Looking Back at NASCAR’s 2013

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December 30, 2013

field_start_mvile2_getty — Credit: Chris Trotman/NASCAR via Getty Images

Looking back at the 2013 season, NASCAR had the usual ups and downs but this year would be different. NASCAR unveiled its new GEN-6 car to mixed reviews and fans waiting to see what this new car would bring to actual racing.

It started with the horrific wreck during the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) season opener at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). Unfortunately, we watched the same scene played out at most restrictor plate tracks like Daytona, only this time when the “big one” happened the fence didn’t hold and fans were hurt, some seriously. Everyone waited and listened the rest of the day for updates on those injured and looked back in amazement that the car of Kyle Larson, which had hit the fence, was destroyed, yet he walked away.

The next day at the Daytona 500 we all waited and watched, held our breath and prayed that the scene the day before would not repeat itself and thankfully it didn’t. The 55th running of the Daytona 500 went off without any major issues with Jimmie Johnson in his 400th start taking the prize. That perhaps was a sign of the year to come.

It was the fifth race of the season in Fontana, California that Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin got together with six laps to go and ended up wrecking each other. Denny Hamlin suffered a compression fracture in his back that most thought would sideline the driver for the season. But Hamlin worked hard at his recovery and was able to return to race at Talladega.

Talladega was a rainy day and eventually the race was red flagged due to the rain. The red flag was three hours and 36 minutes long and darkness had started to fall but with the rain stopped, NASCAR made the decision to go ahead and race. A late race caution bunched the field up with 20 to go. By this time the skies were even darker and the “big one” happened sending Kurt Busch flipping and landing on top of Ryan Newman’s car. In all 14 cars were involved and Newman went on to criticize NASCAR for continuing the race in the dark.

It was at Iowa Speedway where Tony Stewart crashed hard into a car that spun in front of him. Stewart was taken to the hospital where it was determined by doctors that he had broken both his tibia and fibula in his lower right leg. Stewart would be sidelined for the rest of the season, after undergoing several surgeries and then physical therapy, so that he would be ready for the 2014 season.

There was a lot of hype over Danica Patrick joining the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) for the 2013 season. There was a lot of expectation put on her but she was still a rookie and ended up with a best finish of 8th, her only top-10 finish, which came in the Daytona 500 where she had also won the pole. Her boyfriend, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, competed with Patrick for Rookie of the Year in which Stenhouse took home the prize.

Jamie McMurray won at Talladega, his second at that track, and his seventh win overall in his NSCS career. The win snapped a 108 winless streak for McMurray.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. would see the 2013 season close without a win. But it was a consistent season overall and he ended up fifth in the series standings.

We had the announcement that Mark Martin had decided to retire along with Ken Schrader. Martin ended a long career with NASCAR starting in 1981 in North Wilkesboro and giving him a career with 40 wins, 453 top 10′s and 56 poles. Schrader started his career in 1984 in Nashville and went on to have four wins, 184 top 10′s, and 23 poles. NASCAR will not be the same without these drivers and they will both be missed in 2014.

To everyone’s astonishment we also had what was dubbed “Spingate” which was Michael Waltrip Racing’s (MWR) attempt to manipulate the chase for the championship. This not only marred MWR but their reputation was further damaged by Clint Bowyer who is believed to have spun to cause a caution in order to get a teammate into the chase. These issues actually made NASCAR add a 13th spot to the chase, to the benefit of Jeff Gordon being that 13th driver. This put another mark on NASCAR for adding the 13th spot but with the chase outcome in question, it was the only course of action NASCAR could see to attempt to right what MWR had attempted to change. The biggest loser in that whole deal was Martin Truex Jr. who had done no wrong but paid a penalty all the same.

Matt Kenseth probably had one of his best years of his career and in the end was truly the only driver in contention with Johnson to take home the big prize. Kevin Harvick, having a good run of his own, was unable to catch Kenseth and Johnson. Kenseth did everything he could and came out strong at the end but it was Johnson who would bring home the 2013 Sprint Cup Series trophy, the sixth of his career, making him at the moment the only driver with the chance to tie or surpass Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt’s seven championships.

When we look back on the year there were tragedies as well.

