NASCAR on TV this week

Pace Laps: Off Week Strategies, A Blonde Moment And Bowman Breaks Out

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*NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: How Will Teams Handle The Off Week?* NASCAR’s hectic schedule takes a breather this Monday, with Sprint Cup teams knowing it’s the final time they’ll be able to take an extended break until Homestead in November. For years, the fans have advocated a week off before the start of the Chase but instead, the last “vacation” for NASCAR programs occurs about two months before. So can the “hot” teams, like Hendrick Motorsports keep the momentum flowing through a weekend of no competition? And can other programs, like Carl Edwards’ No. 99 gather the information needed to get it together quickly? For those struggling teams, like the Earnhardt Ganassi outfit now is also a time to re-evaluate their crew chief scenario. Will they make a move with the Chase out of reach? As we saw last year, with the Greg Biffle – Matt Puccia matchup, among others now is the perfect time to make an adjustment if you’re going to do it. _–Tom Bowles_

Life After Loudon: A Sunday That Revealed NASCAR’s Playoff Parity To Come?

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Denny Hamlin gave 110 percent and, on an otherwise snooze-inducing Sunday, NASCAR took notice. In the end, the day’s dominant driver at Loudon came up short, but with 150 laps led, the driver of the Joe Gibbs Toyota made his presence felt amidst a sea of Hendrick Chevrolets attempting to seize control. Second place, in this case, may have been the first loser – Hamlin came up five car lengths short to Kasey Kahne after poor pit strategy left him back in the pack – yet the effort showcased excellence from a driver fully recovered post-2011 Chase hangover. With this year’s playoff looming less than two months away, the second track on the postseason schedule will now have Hamlin listed as a heavy favorite this Fall.

Tracking the Trucks: American Ethanol 200

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*In a Nutshell:* Timothy Peters took the checkered flag 1.586 seconds ahead of Ron Hornaday, Jr. to score his first win of the season in the American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway. Peters took the lead on an uncharacteristically bad restart for Hornaday and never looked back. Matt Crafton, Johnny Sauter, and Justin Lofton rounded out the top 5.

Nationwide Series Breakdown: 23rd Annual F.W. Webb 200

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*In A Nutshell:* Was it Saturday afternoon or Sunday? It could have been either after Sprint Cup regulars put on a dominating show that saw Brad Keselowski emerge victorious for the second time in 2012. Keselowski easily took the pole with Kasey Kahne beside him, and both led early. And even if Keselowski hadn’t made his race winning pass, the victory still would almost certainly have gone to Cup regular Kevin Harvick. In fact, with the exception of yellow flag laps, Nationwide regulars did not lead during the race. Nationwide regulars did comprise the rest of the top 5, with Austin Dillon, Sam Hornish, Jr., and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. filling those spots. Dillon, the top finishing NNS regular, took home a $100,000 bonus via the Dash for Cash program, which rewards series regulars in certain races.

NHMS Success and Dashed Hopes Link Newman, Burton

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As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series prepares to race at its only New England venue this week, talk is also heating up about Silly Season. As drivers and sponsors begin to make moves (Matt Kenseth has already announced that he will be leaving Roush Fenway Racing for an as-of-yet undisclosed team, while sponsor U.S. Army has declared its plans to leave NASCAR racing at the end of the year), there are always questions. After the Army announcement earlier this week, Ryan Newman is suddenly in the midst of the talk, while in the background, quiet speculation has been made about the career of another veteran driver, Jeff Burton.

Four Burning Questions: Military Sponsorships and Chase Hopefuls

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*How big of a distraction will the A.J. Allmendinger debacle be for Penske Racing?*

Now that we’ve had a few days for the shock of Allmendinger’s suspension to wear off, it’s time to start looking ahead. While we don’t know for sure what is going to happen to Allmendinger long term, we do know that Sam Hornish Jr. is once again filling in this weekend in New Hampshire.