Gear jammin': Daytona

Top 4 stories from the Pepsi 400 weekend:

1st gear -- Sprint the new title sponsor: When NASCAR made the big move to rename the Cup series and sell its television rights years ago, the buzzword was all about continuity. They wanted fans to be able to recognize the brand easily, and they wanted fans to be able to find the racing on the tube. It's more difficult than ever to locate NASCAR on television, and now it's becoming nearly as difficult to keep up with the name changes. Starting Jan. 1, it'll be the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Like when Nextel was unveiled, it will take some getting used to the change. Expect to be blitzed with marketing programs over the winter, ones aimed at getting you used to the change.

2nd gear -- Handling the track: For most of the Pepsi 400, the race looked like one at any of the D-shaped quad-ovals the Cup Series competes at week in and week out. Cars were strung out, and passing was difficult deep in the field as drivers complained about handling issues. The summer Daytona race has always been about getting the cars to turn, though it seemed to be even more so this time around. A late-race restart changed all of it, however, and made it look like just another wild restrictor-plate race.

3rd gear -- McMurray takes trip to VL: There's been a string of different winners over the last 6 weeks or so, with Jamie McMurray joining the likes of Casey Mears and Martin Truex Jr. as drivers positioning themselves to make the next step. The best thing about McMurray's win was that he both overcame an early penalty for passing under the yellow out-of-bounds line and he capitalized in being in position to win on the last lap. It appeared to be a big step forward in the driver's on-track maturation proccess.

4th gear -- Battling bunkmates: Whats the No. 1 rule for teammates? Race each other hard, but don't wreck one another. Uh, hello, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart, who not only crashed but did so very, very early in the Pepsi 400. Stewart, per usual, was pointed in his criticism of Hamlin -- teammate or not. Meanwhile, Roush Fenway Racing mates McMurray and Carl Edwards worked together to get McMurray the victory. It's still a team sport, especially in the restrictor-plate game.