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.

Mirror Driving: Final Word On The Brawl, Crawling To A Title And Caution Controversy

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*After Sunday’s tangle between Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon, and the subsequent fights among crews — not to mention an obscenity-laden tirade by Brad Keselowski afterward — are the penalties NASCAR levied sufficient?*

Amy: Sufficient? More like over the top. Pattie’s fine for not controlling his crew, I agree with, because the way they ambushed Gordon was not cool. The penalties for Gordon and Keselowski were both over the top.
Mike N.: I thought the fine for Gordon was too much. I was surprised at Gustafson; I thought he would get some money taken, too. Other than that, I thought Pattie’s was fair.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Phoenix II

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One to go! Can you believe we are down to Homestead already? While it doesn’t appear that this weekend’s championship will be nearly as exciting as last year’s and that Keseowski all but has this one, all that needs to happen is, well, basically what happened to Johnson last week and it’s back to a barn burner.

Top 10 Alternative Punishments For Jeff Gordon

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*10.* A deadly combo of the mullet and the porn ‘stache become mandatory for all of 2013.

*9.* Must hold Brad Keselowski’s cell phone during every race.

*8.* Ordered to become Kurt Busch’s emergency public relations representative, hired for inappropriate / crisis situations only.

Double Standards in Play as Gordon Avoids a Deserved Suspension

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Well that was quite the race wasn’t it?

In fact, so much happened between Jeff Gordon’s deliberate and premeditated wrecking of Clint Bowyer just before the leader took the white flag, I almost forgot there was still a race to finish whilst the fifteen-minute red flag delay occurred. In many ways Kevin Harvick’s victory and Brad Keselowski all but sealing his first Sprint Cup championship became little more than afterthoughts, given the melee and general carnage after Gordon’s remarkably ill-advised on track actions.

Five Points to Ponder: The Latest Failings of a Failed Sanctioning Body

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*ONE: Hello, Consistency?*

Anyone that needs more proof as to whether or not name means something in the eyes of NASCAR got it this afternoon, with NASCAR bucking their typical Tuesday announcements to notify the racing world that when the Cup Series takes the green at Homestead, Jeff Gordon will be on the track. Despite premeditating a clear act of payback on the racetrack that collected championship contender Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano and Aric Almirola (not to mention very nearly wrecking points leader Brad Keselowski as well), Gordon got away with a points penalty that means nothing and a fine Hendrick Motorsports will scoff at.

Who’s Hot / Who’s Not in NASCAR: Phoenix / Homestead-Miami Edition

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Brad Keselowski couldn’t catch a break in the final 50 laps of the race at Texas, but he caught a big one at Phoenix. Jimmie Johnson’s right-front tire failure and subsequent crash put Keselowski in the catbird’s seat (20-point lead) heading to Homestead-Miami.

Johnson must have left his golden horseshoe in Victory Lane at Texas, or maybe Kevin Harvick finally stole it. Either way, after Johnson caught all the lucky breaks at Texas, Keselowski caught them all at Phoenix. After Johnson’s wreck, the race wasn’t exactly a cakewalk for Keselowski, especially in the final laps. He had to avoid Jeff Gordon’s stupidity (more on that in Cold), then get to the finish while skating in oil and avoiding a massive accident on the frontstretch. It must’ve felt like Watkins Glen all over again, except the championship was on the line so it wasn’t as easy to laugh at.