Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

With the evolution of drafting changing with every lap since Speedweeks began, Sunday’s 53rd Daytona 500 promises to be a memorable event.

Here are 10 things to watch once the green flag waves on NASCAR’s season opener.

1. Who is going to work with whom?

Tandem drafting makes for strange bedfellows. When hooking up with another driver, trust and car compatibility take precedence over teammates and manufacturers.

While Richard Childress Racing teammates Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer worked symbiotically from the first corner to the checkered flag of the second Gatorade Duel, Penske Dodge driver Kurt Busch was pushed to victory in the Bud Shootout by the Chevy of Earnhardt Ganassi’s Jamie McMurray, and Busch won the first Duel with Regan Smith pushing from behind in his Furniture Row Chevy.

Ford driver Matt Kenseth worked exceptionally well with Chevy’s Kevin Harvick, and four-time Cup champion/three-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon adopted NASCAR’s latest wonder boy Trevor Bayne as a dancing partner.

No matter what happens throughout the race, in the end the winner should be determined by the driver with the best pusher.

2. How fast will they go?

NASCAR made multiple changes over the last week to the size of the restrictor plate, grille opening and pressure relief valve. But speeds still escalated to over 200 mph in Happy Hour on Saturday when the tandem of Burton and Bowyer posted a fast lap of 200.316 mph.

The high speed of 206.068 mph in Speedweeks came in the Bud Shootout — during a 50-degree night. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-50s again on Sunday, but it’s unlikely we’ll see speeds reach the 200 mark again.

3. Are engine malfunctions inevitable?

NASCAR’s final rule change (we believe) on Saturday afternoon to open the grille from 50 to 60 square inches was done to increase airflow and keep the engines cool.

Roush Yates Engines owner/builder Doug Yates says the longevity of the engines will be “in the drivers’ hands.”

“They’ve got to watch their gauges closer than ever,” Yates said. “It’s up to the driver to get some air to the nose.”

Yates said the Ford engines were pulling 9,100 to 9,200 rpm in the Bud Shootout, which was not “a sustainable pace” for engines over 500 miles and “a huge concern” for the company. Does he anticipate engine issues on Sunday?

“We’ve seen some and we probably will,” Yates said, “especially if the drivers let the temperatures get out of control or if the cooling systems exceed their capacity and then have to come back down and operate the rest of the day, which is really tricky and something we have to be on top of.”

For the rest of the list/WRITTEN BY & FULL STORY HERE