NASCAR on TV this week

A Few Modest Proposals For Future NASCAR Banquet Hosts

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So, yeah. Howie Mandel’s hosting the 2012 Sprint Cup Awards Banquet. Following in the footsteps of such comedians / hallowed entertainment icons as Jay Mohr, David Spade and Frank Caliendo, the “America’s Got Talent” and “Let’s Make a Deal” host will helm the Las Vegas ceremony later this month. He replaces Reba McEntire, who guided the action in 2011.

As with many of the last few hosts, save for McEntire and perhaps Caliendo, Mandel doesn’t explicitly have much to do with NASCAR or its fan base, which will undoubtedly cause many to wonder why he’s even there in the first place. According to Mandel, he’s “spent many years in [his] career evaluating and analyzing talent,” and he has no doubt that NASCAR competitors are among the world’s best talents.

A List For A New Leader: Seeking Hope And Change

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So (insert name of Randy Bernard’s replacement here), you’ve just been hired to be the new CEO of INDYCAR. First off, let me just congratulate you on getting the job! INDYCAR is one of the most popular and storied forms of motorsport on Earth, and there are millions of fans worldwide who follow this beautiful form of racing. But who am I kidding, I’m sure you already knew that. I mean, come on, surely the man who has been promoted to the position of INDYCAR’s head honcho would have a rich appreciation for both the sport, its fans, and its history, right? Right? Right. OK, good; now that we’ve gotten all of that general stuff out of the way, I should probably give you all the juicy details of the job with which you are being tasked. letter to the future CEO, showing him the path to continued success in Open-Wheel Wednesday.”

Did You Notice? … Too Much Time, Vickers Breaking Ground And Chasing Stats

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*Did You Notice?…* A focus on everything but the drivers at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing? As we spoke about “in Mirror Driving today,”:https://frontstretch.com/md/42022/ EGR is switching to Hendrick engines next season, moving away from an internal program combined with Childress in an effort to improve on-track performance. That follows a total housecleaning, at the end of 2011 where just about everyone important _behind the scenes_ got a Pink Slip lump of coal from Target Santa. Among those who got the axe: Competition Director Steve Hmiel, Team Manager Tony Glover and Lead Engineer Ed Nathman. Considering Hmiel and Glover were at the top of the charts in the ‘90s, with Mark Martin and Sterling Marlin, respectively; they had dozens of Cup Series victories, Daytona 500 triumphs and pole positions earned in a combined six-plus decades of NASCAR service.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Texas-2

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A tight election and a tight championship. Is 2012 just the year for photo finishes? Perhaps, but we still have a ways to go yet in the Sprint Cup Series championship that’s now down to 812 miles of competition. Jimmie Johnson all but staked his claim as the next Sprint Cup Series titlist, though Brad Keselowski is certainly holding his own during a Texas twister that didn’t get decided until the final restart. While, unlike the election, you may not get to vote on the next champ, you certainly should exercise your right … to tune in!

Top Ten Things That ALSO Dropped Out Of the Sky at Texas

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*10.* An errant pass thrown by Dallas Cowboys’ Tony Romo. How can a team with so much talent be so bad?!

*9.* A late-race case of the “whineys” from Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch over Brad Keselowski’s restarts.

*8.* A real sense of apathy by fans, as evidenced by the available seating in the stands.

Mirror Driving: Rating The Restart, Dillon vs. Hamlin And Tough Times At EGR

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*Other drivers and race fans were quick to accuse both Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson, respectively, of jumping the final two restarts on Sunday, though NASCAR says neither driver broke any rules. Did either one gain an unfair advantage on a restart… and should NASCAR consider a return to single-file restarts late in Cup races?*

Summer: Oh, my gosh _no_ do _not_ go back to single-file restarts. Double-file restarts are the best change NASCAR has made. Also, I watched both replays and I didn’t see either of them do anything wrong. They both did what they needed to do.
Tom: Well, you know I’m the first to say the double-file, lead-lap restart system is a total gimmick. But in terms of what happened Sunday night… couldn’t agree more with Brad Keselowski when he said, “Fair play on both sides.”

Pastrana’s 2013 Title Chase Surprising, But Exciting for Nationwide Series

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When Travis Pastrana drove a race in Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 60, competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Richmond last September a few fans raised an eyebrow at the development.

Two months later, consider both eyebrows raised.

Pastrana, the extreme sports star looking to break into stock car racing, is “reportedly close”:https://frontstretch.com/breakingnews/42015/ to a deal that will have him in a Roush Fenway Nationwide car full-time in 2013.

5 Points to Ponder: Yellow Flags, Timely Contracts and Lost Enthusiasm

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*ONE: Debris Will Decide This Championship*

The Jimmie Johnson/Brad Keselowski finish this past Sunday was a battle well worth watching, and an example of strategies battling it out. Paul Wolfe’s decision to trust his driver’s intuition and go with two tires late even as the rest of the field took four would have panned out sans the rash of cautions to close the event. But there’s no doubting that Chad Knaus considered that in choosing to put four tires on the No. 48 car. And that extra rubber allowed Johnson to build his biggest lead of the Chase at the track that nearly cost him title number five two years ago.

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in NASCAR: Texas/Phoenix Edition

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Brad Keselowski had Jimmie Johnson beat when Sunday’s race restarted with 54 laps to go. Keselowski may have been behind, but he was going to make it on fuel and Johnson wasn’t. Keselowski had Johnson beat when the race restarted with 19 laps to go; the No. 2 had more speed with two fresh tires even though Johnson had four. He had Johnson beat again when they restarted side-by-side with eight laps to go, contact notwithstanding.

Unfortunately for Keselowski, there was still one more restart.