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“It’s been an interesting and challenging offseason for everyone,” France said recently.

That’s putting it mildly. Because the sport depends so heavily on corporate funding as the primary support for owners, the landscape will look vastly different from a year ago when the track opens today for teams to begin preparations for the Daytona 500.

Many owners have merged, others have slashed their budgets and some have simply folded their race teams.

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GM said discussions are under way about the Daytona sponsorship but the automaker has not reached an agreement.

“We don’t comment about our business discussions,” GM spokeswoman Jan Thomas said.

The Daytona sponsorship dates to the early 1970s. GM provides fire and safety vehicles, pace cars and other vehicles for use during the race, as well as a July race at the track. GM did not disclose how much it spends on the Daytona deal or NASCAR sponsorships.

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Hamlin was 39th in the race and fell to 12th in the Chase standings.

GM is reeling from huge financial losses and the giant automaker plans to slash annual spending by $10 billion. Its support of NASCAR and other auto racing is not exempt from possible cuts.

GM’s slump added to economic problems now buffeting NASCAR stock-car racing, the IndyCar Series, the NHRA drag-racing circuit and smaller niche circuits such as sports-car racing.

The tough economic times, combined with high gas prices, also are keeping many fans from attending races.

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“I relax and take life easy,” said Speed, who maintains a home in Austria as well as Charlotte, N.C. “It’s a very small world here in NASCAR in general. There’s a feeling for what’s acceptable. You bring something in from a different direction, a different culture, and it’s crazy. Everyone gets crazy that I’m getting my toenails done.

“It comes down to being a small world here. It’s in its own small box, and I’ll never be there.

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“The (NASCAR) community polices the community,” Helton added in an interview with The Associated Press on Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway. “The positiveness of all the drivers talking and everything, I think, echoes the responsibility that exists in this sport to avoid all that and to police all that.

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“The accident was a racing incident,” Pemberton said. “How they conducted themselves after that, after the accident and coming onto pit road and from there through the rest of the evening is why the penalties were equal.”

NASCAR officials came into this season saying drivers would be given more latitude to show emotion this year, and the relatively light nature of Tuesday’s punishments would seem to support that.

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The hype surrounding Earnhardt’s move to Hendrick Motorsports is in high gear, and only figures to grow when he takes his new ride down South later this week to prepare for the season-opening Daytona 500. NASCAR’s biggest star will make his debut with NASCAR’s best team, and the pressure is on everyone to make sure it’s a resounding success.

Considered by some to be an overrated driver who inherited his late father’s fan base, Earnhardt knows he has an opportunity to prove his talent level warrants his superstar status.

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BRISTOL, Tenn. — NASCAR’s errant call against Kyle Busch was still being discussed Saturday, as drivers wondered what kind of recourse they have when they don’t agree with a call.

NASCAR said Busch crossed the commitment line for pit road — and then didn’t pit — during a caution in Friday night’s Busch Series race.

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BROOKLYN, Mich. — Kurt Busch earned his second victory in the last three NASCAR Nextel Cup races, winning the rain-delayed 3M Performance 400 on Tuesday at Michigan International Speedway.

Busch, who led four times for 92 laps, gives Penske Racing its second victory of the season.

The race, delayed two days by rain, was the first Tuesday race held by NASCAR in its modern era.

Even the start of Tuesday’s race had issues.

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