NASCAR on TV this week

Handicapping the 2012 Nationwide Series Finale at Homestead

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One race. Three hundred miles. Three contenders left. Let’s handicap the 2013 Nationwide Series championship race as it ends in Homestead:

*Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet*
*3rd in points (-25)*
*2 wins, 26 top 10s*
One race. Three hundred miles. Three contenders left. Let’s handicap the 2013 Nationwide Series championship race as it ends in Homestead:

*Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet*
*3rd in points (-25)*
*2 wins, 26 top 10s*

2012 Truck Series Wrap-Up: Buescher, Dillon, Larson, and Gale

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_Author’s Note: Hey readers! As the 2012 draws to a close, we’re planning for next year. Please click here to send me an email or let me know in the comments below what you’d like to see in Tracking the Trucks that currently isn’t in there. Is there something you don’t like about this format? I want to know that too! I’ll collect your comments throughout the rest of the year and the offseason and debut the new and improved Tracking the Trucks in February for the season opener at Daytona. Thank you for your dedicated readership! –Beth_

Four Burning Questions: Will Brad Seal the Deal in Homestead?

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Well folks, it took 10 months, but we’re finally here. This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its final road trip of the year for the season finale in Homestead-Miami, FL. Jimmie Johnson’s tire failure midway through last Sunday’s race in Phoenix essentially doomed his chances for a title, and Brad Keselowski now sits with a comfortable 20 point advantage heading into the season’s final race. And, word on the street is that there was some sort of altercation late in last week’s race, apparently involving Jeff Gordon?

Professor Of Speed: When Art Imitates Life

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Boy howdy! Last weekend at Phoenix International Raceway was one that fans won’t likely forget very soon. Both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races kicked it old school as the 2012 season wound down to its final events. Nothing like some blown tires and bent sheet metal to grab headlines. Fussing and fighting and whining and fining always put NASCAR squarely back on America’s sports pages.

That is, unless you’re the parent of a child in elementary school. If you’re dealing with backpacks and lunch sacks every weekday, your radar screen has likely been preoccupied with the motion picture Wreck-It Ralph, the latest release from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Speeding Through Summer: Trucks and Tempers

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One to go and I’m sad to say that the excitement that was there for last year’s championship is not there this season. We’re not going to get a battle between the two championship leaders in the waning laps of the race that will both determine the race winner and the Sprint Cup champion, there will likely be no tie, and barring something crazy, Brad Keselowski will win his first Sprint Cup Series championship.

However, all hope is not lost. Let’s not forget that this “something crazy” happened to Jimmie Johnson in Phoenix (a blown tire) that shaped the points system as it is now. The exact same thing could happen to Keselowski, or worse. He could lose a tire like Kurt Busch in 2004. A stray lapped car could wiggle slightly and send him into the wall. A pit road incident outside of Keselowski’s control could ruin everything. This championship is certainly not over just yet, though it likely won’t hurt to at least have Brad’s first few initials engraved in the trophy.

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Truckin’ Thursdays: The Secret To Red Horse Racing’s 2012 Success

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When you think of the Truck Series and the teams involved, Red Horse Racing is likely one of the names that comes to mind. Having been a part of the series since 2005, they’ve steadily made their presence known, but everything changed this year. Coming into the 2012 season, RHR boasted five victories, 46 top 5s and 99 top-10 finishes, but with just one race left in the year, they’ve added five more wins, 22 top 5s and 31 top 10s in just a single season. So how did the team get to where it is today? To find the answer, we’ll start the very beginning.

Did You Notice? … A Quality Champion, Resistance To Change And Quick Hits

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*Did You Notice?…* Brad Keselowski’s Chase is one of the more impressive in the history of the playoff format? Lost in the shuffle of Jimmie Johnson’s wreck, the Gordon-Bowyer brawl and “cell phone gate” is just how well the No. 2 team has performed, putting them in position to cakewalk to the title Sunday at Homestead. Barring a major mishap, like some sort of engine failure or blown tire Keselowski should ease to a top-15 finish, all he needs to secure the hardware for the first time in his Sprint Cup career.

So how has Keselowski done it? A three-pronged combination of consistency, wins, and heart. Let’s tackle them one at a time. Here’s how the driver’s Chase average finish to date compares with other champions since 2004:

Small Move, Big Gain For IndyCar?

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Perhaps you didn’t notice. And really, it’s just a blip, one of those little things that can be easily overlooked or ignored. This little thing, however, might end up being something that helps this enterprise known as IndyCar gain a little more traction. So what is being referenced here? Well, for those of you with DirecTV, it’s the NBC Sports Network’s move from high-channel purgatory into the seemingly safe confines of the sports channel milieu.

Say what? To explain, NBC Sports Network moved from channel 603 to 220, placing it amongst the NFL, MLB, NHL, and Tennis networks, and not too far from the ESPN block. In the broadcasting world, this is akin to moving from downtrodden, in need of rehabilitation apartment to the lush confines of a McMansion. Even now, in the digital age, there is still a premium placed with sitting in a specific place on the proverbial dial. By relocating in the channel sphere, NBC Sports Network is like the Jeffersons – moving on up.

One More Chance: Who Could Win Among NASCAR’s Winless

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Most will focus on the championship battle at this weekend’s Sprint Cup Series Homestead race — and why not? After a close Chase, a first-time champion could very well be crowned unless a five-time former champ can make some magic happen and overcome a hefty deficit in the final race of the year.

But that’s not all that’s at stake in Florida. From the time the season began in that very state to now, there have been 35 regular season races, meaning 35 different chances to claim a victory. A total of 15 drivers have won those events, with Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin at the top of the category with five wins apiece.