My Thoughts: OffSeason Week #1

            Well, we made it a week. Only one week ago at Homestead, Jimmie Johnson took his sixth career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. Matt Kenseth came home second in points in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing while Kevin Harvick came home third in his final race with Richard Childress Racing. Mark Martin, Ken Schrader, Jeff Burton, and Dave Blaney possibly ended their long and storied careers in the sport. Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, and Kurt Busch also ended their tenures with their former teams. Finally, Denny Hamlin ended his tumultuous season with a win in the final event of the year. It is hard to believe it has only been a week. To me, it almost feels like months ago with the craziness that has happened. I actually watched some Formula 1 qualifying on Saturday. I enjoyed it, but I desperately need NASCAR back. But I have a ninety one day wait until the green flag waves at Daytona in 2014. There are plenty of events before that, but the season does not get officially started until the greatest race of the season gets underway. To make sure I don't suffer a complete withdrawal from NASCAR, I decided to do an edition of my thoughts for every week in the off season. This week's topics include three crew chief changes that could have an affect on next year, if I think a wonderful driver going into his second season with a new team will struggle, and if I think Jimmie Johnson is the greatest of all time. Let us not wait any longer and get the off season started with my thoughts.

1. Steve Addington Moving to Phoenix Racing: Will He Make the Team Great?
        A little bit of crew chief news came out for Phoenix Racing during the week. It was announced that Steve Addington would become the crew chief for the team in 2014. If you recall, Addington was the crew chief for the #14 for Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, and Austin Dillon in 2013. I actually like the move for Phoenix Racing. Addington is a very good crew chief and he has made some great drivers even better in his time in the sport. But the key to this situation is the driver. Phoenix Racing has not decided who is going to drive their car next year, but a lot of predictions have been made that Justin Allgaier will make his rookie debut in the series next year. Now, I wish they would go ahead and decide the driver. I mean, it is kind of like a blind date with this team. Addington is a great crew chief, but how can you prepare for a season if you don't know who is driving? That just doesn't make logical sense to me. I mean, you guys might have a different opinion than I do, but that is just my thoughts about it. Nonetheless, I still fell the team will be extremely successful next year whether or not Allgaier is in the car. Like I said, Addington is a great crew chief and I think he will prove it in 2014.

2. Chad Johnston Moving to Stewart-Haas Racing as Tony Stewart's Crew Chief: Will He Help the Team?
       Another piece of a crew chief news came out during the week. Stewart-Haas Racing signed Chad Johnston to be the crew chief for Tony Stewart in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2014. If you recall, Johnston was the crew chief for Martin Truex Jr. in 2013 and was considered a part of the Michael Waltrip Racing scandal at Richmond. I mean, he wasn't a big player in it, but he will be remembered as the crew chief for Martin Truex Jr. when all that went down. To move past that, I think this is a pretty good move for Stewart and his team. Before Stewart got injured, Steve Addington, the previous crew chief for Stewart, really wasn't helping the team. I mean, Stewart would have made the Chase anyway. It wasn't like they were terrible, but they just didn't seem to be the usual dominators like in the past. Now, they have Chad Johnston, who has been a huge factor in making Michael Waltrip Racing a key player in the sport. Along with that, he made Martin Truex Jr. a very successful driver, if you ask me. I think he could really help Stewart. I mean, Stewart is all ready a really good driver with three titles, but he never really had that key crew chief since he started his own team. This signing will give him the key to great success, in my opinion, and the team will pick up next year in the highest division of the sport.

3. Mike Kelley Moving to Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Team in Cup For 2014: Will They Find Their Nationwide Series Success?
        A final piece of crew chief news came out during the week. Roush-Fenway Racing announced that Mike Kelley would move up from the number 6 Nationwide team and take over the controls for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in Sprint Cup. Kelley was the crew chief for Stenhouse during his two Nationwide Series championships and he led Trevor Bayne in 2013 in the Nationwide series. The question this put in my mind is will these two guys find the same success they had in Nationwide? I definitely think so. The first reason is Stenhouse's improvement in his first year in Cup. At the start of the year, Stenhouse struggled a little bit, but he picked it up at the end of the year and had some decent finishes. Stenhouse's crew chief, Scott Graves, did a good job all year, but they never really had a connection. Kelley and Stenhouse have a connection and a winning connection at that. I think that could make them great in the series. A second and final reason is Stenhouse has some experience in the highest division of the sport. I mean, it had to be very tough in 2013 to get used to the gen-6 car especially being a rookie driver in the sport. With this experience in the sport and a crew chief that he has that winning connection with, Stenhouse could be really formidable in 2014. I mean, he probably won't win a championship next year. That just isn't logical, but he might take a couple of wins with some backing from Kelley. All in all, I think Stenhouse will become a pretty good driver in the future and this move could just help him with that.

4. Matt Kenseth: Will He Suffer a Sophomore Slump with Joe Gibbs Racing?
        A pleasant surprise in 2013 in Cup was Matt Kenseth. Kenseth, who was a mainstay driver with Roush-Fenway Racing and a champion in 2003 before moving to JGR for 2013, was expected to perform okay and maybe win a few races for his new teams, but the team didn't expect the actual outcome. Kenseth took seven wins in 2013 and almost took the title away from Jimmie Johnson in the famous #20 for Joe Gibbs. It was a very unprecedented season for Kenseth and one that could have went down in the record books, but it does raise a question in my mind. Will he be as successful in 2014 with Joe Gibbs Racing as he was in 2013? Personally, I don't think he will. Now, I think he will be in Chase contention like he always is. I just don't think he can take as many wins as he did in 2013. The one and main reason is just that those wins and great finishes are just hard to repeat. Think about it like this. Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Tony Stewart, and many others had struggling 2013 seasons and didn't come up with as many wins or good finishes as they could have grabbed. With this many drivers battling for wins in 2014, it will be hard for Kenseth to take as many wins. In terms of being close to a championship, I think Kenseth could still have a chance in 2014, but he will have to do it without as many wins.

5. Is Jimmie Johnson the Greatest NASCAR Driver of All Time?
         I knew this question would eventually come up. Is Jimmie Johnson the greatest NASCAR driver of all time? After winning his sixth championship last Sunday, a lot of people have said that he is. I delved into this subject a little bit on the last round of my thoughts, but I will give even more backing behind my opinion. Jimmie Johnson will never go down as the best driver all time in NASCAR to me.  The main reason for this is a comparison between him and who I think is the greatest. I believe Richard Petty is the greatest of all time and the statistics tell this. How many Daytona 500s did they win. Johnson has won two and Petty won seven, which gives the advantage to Petty. How many races have they won? Johnson has won sixty six races while Petty won two hundred races, which gives the advantage to Petty. How many championships have they won? Johnson has won six titles while Petty won seven, which gives the advantage to Petty currently. Do I need to say more? Listen, Johnson is a great driver and I don't deny that. But he is not better than Richard Petty. I don't care if Johnson does take more titles than Petty. Just look at the wins, poles, top 5 finishes, top 10 finishes, and Daytona 500 wins to make your decision. Every time, Petty will come out to be the greatest of all time. Enough said. 

This ends week one of the NASCAR off season. I hope you guys enjoyed reading through my thoughts. If you have any differing opinions on the issues I mentioned today, let me know in the comments down below. We have only 91 days left to go before the 2014 Daytona 500, but it is so long to wait. I will continue to write for you guys over the off season and I hope you continue to read everything I write. I will sign off for today and until we meet again.





Credits:
-Image:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Daytona_International_Speedway_2011.jpg

Denny Hamlin Ends a Tumultuous Season With a Win While Jimmie Johnson Takes His Sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship

           After injuring his back at California and missing a few races, Denny Hamlin encountered a lot of bad luck during the season, but he changed his momentum with a win in the final race of the season. More importantly, Jimmie Johnson held off trouble late to take his sixth Sprint Cup Championship over Matt Kenseth. Hamlin had a great race car all night long, but he took the lead from Dale Earnhardt Jr. after the final restart to take the win. Jimmie Johnson coasted to the finish line ninth for his sixth title, but that does not tell the whole story of an accident that almost cost him the title. On the restart after the sixth caution, Jeff Gordon stacked up the field. Matt Kenseth slowed down behind him and Jimmie Johnson came rushing in. Johnson hit Kenseth in the back bumper and fell back. His left front began to smoke and it was feared that he would have to come down pit road. The smoke ceased and he stayed on the track. The damage was not enough to take the title away, but it sure scared everybody. Matt Kenseth did everything he could to win the title, but it was just wasn't enough. He led the most laps and finished second, but he still could not capitalize on Johnson to take the title. Kevin Harvick also missed out on his opportunity, but he tried hard to do it. Along with this championship battle, the race was amazing. There were spins, drivers hitting the wall, drivers running three and four wide, and a tire that exploded in the pits after it caught fire. Yes, a tire exploded in the pits. Luckily, nobody was hurt, but it was definitely really weird. All in all, the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season ended with an amazing fight for the win and the championship.

