Director of public relations Keith Green said there was the matter of simply making sure everything — everything — was in order before the club officially welcomed outsiders.

“There are things you have to make sure of when you do a project of that magnitude,” Green said. “Lots of I’s dotted and T’s crossed: making sure the paperwork is done for all the furniture we have, making sure all the TVs work, those kinds of things. You know the saying — you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.”

Early next week, track staff will participate in a teleconference with representatives from NASCAR and Fox, which will broadcast the race. Again, more details need to be worked out: where Fox wants to put its cameras; the timing leading up to the green flag; where victory lane will be in case the race is shortened by rain.

“Not a lot of things you’d think of unless you were a race promoter,” Green said.

They’re also expecting delivery of the race trophies sometime this week or, more likely, early next week. Cup trophies are often very distinct, and might not look anything like your standard trophy. Texas’ trophy looked like a pair of boots, while Phoenix gave away a Fender Stratocaster, which Jeff Gordon tried to play in victory lane. (At the right of the photo, there appears to be a more standard-looking trophy, too.)

Green said their trophy will feature a pillow with a crown, fitting since the race is sponsored by Crown Royal. Representatives from that company were involved in the trophy design, too. The process of ordering a trophy actually began months ago.

“It’s not something you can slap together in a couple of weeks,” Green said.

• BACK FRIDAY: I’ll be off tomorrow to squeeze in a day off for Saturday’s NFL draft. See you then…

(Photo by Ken Sklute/Associated Press)