NASCAR Q&A: Oh no, a return of 'tandem racing' at Daytona? Wait, there's a sketchy twist

Did we just get an early warning to buckle up at Daytona?

Not officially, but if you turn your ear to the wind, you might hear Larry Mac’s old call for DW to “cinch up them belts,” and here’s why.

At last week’s Next Gen test at Daytona, the drivers discovered that a strategy from 11 years ago is in play again, though with an uncomfortable twist. They learned a surefire way to separate yourself from the chasers: Bring along a friend.

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That’s right, “tandem drafting” has returned, but not in the manner assaulting the senses in 2011.

This time, it can happen only briefly due to heat issues under the hood, as well as a new bumper shape making things “sketchy,” according to a couple drivers who also know “sketchy” will become briefly acceptable in the closing laps.

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Should we make a bigger deal of Jacques Villeneuve entering the Daytona 500?

Let’s wait until we’re about 150 laps into the race and then decide. For now, the former F1 and Indy-car champ seems to be scratching an itch at age 51.

Two others have won both the Indy and Daytona 500s — Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt — and while Villeneuve would be an obvious longshot, keep two things in mind: 1. Longshots can win at Daytona, and 2. Villeneuve isn’t a complete stranger to pack-racin’ mayhem — in ’07 he raced twice at Talladega, in Cup and Trucks.