On June 12th 2013 on a Wednesday night we heard of a serious crash at Bridgeport Speedway involving former NASCAR driver Jason Leffler in a Sprint car. We would find out later that Jason “LEFturn” Leffler had died from the injuries that he sustained in the accident. He left behind one son, five year old Charlie. The biggest tragedy of all is learning that if Sprint cars used the same neck restraints as NASCAR does, he may have survived the accident.

It was May 16th that I learned of the death of my friend, Richard Leroy Trickle, aka Dick Trickle; he had taken his own life after years of struggling with chronic pain. He had raced in NASCAR becoming the oldest Rookie of the Year at age 48 in 1989. He was best known for his career in the Midwest. Known best as “the White Knight,” it is estimated that he ran well over 2,200 races in his Midwest short track career and his many loyal fans will remember not how he died, but how he lived. He will be remembered wearing snakeskin boots, a cigarette in one hand, and a cup of coffee or barley pop (beer) in the other, signing autographs and even going down to his knees to be eye level with children who wanted an autograph.

With a new season beginning, questions remain to be answered.

What will the 2014 NASCAR season bring?
Which rookie will come out on top, maybe Kyle Larson or perhaps Parker Kligerman?
Who will win their first race this season?
Will Austin Dillon, driving the number three, live up to the expectations of fans that are waiting to see if he will do the number three proud?
Who will take it all? Matt Kenseth or maybe it will be Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s breakout year, or will it be Jimmie Johnson again, tying that seventh championship.
What new rivalries will form, and what old rivalries will manage to put it behind them?

Hopefully in 2014 there will be no injuries or tragedies as we’ve seen this year. Perhaps it will be NASCAR’s best year yet. We won’t have to wait long as it’s right around the corner!

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: The NASCAR Nationwide Series Edition

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SM Staff

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December 29, 2013

Certainly one the focal points surrounding the second tier of NASCAR’s national touring series involves the marketing department’s ability to locate a new title sponsor. Nationwide Insurance announced in recent months that they will not be renewing their contract which concludes at the end of the 2014 season. There have been reports indicating that there is a short list of potential replacements with the estimated cost of the package being somewhere between $12 to $15 per year.

A RATHER SURPRISING DRIVER CHANGE

In a totally unexpected move, that no one saw coming, James Buescher will be leaving Turner Scott Motorsports to join team owner Rick Ware and his RAB Racing organization. The move was confirmed by a mid December press release that said:

“RAB Racing announced that they have signed 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion James Buescher to a multi-year deal to compete full time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Buescher has competed full time in the NCWTS for the past three seasons and has recorded one championship and two third-place finishes in the drivers’ championship standings. Buescher will have veteran crew chief Chris Rice on top of the pit box for the 2014 season. In 2013 Rice, lead the #99 Toyota Camry to two poles, two top-5 finishes, and six top-10 finishes. Sponsorship details for Buescher and RAB Racing will be announced in the near future.”

At literally the same time, TSM issued a prepared statement saying they had agreed to release Buescher from his contract obligations which allowed him to make the move. Again, this decision was regarded by many as being very surprising. Buescher had a stellar 2013 season with TSM that included two wins, four top five finishes and 14 top ten finishes while finishing third in the final championship standings.

Buescher indicated that a large part of his decision to switch teams involved RAB Racing’s strong ties to Toyota and the Toyota Racing Development engine program. He later referred to that as being major factors that were in the best interest of his professional future in NASCAR.

The really interesting aspect to this story actually had nothing to do with the on track process of taking care of business. It was the element of family. Steve Turner, one of the principal partners in TSM, is Buescher’s father in law. In an interview, Buescher said “all parties worked diligently to separate business from family.”

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IT’S ALL GOOD NEWS FOR LANDON CASSILL

As in the case of 2013, driver Landon Cassill will be campaigning rides in NASCAR’s Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. On the Nationwide Series side of the garage, Cassill will drive the JD Motorsports with Gary Keller lead car – the #4 G&K Services Chevy – for the 2014 Nationwide Series season. Team owner Johnny Davis made the announcement and said the team looks to make progress in Cassill’s second season working with the group. Cassill will replace veteran Mike Wallace as the team’s lead driver.

