September 4, 2008
By Brian Watkins
Brian Watkins
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It’s the last race before the Chase.. are you excited? If I cared for the Chase format, I might be. I could write this whole page on what needs to be done to make the Chase work (aside from eliminating it all together) but that has been done and done and done again. It’s NASCAR that has to make the changes -- and if the way they changed the shootout is any indication of how they would “improve” the Chase, it might just be best to leave well enough alone.
I will mention a couple things that are really bothering me about the Chase this season. One of them is the fact that before the Chase even starts we already know that only 3 drivers have a shot at the championship; Busch, Johnson and Edwards. If NASCAR simply skipped the Chase and let the season run its course, there would be several drivers in contention. It will be an odd thing to watch 40 drivers turning laps with no chance of a championship.
The Chase will continue until NASCAR can find something worse to replace it with -- Maybe next year, the Chase could be decided by owner’s points from 10 seasons back and they could have 3 legged races to decide starting positions. Or better yet, finally come out of the closet and admit that sponsors trump sport and have a bidding war amongst major sponsors. The winning bidder gets their car on the pole.
The return of the number 3
The day many thought would come when Junior jumped over to Hendrick is slowly drawing closer. No, not Earnhardt hoisting a Cup championship trophy (that’s gonna have to wait), but rather the return of the RCR number 3 car.
Before anyone starts crying sacrilege and blasphemy, understand that this isn’t going to happen overnight, and it may not even happen at all. If it happens -- depends on two people, Richard Childress and one Austin Dillon, grandson of Childress.
Dillon has been running the number 3 in the NASCAR Camping World East and is currently 3rd in that series. He will be making his Nationwide debut this Friday night at Richmond, driving the less familiar No. 21 for his grandfather’s team.
While not making nearly the headlines that Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano have made this season, the 18-year-old Dillon has the potential to make NASCAR history if his success continues and he graduates to a full-time Nationwide or Cup ride and has the potential to stencil the 3 on his side panel. While Childress says there are no firm plans, nothing is off the table.
Childress himself ran the No. 3 from 1976-1981 and Dale Sr., turned the simple number into a racing icon known the world over. It’s been mostly retired for the past 7 years, save a few officially sanctioned appearances at NASCAR events and two Nationwide (then Busch) Series piloted by Dale Jr., As young Dillon progresses however, we may soon be seeing the stylized 3 turning laps once again.
And Finally…
Speaking of young drivers, two of the “new young guns” have big weekends ahead of them. Logano makes his Sprint Cup debut at Richmond. It will be interesting to see how he does in the top series. Earlier this season I got to spend some time with the Joe Gibbs Racing R&D team during testing. Between runs they were in the back of the hauler following Logano’s progress during the ARCA race at Rockingham. Not four months later the kid is strapping on a Cup racer. Don’t try and tell me that the American Dream is long gone.
Another guy having a big weekend is Keselowski. After staying on Clint Bowyers heels all season, issues under the hood last week may have cost him his chance at winning this year's Nationwide Championship. With a strong showing this weekend, (and a bad showing by Bowyer wouldn’t hurt) Keselowski can stay in the running.
Now if the other 88 team could just get things to swing their way, all would be right in the Junior Nation.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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