       Matt Kenseth started on the pole. The pole position definitely added some pressure to Jimmie Johnson's points lead since he was starting a little bit farther back. If Kenseth could lead the most laps and win, it would definitely add to his hopes of winning the title over Johnson. The race went green and Kenseth was able to lead the first lap. Kenseth drove away from the field as the first caution of the race waved on lap 11. Travis Kvapil hit the wall in turn 3. He rode the wall out of turn 3 and pulled off entering turn 4. He made it to pit road, but he had a good bit of damage. No drivers received the lucky dog. The race was filled with strategy calls and this caution was not different. Denny Hamlin stayed out while Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and others took two tires and the rest of the lead lap drivers took four tires. It would be interesting to see if Kenseth and Harvick could move up on Jimmie Johnson with this strategy. The race went back green and Kevin Harvick took the lead after a short battle with Matt Kenseth. Kenseth would not stay behind Harvick long as he took the lead on lap 16. Kenseth held the lead as the second caution waved on lap 23. Travis Kvapil broke loose and went for a spin down the track in turn 3. He kept the car off the wall and pulled into pit road, but he still had a lot of damage from his previous incident. No drivers received the lucky dog. A good bit of strategy occurred during the caution. Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, and others took two tires while Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and the rest of the lead lap drivers took four tires. It would be interesting to see if Harvick could make a gain on Johnson with his strategy.

       The race went back green and Kurt Busch took the lead after only taking two tires. Busch would not hold the lead long as Matt Kenseth took the lead on lap 32. Kenseth ran away from the field as the drivers who took two tires started to fall deep in the pack. Kenseth held the lead with Jimmie Johnson behind him as the first round of green flag pit stops of the race began on lap 66. The stops would be cut short by the third caution of the race on lap 68. Debris was spotted in turn 4 on the track. Parker Kligerman received the lucky dog. Only a few drivers had pitted so the running order wasn't too shaken up by the caution. All the lead lap drivers came to pit road for four tires with Matt Kenseth coming out as the leader. The race went back green and Matt Kenseth held the lead. Kenseth began running away from the field once again as the fourth caution waved on lap 89. Dave Blaney got loose in turn 2. He spun down the track and towards the infield. He stopped the car on the apron of the track and made it to pit road without receiving damage. Danica Patrick received the lucky dog. All the lead lap drivers decided to come down pit road once again for four tires with Matt Kenseth coming out as the leader. Kenseth continued to dominate in the race and he was doing everything to win the title, but Jimmie Johnson was still right there.

        The race went back green and Kenseth held onto the lead after a short battle with teammate, Kyle Busch. Kenseth cruised away from the field after the battle with Busch and Johnson stayed close behind him in the top 5. Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick, the other contender for the title, began to fall rapidly. His car was extremely tight and he finally decided it was too much to handle and came to pit road on lap 118. His team replaced the tires and made an adjustment, but only time would tell if they had fixed it. Kenseth continued to blister the field on the track, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin were coming. The two began to make a charge at Kenseth as the second round of green flag pit stops of the race began on lap 140. Denny Hamlin beat Kenseth out of the pits, but Earnhardt took the lead after he pitted a lap or two before the Joe Gibbs Racing teammates. Junior would hold the lead until the fifth caution waved on lap 152. Debris was spotted on the backstretch of the track. Danica Patrick received the lucky dog. Another round of strategy occurred during the caution. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, and Kyle Busch took two tires while Jimmie Johnson and the rest of the lead lap drivers took four tires. Kenseth was looking for every way to get away from Johnson and this just might do it.

         The race went back green and Kenseth held the lead. Kenseth ran away for a few laps before his teammate, Denny Hamlin, chased him down and passed him for the lead on lap 167. Hamlin cruised away and held the lead until the sixth caution waved on lap 189. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 3. Kasey Kahne, who had just made an unscheduled pit stop under green, received the lucky dog. All the lead lap drivers came to pit road with Denny Hamlin coming out as the leader. Hamlin looked like he had finally righted the ship on a terrible season, but would he stay out front? We would have to wait and see, but the restart almost caused a terrible problem for Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth.

        The race went back green and Denny Hamlin held the lead, but chaos would erupt behind him. Jeff Gordon spun his tires next to Hamlin with Matt Kenseth right behind Gordon. Kenseth got on the brakes and avoided, but Jimmie Johnson was right behind him. Johnson barely hit Kenseth and went to the outside to avoid further contact. The field began to run three and four wide behind them as Kenseth got going, but Johnson was smoking a little bit. He rode out of turn 2 with a little smoke, but the smoke ceased into turn 3. He would be able to stay out for the moment, but he would need a break to avoid a possible championship loss with a flat tire sure to happen. Hamlin continued to lead the field until the seventh caution waved on lap 206. Paul Menard, who was also involved in the stack up on the restart, lost a tire entering turn 1. The tire caused a good bit of damage, but he made it to pit road without hitting the wall and returned to the race. Jeff Burton received the lucky dog. A little bit of strategy occurred during the caution. Kevin Harvick took two tires while the rest of the lead lap drivers took four tires. Harvick had practically been eliminated from the title battle, but he was still holding onto that one chance to make it back in the hunt.

         The race went back green and Harvick held onto the lead as the field fanned out behind him. He would only hold the lead for a few laps before Brad Keselowski took it away on lap 214. Keselowski tried to cruise away, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. chased him down and took the lead on lap 225. Earnhardt would hold the lead as the eighth and final caution waved on lap 230. Paul Menard's right rear tire began to burn down the backstretch. He made it around to pit road and reached a stop in his pit box. His team went to put the fire out with an extinguisher, but something crazy happened. The tire completely exploded next to Menard's team. His crew and the NASCAR officials cowered back as smoke and flames poured out of Menard's right rear. They got the flames put out and the wheel had been blown completely off. Everyone was okay, but it was a very scary sight for the whole team. Marcos Ambrose received the lucky dog. The final piece of strategy occurred during the caution. Kurt Busch took only two tires while the rest of the lead lap drivers took four tires. Matt Kenseth was ahead of Jimmie Johnson, but Kenseth was not far enough ahead to take the championship. It would be interesting to see if Johnson fell back and allowed Kenseth to take the title. 

         The race went back green and the field fanned out as Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead from Denny Hamlin. It looked like Earnhardt was in prime position to take his first win of the year, but Hamlin had other plans. He took the lead back from Earnhardt on lap 243 and pulled away, but Matt Kenseth was right there. He had moved away from Johnson, but he still wasn't in place for the title. Kenseth and Earnhardt ran behind Hamlin, but neither one could take the advantage. Eventually, only five laps remained and Hamlin had all ready taken the win unless a caution would wave. It didn't and he took the white flag. Hamlin cruised through the corners as Jimmie Johnson cruised in ninth around the track. He had locked up the title just as Hamlin crossed the line to take the win. Now, Hamlin had his win to end the season and Johnson had his sixth career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was the end of the 2013 season and it had ended like five seasons had between 2006 and 2010 with Jimmie Johnson holding the title. 

         What a year it was for Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth. Johnson started the season with a Daytona 500 victory in February and he ended the season with six wins and his sixth title. Even though Matt Kenseth fell short of the title, it was still a great and record setting season for the veteran. He took seven wins and a chance at a title all the way to Homestead. It was even more impressive since it was his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing. With all the success they had in the opening campaign, it should be very interesting to watch them next year in 2014. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also took an award in the final race of the season: rookie of the year. Stenhouse was unable to find victory in his freshman year, but he did find the top 10 a couple of times late in the season. It should be very interesting to watch him grow and mature in the next few years in the highest level of NASCAR. What a 2013 season it was for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. There were crazy wrecks, close finishes, amazing fights, tough interviews after the race, and a lot of chaos in the Chase. This year will be remembered as the controversy at Richmond, but it was so much more than that. The Homestead race only ended two hours ago, but I am so ready for the 2014 Daytona 500. It is less than a hundred days away, but that is way too long. Nonetheless, this offseason will be a time to prepare and a time to look ahead. A lot of questions will also be created. Will Jimmie Johnson take his seventh championship next year, will Matt Kenseth win the title in his second year with Joe Gibbs Racing, or will another driver take hold on the series? We will have to wait until February to begin answering these questions.
(More Stats Down Below!)





Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap11- Travis Kvapil hit the wall in turn 3.

2nd Caution: Lap 23- Travis Kvapil broke loose in turn 3 and went for a spin down the track.

3rd Caution: Lap 68- Debris was spotted in turn 4 of the track.

4th Caution: Lap 89- Dave Blaney got loose in turn 2 and went for a spin down the track. 

5th Caution: Lap 152- Debris was spotted on the backstretch of the track.

6th Caution: Lap 189- Debris was spotted in turn 3 of the track.

7th Caution: Lap 206- Paul Menard lost a tire in turn 1 and had some damage. 

