by Darrell Waltrip

Around the track

Follow the action:

• Michigan schedule
• Michigan practices

Watch:

• Video Central

Picture perfect:

• Action at Watkins Glen

Read all about it:

• Dale Jr: Changes needed in NASCAR
• Vickers edges Martin for Cup pole

Analysis:

• White: Chasers feel the heat
• Spencer: Drivers to watch at Michigan

We've had no testing. So the teams haven't had to thrash like they normally would from about Christmas all the way through January with building Daytona cars, testing them there, bringing them back and cutting them up and starting over. So I think the teams will be fresher this year than ever before. I think they will be excited and anxious to roll into town and get the cars on the track to see what they've got.

Personally, I don't think not testing is going to hurt a thing. Let's face it, they haven't changed anything on the car. The teams have a full year of notes now on this new car and remember this: We are in Daytona for a long time. They will have ample time to practice and massage on the car. They get a lot of time on the track once we get there.

I think it adds an element of excitement to this year's Speedweeks from the folks in the garage to the folks in the grandstand and to the folks watching at home. The "surprise" factor is there this year like never before.

If you remember, back when Tony Stewart announced he was leaving Joe Gibbs Racing to become a car owner, I said that we all should get behind Tony and support him. Guys like him, my brother, Kevin Harvick who owns his own Nationwide and Truck teams, guys like that who are willing to risk their own money and put their heart, energy and soul into our sport — they do it for the love of the game. That's the backbone of our sport. That's the way this sport was created.

Guys like the Pettys, Cale Yarborough, the Wood Brothers, myself, Bobby Allison, Alan Kulwicki, Ricky Rudd, etc. — we owned our own teams because we loved the sport. That's what has made this sport what it is today. We didn't look at it like how much of the sponsor money could we stick in the bank and keep for ourselves. We poured every red cent back into our race team.

We just wanted to compete. We wanted to be the best of the best. We wanted to beat anyone and everyone. That's the passion we have for our sport. If you come in this sport and try to figure out how much money you can take out of it and put in your pocket, well let me tell you, you are in the wrong sport. You need to head on over to the stick and ball sports. Those sports are run totally different.

When you are in NASCAR as an owner, buddy, it's all in. You are giving it everything you got. Face it, you are putting everything you own at stake. You can ask Ray Evernham, my brother and me about that if you don't believe me. We've all gambled. Just because you are an owner in NASCAR doesn't give you one guarantee you will be successful. Some win and some fail.

But folks, trust me. If you aren't in NASCAR for the love of the game, if you aren't in it because you care about the sport, if you aren't in it because you want to compete and beat the other guy, then I will say it again — you simply are in the wrong sport.

So again I go back and say that I am excited to get to Daytona. I really think this could be a very compelling year. There's a lot to watch and try to keep up with. I know it's tough and a lot of folks in our sport have lost their jobs.

But look at Tommy Baldwin. He is a perfect example of taking a bad situation and maybe turning it into something good. Tommy is a smart guy and a great crew chief. There are good people out there looking for work. He's building a team and going to Daytona to compete.

Look at Johnny Benson in the late '90's. He almost won the Daytona 500 — yes, our Super Bowl — in a white, unsponsored race car. That team was trying to win the big prize on the track and it didn't matter that they didn't have $20 million sponsor supporting them. Folks, that's what it should always be about — winning the big prize on the track.

Oh by the way

I am pretty happy that Elliott Sadler was able to get his deal resolved and get back in the No. 19 car. That whole situation seemed pretty bizarre to me and never made sense. I just think that again, it's one of those outside owners that aren't racers that are used to things being done a different way in other sports. So Elliott's back and now they have the ol' 43 over there with Reed Sorenson behind the wheel, so that should be kind of interesting to see how that all plays out.