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Five Classy Competitors: One Last Look Back At 2013’s NASCAR Hall of Famers

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The NASCAR Hall of Fame is now 20 members strong with the induction of the class of 2013. The five members of the class all made significant contributions to the sport albeit in different ways. A mechanic, a driver owner, and three drivers make up this year’s group of honorees. Leonard Wood never drove a race car but his knowledge of making pit stops faster probably resulted in the passing of more cars than any driver ever did. Herb Thomas was the most successful driver in history in terms of winning races compared to how many he entered. Buck Baker not only had a great career but shaped thousands of others with his driving school. Rusty Wallace was the foil to Dale Earnhardt and is responsible for keeping Roger Penske in the sport, which led to Brad Keselowski’s 2012 championship. Finally, Cotton Owens, taught people in the sport that safety was more important than anyone at the time thought and yet still built race cars that could win races and titles including the first for David Pearson. The stories and accomplishments of these men would fill volumes, but here is a brief synopsis of each.

Mirror Driving: The Best Of The Best And Make Your Own NASCAR Schedule

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*It’s hard to compare drivers across different eras of the sport. But 20 or 30 years from now, which active drivers are we going to look back at as the best of this current generation?*

Summer: I think you have to look at Jimmie Johnson by default.
Tom: Jimmie Johnson is a given.
Mike: Johnson, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson.
Amy: Johnson is an incredibly smooth, intuitive driver. Jeff Gordon has been winning for 20 years now and is a certain Hall of Famer. But I still think the best pure talent in the sport today is Stewart.

Mirror Driving: Champions, Challenges, And NASCAR’s Memorable Moments

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*Brad Keselowski is the 2012 Sprint Cup champion, and is a bit polarizing with his “Bad Brad” moniker. How do you think Keselowski will be remembered as champion…and how many more will he win?*

Phil: Especially since Brad’s only 28, it’s a little early to say how many he’ll win. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he snags a couple of more.
Mike N.: Keselowski is going to be a great spokesperson for the sport. I believe he’ll be able to effect change, unlike some other champs because he is extremely smart and very introspective. I believe he’ll be remembered for changing the social media aspect of the sport, making it mainstream and speaking his mind. That, and drinking out of the biggest Miller Lite glass he could find after winning.

Professor Of Speed: Smitten With The Mitten

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As a Michigander (albeit a 1995 transplant from Pennsylvania by way of Ohio), I watched with great pride as Brad Keselowski won the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship at Homestead. His success – the first Cup title for a Michigan native – saved what has been a lackluster year for professional sports in our state.

The Detroit Lions are having yet another sluggish season. It’s become a holiday tradition to watch our NFL franchise suffer Thanksgiving losses (my students on Monday swapped stories about how watching the Lions tended to ruin otherwise pleasant family gatherings). It’s difficult to celebrate our nation’s abundance when victories are in such short supply.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Homestead

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Th-th-th-that’s all, folks! For the second year in a row, we are talking about someone not named Jimmie Johnson winning the championship. For the first time since 2005, someone not named Tony Stewart or Jimmie Johnson finally took the trophy home. But who would have thought that out of all the experienced, talented, and qualified drivers out there, that it would be Brad Keselowski? Not that there could have been a better driver considering his outreach on social media, but still .. he beat Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin when it came to winning their first titles. I get the feeling that this dude is going to be around for a while.

Did You Notice? … The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Of NASCAR 2012

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*Did You Notice?…* As the dust begins to settle on the 2012 Sprint Cup season, a look inside the numbers tells you the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly on the state of the sport. Let’s get right to it:

*The Good:* A total of fifteen different drivers won a race this season, roughly one-third of what would compose a 43-car grid in a total that’s roughly in line with previous years. Also, for the second straight season parity took center stage as no driver got more than five wins apiece. Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin, drivers from three different organizations _and_ manufacturers shared the honor. It’s hard to get competition any closer than that; NASCAR hasn’t had league-leading victory totals this low in back-to-back years since 1991-92.

Five Points to Ponder: The Young, the Old and the Future of NASCAR

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*ONE: Truck Schedule Key to NASCAR’s Future*

For all the talk that Brad Keselowski is generating for being the bridge that NASCAR needs to get back to its core fans after his beer-guzzling exploits celebrating Penske Racing’s first Cup title, it’s all perhaps a bit premature. Keselowski has always been brash, old school and outspoken, much to the annoyance of many fanbases (just ask any Hamlin or Edwards fan). The fact that he won a Cup ahead of both of those stars isn’t going to change that opinion.

One Move, One Champion

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There’s a name not often mentioned as the catalyst for Brad Keselowski, 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion. For every Roger Penske, Paul Wolfe, or Miller Lite VP with a bucket load of cash there’s just one name I will always think of, one whose own failure could have changed the course of the sport.

Mark Martin.

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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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: