Fewer answers than questions with Daytona 500 near

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Testing at Daytona International Speedway answered several questions surrounding NASCAR, but it raised a few more.

Fans were encouraged by teams’ ability to run competitive speeds in a larger pack during the three-day test, rather than rely only upon the two-car drafting tandems which dominated restrictor-plate racing last season.

There still remains more than a month before teams return for the kickoff of the 2012 season, leading to the Daytona 500 on Feb.26.

What we know

Don’t look for a lot of NASCAR edicts

If NASCAR truly wanted to eliminate the two-car drafting tandems it could pronounce a new rule to that affect.

During testing, however, it became clear NASCAR wants to get out of the business of banning things – and taking over the enforcement duty. Instead, the sanctioning body will tinker with competition guidelines to encourage competitors down a different path.

Hamlin might have been burned out

Denny Hamlin – who came within a whisker of winning the 2010 Sprint Cup title – struggled through 2011. A much more upbeat Hamlin showed up at testing, perhaps in part because of an offseason away from the Charlotte area.

“Ever since I was 8 years old I’ve been consumed with racing. That’s 23 years – I needed a break,” said Hamlin, who has been playing lots of golf in Scottsdale, Ariz. “I needed to get away from racing as a whole after last year and get rejuvenated and I feel like moving away for a few months does that for me.”

There is no magic 200-mph limit

For a long time, it seemed any time cars at Daytona Beach, Fla., or Talladega, Ala., got around a lap speed of 200 mph, NASCAR was quick to pass out new, horsepower-choking restrictor plates to slow them.

With one rule change, drafting tandems reached speeds of more than 206 mph. At the end of the testing, drafting speeds still were running about 201 mph. NASCAR isn’t blinking, however.

“We feel comfortable,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition. “We’ve done a lot of work in the wind tunnel and I think if you saw the little contact (in the test), cars stayed on the ground pretty good.”

Fan interaction is soaring

More and more NASCAR drivers are starting or expanding their presence on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook and finding new ways to engage their fans. During testing, drivers not only answered fan questions in person and online but posted pictures and even video taken from their cars.

No team can top Gibbs’ change

Forgive those at Joe Gibbs Racing if they need some extra time to learn each other’s names. All three Cup drivers – Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Hamlin – have new spotters this season and Logano and Hamlin have new crew chiefs. Not to mention, JGR no longer will build its engines in-house.

Still in question

Daytona’s racing

It’s hard to tell. While NASCAR was able to get cars to run competitively in larger packs during testing, teams all have more than a month to work on the rules package. If their work makes two-car drafts much faster next month, all bets are off.

How many teams at Daytona?

There were about 32 full-time teams at the Daytona test, with three others that chose not to participate. That’s about 35 full-time teams in a sport with 43 spots in every race. Does that mean eight start-and-park cars in the 500? Could there be short fields during the season when the series heads off to Las Vegas and Phoenix?

How will Danica’s debut go?

Given her effort in last season’s Nationwide Series race, if the two-car tandem still is viable and her owner Tony Stewart works with her like he did last season, Danica Patrick could do very well. If the race returns more to packs with more emphasis on speed and individual driver effort, she likely will have a much tougher time.

Can I see my favorite driver?

More than 50 drivers from the Cup, Nationwide and Truck series will appear at the inaugural NASCAR Preview 2012 Presented by Sprint, scheduled for Saturday at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Tickets are available starting at $10 for individual event admission at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

What Cup drivers need a ride?

Three drivers who ran with full-time Cup teams last season – Brian Vickers, David Reutimann and Travis Kvapil – remain without rides in the series.