8th Caution: Lap 230- Paul Menard's right rear tire began to burn on the backstretch. The tire blew up when he made it to pit road, but everybody was okay.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: None
3rd Caution: Parker Kligerman
4th Caution: Danica Patrick
5th Caution: Danica Patrick
6th Caution: Kasey Kahne
7th Caution: Jeff Burton 
8th Caution: Marcos Ambrose

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Denny Hamlin
2nd: Matt Kenseth
3rd: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4th: Martin Truex Jr.
5th: Clint Bowyer

Notables Not in Top 5:
7th: Kyle Busch
8th: Joey Logano
9th: Jimmie Johnson
10th: Kevin Harvick
11th: Jeff Gordon
12th: Carl Edwards
13th: Kasey Kahne
17th: Ryan Newman
21st: Kurt Busch
24th: Greg Biffle





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/lapbylap/view-all-laps.html?intid=lapbylap_lapbylapleaderboard_08292013
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/live-standings.html?intid=livestandings_livestandingsleaderboard_08292013
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Ford_EcoBoost_400/W
-Images:
https://twitter.com/NASCAR/status/402252210194501632/photo/1
https://twitter.com/NASCAR/status/402230677749248000/photo/1

My Thoughts: Homestead

           Well, here we are. From Daytona in February to today in Homestead, 36 races will pass and one  champion will be crowned. At Daytona in February, 43 drivers had a chance to win the championship. At Richmond in September, it was widdled down to twelve drivers for the Chase for the title. After a controversy at Richmond, Martin Truex Jr. was taken out and Ryan Newman was added along with Jeff Gordon. That meant thirteen drivers had a chance for the title. After a grueling ten races, only three drivers remain with a mathematical shot: Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Kevin Harvick. Johnson, who is a five time champion in his own right, holds the points lead and needs to finish twenty third or better to take home his sixth title. Kenseth, who won the most races this year, struggled at Phoenix last week and needs a practical miracle to take his second title. Harvick, who won two races in the Chase, has been sitting just behind the leaders and sits in prime position to take the title if something crazy happens. Will Johnson hold on to win the title, will Kenseth have that miracle happen, or will Harvick pull a closer move and take his first title? I don't know how it will end, but I do have some thoughts and predictions for the final race of the 2013 season. Today's topics include a few drivers possibly making their final starts in NASCAR's highest rank, if I think Harvick and Kenseth have a chance, Jimmie Johnson possibly winning eight titles, my pick to win the race, and my pick to win the championship. It is the last edition of my thoughts this year and it is surely going to be a good show today.

1. Will Homestead Be the Final Race for Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte, Ken Schrader, and Jeff Burton in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series?
        Well, a few mainstays in the highest series of NASCAR could be embarking on their final races. Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte, Ken Schrader, and Jeff Burton all do not have a ride next year in the Sprint Cup Series. Will Homestead be the final race for these drivers? Well, we will go one by one and talk about the options. First is Mark Martin. Martin announced a week ago that he would not drive again in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Well, I believe he will race again. The one reason he will race again is because he has never captured victory in the Daytona 500. All he would have to do is make a one off in this race and he could possible grab the victory. That is the only reason I could see him return. The second driver is Bobby Labonte. Labonte was a mainstay with JTG-Daugherty Racing for the past few years, but A.J. Allmendinger took the ride from Labonte for 2014. I also believe that Labonte will run another race in the highest level of the sport. He main reason is he has a lot left in the tank. I mean, he took that sub-par ride with JTG-Daugherty to a few good finishes in the highest series. Plus, he might return to a lower series to win and that would be just as good. The third driver is Ken Schrader. Schrader announced that this would be his last start in the highest series of NASCAR. I am sure that Schrader is serious about this. For one, he probably would have trouble finding a higher up ride at his age. It is sad, but he is getting a bit older and people would rather have a rookie or a younger driver jump in. But it is not over for Schrader. He will continue to run and win some ARCA races and he might come back to race at Eldora in a truck next year. The final driver who might be making his final start in NASCAR's highest series is Jeff Burton. Burton has been a mainstay with Richard Childress Racing the past few years and now he is without a plan for next season. I find it highly unlikely that this will be his final start. The main reason is that he is still competitive in the sport. He can still compete up front and race hard for the lead. With the exception of Schrader, I think that the rest of these drivers will find a way to race again at the highest level of the sport and race competitively again.

2. Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth: Do They Have a Chance For the Title?
        Even with Jimmie Johnson's huge lead in the points, there are still two drivers mathematically left to win the title: Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick. Kenseth is second in points and twenty eight points back while Harvick is third in points and thirty four points back. This leads into my question: are these two guys still left in the battle for the title? Well, Johnson is really dominant and he will not falter unless something crazy happens, but don't count these two out. For one, look at Jimmie Johnson's average finish at the last two races at Homestead. He has an average finish of thirty fourth in the last two races at Homestead including a thirty second place finish last year. Statistics don't decide a champion for sure, but you can't overlook those finishes. I know that stuff happens in races, but today is a race and it can still happen. The second and final reason I think these two guys can jump back in the battle is just their records this year. Kenseth has seven wins thus far this year including two to begin the Chase. Kevin Harvick has four including two thus far in the Chase. These two have great track records this year especially at mile and a half tracks, which is what Homestead is. These records this year could just decide the championship, but these two will have to outlast Jimmie Johnson coming down the stretch.

3. Is Jimmie Johnson Going to Win Eight Championships? If He Does, Will He Be the Greatest Ever?
        Speaking off Jimmie Johnson taking the title, if he does outlast Kenseth and Harvick today, he will take his sixth championship. That means he is one away from Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt and he is two away from becoming the first driver to win eight titles. But, will he win eight championships? I have to believe he will. I mean, it only took him nine full years to take five championships and if he wins his sixth tonight, it would only take him twelve to get his sixth title. That means he would only need two years, at the least, to take eight championships and he is only thirty eight years old. Now, if he goes a few years without a title, it might take him a while to get to eight, but I believe he will. This also brings up another question: will he be the greatest ever if he wins eight? In terms of the knowledge of a person that does not watch NASCAR all the time, he will be. To me, he will never be the greatest ever. When I have kids, I am going to tell them that Richard Petty is the greatest of all time. I don't care if Jimmie Johnson wins ten titles. It does not matter to me because he doesn't have the wins or the humbleness of Petty. Johnson is humble, but he is not Petty humble. That is my opinion and I am sure some Johnson fans don't like me saying that. Personally, I don't care. You can't change that about me. Nonetheless, I will regard Johnson with a lot of respect for his ability to lead this sport in a great way and I applaud him for that.

4. My Pick to Win the Race
         Last week, Kevin Harvick took the win at Phoenix after Carl Edwards ran out of gas. Last time at Homestead, Jeff Gordon walked away with the victory while Brad Keselowski held the trophy high as the 2012 champion. Today, a race will be run and a winner will definitely be crowned, but most importantly, a champion will be crowned. But let us focus on who will have a chance at winning today. I think Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Joey Logano have a good chance at taking the victory today. Notice Jimmie Johnson isn't there. I think Johnson is going to lay back today and just try to finish in the top 10 and not worry about the victory, but the race could change that.

5. My Pick to Win the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship
        Well, here it is. After 35 races from California in the west to Delaware and Florida in the east, only one race remains to crown a champion. Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Kevin Harvick remain the only three drivers left to take the title. If you asked me at the beginning of the season who would win the championship, I would have said Kasey Kahne or Jimmie Johnson. At the beginning of the Chase, I would have said Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, or Kasey Kahne. Now, all that does not matter with only three drivers left. I think with all the circumstances around the race at Homestead I am going to go with Jimmie Johnson to take the title. Johnson has been the best driver of this generation and I think he will continue his legacy at Homestead today. Well, that will do it folks. It is almost time for the offseason after one final race. I hope you guys enjoyed reading through my thoughts this year and if you have any differing opinions on the issues at hand, let me know in the comments down below. I will continue to write for you guys through the end of 2013 and when the season starts in 2014. I hope today's race is a great end to a great season and until we meet again.





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http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/o2r1me766RRynGRuMqpqGg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnascarmarbles/brad-1.jpg

Brad Keselowski Cruises to the Victory at Homestead While Austin Dillon Barely Squeaks By Sam Hornish Jr. to Become the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion

          After going from eleventh to first on the final restart of the race, Brad Keselowski cruised to his seventh NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of 2013. More importantly, Austin Dillon battled a terrible car to a twelfth place finish, which was enough to hand him the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship over Sam Hornish Jr. by only three points. Keselowski had pulled a strategy move early in the race to save a set of tires and these tires propelled him to the victory after he passed all the guys who had not employed this strategy. Dillon hit the wall a couple of times during the day and never had the car perfectly right, but he lasted long enough on the final run of the race to take the championship that he had pretty much lost during the event. Dillon and all his family were able to celebrate a championship at center stage while Sam Hornish Jr. stood on the sidelines and wondered what he did wrong. There wasn't anything he could do and he certainly ran as hard as he could today and every day during the season. The #22 of Roger Penske also locked up the owner's points title by one point with Joey Logano behind the wheel. Four different drivers piloted the car to victory and Logano propelled it to the finish line for the title. Even with all these championship scenarios around the race, it was an amazing race. Cars slipped and slid around the track, slammed the outside and inside wall, employed crazy strategies, and raced three and four wide as much as possible. All in all, the 2013 NNS season ended with a definite bang with a great race and a hard fought battle for the title.

