of the sport? Originally the new car was envisioned with a bigger greenhouse not for safety purposes but to potentially stimulate passing. That hasn't happened. Word persists that the Nationwide COT will eventually be integrated into the Sprint Cup Series.

2. It's Their Pit Road — Ryan Newman is NASCAR's whipping boy when is comes to speeding in the pits. Are you telling me that the only driver with an engineering degree cannot calculate pit road speed? Newman's soon-to-be teammate Tony Stewart was nailed for the same infraction. Maybe Stewart Haas Racing can establish a "Speeders Anonymous" chapter at the shop next year or maybe NASCAR can start displaying the actual speeds down pit road.

3. ND or EIRI — I had to laugh when reading Sunday's penalty report. The No. 70 Chevrolet was hit with an "MCI" — must come into the pits — after Johnny Sauter made a complete lap with the jack underneath his car. Well, no kidding. After glancing to the explanations at the bottom of the page, there was "ND" — NASCAR's discretion. Now, long-time race fans are familiar with "EIRI" — except in rare instances. This is NASCAR's free pass when officials feel the need to step in or manipulate the results. However, having discovered "ND" we may no longer need "EIRI." Now, that we've had that revelation, NASCAR should have exercised "ND" on Sunday