Kenseth will be trying for a repeat of his 2013 triumph this weekend. With Joey Logano only three points behind him in points, a win is essential. He has the series third-best driver rating (107.9), three top fives and six top 10s. But did you know that with his win in 2013, Kenseth became the oldest Kentucky winner (06/30/2013 – 41 years, 3 months, 20 days)? Another trip to Victory Lane would be icing on the cake.
Welcome to the Eeyore edition of the Hot 20. Last week, it was Daytona. That was the Happy Snoopy Dance version. This Saturday night, it is Kentucky. My level of excitement is slightly subdued.
1. Kyle Larson: Larson crashed on Lap 193 in the Coke Zero 400 when he slipped in front of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and the impact briefly sent Larson airborne. Larson finished 20th.
The changing of the guard. NASCAR fans are getting used to that. Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and soon Dale Earnhardt Jr. Summer returns, which means FOX leaves to be replaced by NBC.
NASCAR is and has always been a southern sport. Even with the massive boom in popularity we saw from the early 90s till the late 2000s, NASCAR's primary fan base and roots were always in the short tracks of the Deep South. Bumping, banging, and hard-nosed racing is where rivalries and champions were born. It's what led blue-collar workers to become racers and race fans.
Gentlemen, start your engines. That is what was customarily said prior to races, but no longer. You probably thought that was due to a woman being in the field. Nope. There are just not enough gentlemen. Just ask Danica Patrick.
Jeff Gordon leads the series with five victories at the road course, including three consecutively, from 1998 – 2000. Tony Stewart has three trophies but did you know he captured the final win of his Cup career last year at Sonoma, ending an 84-race winless drought?
It is ironic that the two tracks that feature folks turning to the right are in California and New York, where you would think left would be the preferred direction. Sonoma is the perfect venue to feature our hot drivers, with temperatures this week in the 90s, though promises to be in the low 80s come Sunday. It a facility well used, with 340 days of racing events featured annually.