         Austin Dillon entered the race eight points ahead of Sam Hornish Jr., but Hornish was starting on the pole for the fourth time of the year while Dillon was back in eleventh. The race went green and Hornish all ready had the advantage over Dillon as he came around to lead the first lap. The laps began to click by early and Sam Hornish Jr. continued to hold the lead as Dillon started to fall back. Hornish would hold the lead for most of the first run before Kyle Larson passed him on lap 39 for the lead. Hornish began to fall a few positions before the first caution waved on lap 47. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 2. Travis Pastrana received the lucky dog. All the lead lap drivers came to pit road for four tires with Kyle Busch coming out as the leader. The race went back green and the field immediately fanned out three and four wide. Busch held the lead after a short battle with Matt Kenseth. Kenseth would not be denied the lead long as he took it from Busch on lap 54. The race would only go a couple of laps after this before the second caution waved on lap 56. Corey LaJoie made slight contact with Kevin Swindell exiting turn 4. LaJoie drifted down the track and pointed towards the inside wall. He slowed the car down enough to barely make contact with the inside wall. He drove away and continued after his team did some work in the garage. Jeff Green received the lucky dog. A little bit of strategy occurred during the caution. Austin Dillon, Trevor Bayne, and others came down pit road for some fuel while the rest of the leaders stayed on track. Dillon, who was deep in the field anyway while Hornish continued to run well and hold the points lead, felt he needed some more work done. It would be interesting to see if his team could get the car right enough to contend for the win and take the championship home.

        The race went back green and Kyle Busch took the lead from Matt Kenseth after a short battle. Busch would not hold the lead long before Brad Keselowski took it away on lap 66. Just as Keselowski took the lead, the third caution of the race waved on lap 66. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 2. Mike Wallace received the lucky dog. Another bit of strategy occurred during the caution. Ryan Reed, Travis Pastrana, and others at the back of the field pitted while the leaders stayed out. The race went back green and Brad Keselowski held the lead after a battle with Kyle Busch. Keselowski would not hold the lead long as his teammate, Joey Logano, took the lead on lap 83. Logano, who was in control of the #22 leading the owner's points, had the advantage over Kyle Busch for the title at the moment. Logano held the lead until the fourth caution waved on lap 93. Debris was spotted in turn 3 of the track. Jeremy Clements received the lucky dog. All the lead lap drivers came to pit road for four tires with Joey Logano coming out as the leader. Austin Dillon still sat deep in traffic with Sam Hornish Jr. running up front with some other contenders. It would be interesting to see if Dillon could make the championship battle competitive once again. 

        The race went back green and Kyle Busch took the lead from Joey Logano. Busch would hold the lead for a few laps before Logano would charge back up and begin another battle on lap 112. Logano could not take the lead from Busch as Kyle Larson moved into second place. The race would only go a few laps before the fifth caution waved on lap 121. Brad Sweet went high in turn 3 and made contact with the outside wall. He tried to pull off the wall and spun down the track in turn 4. He saved it and did not receive anymore damage other than the wall contact. Johanna Long received the lucky dog. The race deciding strategy occurred during this caution. Brad Keselowski and Parker Kligerman stayed out while Trevor Bayne took fuel only and the rest of the lead lap drivers took four tires. Keselowski, Kligerman, and Bayne now had two sets of tires left while the rest of the lead lap drivers would only have one. It would be interesting to see how this strategy would play out to the finish.

        The race went back green and the drivers who didn't have tires became road blocks. Kyle Larson ran three wide with Parker Kligerman and Joey Logano to take the lead in the race. Larson would hold the lead a few laps before the sixth caution waved on lap 128. Drew Herring and Brian Scott made contact exiting turn 2 and Scott went down towards Kevin Swindell. The two made contact and Swindell soared down the track. He slammed hard into the inside wall and stopped with heavy damage on the apron of the backstretch. Bryan Silas received the lucky dog. The accident scene was cleaned up and the race went back green. Joey Logano was able to pass Kyle Larson for the lead. Logano pulled away from the field and continued to lead as the seventh caution waved on lap 149. Parker Kligerman made contact with the wall in turn 3. He rode around to make it to pit road, but he lost a tire and went around in turn 4. He was able to keep it off the wall and avoid further damage, but he would have to come down pit road to take tires. Dakoda Armstrong received the lucky dog. Another piece of race winning strategy occurred during the caution. Joey Logano, Elliott Sadler, Regan Smith, and others took fuel only while Kyle Larson, Sam Hornish Jr., Austin Dillon, and others took their last set of four tires. Ty Dillon and Travis Pastrana also stayed out. This added to the amount of drivers with one set of tires left for the final stretch of the race, but it also meant the championship contenders didn't have tires left. It would be interesting to see how the championship battle played out.

         The race went back green and Ty Dillon was able to hold the lead after staying out. The race would only go a few more laps before the eighth caution waved on lap 154. Brad Sweet got into the outside wall exiting turn 2 after getting loose and contact with Justin Allgaier. Sweet drove away and went into turn 3. He made more contact with the outside wall and pulled onto pit road with heavy damage. The damage was too much and he would not return to the race. Timmy Hill received the lucky dog. The race went back green and Kyle Larson took the lead from Ty Dillon. Larson would hold the lead a few laps before Kyle Busch took it away on lap 166. Larson would not stay in second long as he passed Busch two laps later. Larson held onto the lead as the ninth caution waved on lap 178. Justin Allgaier got into the wall entering turn 4. He rode the wall out of turn 4 and continued around to turn 2. He lost a tire in turn 2 and spun down the track. He was able to spin and come back around to pit road to replace the tires. Timmy Hill received the lucky dog. The final bit of strategy occurred during the caution. Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, and the rest of the drivers with a set of tires left came to pit road to take four tires while Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., Austin Dillon, and the drivers without another set stayed on track. This left Hornish right in front of Dillon, but Dillon was in control of the title battle. It would be interesting to see if Hornish could get away and take the title or if Dillon could hold on just a few more laps. 

        The race went back green and Kyle Larson held the lead. The drivers with new tires began their charge as the tenth and final caution waved on lap 183. Regan Smith, who was on new tires, went high in turn 4 because he thought he had cleared Jeremy Clements and Mike Wallace. He wasn't and the three made contact. All three piled into the outside wall hard. Clements pulled to the apron with his car on fire, but he got out okay. Mike Wallace drove away and went to the garage. Regan Smith stopped at the top of the track and was able to climb out okay. All three had extremely heavy damage. Jamie Dick received the lucky dog. The clean up began. It seemed to take forever as the pressure mounted with fast cars behind the two championship contenders in Austin Dillon and Sam Hornish Jr. The clean up took twelve laps and finally the run to the checkered flag could be set up.

         Kyle Larson led the field out of turn 4 for the final time under caution and took the final green flag of the season. He took the lead into turn 1, but the drivers with new tires were coming. Around this time, Sam Hornish Jr. stayed ahead of Austin Dillon, but he wasn't far enough in front to take the title. Brad Keselowski motored past and moved to the front of the field as Hornish fell into eighth place and Dillon fell into tenth. With two laps to go, Keselowski passed Larson for the lead. Hornish still sat in eighth with Dillon in tenth as the white flag waved. Hornish could not gain any spots, but Blake Koch passed Dillon in turn 1. The cars behind him could not get by and that is where Dillon would finish. Keselowski crossed the line for the win while Dillon crossed the line for his first championship in the series. Austin Dillon had lasted just long enough to take the championship away from Sam Hornish Jr., but it was definitely closer than he would have liked.

        What a season it was for Austin Dillon and Sam Hornish Jr. Dillon did not capture a victory, but he was consistent all season and handled himself well in the final events. He made sure to keep his contenders behind him and this allowed him to take the championship in the end. It was also a great season for Sam Hornish Jr. Even though he did not take the championship, he still won a race and stayed up front for the entire season. He did make it close in the final race, but he just barely missed out on a chance to take the championship that could put his career back on track. Also, it was a great season for the #22 and #54. A.J. Allmendinger, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Brad Keselowski were the four drivers who piloted the #22 to victory during the season. The four drivers combined for twelve wins including all three of the road course events. This allowed the team to take the owner's title for Roger Penske for the first time. It was not a bad season for the #54 either. Kyle Busch took twelve wins for the team and finished up front in almost every event. He barely lost the owner's points battle, but it still did not detract from his season. Kyle Larson did not capture a win, but he took the rookie of the year award. From his engine laying in the stands at Daytona to his battle with Kyle Busch at Bristol to his almost win at Homestead, Larson had an impressive rookie season that will lead to him making the move to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next season. What a season it was for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. There were crazy wrecks, awesome finishes, great comeback stories, and always a great show lurking at every corner. Next season will be a whole new game with the defending champion leaving. A few questions will also be answered. Will Austin Dillon's brother, Ty, take over for his brother, will Sam Hornish Jr. return and take the title, or will another driver move into title position? We will have to wait until February to start answering these questions and more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 47- Debris was spotted in turn 2 of the track.

