Driving at Daytona International Speedway wouldn't rank among the most difficult things a driver experiences.
Winning the Daytona 500, may be!
No race on this year's schedule dominates a driver's mind the way this one does. Sure, the playoff races, and Miami in particular, may have more meaning for the championship, but this race is staged as the season opener, it has been anointed by the legends of the sport.
It's the only race that is preceded by three months of inactivity, and it's the race that if you win, it enshrines you into a fraternity of NASCAR significance, and every is driver aware of that.
What I remember most about my childhood was the anticipation each year of this race; what I remember most about my climb into NASCAR's top series was the realization I would compete in this race. What I regret as much as anything about my career, was coming close (third in 1997); it's a race where only being close can haunt you.
To win at Daytona, you need a near perfect day, not unlike the other 35 events to follow.
What feels markedly different about this race is that when it's over, the realization creeps in, the same feeling you had as a child the evening of Christmas Day. You would think, "It will be a year before my next Daytona 500."
That's not a feeling you necessarily experience at Atlanta, Michigan or Talladega. This race is special, it's more important, and that contributes to its difficulty.
Three keys to winning the Daytona 500
Trust your spotter: That's different from "let your spotter help you drive" because you are the one behind the steering wheel. Only you have control of your race car.
But, as the pilot, you can benefit enormously from having quality air traffic control.
The best spotters in the business know exactly when to speak, when to remain silent. They are succinct in their delivery because less can be more effective at 200 mph.
The best restrictor-plate drivers operate on instinct; they sense the right time to push, to drag the brake, or change lanes. They are often complemented by spotters who serve as their conscience, as opposed to directing.
A synchronized driver/spotter combo sounds like well-written poetry ... it's composed, relaxing and extremely effective
A clean pit road: Pit road has been the demise of many potential Daytona 500 victors. I've often referred to pit stops as a necessary evil, because you seldom can win the Great American Race on pit road, but you can surely lose it.
Entering pit road under green-flag conditions may be the greatest challenge. You're asking the mechanical components of the car to drop from 200 to roughly 65 mph in a very short distance. It's taxing on brakes and transmission, and perhaps the greatest vulnerability is locking and dragging any of the four tires. They lock under extreme braking easily because the tires are hard, hard because they are built to survive extreme loads and conditions.
If they lock, the car slides, just as your car would if it hit ice. With the slide you lose steering, and if you lift, you're at risk of speeding!
Then there's leaving pit road. First gear in your Daytona car can feel like leaving your driveway in fourth gear of a normal car. It's difficult to get rolling and brutal on the clutch.
Rehearse your moves: Spend 75 percent of the race building a database of what your car is capable of, whom you draft well with, which scenarios are you most comfortable in and which lane your car appear most stable in.
Be assertive and authoritative, but avoid appearing careless or reckless. You need a dancing partner late to enhance your chances of victory.
Drivers favor those who appear predictable and trustworthy. Convince them you are, until it pays to show them you are not.
Who wins?
Denny Hamlin: He left a strong impression on all of us driving from the rear, catching and passing Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the win in Thursday's second qualifier.
Denny has a strong horse; he also has the value of a Daytona 500 ring. It's a hidden value once he straps in the car and the window net goes up, but it's the difference between thinking you can and knowing you can late in the race when it matters most.
Dark-horse pick
Ryan Blaney: Ryan is a cool customer, not easily rattled, and he is driving a car for a team that seems to possess Daytona magic.
The No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford last won the Daytona 500 with Trevor Bayne in 2011, and the current combination feels very similar to me.
I have high hopes for Blaney, very high regard for the Wood Brothers.
A No. 21 Daytona 500 win this year might shock the sports world, but wouldn't have the same effect on the members of the garage area, or the NASCAR fraternity.
We all recognize the potential.
The bottom line
Our sport is healthier, better with Dale Earnhardt Jr. competing in it. I'm enthused by what I've seen from him in the very early stages of this new season.
There is an energy about him that's obvious and a determination that may have been absent at times over the past decade.
I always have and I will continue to quietly pull for him not because of who he is but because of what he is.
The more you get to know the man the more you appreciate the depth of his gratitude, and the appreciation or concern he directs toward other human beings.
In layman's terms, he's just a good guy. He is perennially the most popular driver because people relate to him; he's authentic and transparent.
With all that said I have a sensitivity toward any driver who has had concussions. The road to recovery can be very long and not clearly marked.
In the past week I've watched Dale's confidence grow as he practiced and then performed very well in Thursday's qualifying race.
But there are still hurdles to clear -- from a realistic standpoint completing the entire Daytona 500 would be the first important objective, because three and a half hours in a race car with G loads, the vibrations and the frequencies associated with being in a competitive environment, will deliver the next significant test.
Those conditions and the effect they have on your body simply cannot be replicated.
It's been a long way back, and I'm certain he can't wait for the start of the Daytona 500. I'm with him but I have to admit I'm also eager for the finish. He doesn't need to win for me to be encouraged; he just needs to finish.