NASCAR is facing pressure to get up to speed.

Pressure to perform is nothing new in Winston Cup racing. These days, drivers lose rides and sponsors in the blink of an eye. As quickly as Tony Stewart loses his temper. As suddenly as Jimmy Spencer loses control. As inevitably as Michael Waltrip loses races.

Who feels the most pressure entering the new season? The drivers? The owners? The pit crews? The mechanics?

Try the folks in the ivory tower. That's right--this season, the pressure is on NASCAR.

Pressure to make drivers feel safer in their cars. Pressure to make races more competitive. Pressure to appeal to new advertisers and a bigger TV audience. Talk about pressure to perform.

NASCAR will be under the microscope more this season than any other in the sport's history. The green flag will drop on its new, fat TV deal at the Daytona 500. If the race is as boring as last year's, will new viewers tune in again the next week? Will the new Dodge teams be crying for rules changes? Will all of the drivers live to tell about it?

NASCAR is monitoring five major stories this season. You'll want to watch, too.

* Safe or sorry? NASCAR prides itself on the safety of its cars, outfitted with steel cages of thick roll bars that have helped many drivers walk away from spectacular crashes. Last season--in one season--three drivers didn't walk away, and that's unacceptable.