Davis plans to run a second car with at least a part-time Nationwide schedule, and Canadian driver Daryl Harr will fill that spot. Other opportunities for races in the second car will be available as sponsorship allows.

Minnesota-based G&K Services will return as a key sponsor for JD Motorsports and the 4 car. Veteran crew chief Dave Fuge, who joined the team during the 2013 season, will be Cassill’s crew chief.

On the Sprint Cup side of the NASCAR garage, the Cedar Rapids-Iowa driver will return to Circle Sport Racing’s #33 Chevrolet, a collaborative effort with Richard Childress Racing, in addition to the full time campaign with the #4 car for JD Motorsports in Nationwide.

Logistical issues with Cup commitments may cause him to miss a few Nationwide races. He ran 33 of the 36 races in 2013 for Circle Sport in Cup, and 23 of the 30 races in a separate entry for JD Motorsports in Nationwide. ” (Running both series) keeps me on the racetrack, it’ s more opportunities for me to show my skills to potential sponsors”, Cassill said. ” It’ s really valuable for me to be running in both series every weekend”.

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VETERAN CARL LONG TO RETURN WITH A DODGE

NASCAR veteran Carl Long announced plans to return full time to the Nationwide Series in Dodges owned by a collaborative of business investors, according to a post on his website.

“I am putting my own team back on the track in 2014. I This effort will be a combination of people. First is Gregg Mixon and partner, they have purchased two Penske Dodges so far. I have different people who have helped me attain 3 more Penske Dodges. JC Blum owns one car at moment, and plans are being made for him. John Carter, owner of the #37 and #08 cup cars I drove a few years ago, has contributed with parts to help me with Daytona. Chuck Friedel owner of #54 nationwide car I raced at Dover some years ago has made the purchase of Penske Dodges possible. Chuck and his wife Joan have been supporting my racing effort for the last few years. Although limited, we now will be able to put all stuff together. I have a purchase pending of a Toyota team equipment.

I have a few drivers that may work through us to on their own car and race under our banner. Otherwise, myself and Matt Carter will do S&P, [start and park], to make payroll while we look for sponsors and develop the team. We will be using Penske engines and looking at different locations for the shop. If a funded driver is available to race, Matt will do the S&P and I will get out of the seat. Hope to give a formal announcement in weeks ahead.”

NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: Tony Stewart and his midget race cars hit the road

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SM Staff

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December 29, 2013

Subway Fresh Fit 500 - Practice — Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Nascar via Getty Images

Every fan of NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart is well aware that he entered into the world of team ownership long before he became a partner in Stewart-Haas Racing, the home of his #14 Sprint Cup Chevrolet. That venture was, of course, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR), an ultra successful sprint car racing operation that has garnered their fair share of checkered flags at dirt tracks all across the country. Many of those feature wins were created with Stewart himself sitting behind the wheel.

Stewart spent the final weekend of 2013 at Expo Hall, located inside of the Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Tony Stewart Racing had two midget sprints, named “The Munchkin,” entered in the 16th Annual Rumble In Fort Wayne, an indoor midget dirt race. Still recuperating from injuries sustained in a sprint car accident last August, Stewart was in Fort Wayne as a team owner but not a driver. TSR entered two “Munchkin” midgets entered in the race for drivers Mike Fedorcak and Lou Cicconi, the 2013 International Super Modified Association champion.

The December 28th event was named was named “A Salute To Tony Stewart” in honor of his devotion to short track racing according to event organizer Tony Barhorst who said: “Throughout the history of major sports, it is extremely rare for a three-time champion to return to the roots of where they started,” he said. “This is a chance for us to thank Tony for coming back to short track races and not forgetting where he came from”.

During the open wheel dirt track portion of this stellar career Stewart collected nine feature wins at the Fort Wayne one-sixth mile indoor dirt track. He described his appearance at the 2013 Rumble In Fort Wayne as being a homecoming and added: “I really enjoy competing up in Fort Wayne and having a chance to run the Munchkin, so not being in the car this year is a bit different for me, but I’m still looking forward to it. Lou Cicconi is going to run the car this year, and it’s going to be fun to spend time with him and watch him race. The Rumble event is a great time for me and the team. We get to see a lot of people that we might only see once or twice a year. It’s also nice that some of my family can make the drive up for this event.”

