LONG POND - One day might not seem like a lot, but to drivers competing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, it all adds up. With a schedule that runs from the end of February through the middle of November, every day matters.

Officials at Pocono Raceway took a step toward giving the drivers, teams and their families a chance to get some of that time back this weekend by shifting qualifying to Sunday prior to the race.Early returns were favorable."I thought this weekend was really good, just the way that the schedule was laid out for the teams," said second-place finisher Kevin Harvick. "I know how much the guys appreciate being able to stay at home. That's really what it's about, it's about quality of life for the team guys, giving them an extra day."If we can add that up 10, 15, 20 weekends, that's two or three weeks that you can keep those guys at home and let them spend some time with their families and kids and wives."Harvick wasn't the only driver to heap praise on the modified schedule, which included no Cup cars on track Friday, a day teams would typically be practicing and qualifying. Instead, an interactive Fan Fest was held Friday, with two practice sessions on Saturday prior to qualifying Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and the race at 3 p.m."I think it's definitely a big deal," said Martin Truex, Jr, who finished third on Sunday. "One day doesn't sound like a lot, but especially for our guys being all the way out in Denver, having to load cars a day earlier than the teams here on the East Coast."While most Cup programs are located in North Carolina, Truex's team, Furniture Row Racing, is based in Denver, Colorado, making adjusting to a different travel schedule jarring, though he still championed the new format."(Crew chief) Cole (Pearn) said it was a little tough getting to the track yesterday at 3:30 mountain time, a.m.," Truex said, "but I definitely think it was worth the extra day at home just to get more things done, you know, have a little bit more family time, especially on those travel days."Kyle Busch had no trouble adapting to Sunday's schedule, winning the pole before coming back and picking up his first win of the season."Yeah, I thought today was great. I didn't have any qualms about it whatsoever," Busch said. "I'm up at 8, 9 o'clock in the morning anyway. Might as well be doing something. So qualifying at 11:30 wasn't bad."Getting a bite to each for lunch, a drivers meeting, changing our clothes, going back to a traditional schedule, was not that big a deal."Unlike Harvick and Truex, Busch also raced in Saturday's Camping World Truck Series race at Pocono, which held two practice sessions on Friday. Busch, who also does several races in NASCAR's second-tier XFINITY Series, and is also a team owner in the truck series, acknowledged his commitments are different from many other drivers."If you're a driver that has a lot of hospitalities, a lot of different sponsors, things like that, it's going to be difficult to balance that on some weekends," he said. "But for me today, it was pretty easy."I wouldn't mind more days like that. Obviously, with my XFINITY and Truck efforts getting cut back more and more each year, that's going to be more Fridays at home with my son. That's going to be more fun for us drivers."But Busch also recognizes that longer days, like the one teams had to endure last Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a race that took more than six hours to complete, and a quick turnaround to the next track can put a strain on the team."You'd have to ask the crew guys what they feel about shortened schedules, because I know last week's was pretty tough with really long days, long hours in the garage area, then being back early in the mornings again," Busch noted. "Totally different lives. I'm all about the crew guys, not necessarily about the drivers.""Everybody is just gone so much, it's almost becoming harder and harder - it is becoming harder and harder to hire people because it is such a grind," added Harvick.For a sport that has seen attendance dwindle and ratings dip, finding a way to keep fans' interest has been easier said than done.NASCAR will employ a similar schedule this weekend at Watkins Glen International, a road course, with qualifying and the race on Sunday, and another Fan Fest event planned for Friday night.By all accounts, the first attempt was a success.Maybe less is more - for everyone.