Could change be a season-spoiler?

To the drivers and teams in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup division, the 10-month season is easier viewed as a series of shorter seasons.

Daytona in February is a season unto itself. Then there’s the early schedule when the offseason work focused on 1- and 2-mile tracks can be put to the test. Beyond that, there is the 26-race run to qualify for the Chase for the Championship.

The announcement earlier this season that the wing on the back of the Sprint Cup cars will be replaced by a spoiler introduced another subplot.

NASCAR has not set a date for the switch but it could come by the end of March, meaning the cars that run this week in Las Vegas will be different from the cars that run the bulk of the season.

"I believe when the spoiler comes, it’s going to be a whole new ballgame," Jeff Burton said. "I just think that’s a major change and a major difference and some people are going to adapt to that quicker than others.

"My view of this is that there is a wing season and there’s a spoiler season. I think you have to capitalize on the wing season, but the future is in the spoiler.

"What we have for (Fontana) is what we have for Vegas and what we have for Atlanta, but I’m sure the spoiler will be here by Texas (in April). So all of our work right now is getting ready for that and how we get ready for that will determine what the rest of our year will be like."

NASCAR mandated rear wings when it moved to the new car model in 2007 as part of an overall redesign.

After lengthy study and input from drivers and teams, the decision was made earlier this year to go back to spoilers on the rear deck.

Though specifications are still being finalized, the move back to spoilers is expected to increase downforce on the car and enhance passing ability on the track.

Several drivers tested spoiler packages at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year, and another test is scheduled at Charlotte Motor Speedway next month.

After that test, NASCAR is expected to announce when the new package will take effect.

"The spoiler might mix things up," Greg Biffle said. "I think we’re all anticipating that, but the cream always rises to the top. The guys that have done their homework over the winter … when they bolt that spoiler on, they’re gonna continue to run good."

Some teams’ progress this season won’t be measurable until later this spring.

Daytona is viewed almost separately from the rest of the season, and the impending spoiler change could give this season a different feel, at least through its first quarter.

"I really think these first four or five races or whenever we take the wing off, are not really a fair judgment," Kevin Harvick said. "You’re looking at 10 races before you really know where you stand."

For others, the speculation about the spoiler impact seems overblown.

"I think the strong teams are strong teams," Jeff Gordon said. "They could change the car every week and I still think the strong teams are going to shine."