At Daytona, new cars provide plenty of thrills on the track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.

For one night, the car that NASCAR Sprint Cup fans, crews and many drivers hate proved its worth with exciting and safe racing.

But in a couple of weeks, many of the car's problems will return and fans will seethe. So, enjoy the show for now.

These cars, in their second full season, are temperamental, but strong. That's a good combination at Daytona International Speedway, where fans can see the top restrictor-plate drivers.

The winning car in Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout finished with a split front fender. It was that physical in the non-points race that featured a record 14 leaders, 23 lead changes and eight cautions.

Kevin Harvick's charge rocketed him from fifth to first on the last lap. He took the lead seconds before a four-car crash ended the event. That Harvick, who led only the final lap, made it to the finish is a testament to the car's body.

"I don't think the old car would have stood up," Harvick said of the pounding and grinding throughout the race. "We hit the wall pretty good there in the beginning of the race.

"This car... it's tough. If you can keep all the tires going in the same direction, the nose on it, you still got a chance."

Donut marks decorated the sides and fenders were dented and dinged when the cars returned to the garage after the race.

This beating and banging at Daytona has grown more prevalent in recent years.

"I watched the race... and whether the drivers were nervous or the cars were nervous, it makes me nervous," Bill Elliott said of the Shootout.

Aerodynamics was the focus in the older cars. While that remains important, a driver factors more into a team's success, especially at Daytona.

"These cars are harder to drive, harder to handle and way more precise," Bobby Labonte said. "Throw in all the competition on top of that. It definitely makes it where you have to be on it pretty much all the time."

Look at the finishing order of the Shootout. Harvick is a former Daytona 500 champion. Runner-up Jamie McMurray won the 2007 July race. Third-place finisher Tony Stewart has 12 wins at this track, and fourth-place finisher Jeff Gordon is a three-time Daytona 500 winner and has 13 wins here.

Jimmie Johnson, a former Daytona 500 winner, and Denny Hamlin, who has two career wins at this track, also were running toward the front late in the race.

Watching all this was Mark Martin, who was ineligible to compete in the Shootout after qualifications were changed.

"I almost felt like I was the only one not in it," said Martin, who earned a spot in the Daytona 500 by qualifying second Sunday. "It was really brutal for me to be here and watch and not be a part of it."

That makes him anxious for Thursday's qualifying race when he'll get to drive in a pack. For a while Sunday, it looked as if he would win the pole before Martin Truex Jr. topped him.

"The pole would be an exercise of engineering and a great feat by the team, but (car owner Rick Hendrick) is expecting me to do something with my own hands."

That's what this car allows. A driver to maneuver in, around and through traffic.