Every Stewart fan on the planet understands why another driver was not behind the wheel of his car. Stewart is still recuperating from a serious sprint car racing accident that occurred last August. The result of that unfortunate incident was a broken leg that required three surgeries and months of intensive physical therapy.

During the course of his Indiana visit, Stewart met with the media to update the status of his projected return to the driver’s seat in February. In comments made to the “Fort Wayne Journal Gazette”, he said: “You know, when I first got hurt, I was hurt bad enough that it didn’ t really feel like that I had that sense that I was missing it. But now that I’ m closer to being healed, and ready to go, the more anxious I am to be in the car. But, I’ ve got a good friend of mine that’ s going to drive the car, and you know, to me, I still get to go. I still get to compete as a car owner. So I m still looking forward to it and, come February, to getting back in the car again”. Stewart also noted that he was very pleased with the progress of his very intense physical therapy program and said: ” I’ d say the last three weeks in particular in therapy we re really making big gains. So I m pretty happy with it”.

Taking Care of Business: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Edition

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SM Staff

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December 29, 2013

field_atl_getty — Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

From important reminders regarding New Year’s Eve safety, new spoiler rules for the Daytona 500 and, sadly, the impending departure of a long time series sponsor, the wheeling and dealing continues during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series off season.

A VERY IMPORTANT HOLIDAY REMINDER FOR US ALL.

From soon to be full time NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kyle Larson and the Texas Department of Transportation comes a very important safety message for everyone across the nation planning on celebrating New Years Eve: make sure your end of the year celebration plans includes a SAFE ride home.

As the holiday season rings in festivities and family gatherings, the Texas Department of Transportation teamed with 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson in an effort to remind party goers to share the gift of a sober ride as part of their seasonal goodwill. “I may drive faster speeds than most, but it doesn’t take a professional to know that you must stay sober to drive safely,” Larson said. “Getting thrown in jail or landing in the hospital will not only wreck your holidays, but also will wreck your life. From one driver to another, I ask everyone to find a sober ride and don’t drink and drive.”

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WHO’S GOING TO DELIVER THOSE PACKAGES TO THE SPRINT CUP GARAGE?

It was sad to note that United Parcel Service, (UPS) will not be returning to the sport of NASCAR at the end of the 2014 season. The famed delivery company has been an outstanding partner in the sport for approximately 15 years.

According to “Sports Business Daily”, UPS has been quietly shifting their marketing direction to college sports and the potentially lucrative local, regional and national coverage those programs receive. In August of 2011, it was revealed that UPS had signed a four year marketing deal, valued at approximately $100 million, with 68 different colleges across the nation.

Then, during the 2012 racing season, UPS informed long time NASCAR partner Roush Fenway Racing that they would not be returning as the primary sponsor of their #6 Ford. At the time the car was being driven by David Ragan. UPS did maintain a small sponsorship program with Roush Fenway Racing and the #99 Ford driven by Carl Edwards. The company is scheduled to sponsor Edwards for one race in 2014.

NASCAR Chief Sales Officer Jim O’Connell in a statement said, “UPS has been a fantastic partner to NASCAR over the last decade-and-a-half. As we celebrate its long and successful tenure, we also welcome seven new companies to the family of Official NASCAR Partners.”

UPS PR Dir Susan Rosenberg added in a statement, “UPS has enjoyed tremendous success through its partnership with NASCAR, including sponsorship’s at the league, team and track level. The business-to-business opportunities provided within NASCAR have proven valuable to UPS and have helped achieve desired results and accomplished the goals we set forth. The UPS decision to exit NASCAR is strictly a business decision to align with new business priorities.”

One of the unique aspects to this long time partnership are the mobile UPS centers the company set up in the garage area at NASCAR Sprint Cup races. If teams at the track developed a sudden and urgent need for parts they could have the race shop overnight express the item to the track where UPS would hand deliver to the team in the garage. Here’s hoping UPS will at least continue that policy at the tracks. It really is a very good, and much used, program.

