2007 NEXTEL CUP

The first sign of the 2007 Nextel Cup Season is the phone ringing. I get the same call, around the same time of every year. The other end of the line is a dear old friend, and we repeat the same dialog from the year before. There is sign of life in Daytona.

This is the week that everyone in the NASCAR Nations phones starts ringing as well. It's time to get back on track. Not only is the off-season short, it's basically non-existent. The Daytona 500 is not only the Super Bowl of the Nextel Cup season; it's the first race of the season.

In a single word, Daytona is a 'Dream.'

In three words, Daytona is a 'lot of work.'

Why is the biggest race of the year, the first race of the year? The short answer is history, but the truth is in the logistics.

Since 1959, 'The Great American Race,' has been held as the biggest event in Stock Car racing. It holds the largest prize purse, along with the highest prestige. To win the Daytona 500, is to have your name go down in history. Just to make the race is a cornerstone in any driver's career. To succeed brings longevity. To fail, still brings fame.

But like every dream, it takes a ton of work just to get there. The preparations for the Daytona 500 can sometimes be measured by a lifetime. Most of the small details take almost 3 months to work out. In simple terms, that means there is no off-season. The best have no time to rest.

Most drivers do sneak in a vacation, but every top team in NASCAR keeps the garage lights on year round. Once the season starts, there is no room for error in making week-to-week adjustments. You have to prepare for every track on the schedule. You need to work out the logistics of ever-single race.

Besides tradition, and making it the most unique season of all professional sports, The Daytona 500 doesn't fit anywhere else on the schedule. The biggest race of the year, takes the most time to prepare for. 3 months, or a lifetime at least.

So it's that time of the year again. The team haulers have pulled up to Daytona for testing. The cars will be unloaded, and the drivers will be strapped in. A bit too early to make predictions of the green flag of the 2007 season, but it's already getting too late to be behind in testing. Whichever way you look at it: the 2007 NASCAR season, and the phones have come to life.