It's almost hard to believe another season is getting ready to start. The week Daytona International Speedway opens for the Daytona 500 is kind of like a sunny morning after a hard rainstorm the night before. Everything seems new and shiny. Everybody is on equal terms.
Nobody is ahead, nobody is behind.
The day before Daytona opens, there is an 80-team tie for first place in the standings. Then, everything starts to change. After the starting lineup is decided, there is a 43-team tie for first. And after the Daytona 500, it's a close race but, at the most, two teams are tied for first. Once the 500 is over, it's not new anymore.