NASCAR fans, can you hear your phones now?

   If you have paid a visit to Daytona International Speedway during Speedweeks, you may have noticed a better cell phone signal – even if you are not a Sprint customer.

    It won’t be the last time.

    When Sprint signed its contract extension with NASCAR to sponsor its Sprint Cup Series, it allowed – for the first time – other cell carriers to boost their respective signals at race tracks as long as they did not engage in any marketing.

    Many fans have long incorrectly believed Sprint’s sponsorship allows the carrier’s signal to block those of other cell carriers. Instead, its sponsorship simply allowed it to be the only carrier to boost its signal at the track.

    That has now changed.

   "Sprint understands our desire to enhance the at-track connectivity for all our fans," said NASCAR Chief Marketing Officer Steve Phelps.  

   “Enhancing the event experience is a key plank in our Industry Action Plan, and they were immediately supportive of making a change moving forward when we discussed it with them more than a year ago. Sprint subsequently has provided great input and assistance in the roll out of improved connectivity at tracks this season.”
    The contract extension – and the change – was to go into effect in the 2014 season but NASCAR and Sprint worked out an arrangement to make the change effective this season.
  
   All NASCAR tracks will now be able to offer Wi-Fi to all fans in attendance and can offer other cell carriers the option to provide the necessary equipment to boost their signal on property.

    Sprint service customers will continue to enjoy several premium benefits – many for free – unavailable to other customers of other carriers.

Why Tony Stewart is sitting out Saturday's Daytona 500 practices

   So, why won't you see Tony Stewart participate in Saturday's Sprint Cup Series practice sessions? Simply put, Stewart doesn't know how he can make his No. 14 Chevrolet any better in preparation for Sunday's Daytona 500.

    Let him explain:

    "It always makes you nervous because you always want to win the biggest race of the year. But when I say nervous, it’s not like you lose sleep over it. But I guess today when I say I’m calm about it, it’s like I’m really happy with my car. I got out and I looked at (crew chief) Steve Addington and he’s like I’m content if you are and I’m like I honestly don’t know what else to ask for with the car. So, it’s nice from a driver’s side to be able to say I don’t know what else to ask you for. I don’t know what else I need. So, it’s a good scenario," Stewart said.

    "When there’s not a scratch on it, it’s ready to race. Those guys are going to have the whole day tomorrow to just get everything ready and go over everything with a fine-tooth comb and make sure everything is absolutely perfect and ready for Sunday. That’s a position I don’t know that we’ve ever been in. I think we’ve always run final practice and if nothing else, at least run 15 or 20 laps in final practice. To have this year and know that we’re finished and ready to go, it’s nice for those guys to have that opportunity and time to get ready for the race and we’re not going to be doubled-up tomorrow, so we’ll have a pretty relaxing day tomorrow to get ready for Sunday.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 Chevrolet comes to life for the Daytona 500

   Go behind the scenes as members of the Nos. 48 and 88 shop paint and decal Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS for Sunday's Daytona 500 in this time-lapse video created by Hendrick Motorsports.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflects on his Speedweeks so far

   Dale Earnhardt Jr. hasn't found Victory Lane yet during Speedweeks and already suffered one blown engine, but he continues to have a positive outlook heading into Sunday's Daytona 500.

 

   Earnhardt talked about his Speedweeks so far following his ninth-place finish in Thursday's first Gatorade Duel.

 

   Q: What did you learn out there?

   "We've got to work on our handling. Our car was really really tight. At the first, we were on the splitter pretty bad; we worked on it yesterday and went a little too far. Got a little too aggressive with that. But put a packer in on that pit stop, and it was still real tight. I was having to lift in the center of three and four, just to get off the corner. I had to lift real big getting into one on the first lap where Juan (Pablo Montoya) got into the fence behind us. We hadn't been around any packs. I didn't anticipate really the balance being a big deal because the car does have a good downforce package; we thought the balance would be pretty close. Figured we would be fighting loose a little big. We have to work on it. We will; we'll fix it."

 

   Q: Anything you learn going to help you for the 500?

   "We've got a good car. I was able to do some things. I did learn a few things about when those guys get up top. I found some ways to make gains; make passes one car at a time. If you get greedy and try to get a couple, you end up getting trained to the back. Learned a lot of things out there. Just how this car is working with this package that will help us on Sunday."

 

   Q: How indicative is that of what we'll see on Sunday?

    "I think it is exactly what you are going to see. You'll see a lot of racing. It'll be single file around the bottom some. It will be single file around the top some. Then all of a sudden everybody will start racing for no apparent reason. Then it'll go back to running single file for awhile. We don't really dictate that as driver. Not the field. The field really is at the mercy of the guys of front. If those guys up front chose to race a certain way, the filed sort of has to follow suit just to be able to maintain the draft. I think it will be a good race. It's a long race, you know. We can't run three-wide every lap as much as everybody would like to see that. I think its good racing."

 

   Q: Can you win?

   "Anybody can win, but we've got a good piece. We've got a real good car. We get that balance right, and get the thing to turning good, we'll have a great shot."

In 2014, the Duel at Daytona will debut at night

   The Budweiser Duel, the 150-mile qualifying races that determine the starting lineup for the Daytona 500, will move under the lights in 2014, Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III announced.

    The Budweiser Duel At Daytona, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20, will start under the lights and will be televised by Fox Media Group, which may mean Fox Sports One.

   “To earn a coveted starting spot in the Daytona 500, the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will have to perform under the lights and in front of a primetime audience in the Budweiser Duel,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “Moving the Budweiser Duel under the lights will add another dimension to Budweiser Speedweeks.”

   The Budweiser Duel joins The Sprint Unlimited and the NextEra Energy Resources 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race as the three nighttime races held during Budweiser Speedweeks.

Charlotte Motor Speedway implements smoke-free policy for 2013

   Charlotte Motor Speedway has implemented a smoke-free policy for all three of its track this season.

    The following information is posted on the CMS Web site:

    For the health and comfort of our guests, grandstands and concourses at Charlotte Motor Speedway, zMAX Dragway and The Dirt Track are smoke-free. This policy also applies to terrace boxes, kids’ play zones, bathhouses and restrooms.

    In conjunction with this policy, smoking lounges with flat-screen televisions and high-top tables will be conveniently located at each of our three venues. Smoking is also allowed in open-air campgrounds, parking lots, hospitality and souvenir display areas.

    It is our goal to reduce the risk of secondhand smoke exposure to our fans, while still allowing the freedom of choice with convenient smoking locations during our events.

    Enforcement -- Ushers will direct those found smoking in the grandstands to the nearest smoking lounge, and repeat offenders will be asked to leave.

   To see pictures of available smoking lounges at the tracks, click here.

Sprint Unlimited not a hit on TV

   The 2013 NASCAR season got off to a rough start last weekend, at least when it came to TV ratings.

   The Sprint Unlimited, formerly Budweiser Shootout, earned a 3.3 overnight rating on Fox Saturday night, down 18 percent from last year (4.0) and down 15 percent from 2011 (3.9). It was by far the network's lowest overnight rating ever for the event.

   The Sprint Unlimited finished well behind TNT’s NBA All-Star Saturday Night in the metered markets (4.3), though the final number may improve that somewhat.

   The race was promoted as the first featuring the 2013 model Sprint Cup series cars which feature much more manufacturer identity. It also featured several options for fans to vote their preference on how the race's format would unfold throughout the night.

   Kevin Harvick won the race.