2nd Caution: Lap 56- Corey LaJoie made slight contact with the inside wall after contact with Kevin Swindell in turn 4. 

3rd Caution: Lap 66- Debris was spotted on the track in turn 2.

4th Caution: Lap 93- Debris was spotted in turn 3 of the track.

5th Caution: Lap 121- Brad Sweet went high in turn 3 and made contact with the outside wall. He spun out while trying to pull his car off the wall.

6th Caution: Lap 128- Drew Herring and Brian Scott made contact in turn 2 and Scott sent Kevin Swindell sliding into the inside wall on the backstretch. Swindell slammed the inside wall after the contact.

7th Caution: Lap 149- Parker Kligerman made contact with the wall in turn 3 and rode around to make it to pit road, but he lost a tire in turn 4 and spun.

8th Caution: Lap 154- Brad Sweet got into wall exiting turn 2 after contact with Justin Allgaier. He drove into turn 3 and slammed into the wall again.

9th Caution: Lap 178- Justin Allgaier got into the wall exiting turn 4. He rode around and spun after losing a tire in turn 2.

10th Caution: Lap 183- Regan Smith made contact with Jeremy Clements and Mike Wallace after he went up into them exiting turn 4. All three piled into the wall and Clements stopped at the bottom of the track while Smith stopped at the top and Wallace drove to the garage.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: Travis Pastrana 
2nd Caution: Jeff Green
3rd Caution: Mike Wallace
4th Caution: Jeremy Clements
5th Caution: Johanna Long
6th Caution: Bryan Silas
7th Caution: Dakoda Armstrong
8th Caution: Timmy Hill
9th Caution: Timmy Hill
10th Caution: Jamie Dick

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Brad Keselowski
2nd: Kyle Larson
3rd: Kyle Busch
4th: Matt Kenseth
5th: Trevor Bayne

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Joey Logano
8th: Sam Hornish Jr.
12th: Austin Dillon
16th: Elliott Sadler
18th: Travis Pastrana
29th: Regan Smith
32nd: Brian Scott





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/lapbylap/view-all-laps.html?intid=lapbylap_lapbylapleaderboard_08292013
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/live-standings.html
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Ford_EcoBoost_300/B
-Images:
https://twitter.com/NASCAR_NNS/status/401877296975319040/photo/1
https://twitter.com/NASCAR_NNS/status/401881182373019648/photo/1

Kyle Busch Captures the Victory at Homestead While Matt Crafton Grabs His First Career NCWTS Championship

           After holding off a fever of late restarts, Kyle Busch was able to cruise to the win at Homestead. More importantly, Matt Crafton started the race and captured his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. The race went most of the time without cautions, but three green-white-checkereds were needed to finish the event. Kyle Busch held the lead for most of the race, but he had to fight hard for the win in the last few laps. Ryan Blaney made it close in the final lap, but Busch was barely able to hold him off and take the win. During those final few laps, Matt Crafton, who had all ready won the driver's championship, got involved in a wreck with Joey Coulter. Crafton only needed to finish nineteenth to grab the owner's title, but his truck was damaged and he was unable to make it up to that position. Nonetheless, Crafton was able to celebrate his first championship after the race. Even with his wreck, Crafton became the first champion to finish every single lap in a season. That is definitely a major accomplishment for Crafton and one that adds to his great record this year. The final race of 2013 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was definitely one to remember. Contenders were slamming the wall, trucks were slipping and sliding around the track, and drivers were running three and four wide around the turns. All in all, it was a great season for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and one that left us with a brand new champion in the sport.

        Since Matt Crafton made it to the race track and fired up his truck, he automatically captured his first career championship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Even though a champion was crowned, a race still had to be run. Ryan Blaney started on the pole. It was his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pole of 2013. The race went green and the field immediately fanned out as Blaney came around to lead the first lap. Blaney continued to lead early as the first caution waved on lap 5. Debris was spotted at the entrance to turn 3 on the track. No drivers received the lucky dog. None of the leaders came to pit road since it was so early in the event. The race went back green and Johnny Sauter took the lead away from Ryan Blaney. Blaney would not stay in second long as he passed Sauter for the lead on lap 11. Blaney cruised away from the field as the other leaders followed behind him. Blaney would hold the lead until the second caution waved on lap 41. Joey Coulter lost a tire in turn 4 and went around. His truck made the slightest contact with the wall and he slid down the race track. He was able to save it and come to pit road to the attention of his crew. He returned to the race after pit stops with a little bit of damage. Frank Kimmel received the lucky dog. All the lead lap drivers came to pit road for the first time and took four tires with Ryan Blaney coming out as the leader. 

         The race went back green and Ryan Blaney was able to hold the lead. Blaney would not hold the lead long as champion Matt Crafton charged up to the lead on lap 50. Crafton would cruise away from the field, but Blaney chased him back down and took the lead on lap 62. Blaney took the lead just as the third caution waved on lap 63. Darrell Wallace Jr. made contact with the outside wall in turn 4. He lost a tire from the contact and continued to the backstretch where debris fell on the track. Wallace continued to pit road where he came to the attention of his crew. His truck had a good bit of damage, but he could return after some damage was fixed. Joey Coulter received the lucky dog. All the lead lap drivers came to pit road with Kyle Busch coming out as the leader. The race went back green and Busch held onto the lead. Busch would cruise away and hold the lead for a few laps before Ryan Blaney passed him on lap 78. Blaney had the lead once again, but Busch was right behind him. Blaney was smooth sailing before the fourth caution of the race on lap 93 took away his lead and possibly a good finish.

        Coming into turn 3 on lap 93, Blaney moved to the outside line. His truck went a bit too high and slid into the wall. The truck stayed in the wall through turn 4, but Blaney was able to pull it off the wall entering the frontstretch. He had lost the lead and he had a little bit of damage, but he was able to come to pit road and have the damage fixed. Jimmy Weller received the lucky dog. A little bit of strategy occurred during the caution. Ross Chastain took two tires while the rest of the lead lap drivers took four tires. It would be interesting to see if Chastain would be able to stay up front. The race went back green and Kyle Busch immediately passed Chastain. Chastain would only fall to second as the fifth caution waved on lap 101. Spencer Gallagher got loose exiting turn 4. Gallagher tried to save his truck, but he slammed the outside wall as Nelson Piquet Jr. piled into his door. Piquet drove away with heavy damage as Gallagher came to a stop on the apron of the track. Both drivers had too much damage to return to the event. Darrell Wallace Jr. received the lucky dog. None of the leaders came to pit road and the race went back green. Kyle Busch returned to the lead as the field raced behind him. Busch would only hold the lead a few laps before Austin Dillon passed him on lap 113. Dillon and Busch began to battle again and Busch took the lead on the next lap. After this, the two leaders began to exchange the lead every lap before Busch secured the lead on lap 119. Jeb Burton moved into second as only fifteen laps remained. Burton ran hard behind Busch, but it looked like Busch had control as only eight laps remained. Burton gave it one more shot and he made contact with the wall in turn 4 with seven laps to go. Burton fell back as the caution did not wave and Busch continued to lead. All Busch wanted was the race to make it to the finish and he would win, but it wouldn't happen. After earlier contact with the wall, Jeb Burton made contact with the outside wall in turn 3. He lost a tire and rode the wall off of turn 4. He had a good bit of damage and his chance for a win would possibly be lost. This resulted in the sixth caution of the race on lap 130. Mason Mingus received the lucky dog. With this caution, the final bit of strategy could occur.

        Kyle Busch, Brendan Gaughan, German Quiroga, and the rest of the others leaders stayed on track while the lead lap drivers at the back of the field came down pit road. The late caution resulted in the first green-white-checkered of the event and Kyle Busch was out front. The race went green and Busch immediately jumped out to the lead. The field ran three and four wide as they made it to the backstretch. They would not go any farther as the seventh caution waved on lap 136. Matt Crafton got a run on Joey Coulter exiting turn 2. Coulter did not see the move and went up on Crafton. Crafton hit the wall and Coulter rode in front of Crafton's nose. Behind them, Max Gresham bumped Brennan Newberry and Newberry soared down the track. He slammed the inside wall and slid back up the track. He slammed the outside wall and had a ton of damage. Crafton and Coulter drove with a little bit of damage while Newberry remained stopped. Jeff Agnew received the lucky dog. Crafton came to pit road and tried to fix his damage in hopes of winning the owner's title. The damage was fixed a good bit and he returned to the race hoping for a nineteenth place or better finish. The race went back green and Kyle Busch held the lead. The field would not make it past the backstretch again as the eighth and final caution waved on lap 142. Johnny Sauter got loose underneath Ty Dillon exiting turn 2. Sauter slid down the track and pointed towards the inside wall. He was able to spin and make slight contact with the inside wall. Sauter drove away with little damage, but he would have to come to pit road. B.J. McLeod received the lucky dog. Kyle Busch and a few others stayed out behind him and the final run to the checkered flag was set up.

