NASCAR is back!

There's nothing like the excitement of a race, especially NASCAR, and today is the first Sprint Cup race of the 2010 season. It's the Daytona 500, the "Super Bowl" event of the year. Yes, I know, the biggest event for all the other major seasonal sports--football, baseball, hockey, basketball--is at the end of the year, but not NASCAR. Every track has its own uniqueness, but Daytona is just plain big.

I had the privilege to shoot from the hot pits during opening weekend in 2002. What a thrill to drive past all the spectator parking and be waived by security into the tunnel, under the stands and up into the infield to media parking. I looked around and it was like a moonscape. I was surrounded by the legendary 2.5 mile Daytona International Speedway.

What a rush. It was an experience that I will never forget. Now, I watch from the stands when I can and from the living room when I can't. The track doesn't matter. It's the thrill of the race that counts along with the race for the chase and finally the championship. Will Jimmie Johnson take the championship for a record fifth season in a row or will it be Junior's turn, or perhaps Tony Stewart? Obviously we have our favorites, how about you?