NASCAR on TV this week

Nationwide Series Breakdown: O’Reilly Challenge

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Although Kyle Busch showed flashes of his past dominance in NNS competition early at Texas, Kevin Harvick cruised to a relatively easy win in his final start of the season on Saturday, leading 127 of the 200 laps run. Ryan Blaney trimmed the margin of victory by more than two seconds during the final green-flag run but was unable to catch the No. 33, settling for a career-best runner-up finish. Polesitter Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top 5 in this event dominated by Sprint Cup regulars.

Tracking the Trucks: WinStar World Casino 350

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*In a Nutshell:* Johnny Sauter took the checkered flag 2.199 seconds ahead of Parker Kligerman to win the WinStar World Casino 350 at Texas Motor Speedway Friday night. The driver of the No 13 SealMaster / Curb Records Toyota led 28 of 147 laps en route to a sweep at the 1.5-mile oval this season. Polesitter Nelson Piquet, Jr., Kyle Busch, and rookie Ty Dillon rounded out the top 5.

Polar Opposites Looking In the Mirror: Johnson and Keselowski More Similar Than First Glance

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The path has been laid for the NASCAR Sprint Cup title to be decided between just two drivers in the last three weeks as five-time champion Jimmie Johnson and first-time serious contender Brad Keselowski look to take it to the wire with just two points separating them from each other and more than 25 now between them and the rest of the pack. (Yes, there is the distinct possibility of disaster striking one or both of them in the last three races, but odds are, one of the two is going to hoist that silver trophy in less than three weeks.) Last year’s title was a similarly close one between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards, and like that one this battle is one that seems, on the surface, to be between two drivers who are almost polar opposites in most ways.

Four Burning Questions: Will the Chasers Light Up the Lonestar State?

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After one of the best races of the season last week in Martinsville, the Sprint Cup Series heads west to the uber-fast Texas Motor Speedway for Round 8 of the Chase for the Championship. This race will almost certainly not live up to the ludicrous level of hype that race promoter Eddie Gossage insists on building every year for it, but it should be a decent race nonetheless. Jimmie Johnson has a slim 2 point advantage in the Series standings over Brad Keselowski, and the spotlight will be shining bright on these two drivers this weekend as both have impressively managed to distance themselves from the rest of the Chase. Can one of the two championship contenders steal a win in The Lonestar State? That’s just one of many things to watch for in this week’s AAA Texas 500.

Voices from the Cheapseats: Dodge Needs to Put Up or Shut Up

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If there is one thing…well actually there are many…but one of the things that just positively irks the living crap out of me is wishy-washyfulness. Maybe it’s just wishy-washyness, I dunno, but what ever you call it, I got no time for those who practice it.

Either you ARE or you ARE NOT. You’re IN or you’re OUT. She’s pregnant or she’s not…you get the idea.

Coming across this press release, I could do nothing more than shake my head and ask…WTF Dodge? Why even bother saying anything?!

Consistent Inconsistency: NASCAR’s Latest Licensing Episode

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While the usual suspects will be battling for the win at Texas come Saturday’s Nationwide Series event, one driver that will not be there is Nur Ali. The driver who two weeks ago made history as the first Pakistani to start a Nationwide Series race was not approved to run Texas, with NASCAR sending Ali back to shorter tracks to garner more experience. A replacement for Rick Ware Racing’s No. 41 car remains to be named.

Of course, what else would one expect from NASCAR, the sanctioning body whose only consistency is inconsistency? If there’s one element of their governance that has proven the definition of subjective and impulsive, it’s with regard to competitors’ licenses.

Beyond the Cockpit: Jeff Agnew Chasing The Dream

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Mike Neff: *You’re 46 years old, brother! How much longer are you going to do this?*

Jeff Agnew: I really don’t know. My boss, Eddie Asbury up in Bluefield, he loves to race and we all love to race. If we can keep going out and be fairly competitive, and put on a good show, I really don’t know. We’ll just keep going as long as we can go.

Professor Of Speed: So Many Options, So Little to See

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Say what you will about the wisdom of Brian France, but for all of his questionable decisions in the past (like moving the annual Sprint Cup awards banquet from New York City to Las Vegas, like hiring the over-the-top-eccentric comedian Carrot Top to help “roast” Jimmie Johnson before a live audience, like taking a pro-social media stance in an effort to attract more young fans, like striving to make stock car racing look more ecologically-friendly), his idea for The Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship is beginning to look like a good one. It’s taken several years, in my opinion, but recent (at least since 2011) results appear promising.