Thursday, January 12th 'What If' Question

Testing for the 54th annual Daytona 500 started on Thursday afternoon and there was one question on everyone's mind: did NASCAR find a way to stop the two-car tango.

Over the last few years it has become the only way to race at Daytona and Talladega. Two cars hooked together nose to tail, only separating when they need to swap positions. Instead of one giant pack of 43 cars there has been a pack of two car tandems scattered around the speedway. It was at Talladega in 2009 that the two car tango got its first big exposure.

Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards came from behind to over take the tandem of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Newman before Keselowski and Edwards shared a dramatic and scary finish. Since then pack racing has diminished. Plate racing has never been the same and in order to win at Daytona or Talladega you need to have a partner that is going to stick with you all day. That's how Jimmie Johnson won at Talladega last spring because teammate Earnhardt Jr. pushed him past the duo of Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick and fellow teammates Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin.

And while the racing hasn't exactly been the fans and even drivers liking, the finishes have been nothing but fantastic. When Johnson edged Bowyer last April it was the closest finish in NASCAR history, 0.002 seconds. Before that Tony Stewart edged Boywer at Daytona in the Nationwide Series season opening event. Photo finishes have become the norm and expected at the plate tracks.

Except heading into the 2012 season NASCAR has decided they want to end the two-car drafting, much to the fans, at least the ones who hate it, delight. They have made changes to the cars like reducing the size of the restrictor plate, closing part of the radiator vent and a four pound reduction in the radiator pressure-relief valve. Those are the recent changes, coming after what the teams had already unloaded with and NASCAR says more could be on the way.

There's also been the ban on drivers talking on other drivers radio channels. Unlike last year there won't be any drivers with radio dials in their cars with about 27 other drivers on the line. It's all in an effort to end the two-car drafting and get back to the big pack racing and NASCAR is trying to use the importance of testing to get the racing back to where most want it to be.

But ...

What if tomorrow's test finds #NASCAR's changes didn't end two car drafting, will you be less enthused about the plate races this year?

@dalejrfanforevr Nah not a problem

@WickedJ8 only things that will end this tandem draft is #1 time - the track needs 2 lose grip & #2 Goodyear - tires that wear out

@rcracer20 take off the plates,power steering,lower spoiler one more inch,let them boyz have at it

@cruetten maybe by the mid-season races I will be; but right now, I just want to see some cars on the track--I don't care how!

@ML_B_lo very less enthused. Two car tango is more boring than watching the Steelers this season #yawn #bringbackthepack

@JoJo_6040 Yes. But not for Daytona 500, I can't wait for the new season to begin!

@MattEmbury I'll be thrilled if the two car draft survives, only way old style works...if the slingshot is possible. #NASCAR