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HOPEFULLY, THAT EXTRA ONE HALF INCH WILL ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF THE “BIG ONE”

NASCAR officials, back on December 23rd, sent the following message, via “Twitter”, regarding spoiler heights for the season opener at Daytona in February:

“NASCAR notified Sprint Cup teams today that the spoiler size for the January DIS test and the 2014 Daytona 500 event week, including the Sprint Unlimited, will be 4.5 inches tall. This is .5 inches taller than previously. NASCAR says the taller spoiler size should allow for a little more rear down force which should make the cars a little more stable.”

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HERE’S THE LATEST NASCAR SPRINT CUP MERGER ANNOUNCEMENT.

FAS Lane Racing owner, Frank Stoddard, and Go Green Racing owner, Archie St. Hilaire, announce that they have entered into a joint venture for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and beyond.

“Frank has a great program here at FAS Lane Racing and we believe that by combining our resources, we can take the program to the next level,” said St. Hilaire. “It’s been my goal to race in the Sprint Cup Series on a weekly basis and this joint venture makes the most sense for both parties.” Stoddard and St.Hilaire both recognize the increasing challenges to being competitive at the Sprint Cup level. By combining resources from both their teams, they believe the joint venture will strengthen the overall program of the #32 Ford.

Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Terry Labonte will return to the teams #32 entry to compete in the season opening Daytona 500. The driver list for the remaining races will be announced in the coming weeks.

The team also announces that they have hired veteran crew chief Dan Stillman, giving Stoddard more time to focus on the business side and assist in securing marketing and sponsorship opportunities for the team. The team will continue to operate out of the FAS Lane Racing shop in Mooresville, North Carolina where they will continue to field Fords and utilize Roush/Yates engines.

Ken Schrader, Matt Tifft and Clay Campbell to split driving duties in ARCA Racing Series

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SM Staff

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December 28, 2013

kenschrader_tompenningtongettyimages — Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Ken Schrader announced his retirement from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. But don’t fear. The veteran is nowhere near done racing.

The veteran has announced that his ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards team, Ken Schrader Racing, Inc., will field a full-time team in the 2004 season. Schrader is scheduled to run 10 races, while Matt Tifft and Clay Campbell will split the rest of the schedule.

“We are proud to be running a full ARCA schedule next season,” Schrader said. “With Matt and Clay assisting with the team’s driving duties, I will be able to run our No. 9 Federated Auto Parts Dirt Modified and still compete in the ARCA Series. Donnie Richeson will again head up our North Carolina-based team and be calling the shots from the pit box. He has worked with many young drivers and I believe he and Matt will be a great combination. Clay brings 25 years of driving experience to the KSR team and will be a major asset at the big tracks.”

Tifft will be behind the wheel o the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts for eight races. The 17-year-old high school senior has been racing since 2007, stating off with go-karts at Barberton Speedway. The young driver won the Rookie of the Year Award for ARCA’s Midwest Tour in 2012 and ran some ARCA races last year, as well as the full K&N Pro Series East schedule. His best career finish in ARCA was a fifth at Toledo.

“I am very excited to make the move to Ken Schrader Racing and very proud to represent Federated Auto Parts,” Tifft said. “The team is a proven winner and consistent high finisher, and I look forward to adding to the success this team has already had. It is very cool to me to be racing for Ken Schrader. I’ve had one of his diecast cars since I was about five years old! I know I will learn a lot from him on and off the track.”

Campbell, who is the president of Martinsville Speedway, will race the car in the two restrictor plate events – February 15th at Daytona and May 3rd at Talladega.

“Growing up in this sport like I have, obviously, I’ve known Ken Schrader and followed his career for a long time and have tremendous respect for him,” Campbell said. “To now drive for him in the Federated Auto Parts No. 52 is really a highlight of my life. Ken loves racing and has a passion for it just like I do. He knows both sides of this business by being a driver as well as a track owner. I’m the same way, just the exact opposite.

“I enjoy racing at Daytona and Talladega and with Ken, his equipment and his team, I really think we have a great opportunity to run well. For him to have confidence enough to put me in that car means a great deal to me and I’m looking forward to it.”

KSR also announced that Federated Auto Parts will continue to sponsor Schrader’s ARCA entry for the 15th consecutive year.