        The field came out of turn 4 for the final time under caution and took the final green flag of the season. Kyle Busch took the lead and Brendan Gaughan moved into second. The field ran three and four wide as Ryan Blaney passed Gaughan for second. The field made it into turn 3, but Austin Dillon and three others got up into the wall coming to the white flag. All four got back going and the caution did not wave. Plus, Matt Crafton was in position to win the owner's points title. This did not affect Kyle Busch as Busch cruised to the white flag. Ryan Blaney ran in his tire tracks through the final four turns and made a move heading to the flag, but Kyle Busch took the win easily. Matt Crafton was unable to hold onto the nineteenth position and Busch took the owner’s points title. Nonetheless, Crafton was the driver's champion and both drivers could celebrate their championships and wins.

         What a season it was for Matt Crafton and Kyle Busch. Crafton took a win early in the season and went through the middle part of the season before he finished outside the top 10. This crazy consistency from Crafton allowed him to cruise to his first championship in the series in thirteen years of trying. It was a very deserving championship for Crafton and one that I was happy to write about. As much as some don't like Kyle Busch, you have to give him a call this year. He took five wins in only eleven starts in the NCWTS and was very dominate even when he wasn't winning. It was also Busch's thirty fifth career NCWTS win, which is getting close to being a record in the series. He has done this for a while now and it may never get old. Ryan Blaney also took an award in the final race as well. Blaney, who hit the wall in the event, motored back to second place to take the rookie of the year honors in the series. Blaney took a win earlier in the year and propelled himself to a great award for himself. What a season it was for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The series had trips to a dirt track, a road course in Canada, and the usual tracks around the country. There were wrecks, spins, crazy wins, and amazing moments. All these things culminated in a great championship win for Matt Crafton in 2013. When the series returns in 2014, we will have a lot of questions ready and we will definitely be ready for a great season. Will Matt Crafton repeat as champion of the NCWTS, will another rookie move up the ranks and take control over the series, or will a current driver in the series return and blister the field? We will have to wait until February to start answering these questions.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 5- Debris was spotted at the entrance to turn 3 on the track.

2nd Caution: Lap 41- Joey Coulter lost a tire in turn 4 and made slight contact with the outside wall. 

3rd Caution: Lap 63- Darrell Wallace Jr. made contact with the wall in turn 4 and left some debris on the backstretch while coming to pit road.

4th Caution: Lap 93- Ryan Blaney went high in turn 3 and made contact with the outside wall. 

5th Caution: Lap 101- Spencer Gallagher broke loose in turn 4 and slammed the outside wall. Nelson Piquet Jr. could not avoid and piled into Gallagher's door. 

6th Caution: Lap 130- Jeb Burton made contact with the wall in turn 3 due to previous contact with the wall. 

7th Caution: Lap 136- Joey Coulter pushed Matt Crafton into the outside wall exiting turn 2 and the two rode the outside wall down the backstretch. Max Gresham bumped Brennan Newberry behind them and Newberry slammed the inside wall.

8th Caution: Lap 142- Johnny Sauter got loose underneath Ty Dillon exiting turn 2 and made slight contact with the inside wall.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: Frank Kimmel
3rd Caution: Joey Coulter
4th Caution: Jimmy Weller
5th Caution: Darrell Wallace Jr.
6th Caution: Mason Mingus
7th Caution: Jeff Agnew
8th Caution: B.J. McLeod

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kyle Busch
2nd: Ryan Blaney
3rd: Jeb Burton
4th: Brendan Gaughan
5th: Ron Hornaday Jr.

Notables Not in Top 5:
13th: James Buescher
14th: Ty Dillon
15th: Darrell Wallace Jr.
16th: Johnny Sauter
20th: Austin Dillon
21st: Matt Crafton
27th: Joey Coulter
31st: Nelson Piquet Jr.




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/camping-world-truck-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/camping-world-truck-series/lapbylap/view-all-laps.html?intid=lapbylap_lapbylapleaderboard_08292013
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/camping-world-truck-series/live-standings.html
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Ford_EcoBoost_200/C
-Images:
https://twitter.com/NASCAR/status/401563248945659904/photo/1
http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/truck/story/_/id/9983261/matt-crafton-wins-nascar-truck-series-championship

Matt Kenseth Takes the Pole at Homestead In Hopes of Taking the Championship From Jimmie Johnson

           With a time of 30.394 seconds (177.667 mph), Matt Kenseth blistered the field and took the pole at Homestead amid a battle with Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick for the Sprint Cup title. Kenseth went out sixteenth and surpassed Kurt Busch for the provisional pole. Harvick and Johnson could not outdo Kenseth to help their chances for the title, but they still remain only a few positions away when the green flag will wave on Sunday. The pole was definitely a good momentum shift for Kenseth. After struggling at Phoenix and losing a lot of points to the championship leader Johnson, Kenseth rectified his mistakes with a pole and, hopefully for his title hopes, a car good enough for a win. Even with Kenseth starting on the pole, Jimmie Johnson looks to be in decent shape to win the title. He has to finish twenty third or better to be the champion and he will start seventh on Sunday. This puts him a good many spots ahead, but he will still have to dodge sure trouble throughout the event. The qualifying session really didn't have any crazy moments or wrecks, but it was still worth watching. All in all, the qualifying session was fairly basic, but it could very well decide who holds the championship trophy after a grueling four hundred miles on Sunday.

        Martin Truex Jr. was the first driver on the track. He was fastest in practice and he ran a qualifying lap similar to his practice time, but it would be interesting to see where he would end up. Truex held onto the provisional pole for a few drivers before Kurt Busch went out sixth and surpassed him. Busch looked to be in control as drivers behind him could not even come close to his laps, but Matt Kenseth went out sixteenth and bashed Busch's provisional pole speed. It was still early and a lot of good drivers were left. Kenseth went until driver number thirty with the provisional pole still in hand, but Kevin Harvick was next. Harvick ran extremely hard, but he fell just short of the pole. Three more drivers went out before Jimmie Johnson came on track to try and defeat Kenseth. Johnson ran hard and tried every line, but Kenseth was just too fast to overcome. Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin then failed after Johnson and only Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski remained with a legitimate shot. Kahne went out fortieth and he looked smooth, but he could not capitalize on a great car. Two drivers passed before Keselowski sailed on track last. He looked extremely smooth through turns 1 and 2 and he sailed down the backstretch. He had the advantage, but his car slid up the track in turns 3 and 4 and he lost all the momentum he had left. He could not surpass Kenseth and Kenseth had his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole of 2013. Kenseth has the highlight of the weekend thus far among the championship contenders, but can he take that momentum to a championship?

        Take a look at these statistics and see if one guy seems like the major threat for the title. Jimmie Johnson has an average finish of thirty fourth in the last two races at Homestead. Kevin Harvick has an an average finish of 7.9 in twelve races at Homestead, which is the best among all drivers. Matt Kenseth has a win at Homestead, but an average finish of 17.6. Jimmie Johnson has never lost a title when leading at the start of the final race and he leads the points now. Kevin Harvick has two wins at mile and a half tracks all ready this year and Homestead is a mile and a half track. Finally, Matt Kenseth has four wins at mile and a half tracks this year and Homestead is a mile and a half track. Do you know who has the advantage? I guess Johnson does in terms of points, but that average finish in the last two races is terrible. Let me tell you: do not think Johnson has automatically won this title. Crazy things have happened at Homestead before and they will definitely happen on Sunday. Also, Matt Kenseth would win the title if it came into a tiebreaker situation. Keep that in mind if Johnson happens to finish just on the cusp of twenty third place. All this leads me to believe that the battle for the 2013 Sprint Cup Championship is still on the line with only one race left. Boy, it is going to be a great finish to a great year.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Top 5 Qualifiers (With Times):
1st: Matt Kenseth      30.394 (177.667 mph)
2nd: Kurt Busch      30.432 (177.445 mph)
3rd: Joey Logano      30.460 (177.282 mph)
4th: Brad Keselowski       30.498 (177.061 mph)
5th: Denny Hamlin      30.535 (176.846 mph)

Notables Not in Top 5 (With Times):
6th: Kevin Harvick      30.568 (176.655 mph)
7th: Jimmie Johnson       30.578 (176.598 mph)
11th: Kyle Busch       30.620 (176.355 mph)
13th: Kasey Kahne       30.629 (176.304 mph)
15th: Ryan Newman       30.729 (175.730 mph)
16th: Greg Biffle       30.736 (175.690 mph)
18th: Carl Edwards      30.781 (175.433 mph)
21st: Dale Earnhardt Jr.      30.796 (175.347 mph)
25th: Clint Bowyer      30.896 (174.780 mph)
26th: Jeff Gordon         30.926 (174.610 mph)

