Off-season bench racing just about over

By DAVID GREEN

Long off-season? Well, long enough for lots of developments and time to think about their ramifications.

Developments such as...

• Confirmation of plans for Toyota to enter Cup and Busch Series racing in 2007.

Long expected, the reality of it at last is sobering. I admit it -- I have mixed emotions. I know, that leaves me vulnerable to suggestions that I'm xenophobic or intellectually deficient. (I don't think the first accusation is true, although the second one very likely may be.)

Whether you think it's a good thing or a bad thing, you almost have to concede that the arrival of a half-dozen or so Camrys in the garage area next February is going to constitute a watershed moment.

I've always had an appreciation of nearly everything automotive and my racing interests have been varied, but I'm partial to traditional American automobiles and my choices of vehicles have been influenced by the machines that compete in American stock car racing more than by any other motorsports-related factor.

I don't plan on booing any Toyota entrant. I make no promises about whether I'll be rooting for the Fords, Dodges and Chevrolets to beat them.

There it is, whatever y'all may make of it.

• The "Car of Tomorrow" and its phase-in schedule.

Count me among those who have been in favor of a new-generation racecar for NASCAR for some time now, on both safety and competition grounds. I just wish we'd done this sooner.

More than a dozen years ago, I discussed the consequences of shrinking greenhouses with a number of safety gurus of the sport. Many of those guys saw problems with impact absorption and space for driver protection. The ability of the driver to get in and out of the cockpit, even if he or she is not injured, has been severely impaired by the way that car construction has evolved.

And if the new car does nothing but get rid of the dreaded "aero push" complaint, it will be worth every bit of effort and cost that it may entail.

• The dangers of extracurricular racing.

Reigning Nextel Cup champ Tony Stewart got banged up pretty badly in the tumble he took in the Chili Bowl Nationals midget race in Tulsa, Okla., in January. Guess it would be easy enough for a car owner to just say "no" to a driver's urges to go moonlighting.

On the other hand, it's becoming commonplace for drivers to run full Cup and Busch schedules. Ask Steve Park how safe those Saturday races can be.

Enough of that for now. Stock car Speedweeks are just days away, and there will be some actual racing to discuss.