“Everyone at Federated is excited about continuing our long relationship with Ken Schrader and our full-season sponsorship of the Schrader Racing ARCA team in 2014,” J.R. Bishop, director of motorsports and event marketing for Federated, said. “We are really looking forward to having Matt Tifft, one of the future stars of racing, drive the Federated ARCA car, as well having Clay Campbell, one of the most respected figures in NASCAR, behind the wheel of the Federated ARCA car for two races. We are putting together a great hospitality program surrounding the ARCA schedule that we know our members and their customers will really enjoy, so we can’t wait to get racing in 2014.”

KSR also announced that Schrader will again run the July 23 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway where he captured the pole in 2013 while Tifft will also compete in four K&N East races in a KSR-prepared car.

2014 Sprint Cup Series Preview: Familiar Faces in New Places

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SM Staff

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December 28, 2013

buschhaas_streeterlecka — Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR

At the end of most NASCAR seasons, contracts run up and some drivers begin to look for a new team to partner up with. The hope of this new team will bring them more success than the previous team did. Some of these ideas work, while others fail.

So how do the prospects look for the 2014 season?

One of the most interesting moves that will take place is the move of Kurt Busch over to Stewart-Haas Racing.

Last year, Kurt Busch had a great season driving for the single-car operation known as Furniture Row Racing out of Colorado. He proved they were the little team that could as he had 11 top fives and 16 top 10s on the way to finishing 10th in points. He also came close to winning some races. However, in his eyes, the team wasn’t capable of winning a championship and winning multiple races a year. If you’re going to do that in NASCAR, you have to be with one of the bigger teams. So Kurt Busch left Furniture Row for Stewart-Haas Racing.

A lot of questions surround how Busch will do next year. He becomes the fourth driver at SHR as a teammate to Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Danica Patrick. The organization considerably struggled last year and expanding isn’t going to help that. It was well documented that Stewart and SHR Competition Director Greg Zippidelli were against the idea due to the logistics of expanding the organization. Buildings needed to be constructed, parts moved around – worry had it that it wouldn’t get done in time.

Depending on how this all comes together will depend on how well the 2004 Sprint Cup Series Champion does next year.

Speaking of Harvick, next year will mark his first year at Stewart-Haas Racing also as he replaces Ryan Newman.

Harvick had been with RCR since the beginning of his career, scoring 23 wins, 100 top fives and 209 top 10s in 466 starts. He also had a best finish of third in points, three times, including this past season. With success at it’s top, why leave the team?

In 13 years with the team, they’d been successful (as noted) but hadn’t won a championship. Harvick, for those reasons, believed that a change in scenery would bring forth the change needed to be a champion.

It’s also no secret that Richard Childress has his grandsons’ interests at the front of his mind and no doubt that in a couple of years, Austin Dillon and Ty Dillon will both be in the Sprint Cup Series. Harvick knew that he’d be always behind them in the pecking order so why stay with an organization he hadn’t found championship success with? Cue the move to SHR. Sure, he isn’t at the top of the pecking order – but he knows that his interests are profound with his best friend Stewart running the organization.

Now will all this translate to success? Well, that has yet to be seen. Harvick was fast during the Charlotte Motor Speedway test, but that’s just a test. The true test to this will be the first couple races of the year. If Harvick comes out of the gate strong, he made the right decision. If he struggles, then he may be thinking that he made the wrong decision.

You also have to factor in that SHR struggled last year as they only scored one win – Ryan Newman at the Brickyard – across their three teams. Needless to say, boss Tony Stewart being out of the seat for the second half of the year didn’t help. However, will they be able to overcome that along with the new faces to run well?

In the shuffle with both Harvick and Busch joining SHR, Ryan Newman was shuffled out, though he landed a seat at Richard Childress Racing, replacing Jeff Burton.

Well questions surround the lack of success for SHR in 2013, there are also questions surrounding RCR. While Harvick posted high numbers in hi exit tour, Jeff Burton posted only two top fives and six top 10s in the season. Newman’s numbers at SHR were better – a win, six top fives and 18 top 10s as he he finished 11th in the Chase. Can he bring that success and elevate the No. 31 team’s program? Or will he find himself in Burton’s shoes, struggling in the team’s second car? After all, one of those aforementioned grandsons will be replacing Harvick in the other team car.

