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1. Jeff Burton Running Limited Schedule Next Season For MWR; How Will He Do?
A good bit of news came out for Jeff Burton this week. First, it was announced that he would run a partial schedule with Michael Waltrip Racing next season and help test for the team. If you recall, Burton said at the end of this year that he was slowing down in the sport after driving for Richard Childress Racing the past few years along with Roush-Fenway Racing before that. Previously, MWR had three full time cars, but they are now scaling to two full time and one part time, mostly because of the Richmond controversy. I do have one question to discuss with Burton running a limited schedule next year. How will he fare in a different situation than he has previously faced? I think Burton will do great in his new ride. The main reason is just the prowess and abilities Jeff Burton still has left. Yes, Burton is not the youngest guy in the field, but he still can race. I mean, he had some great runs in 2013 and had a couple of chances for wins. Granted, he was in RCR equipment, but I believe MWR could have better equipment. Just look at Mark Martin's success the past few years with the team. He ran extremely well most of the time and even had a few chances to win some races. I believe Jeff Burton will have the same opportunity as Martin and it will be fun to see how he excels next year in possibly his last season in NASCAR.
2. Rick Allen and Jeff Burton Named Broadcasters For NASCAR On NBC in 2015; How Will They Do?
A second piece of news came out for Jeff Burton during the week. It was announced that he would be one of the broadcasters for NASCAR on NBC in 2015 alongside the current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series broadcaster, Rick Allen. Allen has been a mainstay with SPEED and now FOX Sports 1 for years now, but he will transition to NBC and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series along with the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Burton has been a full time driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for years now and his career is winding down into covering NASCAR's biggest series on NBC. This move does raise some questions in my mind. How will this duo, or possibly a trio, work to cover NASCAR? I believe they will do great. I have been pushing for Rick Allen to cover a higher NASCAR series for years and this move will greatly benefit any network because he does a great job. With Burton, you get a guy who isn't afraid to talk on camera and he has a vast knowledge of the sport. He will be a great asset to Allen in the booth and NASCAR coverage will continue to pick up in terms of action. Now, the question remains if they will have a third person in the group for their coverage. I tell you, I would like to see Mark Martin join the group. I know that probably won't happen because they will look for a crew chief to be the third person, but I wouldn't bet on them not taking a look at Martin. Either way, I think NASCAR coverage on NBC is looking good for the future.
3. Swan Racing Expanding to Two Teams; Is That A Smart Decision?
A little piece of surprising news came out during the week. Swan Racing announced that they would expand to two teams instead of having the single team they had this year. Last year, they began the season with David Stremme as the driver, but Parker Kligerman and Cole Whitt will man the two cars for Swan Racing in 2014. At the end of last year, Swan Racing tested a few drivers and decided that Kligerman and Whitt were the best for the job. Kligerman and Whitt did good jobs last season for the team, but I do have a question about this move. Is it worth the risk for Swan Racing to expand to two teams? I personally say it is worth it. Think about it. Swan Racing is becoming one of the better small teams in the sport. I mean, they ran every single lap they could last year and ended up with decent finishes. That mind set is great for a small team like this and a second car could just add to how well they could do. Plus, they have two of the best up and coming drivers, in my opinion, in the sport with Whitt and Kligerman. I have been a fan of these two for a couple of years now and they have the talent to exceed in all aspects of the sport. All in all, I think this move is a great one for Swan Racing and we could be talking about them as a great team in the future.
4. Josh Wise Moving to Phil Parsons Racing Next Year; Will He Ever Get A Legitimate Shot at NASCAR?
A piece of driver moving to another team news came out during the week. It was announced that Josh Wise would move to the #98 at Phil Parsons Racing. Last year, Wise drove for Front Row Motorsports, but he left the team and headed to PPR. Michael McDowell drove the #98 last season, but he made the move to Leavine-Family Racing to drive the #95 next season. This move for Wise raised a question for me. Will he ever get a legitimate shot at racing in Cup in NASCAR? I don't believe he will. Now, this is no knock to Phil Parsons and his team. They do the best they can with the equipment they have, but it just doesn't cut it. I will never call a start and park team a legitimate team. That is just a fact to me. Now, I hope Wise does get a legitimate ride. Wise can drive a race car and he has just never received that perfect opportunity in Cup. Hey, Phil Parsons may surprise me next year and go out and let Wise race, but I would be extremely surprised if that happened. Nonetheless, I wish Josh Wise well in his future endeavors with Phil Parsons Racing and everything past that.
5. Richard Childress to Announce 2014 Plans Next Week; Will Austin Dillon Drive the Number 3 As A Rookie Next Season?
The Austin Dillon in Cup saga continued to build this week. Richard Childress announced that he would make his 2014 plans known next week. Yes, we all ready know most of everything. We know Ryan Newman will take over for Jeff Burton in the #31. We know Paul Menard will continue his run with Richard Childress in the #27. But there is that one car left. We know for a pretty much fact that Austin Dillon will run for the Sprint Cup Series rookie of the year award next year, but will he drive the famous number 3? I believe he will. I mean, it is time. The number 3 hasn't been used since 2001 when Dale Earnhardt lost his life in a crash in the Daytona 500. I think Earnhardt would want it to be raced. If you think about it, it doesn't help the number to not be raced. I think it takes away from the legend a little bit if someone isn't driving it. But some are more concerned with who drives the car. Austin Dillon deserves to drive the car. I mean, he has proven that he has a very bright future in the sport and he will definitely not disgrace the number 3. When it comes down for Austin Dillon to retire, I am sure the number 3 will end up being even more legendary than it all ready is.
That brings week #3 of the 2013 offseason to a complete close. It was definitely a crazy week with a lot of team news, driver news, and a lot of fun in Las Vegas for the teams. These next few weeks should be pretty calm, but as we get closer to the start of the season, craziness should ensue all the way up until the green flag waves at Daytona in February. I thank you guys once again for reading my thoughts. If you have any differing opinions on the issues I discussed, let me know in the comments down below. I am still working on a few Flashback Fridays and the season recap is coming along well. I should have it completed sometime around Christmas. I will leave you guys today and until we meet again.
Credits:
-Image:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Daytona_International_Speedway_2011.jpg
-2013 NASCAR After The Lap Replay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmef-boPXPA
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