DNQs: None





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-qualification.html#
http://racing-reference.info/getqualify/2013-36/W
-Image:
https://twitter.com/NASCAR/status/401510882821152768/photo/1

My Thoughts: Phoenix

          Well, it is getting down to crunch time for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2013. Only two races remain and only two championship contenders remain. Jimmie Johnson holds the advantage over Matt Kenseth, but is very close. It was even closer before the race at Texas, but Johnson dominated and took the win while Kenseth finished fourth. Now, the two head to Phoenix International Raceway. Johnson holds the advantage at the track over the two drivers, but Kenseth has proven this year his previous statistics don't matter with Joe Gibbs Racing. Take New Hampshire and Martinsville in the Chase for example. Kenseth was absolutely horrendous at the tracks for Roush-Fenway Racing, but he was yards better with Joe Gibbs Racing. He took the win at New Hampshire and took second at Martinsville. I am definitely a stats guy, but this leaves me guessing. Can we take Kenseth's prior track record as the real deal or can he fool us? Will Jimmie Johnson maintain his amazing track record at the final two races or will his track record not matter? I can not answer these questions yet, but I will hope to provide you guys with a little bit of my thoughts. Today's wonderful topics include a driver owing money to the IRS, an automatic winner of the championship, a missed opportunity at Texas for a driver, a discussion of the fight at Phoenix last year and its outcome this year, and the famous part of my thoughts: my pick to win. Go ahead and get your seat ready because this going to be a wild set of my thoughts.

1. Juan Pablo Montoya Owes 2.7 Million Dollars to the IRS; Does This Change the Image of the Sport?
         It wasn't actually huge news this week, but it was pretty odd. Forbes posted an article detailing that Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the number 42 for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing and future driver for Penske Racing in IndyCar, owes 2.7 million dollars to the IRS of the United States. The large debt came from tax fillings between 2007 and 2008 where the Montoyas' said they only made 2.4 million dollars while they actually made 9.5 million dollars. I don't really want to talk about the money owed because it isn't really big news, but it does pose a question. Does this continue to add on the redneck stereotype in NASCAR? Now, hold up before you guys flip out. I don't mean like Montoya himself, but the actual money. I also don't believe the stereotype, but think about it. According to the redneck NASCAR stereotype, all NASCAR fans, drivers, and owners are dirt poor. With this amount of money being thrown around and people not reading the full article, they are going to think the “redneck” owners weren't paying him anything and he was lying about how much he was making. Then, everybody starts believing that everybody is even poorer than they previously believed. Then, you just have a lot of unnecessary junk started about the sport and a lot of NASCAR fans get ticked off from having to deal with it. I know it may sound far fetched, but think about it. Not everything posted on the internet is read in full and a lot of generalizations are made even without full knowledge. Hopefully, this isn't more than a mistake and everything gets back to normal quickly.

2. Can We Go Ahead And Give Jimmie Johnson the 2013 Sprint Cup Championship?
        Well, the margin is close between Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth, but it is still far away considering how good Jimmie Johnson is near the end of the season and how many championships he has. This leads into my question for the topic: can we go ahead and give Johnson the 2013 Sprint Cup championship? I'm sure people are going ahead and giving him the championship, but I'm not. I mean, I know Johnson is good and everything, but let me give some examples of why Kenseth shouldn't be counted out. One reason I mentioned earlier is just how much better he is with Joe Gibbs Racing. His previous track record at races in the Chase was very bleak in terms of him winning the championship. I mean, he was pretty bad at Roush in most of those races, but with JGR he has been amazing. He has won races at tracks he could not even sniff the lead at in races with RFR. That just goes to show that he can't be counted out just because of previous results. A second and final reason is just the luck and mistake factor. Kenseth has had so much luck this year that it is not even funny. I mean, he has come back in races and won where it looked like he had no chance. Plus, his pit crew and his equipment has been some of the best all year long. This is unlike Johnson who has had a fair amount of pit mistakes and bad strategy calls all year long. Indianapolis comes to my head if you guys know what I mean. What do all these examples mean? All this means is that you never count anybody out even when it looks bleak. Matt Kenseth is definitely not out and he is going to surprise us in these final two races.

3. Did Matt Kenseth Miss His Chance at Texas?
        Well, after saying all those good things about Matt Kenseth, I do have one concern. Did he waste his chance to gain on Jimmie Johnson at Texas? Personally, I think he did. Let me recap the race a little bit. Johnson completely dominated by leading the most laps and cruised to the victory over Dale Earnhardt Jr. in second. Kenseth finished fourth, which is not too far back, but it did cost him a few points that he really didn't have to lose. This leads into my reasons why he missed his chance at Texas. One reason is Kenseth's domination at one and a half mile tracks this year. He has a fair amount of wins at mile and a half tracks this year and he has a lot of good finishes. Texas is a mile and a half track and he looked like he would have a good chance to gain points. Jimmie Johnson, on the other hand, had struggled at the tracks. All that changed as Johnson grabbed max points and stretched his points lead a little bit. I just felt Kenseth could have driven up there and raced with him more. He didn't and his finish showed that. A second and final reason is Kenseth's success this year in the Chase. For a time there, Kenseth was the best driver in the Chase. I mean, he had two wins to start the Chase, but he began to lose momentum. He missed some opportunities, but it looked like Texas would be a nice momentum boost. It turned out not to be and he fell in a deep hole in terms of catching Johnson. Like I said earlier, you can not count Kenseth out and he might come back to take the championship from Johnson.

4. Will We See Another Wreck and Fight at Phoenix?
        In case you guys don't recall the craziness between Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer last year at Phoenix, let me recap. Early on in the event, Bowyer made slight contact with Gordon that caused Gordon to sail into the wall. Gordon had huge amounts of damage and he was really angry with Bowyer. As the race neared the end, Bowyer came up on Gordon, who was driving a bit slower than him entering turn 3. Gordon took Bowyer's line entering turn 3 and Bowyer decided to hit the apron. He did that, but Gordon came down and turned him into the outside wall. The two piled into the outside wall and collected Joey Logano. All three had absolutely destroyed race cars and they could not return. Bowyer pulled to the garage where Gordon all ready was. The two teams began pushing and shoving in the garage area while Bowyer ran towards Gordon's hauler. The ensuing shoving match overshadowed the actual race and left a lot of tempers still hurt. My question to you guys is this: will we see another brawl today? You know, we have a good chance. For one, it is the next to last race of the season. Everybody wants to finish the final race of the season, but maybe not the next to last. This means that rivalries built up all year long could be brought back out. This leads into my second and final point which is that we have a rivalry that has built up over the year. Have we heard from Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano lately? These two still haven't completely settled their rivalry that started at Bristol earlier this year and ended up costing Hamlin a few races due to a wreck at Auto Club. Will these two clash and settle their rivalry again? I don't know, but it would definitely be very interesting to see unfold. 

5. My Pick to Win
Last week, Jimmie Johnson dominated and took the win at Texas. Last time at Phoenix, Carl Edwards took his first win of the season in only the second race. Last time at Phoenix in the Chase, Kevin Harvick took the win in a race marred by a couple of huge wrecks. Will those same wrecks happen today? After watching the Truck and Nationwide races this weekend, I think we are definitely in store for some huge wrecks. It should be very interesting to watch and I hope the battle for the championship stays extremely close. Today, I am going with a few different drivers. I think Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Carl Edwards are good picks to win today at Phoenix. I hope you guys enjoyed reading my thoughts. If you have any differing opinions on the issues at hand, let me know with a comment down below. I will be unable to write about the race today, but I will definitely be writing about the finale at Homestead next week. I hope the race is good today and until we meet again.





Credits:
-Image:
http://enahsweb.biz/racingnewsnetwork/files/2012/11/Jeff-Gordon-Wrecks-Clint-Bowyer-At-Phoenix-NASCAR-Cup-Series-A1.jpg

Kyle Busch Dominates and Wins at Phoenix While the Battle For the Championship Stays Close Heading Into the Final Race of the Season

          After starting on the pole and leading one hundred and sixty nine of the two hundred laps at Phoenix, Kyle Busch cruised to his twelfth NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of 2013. After Justin Allgaier held the lead on a rash of restarts, Busch would take the lead from Allgaier on the second to last restart and drive untouched to the checkered flag. It was a completely dominating performance for Busch and one that has not been uncommon for him this season. Brad Keselowski had an odd occurrence during the race. He crashed after contact with Brian Scott and fell deep in the pack. He finished nineteenth, but he lost a lot of points in the owner's championship to Busch. Along with the owner's points battle, the driver's championship heated up. Sam Hornish Jr. struggled for most of the event before Greg Erwin, Hornish's crew chief, kept him out under a caution. This put Hornish up front and he was able to stay there and capture a fifth place finish after running thirteenth for most of the event. He would not gain points on Austin Dillon as Dillon finished third, but he made the advantage manageable heading into the final race of the year at Homestead. With all of this information in mind, the race at Phoenix was definitely one to remember. There were crashes, hard battles, great racing, and a little bit of words exchanged at the finish on pit road. All in all, this race could very well decide just who stands tall with a championship next week in Homestead.