Austin Dillon makes the jump up to the Sprint Cup Series after winning the Nationwide Series championship. The young driver has had a lot of success the past couple of years and seems to be progressing as well as anyone would hope. He won the Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year, followed by the championship. He won the Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, followed by the championship. Can he carry that to the Cup Series? Perhaps.

One of the bigger factors is the number that will be on the side of Dillon’s car – 3. Dillon will be bringing the No. 3 back to the Sprint Cup Series for the first time since the death of Dale Earnhardt. Lots of people have expressed their pleasure, and displeasure with the decision. Regardless, it brings a lot of pressure and the question will be whether Dillon can live up to that pressure and start off strong right out of the gate.

Dillon isn’t the only rookie that we will have in 2014 as Parker Kligerman has joined the fold, along with Kyle Larson.

Larson will make the jump up to the Sprint Cup Series next year with Chip Ganassi Racing. Larson has been mentioned as one of the biggest talents behind the wheel and said to be a driver that could have a lot of success. People have placed him in the same category as Two-time Champion Tony Stewart – a driver that can do anything behind the wheel. He didn’t have spectacular Nationwide Series numbers last year to back up the hype, though, with nine top fives and 17 top 10s in the 33 races. Oh but don’t fear because other top stars didn’t do perfect there and yet have done well at the top level.

My biggest fear, personally for Larson, isn’t his own talent. It’s the team. CGR hasn’t really run that well over the last couple of years. Last season, Juan Pablo Montoya finished 21st in points with no wins, four top fives and eight top 10s, while Jamie McMurray finished 15th with one win (Talladega), four top fives and nine top 10s. If the team doesn’t step their game up, the young driver behind the wheel of the Target Chevrolet may suffer with lack of success.

Lost in all this discussion is a driver that was at the forefront of the discussions back in September.

Following the Chase scandal, Michael Waltrip Racing lost sponsor NAPA Auto Parts as they weren’t happy with the team’s conduct. As a result, the innocent player in the scandal – Martin Truex Jr. – lost his ride due to lack of sponsorship. No fear, though, as Truex has landed his feet with Furniture Row Racing.

Ah yes, the same team that led Kurt Busch to 11 top fives and 16 top 10s on the way to finishing 10th in points. Now can Truex repeat that success? If he gets along well with Todd Barrier, there seems to be no reason why he wouldn’t as he had a win, seven top fives and 15 top 10s last year with Michael Waltrip Racing.

With these new combinations picked apart, I leave you with this one question – who do you think will do the best of the new combinations in 2014?

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series heads to Autodrome Chaudière in 2014

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SM Staff

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December 27, 2013

As race fans patiently await for NASCAR to officially unveil the 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedules, dates are slowly being announced by tracks themselves. One of those dates brings forth a new track to the schedule.

For the first time in series history, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be heading to Autodrome Chaudière. The Vallee-Jonction 1/4 mile hosts big events each year, including the PASS Late Models with a special Sprint Cup Series star in attendance. However, this marks the first time that the track has attracted Canada’s biggest racing series.

The event will take place on June 14th and be a total of 300 laps in event. With the announcement of the race, many are expecting local Quebec drivers to enter and face off against series regulars and champions, including 2013 Champion Scott Steckly and 2012 Champion D.J. Kennington.

“I have always said that I wanted the biggest stock-car events in Quebec and having NASCAR on the schedule gives even more notoriety to the Vallee-Jonction oval and brings it to another level,” track owner Dany Lagacé said in the track’s press release.

Other dates that have been confirmed include a pair of races at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. The Canadian Tire Series will have their season opener during Victoria Day Speedfest Weekend on May 17th and 18th as they have done in the past. They will then return to the road course on August 31st to accompany the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Riverside Speedway in Nova Scotia has confirmed that they have an August date while Circuit Trois-Riveres has confiemd that they will host the Canadian Tire Series as part of their August 7th to 9th weekend. Expectations also have Barrie Spedway once again having their date at the beginning of September. The season finale will also most likely take place near the end of September at Kawartha Speedway.

Beyond that, many questions surround the 2014 schedule as fans and teams alike wait for the official release.