Daytona 500 pushed back a week in 2012

The 2012 Daytona 500 will be held a week later than normal, eliminating the early off date and shortening the Sprint Cup season. The "Great American Race'' will be held next year on February 26. "We have a very short offseason,'' said Steve O'Donnell, a senior vice president with NASCAR. "This gives us a little more time shortening up the season.'' Beyond moving the date to shorten the season, O'Donnell said NASCAR wanted to get ahead of any potential moves to an 18-game schedule by the NFL that could push the Super Bowl later than normal. There are no plans to condense the length of Speedweeks, although the date of the Budweiser Shootout has not been officially set at the weekend before the 500. ESPN.com

[Editor's Note: Huge mistake. A large majority of fans make the trek to Daytona each year because it falls on the long holiday weekend (President's Weekend). Moving the date a week later should make a significant dent in attendance.]