         Kyle Busch started on the pole. It was his tenth NASCAR Nationwide Series pole of 2013. The race went green and Busch cruised around to lead the first lap of the race. As Busch crossed the line to lead lap one, the first caution of the day waved. Eric McClure broke loose in turn 3 while in traffic. He slid up the track and made slight contact with the outside wall. He had a good bit of right rear end damage, but he would be able to continue on in the race. No drivers received the lucky dog since it was so early in the event. The accident scene was cleaned up and the race went back green. Kyle Busch quickly took the lead on the restart and he ran away. The laps began to click by as Busch continued to be the class of the field. After an early caution, the race continued on until the first round of green flag pit stops of the race on lap 76. All the drivers came down pit road and Kyle Busch cycled back to the lead after they were completed. Busch held a nice advantage over the field and he was beginning to run away. Busch's huge lead would be taken away as the second caution of the race waved on lap 105. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 1. Alex Bowman received the lucky dog. A good bit of strategy occurred during the caution. Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Brian Scott, Kevin Harvick, Austin Dillon, and others took two tires, but some decided to take rights while others took lefts. Sam Hornish Jr., who was struggling with his car, was the lone lead lap driver to take four tires. It would be interesting to see which strategy worked to give a driver the win.

         The race went back green and Brad Keselowski made a huge power move on the outside of Kyle Busch to take the lead. Keselowski ran away from the field a little bit, but Busch's car was too good and he sailed past Keselowski on lap 121 for the lead. Ten laps later, the third caution of the race waved on lap 131. Brad Sweet broke loose in turn 2 due to possible brake problems. His car slid around and went up the track. It quickly began to sweep down the track and right in front of Mike Bliss. Somehow, Bliss avoided him and Sweet lazily reached a stop on the apron of the track. He did not have damage and he could continue on. Ryan Reed received the lucky dog. The final pit stops of the race led to the strategy that ultimately affected the outcome. Justin Allgaier, Regan Smith, and Brian Scott took fuel only while Kyle Busch and the rest of the drivers who pitted took two tires. Sam Hornish Jr. and Trevor Bayne decided to stay on track. It would be interesting to see if these drivers could hold onto these top spots and end up with good finishes.

        The race went back green and Justin Allgaier took the lead from Trevor Bayne as a rash of caution flags began to wave with the fourth caution of the race on lap 138. Drew Herring bumped Kevin Swindell entering turn 3. Swindell went for a slide up the track and made slight contact with the outside wall. He had a little bit of damage, but he would be able to continue on. Nelson Piquet Jr. received the lucky dog. The race went back green and Justin Allgaier began to battle with Trevor Bayne as the fifth caution waved on lap 143. Brian Scott got extremely loose in turn 3. He drifted up the track trying to save it and made slight contact with Brad Keselowski. Keselowski went around and backed into the outside wall. Keselowski had a good bit of damage and his owner's points lead was damaged like his car. He made it to pit road and his team made enough repairs so that he could continue. Nelson Piquet Jr. received the lucky dog. The accident scene was once again cleaned up and the race went back green. Justin Allgaier held the lead as the sixth caution waved on lap 149. Jamie Dick bumped Kevin Swindell in turn 3. Swindell went around and backed hard into the outside wall. He drove away with more damage than he had received in his previous wreck and his race would be finished. Brad Keselowski, who had just been involved in an accident, received the lucky dog. The race once again went back green and Kyle Busch took the lead from Justin Allgaier. The race would go a few laps before the seventh and final caution waved on lap 156. Kyle Larson went a little high exiting turn 4. He made contact with the outside wall and lost a right front tire. He drove slowly into turn 1, but he still made contact with the wall and received more damage. He coasted to pit road, but he had a lot of damage and he would fall out of contention. Jeffrey Earnhardt received the lucky dog. Now, the final run to the checkered flag would be set up and it would be interesting to see where the championship contenders ended up.

        The race went back green with about forty laps to go and Kyle Busch held onto the lead. He drove away from the field as Austin Dillon took second, Justin Allgaier took third, Regan Smith took fourth, and Sam Hornish Jr. took fifth. Busch continued to hold the lead as the laps clicked down. Sam Hornish Jr. began to battle hard with Matt Kenseth, but he was doing everything in his power to keep Kenseth out of the top 5. Pretty soon, only ten laps remained with Kyle Busch still holding a comfortable advantage over Austin Dillon. Justin Allgaier began to close on Dillon as only five laps remained. Kyle Busch continued to run away as he had all day and he kept a constant hold on the lead. Finally, Busch took the white flag as Justin Allgaier passed Austin Dillon for second. Dillon would try to pass him back heading into turn 3, but he did not have enough momentum. This did not affect Busch as he cruised to his twelfth NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of 2013 and the sixty third of his career. There was a little discussion on pit road after the race. Austin Dillon talked with Justin Allgaier about the move on the final lap. Dillon felt Allgaier bumped him, but Allgaier felt it was clean racing. The argument did not escalate and Dillon walked away with a third place finish. It was a very gratifying performance for Kyle Busch, but this race could be more memorable for affecting the championship.

        Wow, what a turnaround year it has been for Kyle Busch. After failing to capture a win in the #54 in 2012, he has rallied back to twelve wins, twenty top 5s, and twenty one top 10s in the same exact car in 2013. Plus, he has continued to win races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. It has been a very welcome change for Busch and one that could continue even with only three races left remaining in all three series of NASCAR. Brad Keselowski definitely had a struggle of a day. He had that incident with Brian Scott and lost a lot of points in the owner's points battle as Busch cruised to the victory. Joey Logano returns to the #22 next week and he will look to take the title for Roger Penske and his gang. I want to point you guys to something that could be interesting when the champion is decided at Homestead next week. In the final few laps of the race, Sam Hornish Jr. held off Matt Kenseth and finished fifth. Justin Allgaier was able to pass Austin Dillon on the final lap to take second. That is one point in favor of Hornish and the deficit is only eight instead of nine. What does this have to do with anything? You may recall the 2011 battle for the Sprint Cup title between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards. On the last lap at the penultimate race in Phoenix, Stewart passed Jeff Burton on the final lap to finish third while Edwards finished second. At Homestead, the two eventually tied and Stewart took the title based on a tiebreaker. The two ended up tied just because of that pass Stewart made on the last lap that week before. That pass Justin Allgaier made on Austin Dillon could just decide who wins the championship next week at Homestead. Plus, if the championship came into a tiebreaker situation, Sam Hornish Jr. would take the title based on his win at Las Vegas. I hope that point gets you guys thinking as the NASCAR Nationwide Series heads to the final race of the season next week at Homestead. Will Austin Dillon walk away with his first NASCAR Nationwide Series title as he heads to Cup in 2014 or will Sam Hornish Jr. overtake Dillon and get his career in NASCAR back on track? We will have to wait until next Saturday to have these questions answered and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)





Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 2- Eric McClure got loose in turn 3 and made slight contact with the outside wall.

2nd Caution: Lap 105- Debris was spotted on the track in turn 1.

3rd Caution: Lap 131- Brad Sweet broke loose in turn 2 due to brake problems and slid down the track towards the apron. 

4th Caution: Lap 138- Kevin Swindell made contact with the outside wall in turn 3 after contact with Drew Herring. 

5th Caution: Lap 143- Brad Keselowski backed into the outside wall in turn 3 after Brian Scott made contact with him due to a loose condition.

6th Caution: Lap 149- Kevin Swindell backed hard into the outside wall in turn 3 after contact with Jamie Dick.

7th Caution: Lap 156- Kyle Larson went high exiting turn 4 and made contact with outside wall. He would make further contact in turn 1 after blowing a right front tire.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: Alex Bowman
3rd Caution: Ryan Reed
4th Caution: Nelson Piquet Jr.
5th Caution: Nelson Piquet Jr.
6th Caution: Brad Keselowski
7th Caution: Jeffrey Earnhardt

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kyle Busch
2nd: Justin Allgaier
3rd: Austin Dillon
4th: Regan Smith
5th: Sam Hornish Jr.

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Matt Kenseth
7th: Trevor Bayne
8th: Elliott Sadler
9th: Kevin Harvick
19th: Brad Keselowski
21st: Travis Pastrana
32nd: Kyle Larson




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/lapbylap/view-all-laps.html?intid=lapbylap_lapbylapleaderboard_08292013
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/live-standings.html
http://www.jayski.com/news/nationwide/2013/story/_/page/2013nns-32phoenix#rundown
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_ServiceMaster_200/B
-Image:
http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/nationwide/story/_/id/9953044/kyle-busch-earns-12th-nationwide-series-victory-season