Daytona 500: Expectations for the 2011 NASCAR Season Begin To Unfold

Football season has come to an end, and now it is time for NASCAR to take the spotlight on the sports front as NASCAR Media Day gets under way at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday.

Some 300-plus people representing television, radio, Internet and print media will converge to seek interviews with more than 50 drivers from the top three series of NASCAR during the daylong event.

There are so many stories to tell about the expectations linked to the many changes with teams and drivers and how that will play out. 

The up-and-coming drivers in the NASCAR Nationwide Series will have an opportunity to showcase their talent and actually have an opportunity to grab the series title. The challenge to that theory may be Elliott Sadler stepping away from Cup racing to run the second tier in Kevin Harvick equipment.

Other story lines revolve around the ability of Denny Hamlin to have another season like he had last year, Carl Edwards' momentum from winning the last two races of the year in 2010 and whether Kasey Kahne will strut his stuff at Red Bull Racing or waste a year.

The Hendrick swap will be the focus of much attention as people wait to see if Dale Earnhardt Jr. will get back to his winning ways and if a fiery Jeff Gordon will now find Victory Lane with his new team led by crew chief Alan Gustafson.

It remains to be seen if 52-year-old Mark Martin can make the Chase this year, his final chance with Hendrick Motorsports. Jimmie Johnson and his soul mate, crew chief Chad Knaus, will continue marching toward a sixth consecutive title.

Brian Vickers claims to be in the best shape ever, but can he find wins with his Red Bull team? We have to wonder if Jamie McMurray had a fluke year in 2010, or is he the real deal with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing?

Danica Patrick will once again be the center of media attention as she tries to improve her performance in another year that will see her straddle two series, NASCAR Nationwide and IndyCar. Could it be she will decide which road to take at the end of the season?

Don't forget Travis Pastrana is in the wings waiting to steal attention from Danica. Maybe, just maybe, he can bring in some of those younger fans the sport of NASCAR is seeking.

Austin Dillon will be ready to rock the Camping World Truck Series in his No. 3 RCR truck.  It will be a battle of old school with Todd Bodine and Ron Hornaday versus the young guns in the series.

Of course, we can't forget the new points system, making calculations easier for all concerned. We must examine the importance of wins, consistency and qualifying and how that rolls along with the Chase and wild card slots to be filled.

So before this weekend's events that include the Budweiser Shootout and Daytona 500 front row qualifying, the media will purge as many stories as possible from the drivers on Media Day.

If the enthusiasm from the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway recently can carry over through Speedweeks, we shall have quite an exciting season to look forward to with all kinds of stories to tell and drama to be played out as NASCAR's warriors go into battle again.