NASCAR Cup Series

Once we get past all the chaos and controversy surrounding Richmond; it becomes apparent that we still have a championship battle to talk about! Thirteen...yes, thirteen racers will battle tooth and nail for the coveted Sprint Cup trophy and they have ten races to get it done.

RICK HENDRICK, OWNER OF HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS, met with media and discussed NASCAR’s rulings following last weekend’s race at Richmond, Jeff Gordon making the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field, his thoughts on sponsors, pressures and expectations, and more.

Roush Fenway Racing (RFR) fans following the team’s 2013 bid for the Sprint Cup Championship on RFR’s social channels are encouraged to use the new #DRIVENfortheChase hashtag when discussing NASCAR’s winningest organization during the 10-race stretch that will decide the 2013 Sprint Cup Champion. The special hashtag is a part of Roush Fenway’s 2013 ‘Driven’ marketing program, designed to showcase the team’s continued dedication and desire to be the best on and off the racetrack.

This past week has been unprecedented and historic for the sport of NASCAR, with the sanctioning body announcing the two major penalties, the first for Michael Waltrip Racing on Monday and then Friday announcing probation for Penske and Front Row Motorsports, as well as the historic placement of a thirteenth driver into the Chase, Jeff Gordon.

What a strange week. Just when I thought NASCAR was handling things right, things go haywire. After the events at Richmond (I won’t go into it—you know the story), I thought the sanctioning body had made some tough decisions in displacing Martin Truex from the Chase and adding Ryan Newman, but what happened today was almost unbelievable.

The eventful NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season has finally come to a close, and we head onto the opening week of the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup this week at Chicagoland Speedway. It has been a fantastic regular season, filled with parody, the broadest spectrum of winners we've ever seen in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and of course drama.

A new leaf has been turned over at Phoenix Racing. With Harry Scott Jr. taking over the ownership duties, the team has new potential. With Scott’s ideas for the team, a more competitive No.51 could be seen on track in the near future. Choosing a driver or drivers will be the first task at hand. The driver pool may not be as big as it was earlier this season though.

As if we thought the fallout from Richmond couldn't get any more bizarre...NASCAR has stunned us with another unprecedented move. They have expanded the...

KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS – QUALIFIED FOURTH - WHERE DID YOU FIND ALL THE SPEED FROM PRACTICE? “I must have had a pretty good car in practice and just didn’t drive it hard enough. Kenny (Francis, crew chief) and the guys made a couple of small changes but nothing big. I looked at some things; they gave me a little information and did a better job there than I had been."

MATT KENSETH, No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Starting Position: 10th How was your car in qualifying? "The car was better than the driver. It had good speed, drove a lot better in practice, so I was encouraged by it. Just didn't get the best lap."