The 2008 Chase Heads to Martinsville
Posted by GEORGE October 16, 2008 10:20:31 AM
As The Chase heads into the second half of the ten-race season, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Martinsville Raceway for the TUMS QuikPak 500. At .526 miles, Martinsville is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Exciting racing is in store from the paperclip-shaped track with 12 degrees of banking in the turns.
A points change is certainly in the cards this weekend. If one of the drivers below third place is going to make a serious move, it about has to happen at Martinsville. After this weekend, NASCAR heads to Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead. The chance of a major move are more likely to occur at Martinsville.
It took five Chase races for drivers who were just out of the running to get where they are, so shouldn't it take five races to get back to where they started? Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton, and Greg Biffle will have something to say about that.
I hear Ray Evernham is about to bail out of Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Evernham owns only 20 percent of the business, and he has weaned himself from many of the operating decisions. Reasons abound, such as; Evernham likes the broadcast booth, and he wants more "retirement" time. Here's what I think: It's a pretty safe bet that George Gillett is ditching Dodge and going with Toyota next year, and Evernham has said there are decisions being made with which he is not involved, nor does he want to be.
According to Kyle Petty, if he gets to race next year, it will be for Petty Enterprises. Petty is scheduled to compete at Phoenix this year, but as of now, Petty Enterprises has no plans to put him in a car in 2009. CEO David Zucker says there will be two main drivers for Petty Enterprises next season, and Kyle Petty will not be one of them. Petty has a six-race commitment to TNT for the 2009 NASCAR season, but says he would also like to drive some races.
Robert from Goldsboro, North Carolina, the heart of NASCAR country, asks, "Is there anything about The Chase that you would change if you could?" I'm a fan of The Chase format, and as far as I'm concerned, it's good the way it is. It's certainly a lot better than having the winner of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship locked-in prior to September. If I had to change anything, it would possibly be where The Chase races take place. It would be interesting to see each type of race track represented in The Chase. So I might put a road course race in the last ten races.
I enjoy hearing from you whether you're a diehard NASCAR fan or not. I love "talking a little NASCAR" and hearing your point of view. So keep those questions and comments coming!
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