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Tech Talk: Shane Wilson Sets Up Short Track Racing From All Sides

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_Shane Wilson has been crew chiefing in the NASCAR national touring series for the last 12 years. He’s prepared cars in all three divisions and has 24 victories to his credit during that span, working with such well-known names as Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer. This season, he has been reunited with Brendan Gaughan, whom he started his national crew chief career with in 2001, and is back in the Truck Series. Frontstretch caught up with Wilson and spoke to him about the time off, preparing for Martinsville and keeping cool on NASCAR’s shortest track._

NASCAR Mailbox: Tempers, Anyone?

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I really felt bad for Denny Hamlin after his injury at Fontana. I mean, the pain had to be agonizing and it will keep him out of the car for a while. How horrible is that!

And then … Kevin Ware. Goodness, that was horrendous. My breath hitched and my stomach lurched when I finally willed myself to watch the replay, wanting to know myself what had everyone buzzing about some sort of injury. Gone was Hamlin’s still brutal injury from Fontana, and in its place was an image I’ll likely never be able to erase of a college athlete I had never heard of. Godspeed, Kevin Ware.

And you too, Denny.

Side By Side: Why Race Fans Should Branch Out

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*This Week’s Question: Why should NASCAR fans check out IndyCar racing … and why should IndyCar fans give NASCAR a chance?*

Matt Stallknecht, Senior Writer: NASCAR Fans, Get Your IndyCar On!

Let me just be clear here: I love both NASCAR and IndyCar. I grew up watching NASCAR and found IndyCar later in life, but I feel I would be remiss if I did not point out that each discipline of racing has its own unique appeals and drawbacks. One is not “better” than the other. They are simply different.

Beyond the Cockpit: Johnny Sauter On A New Year, Down Time And Dirt Track Racing

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_After a six-week vacation, the Camping World Truck Series is back in action this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. With a victory to open the season, Johnny Sauter sits as the current points leader, and he’s got his best start to the year since he started racing full-time in the series in 2009. This week, Sauter sat down with Frontstretch.com’s Beth Lunkenheimer to talk about getting the Daytona monkey off of his back, dirt track racing and so much more._

Beth Lunkenheimer, Frontstretch.com: *To get us started, I’ve heard that the number change from the No. 13 to the No. 98 this year had to do with Mike Curb’s association with it, but is that the only reason?*

Frontstretch Off Week Power Rankings: Top 15 Up-And-Coming Drivers Of 2013

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_Editor’s Note: Your regular, national power rankings with writers across the country will return next week. This time, in honor of the off week Michael Mehedin did a little something special on his own._

With the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series receiving a majority of the focus, many people forget the impressive full-time driver lineups in the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. At times, these they do not receive the credit they deserve. And don’t forget, these two series hold the key to the future of Sunday cup series racing. With the low number of drivers available, it is important for team owners to properly develop their current drivers and ensure they are making transitions at the right time.

Open Wheel Wednesday: Reasons To Be Optimistic About 2013

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Now that we are officially underway on the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season, there are several early indicators that there is a lot to look forward to this year. A number of things went very well in St. Petersburg, and if they continue the same way, they would be good for the IndyCar Series in the long run.

As noted in “Pace Laps”:https://frontstretch.com/tbowles/42693/ on Monday, ratings were up for the season opener on NBC Sports Network. Part of it could be momentum from last season, but whatever the reason it’s great that there were more eyes than usual on the broadcast. NBC Sports Network is setting a great standard for not just IndyCar broadcasts, but for anyone doing motorsports television. The broadcast crew is knowledgeable and interesting and they know how to keep viewers interested, giving a good mix of facts and statistics and color commentary.

Did You Notice? … Five Teams Looking To Save Their Season Five Races In

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*Did You Notice?…* For every team in contention for this year’s Chase, there’s another dangerously close to early elimination? You’d think, five races in, that wouldn’t be the case, considering debates surrounding whether Denny Hamlin can miss that period of time and still charge back into the playoffs.

But, by and large, as has been widely reported in recent years, strong starts in the point standings, even this early, typically hold up come September. Here’s a quick look at how many drivers eligible for the Chase, five races in went on to earn a bid once the regular season was complete…