NASCAR Cup Series

Going into this upcoming Sprint Cup Series season, one of the big storylines was the number of rookies. With Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson, Justin Allgaier and Parker Kligerman all set to compete for rookie of the year, the ROTY battle will be one to watch. Well, the crop just got bigger.

The sports world is much different today than it was 20 years ago. The events themselves haven’t changed much, but the culture surrounding sports has. Professional sports are no longer just about what happens on the playing field.

Phoenix Racing announced today that Justin Allgaier will be the driver of the No. 51 BRANDT Chevrolet SS during the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Allgaier, who finished fifth in the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship points, will be a candidate for the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award.

Love's Travel Stops will significantly broaden its partnership with Front Row Motorsports in 2014, partnering with the Sprint Cup Series team for 14 races on David Gilliland's No. 38 Ford. Fans will first see the return of the bright yellow, red and black paint scheme at the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

Playoffs. As exciting as they might be from time to time, they are simply a gimmick to keep interested those who are not all that interested in the first place. Still, as long as they do not go beyond the pale, to be too stupid in presenting their post-season tournament, they can create a measure of excitement.

Paralympic athlete Blake Leeper, known as the “American Blade Runner,” will serve as Honorary Race Official for the 56th annual Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Feb. 23 at Daytona International Speedway (FOX, 1 p.m. ET).

There has been a lot of speculation recently that indicates some highly significant and sweeping changes could be coming regarding the points format used for NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. The first indication of these changes came right after the arrival of the new year and stemmed from comments made by NASCAR Chairman Brian France during an interview with the "Motor Racing Network."

Have you ever found yourself sitting in the grandstand, at a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, wondering what it would be like to drive around one of those massive speedways? Even just the opportunity to drive your personal street car around one of these tracks would be a genuine thrill and a great story for the Monday morning water cooler when you returned to work.

According to various sources, including the Charlotte Observer’s Jim Utter, NASCAR’s plan for the 2014 Chase is taking shape and it will have a new format. According to these sources, 16 teams would make the Chase with positions going to full-time participants who won a race during the season of 25 races.

Jeff Gordon’s 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup car will make its Canadian debut in the Canadian Motor Speedway display at the Canadian Motorsports Expo. The 8th annual CME takes place February 7, 8 & 9 at Toronto’s International Centre.