NASCAR Sprint Cup: Phoenix Raceway's New Makeover for Subway Fresh Fit 500

Soon after Jeff Gordon won the 2011 Subway Fresh Fit 500, breaking a winless streak close to 70 races, construction crews tore into Phoenix International Raceway to give it a makeover.

The changes therein were not, relatively speaking, drastic. Phoenix remains a relatively flat D-shaped oval that still runs one mile per lap.

The front stretch is 10 feet wider. This will give drivers a better chance to pass if they can maneuver a correct line or angle off Turn 4 and gain speed on competitors through the curve. Though there will be more room for error than in years past, 10 extra feet only buys a driver a slighter margin of error at 100 to 140 miles per hour.

Indeed, it may lead to some more violent collisions in the future as drivers try to test the new dimensions with higher and higher speeds. Until some unlucky soul messes up, their feet are likely to get heavier and heavier on the pedal.

The most—if it can even be considered that—drastic change made to the track was at Turn 2. As technical diagrams point out, the "apex of the curve in the dog-leg shifted southwest by about 200 feet."

In layman's terms, that means that essentially the drivers don't have to turn left at Turn 2 quite as soon as in years past, though the turn ends up being a little sharper. Supposedly, it is meant to encourage drivers to go two-wide. In the long term, this could result in more exciting racing, but could also cause more violent wreckage.

It certainly gave Nationwide drivers problems last year. However, once the Kobalt Tools 500 got underway, it seemed as though the track had never been touched.

It is just one factor to consider. When the track debuted its new configuration in the fall of last year, most drivers were already out of contention. Almost all were looking to avoid eventual champion Tony Stewart and runner-up Carl Edwards, as they both cruised to top-five finishes.

The first episode of 2012 in Phoenix is a different case. There are many more hungry dogs on the track that have been given a free pass to be more aggressive. We'll see what happens, but drivers should be wary of aggressive driving in Turn 2. It could end an afternoon rather quick.