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Childress Keeping Dillon in Nationwide a Smart Move

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On Monday, Richard Childress mentioned in an interview that his grandson, defending Camping World Truck Series champion and current Nationwide Series title competitor Austin Dillon, would remain in the second-tier series in 2013, ending speculation that the young driver might challenge Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. for the Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year title.

Smart move, Mr. Childress.

Of course, it’s unsurprising that Childress would decide to go this way with Dillon. It’s easy to forget that Dillon first drove in NASCAR in 2008, when he ran two Nationwide races and scored a fourth-place finish. Many teams might have thrown such a young talent onto the fast track to success after such a start, but Childress was in no hurry, entering his grandson in six Nationwide and Truck races in 2009 before finally going full-time in a truck in 2010 and 2011.

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The Junk In The Trunk

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What is the value of a memory? What is the price of history? Does owning a part of history enable us to actually experience of a special event? These may be little more than hypothetical questions, but recent events in the news have helped to stir such thinking.

The front page headline at the top of the newspaper last week said it all: “Baseball Cards Found in Attic May be Worth Millions”.

This teaser drew readers to a story written by John Seewer of the Associated Press about a “soot-covered cardboard box” found by Karl Kissner and his cousin in the attic of their late grandfather’s home in Defiance, Ohio – a small town not far from the city of Toledo, and also the hometown of Indy 500 winner/NASCAR driver Sam Hornish, Jr.

Did You Notice? … The Norris Factor

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*Did You Notice?…* Chad Norris wasn’t informed he would be Carl Edwards’ new crew chief until yesterday morning? That’s the biggest nugget from Tuesday’s big surprise, No. 99 head wrench Bob Osborne stepping down after spending more than eight of the past nine seasons atop that pit box. That alone should tell you this decision was not as pre-planned as some out in the racing world might surmise. Yes, the duo had been having a bad season together but as recently as Kentucky, after poor pit strategy doomed them both sides were adamant about the pairing continuing over the long-term. Edwards and Osborne have always been close, the outgoing driver a perfect match for the introverted, ultra-intelligent engineer who brought them within one position on the racetrack of a championship last season. Consistently, through the years Edwards has told me in interviews how much their relationship has been the key to remaining at or near the top of the Cup Series. So, until all the facts come out, or sources explain differently let’s take the press release at its word and wish Osborne well while dealing with undisclosed, health-related issues behind the scenes.

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.