Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
by the Frontstretch Staff
Entry List: Food City 300
Entry List: UNOH 200 Presented by ZLOOP
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NASCAR's Same Old Chase Song Is Over?
Sitting in the Stands: A Fan's View
by S.D. Grady
Folks, this is it; the homestretch. In just four weeks, we'll be leaving a plethora of what if's and could be's behind as the regular Sprint Cup season comes to an end and we embark upon the grand, mysterious, and often problematic Chase to the Cup. On the upside, we have three races left that are almost always exciting: the night race at Bristol, sleek and brutal Darlington, and the short-track of Richmond that drives like a cookie-cutter. We've got three chances for a few more drivers to grab a Chase slot. Who would we like to snare those spots? What story would really wake up the back-to-school doldrums?
How about the other Kyle? Kyle Larson stormed onto the Cup scene last year and many of us were convinced he was the next superstar. Well, 18 months later we are still waiting for the comet to sear the skies over a NASCAR track. In fact, for 2015 the performance of the No. 42 car has been lackluster. But even though I don't think he has a chance in a million of winning the Cup this year we'd certainly have something new to talk about if Larson brought his sprint car skills to bear at Bristol or Darlington. Ride the rim, young man, and take a few veterans to school.
Then again, Austin Dillon in his No. 3 has been looking pretty stout over the past month or so. Surely you've noticed how his Chevy has been riding around in the top 5 for much of the broadcast lately? It doesn't mean he's harnessed the kind of finishes a champion needs to take home the hardware in Homestead but it does help to ignite the imagination. What kind of dancing in the streets would there be if Richard Childress' No. 3 made it to the Chase? Have Senior's legions truly vanished? Or would Dillon enjoy a surge in popularity simply by bringing his black car to Victory Lane? Ahhh…I think I'd like to find out.
Then, there's the sad and struggling veteran. Can Tony Stewart catch a break? Like ever? Hey, at least he's got the qualifying thing under control. But, damn, he needs a win. He needs it bad. The more he struggles, the more I wonder if we'll ever see Smoke back on top of the world. One checkered flag... that's all it would take to bring tears to just about every living room receiving the NASCAR race across America.
If you add the three above drivers to the current list of race winners, what a playoff season we would have! Normally, we're left to making mountains out of the dusty leaves left over from the summer's exuberance as NFL ratings start to eat away at our favorite pastime. However, with Kyle Busch averaging a 9.0 finish since his return in May, Joey Logano notching a frightening 7.7 (how is he doing that?) and Harvick lurking in the depths until the Chase commences we've already got more drama than we could wish for. Add to that the potential tsunami of popularity that would return if Junior managed to grab the big trophy, or a sweet season-ender with Truex beating off all the other hungry characters and we seem to have worked past the ennui of Jimmie Johnson's dominance.
How it happened, I'm not sure. Maybe NASCAR's constant tweaking of the downforce packages did it. Maybe the racing Gods just finally wanted to gift us with a year worth paying attention to. Whatever the reason - I'm not complaining.
Sonya's Scrapbook
What a night it was! Perched at the exit of Turn 4, I enjoyed every minute of my visit to Bristol, and I got treated to a classic Tony Stewart moment! Perfection. I think I still have some confetti stuck to my hat.S.D. Grady is a Senior Editor for Frontstretch and runs a NASCAR blog called the S-Curves. She can be reached via email at sonya.grady@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @laregna and on her Facebook page (she's an author, too!) at https://www.facebook.com/Author.SDGrady.
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TODAY AT FRONTSTRETCH:
Who's Hot & Who's Not In NASCAR: Bristol Edition
by Jeff Wolfe
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Monday's Answer:
Q: In 2003, Jeff Gordon led a race-high 179 laps in the Sharpie 500. However, a pit strategy move led to his downfall. What put him out of the race?
A: Gordon was running third when he decided to make his final stop under the race's 18th caution at lap 424 for four tires. That dropped Gordon out of the top 15 as others planned to go to the finish from the 15th caution at lap 339. Gordon charged forward, making it back into the top 10 quickly. In doing so, he came up on Ken Schrader, who was on older tires. Gordon tried to get past for eighth, but was hit from behind by Matt Kenseth and spun into the inside wall. The crash can be seen here. Gordon was OK but he was done for the night.~~~~~~~~~~
COMING TOMORROW
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