Kenseth a Kansas survivor in crash-filled race
By Jeff Wolfe Matt Kenseth seems to have the skill of taking a less than ideal situation and turning it into a pretty good one. …
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40 Cars to Freedom: Change is Coming for the 2013 Nationwide Series
It’d take an act of God to get this writer to declare that NASCAR has left the state of denial, but they did take a step in the right direction on the Nationwide Series front this week with the announcement that the field will be cut from 43 to 40 cars for the 2013 season. It’s been a change long overdue; though NASCAR’s AAA series has largely dodged short fields over the last eight months, the start-and-park entries filling the starting grids week after week have accounted for nearly 30% of those “full” fields.
Coupled with the return of testing, this week’s announced competition changes are absolutely radical alterations for the Nationwide Series, as 43-car fields have been the norm for a decade-plus. And even at only a three-car reduction, it will have an impact across the series. While it’s impossible to tell just how much of an impact this will have until the entry list for Daytona is released in February, it’s never too early to play a little fact or fiction.
Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in NASCAR: Charlotte/Kansas Edition
Clint Bowyer did everything right in the first three races of the Chase. He kept his car clean and drove to top 10s in all three events, and with that he was within striking distance of the leaders. Then Talladega happened.
Even though he was running toward the front of the pack, Bowyer received heavy damage in the last-lap melee and was scored in 23rd. Bowyer was knocked 40 points back of Brad Keselowski, and it seemed that his Chase was over through no fault of his own. Then Charlotte happened.
Frontstretch Fan Q&A: Putting NASCAR Villains In Perspective
_”What is your take on how fans react to injuries in NFL compared to how fans react to unliked drivers? Example: Matt Cassell vs. Kurt Busch.. Do fans go overboard cheering for injuries and booing or least favorite?”_
_Terry_
Honestly, I don’t know enough about football to know if Matt Cassel is hated or how fans reacted to his injury. However, as much as fans hate Kurt Busch, I don’t think any of them genuinely want to see him physically injured. In fact, I can almost guarantee that if such a thing did happen (God forbid), he would receive an outpouring of support from NASCAR fans everywhere.
Don’t get me wrong. There are some crazy, creepy people out there who do wish harm on the drivers and they should be ashamed of themselves. But most diehard NASCAR fans care about the drivers and their safety, even if they don’t like the guy’s personality.
Looking Forward on a Bye Weekend: The 2013 Nationwide Series
For all intents and purposes, the 2012 season has been a pleasant surprise for the Nationwide Series. A razor-thin title fight, series regulars capable of winning races and doing it, its been at least on paper the best season the Nationwide ranks have enjoyed since 2003. But all good things come to an end, and this cast of characters is no different. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has been promoted to Cup, and will be doing his best Matt Kenseth impression in 2013. Sam Hornish Jr. remains without a contract, even in the Penske Racing camp that has stuck behind him so loyally. And through the rest of the top 10 in points, uncertainty is abound; Justin Allgaier, Cole Whitt, Mike Bliss and Brian Scott all aren’t guaranteed to return to their respective cockpits next season.
Who’s Hot/Who’s Not in NASCAR: Dover/Talladega Edition
How perfect was Sunday’s ending for Dodge? The company announced over the summer that it wouldn’t back Cup Series teams in 2013, although they left the door open for a future return. Well, the manufacturer may be leaving the sport, but Brad Keselowski and Penske Racing are making sure the automaker goes out in style.
At Dover, Keselowski was going to finish fourth or fifth at best, but because of the great fuel mileage he gets — an advantage he’s had all season — Keselowski drove around the cars conserving fuel in his Dodge and drove to a second victory in three races in the Chase. Now, the rest of the garage is asking, “How do we get one of these Dodge engines?”
Five Points to Ponder: Game Changers, Rule Changes and Game Over
*ONE: Talladega Could Be a Game Changer*
Talladega.
Just the name alone is enough to both quicken the blood and stir the senses… and I’m only going to be watching on television. The biggest, baddest track of them all on the Sprint Cup schedule is next up and, as ever has the potential to be a true Chase game changer.
The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2012 AAA 400 at Dover
Sometimes those who have nothing to lose are the most dangerous of all. For most of the day on Sunday, it looked as though Kyle Busch, who failed to make the Chase this year, had the field covered at Dover. If the race hadn’t come down to fuel mileage, Busch would most likely have been the driver in Victory Lane. True to his take-no-prisoners style, Busch took the race lead from teammate Denny Hamlin and from there, cut nobody a break — not even Hamlin, who is very much in the title hunt. Leading 302 of 400 circuits, the only thing stopping Busch was that extra stop for gas, slipping him to a seventh-place finish when winner Brad Keselowski and others could go the distance.
Chasing Self-Destruction: Ford’s Sprint Cup Title Hopes Fall Apart
Roush Fenway Racing may have lost a truck arm Sunday at Dover, courtesy the No. 17 Ford of Matt Kenseth but in the stands they quickly gained themselves a new fan: Eeyore. How could the famous donkey, known for a need of modern day antidepressants _not_ be attracted to a trio of riveting quotes like these?
“In two out of three Chase races something either fell off or broke, so obviously that’s not good. Our performance hasn’t been very good either, so I don’t know. Today was a struggle. This is probably the worst we’ve run here for as long as I can remember. From the first lap on the track to the last lap on the track we were pretty much junk.” _Kenseth_
Pace Laps: Last Hurrahs for NASCAR Independents, Hoosiers, and Sam Hornish?
*Sprint Cup: Talladega One Last Chance For Phoenix To Fly?* For more than 20 years, James Finch has fought the good fight as a single-car, independent NASCAR team owner–with middling, often frustrating results. So this season, despite limited sponsorship, he made one special push to break out from the back end of NASCAR’s Cup Series garage, moving from respectable some of the time to potential Chase participant this September. A “lucky break” left the No. 51 car partnered with its biggest heavyweight yet behind the wheel; landing former Sprint Cup champion Kurt Busch, a driver hungry to prove himself after an unceremonious release from Roger Penske made it seem the sky was the limit.