NASCAR on TV this week

Did You Notice? … Silly Season Checkup And NASCAR’s Youth Problem

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*Did You Notice?…* How already, nine races in, we can make some judgments on NASCAR’s Silly Season moves? In an unusual 2012, there were only three deals in which drivers moved into different major rides: Matt Kenseth, to the No. 20 of Joe Gibbs Racing; Joey Logano, to the No. 22 of Penske Racing; and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. to the No. 17 of Roush Fenway Racing.

Let’s tackle each one at a time. Kenseth’s move to Joe Gibbs Racing was dictated, for him, by sponsorship security: Home Depot and Dollar General will provide the funding for the No. 20 to race for years to come. In contrast, he was dealing with piecemeal backing at his longtime ride, the No. 17, and had changed crew chiefs several times since Robbie Reiser was promoted at the end of 2007. The loyalty, despite a strong relationship with the last of those replacements (Jimmy Fennig) just wasn’t the same.

Side By Side: Can A Single-Car Team Find A NASCAR Winner’s Circle?

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*This Week’s Question: It’s been nearly two seasons since a single-car team was able to break into Victory Lane at NASCAR’s highest level, though a few have flirted with a win. Could we see a single-car team get back there this year?*

Amy Henderson, Managing Editor: You Could See It This Week in Talladega, As a Matter of Fact

While several of NASCAR’s smaller teams got off to a fast start in 2013, wins by those organizations are few and far between. It isn’t a lack of talent or ambition that keeps them out of Victory Lane; it’s one thing and one thing only: money, or the lack thereof.

Open Wheel Wednesday: Score One For The Little Guys … Or Two Or Three

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Takuma Sato’s win last week in Long Beach was a real feel good story for the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series. A.J. Foyt’s long-struggling team hadn’t won a race since July of 2002, when the team went to Victory Lane with Brazilian driver Airton Dare at Kansas Speedway. For the last road / street course victory for the operation, you have to go all the way back to October of 1978, when Foyt himself won at Silverstone in England. It was also the first IndyCar Series win ever for a Japanese driver.

Before I go any further, those are all wonderful things and I don’t mean to decrease the significance of any of them in the least. It really was a win that was a long time coming, for both team and driver and it was great to see. (Although I really wish A.J. had been present for the moment; instead, he was at home preparing for back surgery.) It was a David slew Goliath kind of day.

NASCAR Writer Power Rankings: Top 15 After Richmond I

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Frontstretch Power Rankings
Kevin Harvick proved once again why he’s called “Mr. Where Did He Come From!?” and “The Closer.” Harvick took four tires during the final caution, charging from seventh place on the green-white-checkered restart to take the lead. That divebomb move gave him his first race of the 2013 season and 20th victory of his Cup Series career.
Behind them, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart took part in some post-race extracurricular activities after a bump-and-run during the two-lap shootout shook up the finishing order. But perhaps the biggest side story was Juan Pablo Montoya, who led 67 laps and finished fourth, his first top 5 in a points-paying race since a fourth-place result at Martinsville in April 2011. Jeff Burton also ran well, finishing fifth, his first top-5 result of the season.

Pulling Apart Penske’s Appeal: How It’s Expected To Go Down

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*BREAKING:* “Penske Penalty Upheld On Appeal”:https://frontstretch.com/breakingnews/42974/

As you’re reading this article, Penske Racing is likely in the middle of a bid to restore points and erase fines and suspensions to their two-car, Sprint Cup organization. Below is a quick primer to get you prepped for the next step of the NASCAR appeals process…