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No Daytona Testing? No Big Deal

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By TONY FABRIZIO

afabrizio@tampatrib.com

Published: January 10, 2009

Updated: 01/10/2009 12:19 pm

The NFL wouldn't start a season without training camp. Major League Baseball wouldn't begin without spring training.

But NASCAR is going without its usual "preseason" this year, and yet it really shouldn't matter much.

NASCAR eliminated most testing on sanctioned tracks for 2009 to save teams money in a brutal economy. That means no Daytona testing, a January tradition.

Goodyear tire tests are the only tests still allowed on tracks that host Sprint Cup races, and Texas Motor Speedway had one this week, with Zephyrhills' David Reutimann, Kurt Busch, Jeff Burton and Travis Kvapil participating.

Losing Daytona testing won't hurt most teams because it's the same for everybody. Drivers don't need to get in "driving shape," and technical information about the cars can be gleaned from high-tech simulation.

That isn't to say there isn't some missing buzz. While testing rarely predicted the Daytona 500 winner, it often provided a glimpse as to who was going to be fast during Speed Weeks. For example, last year's testing correctly predicted that the Toyotas would be fast in competition.

Daytona is still hosting the "fan fest" portion of Daytona testing, bringing in several drivers for Q&A sessions Friday beginning at 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 8 p.m.

Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Tampa's Aric Almirola and defending 500 champion Ryan Newman are among those on the Friday schedule, while Jeff Gordon, three-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin are on the Saturday schedule.

Tickets are $15 and, when purchased in advance, include an autograph session limited to 100 people per driver. The speedway's ticket office can be reached at 1-800-748-7467.

HALF-PRICE 500 SEATS: Responding to a "10-15 percent drop" in demand, Daytona has cut ticket prices for next month's Daytona 500 in certain areas of the backstretch grandstands from $99 to $55.

This time last year, Daytona was sold out for the 50th edition of the 500. About 120,000 seats have been sold for the Feb. 15 race.

"It's unfortunate that we have to be in this position, but the entire entertainment industry is hurting," speedway president Robin Braig said. "We saw Disney knock down their prices about a month ago. I think it really hit home when we saw the Miami Dolphins playoff game and there were empty seats there."

Braig said the speedway also is working with some Daytona area hotels to get them to drop prices and reduce minimum-night stay requirements and will continue to provide free parking and allow food and beverages to be brought into the track.

PAR FOR GP COURSE: No surprise here, but it's worth passing on that the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg announced this week it will again stick with the same 1.8-mile, 14-turn course for the April 3-5 Indy Racing League and American Le Mans Series event.

In fact, even with the new Salvador Dali Museum under construction, most of the event footprint will stay the same. Postrace ceremonies and concerts will be held adjacent to the Mahaffey Theater complex, as they were last year.

Race organizers also said there will be no increase in ticket prices, which start at $25 for general admission.

The grand prix opens the IRL season for the first time. Even so, the league will stage preseason oval testing at Homestead-Miami Speedway in late February. Homestead has hosted the IRL opener in recent years.

Preseason road course testing will take place at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., in March.

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached (813) 259-7994.

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