The 2005 NASCAR season is fast approaching. Teams in all three major divisions are in Daytona as I write this testing for the annual Daytona Speedweeks. The fun starts in three weeks with the Bud Shootout on the night of Feb. 12. The competition begins in earnest the weekend of Feb. 18 as the trucks race on Friday night, the Busch race is Saturday afternoon and the Daytona 500 is Sunday afternoon.

The 2004 season was probably the most anticipated season in NASCAR history. The introduction of Nextel as the new title sponsor combined with the introduction of the Chase for the Cup, the new system for awarding the championship, made the 2004 season one to remember.