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1. UPS Ending NASCAR Involvement After 2014; Should NASCAR Be Worried?
A piece of interesting sponsorship news came out during the week. UPS announced that the company would withdraw its sponsorship of NASCAR after the 2014 season. If you recall, UPS has been a major sponsor in the sport since 2001 when the company became a full time sponsor of Dale Jarrett. Since Jarrett's retirement, several drivers, including Carl Edwards, have had the sponsor along for a few races, but the company has taken away full time sponsorship in recent years. Plus, the company sponsored some races, but that will also disappear after 2014. This raises a lot of concern for me for the future of NASCAR. For one, a big sponsor like UPS leaving NASCAR is not a good thing. When a sponsor like that leaves the sport, some other new sponsors who are looking to get in the sport look at that and kind of do a double take on this idea. They begin to believe they don't have the funds to make it big and then don't. This leaves teams in very tough spots. I mean, UPS makes some money. I know they have to. It may not be as much as it used to be, but they make some money. But there could be a good outcome to this. Now, we have a big time sponsor leaving so another could jump in and take over. I mean, that would be pretty cool. Think of all the big name brands that don't have a car in NASCAR. Wal-Mart, Apple, Wendy's, and just so many other sponsors that I can't even name at the moment could jump into the world of NASCAR. Just sit on that a minute. Now, losing a big time sponsor in NASCAR definitely isn't good for the future, but we have to look to the positive side and think about all the sponsors who could make their way into the sport.
2. NASCAR Changes Spoiler Height for Daytona; Will This Affect Racing For the Better?
A piece of surprising rule change news came out during the week. NASCAR announced that they had changed the spoiler height at Daytona from 4 inches to 4.5 inches. For you people who don't like math, that is a 0.5 inch change from previous spoiler height last year. Before we start this discussion, I just want to start by saying I am not a mechanical engineer. I know how teams fix cars and I know what is wrong with them while in a race like tight and loose conditions, but I could not tell you how to make the racing better. But I will make a little connection. The best racing we saw in the last decade at superspeedways was during the winged spoiler age. I mean, we did have that great finish in the 2008 Daytona 500 with Kurt Busch pushing Ryan Newman to the finish and, had the 2009 Daytona 500 not been rain shortened, we would have seen one of the best finishes in a while in that race. Plus, you have all the great races at Talladega in those wing years. Now, how high was the wing on that car? I have no idea, but it was more than 4 and a half inches at least. With that, I know just a little spoiler change could help with the racing at superspeedways. Now, it isn't an announced change for Talladega, but, if it goes well at Daytona, we could see this spoiler forever change for the superspeedway races.
3. FAS Lane Racing and Go Green Racing Enter Joint Venture; Will They Make an Impact This Year?
A piece of team news came out during the Christmas week. FAS Lane Racing, owned by Frank Stoddard, announced that they had signed a joint venture to share equipment and funds with Go Green Racing, owned by Archie St. Hilaire. If you recall, FAS Lane Racing has been running the number 32 the past few seasons in Cup with drivers like Timmy Hill, Terry Labonte, and Ken Schrader. Go Green Racing has been running full season Nationwide competition the past few years with drivers like Jeffrey Earnhardt, most recently. I believe Go Green Racing was also part of the backing for Paulie Harraka to make his Cup debut at Sonoma in 2013, but do not quote me as saying that. Now, this raises one question in my mind. Can they make an impact this year? I certainly think they can make an impact. Listen, though, they won't be running up front every week. I mean, that is a given. But look at those superspeedway races. For years, those have been called the ultimate equalizer. And they really and truly are. Terry Labonte, who has been racing the superspeedway races for FAS Lane recently, has been just a little bit short of winning the races. He has always been in the top group heading into the final run, but he just doesn't have that extra boost. Now, we have these two teams with a little more funding between them. That could very well give them the win in the future in the races at big tracks. All in all, this move will not make national news at this moment, but they might surprise everybody in this coming year.
4. Jimmie Johnson Third in Voting For Male Athlete of the Year; Why So Low?
Results for a prestigious award in sports came out during the week. It was announced that LeBron James was awarded the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year Award with Peyton Manning coming in second and our NASCAR champion, Jimmie Johnson, coming in third. If you recall, Johnson has won this award once in the past after his third championship. I am kind of puzzled about these results. I mean, Jimmie Johnson just won his sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. Let us take a tally of how many LeBron James and Peyton Manning have. James has two and Manning only has one at the moment. Jimmie Johnson has double that. I mean, Johnson was winning the award when he had only a couple of titles, but he can't win the award when he is close to passing the greatest in our sport in Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Richard Petty? I just don't understand sports. Some of this might be a result of Donovan McNabb saying Johnson wasn't an athlete and it might very well be. Plus, you have these guys doing sports shows who have absolutely no idea about anything except for what is put on their teleprompter. Well, that is a different argument for a different day. Still, it just doesn't make sense why some of these thick skulled reporters are so biased, but I guess that is what we have had to deal with for some time now. It seems weird defending Jimmie Johnson's status, but he is one of the greatest ever and I feel like he deserves more respect in the world of sports
5. Will We See a New Sprint Cup Champion in 2014?
Sometimes, when I am sitting down thinking about NASCAR, questions pop into my head. Occasionally, I put them into my thoughts and talk about them, but it has been a while since I put one in. When I was sitting down last night coming up with topics this week, this question popped into my mind: will we see a new Sprint Cup Series champion in 2014? I kind of wanted to wait on this one for closer to the start of the season, but I have some ideas already for this question and I can't wait. I personally believe we will see a new champion in 2014. Now, let me define a new champion. A new champion is a driver who hasn't won the title at all in their Sprint Cup careers. Now, this could be a very outlandish jump to think that someone other than Jimmie Johnson could win the title in 2014. I know it seems odd, but think about it like this. We have Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., and so many other drivers who have never won a title and have a great chance in 2014. Plus, some of these guys are just a few good finishes away from taking the title. Now, you have the other side of the coin with great drivers like Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, and others who have won the title and definitely want to win another in 2014. Still, with all evidence I have seen, I fully believe we will see a brand new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion in 2014. In only eleven months, we will know for completely sure.
Well, week six of the offseason has ended without a huge amount of craziness. Some news came out here and there, but it was a rather calm week. But we are only two weeks away from PreSeason Thunder and I hope to give you guys as much coverage as possible for the first time cars head on the track in 2014. I thank you guys for reading though my thoughts for another week. If you have any differing opinions on the issues at hand, please let me know in the comments down below. I got really busy this last week so I was unable to do Flashback Friday, but I have some in the waiting and it will continue on like usual. Plus, the 2013 NASCAR Season Recap will be up before I go back to school next Monday. I promise that and I hope you guys are pleased with it. Well, that about does it for me today and until we meet again.
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