[media-credit name=”Wesley Hitt/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″]
[/media-credit]With the Camping World Truck Series and Sprint Cup Series heading to the 2 mile Michigan International Speedway and the Nationwide Series at the road course of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, there are many headlines to watch as the championship picture is becoming more and more relevant each weekend.
The following is a list of five things to look for as NASCAR heads to Michigan and Montreal:
Tires:
After a tire concern in June when NASCAR changed the tire combination mid-weekend at Michigan and added an additional practice session for the Sprint Cup Series, Goodyear is more prepared with a slightly different tire compound this weekend.
After a tire confirmation test just weeks ago, many drivers, team members and even Goodyear have expressed pleasure and satisfaction with the tire selection for this weekend.
Still, with the freshly-paved surface and cool temperatures forecasted for this weekend, the speeds will be extremely high, testing the drivers, setups and tires.
Jacques Villeneuve is back:
The last time Jacques Villeneuve participated in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race, he did not please many people. Most notably, the part time driver was involved in an incident at Road America that spun Danica Patrick, angering her and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. With that moment receiving much attention, this has not been the only occurrence for the driver – he has been involved in these types of happenings for a few years.
With Villeneuve back in his home race this weekend with a Penske Racing ride, many will be watching to see if he will continue to anger more drivers this weekend – or if someone repays the favor.
When Jacques Villeneuve is in the running, anything can happen.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. returns to Michigan:
After winning the June race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will return to the Michigan International Speedway after two consecutive rough races for the driver – finishing off the lead lap in both Pocono (32nd) and Watkins Glen (28th).
With Earnhardt falling to fourth in the points from the top position and critics questioning the true strength of the 88 car, perhaps this will be the team’s true test this weekend. After winning the June race by a huge gap and after leading the most laps of any driver in the event, it would make many think NASCAR’s most popular driver has an advantage going into this weekend.
However, with a new tire compound and perhaps less grip in the track which may have aged some through the summer months, competition could have changed just enough to hurt Earnhardt.
Wild Card and Chase clinch scenarios:
With the Chase for the Sprint Cup nearing – just four races away – the wild card race has become very important and very complex.
With multiple drivers eligible for the two coveted positions to get into NASCAR’s playoff system, it will be an intense battle all the way to the final regular season race in Richmond to decide the lineup for the final ten races.
With this race to the Chase being a highly covered one, the drivers atop of the championship standings also find themselves in a position to lock into the playoff system.
With drivers creating a large gap in the win and point column ahead of top ten outsiders, the possibility of locking into the Chase is looming for the Michigan weekend.
The drivers of Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski all have an opportunity to lock themselves into the Chase, either by points or by wins. While some of these drivers have a better shot than others, this will certainly be something to keep an eye on in the Irish Hills of Michigan.
Silly Season:
While it may not have much to do with the on track performance this weekend, Silly Season is in full swing and the next domino could fall at any time.
With many drivers in the rumor mill of where they will end up for the 2013 season and beyond, the garage talk will be hefty this weekend.
What the next storyline or rumor will be is unknown, but during the Michigan weekend, there is potential for some answers – or more questions – about 2013.
