Did You Notice?

Did You Notice? … Five races into the 2016 season the door is still wide open for Tony Stewart to make the Chase? Certainly, there’s a lot that would have to happen; the three-time Sprint Cup champion isn’t even expected to return to the series until May. The sabbatical leaves …

Did You Notice? … That in the first five races more cars are avoiding mechanical failure than ever before? One of the storylines in the midst of NASCAR’s new rules, a package that has brought much needed passing and unpredictability back into racing has been the ability of cars to go …

Did You Notice?… Kyle Busch‘s NASCAR XFINITY Series dominance? Well, sure, you probably have, even if you haven’t actually watched any of the races, since it’s been quite the topic across social media, NASCAR forums and elsewhere. In three 2016 starts, all coming in the last three races, Busch is batting …

Did You Notice? … That the old band’s back together again? That’s the hidden story surrounding Cole Pearn’s suspension this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. Pearn, crew chief for Martin Truex, Jr.’s No. 78 Toyota for Furniture Row Racing, was issued the suspension after the team was given notice pre-race …

Did You Notice? … Ford’s future prospects were hanging on 70-something-aged owners? That’s the backbone to me of Thursday’s surprise announcement Stewart-Haas Racing would be switching to Ford in 2017. The four-car team will finally break away from its partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, shifting over to the Blue Oval camp while receiving …

Did You Notice? … Dale Earnhardt is dead? Look, I don’t mean to be insensitive. That crash at the end of the 2001 Daytona 500 shocked the world, left a nation in mourning and woke up millions to the depth of NASCAR affection across America. It left children without a …

Did You Notice?… Another Sprint Cup year is in the books? A season chock full of criticism and controversy at times ended on a high note; television ratings for the Chase finale at Homestead were the highest we’ve seen in ten years. Kyle Busch became a controversial champion to some …

Did You Notice? … Kevin Harvick could put an exclamation point on one of the better seasons of NASCAR’s modern era? After a second-place result Sunday at Phoenix he now has 19 top-3 finishes in 35 starts. That’s a number not soon to be repeated in an era where 20 …

Did You Notice? … There was no penalty for a trio of Joe Gibbs Racing teams accused of trying to alter the splitters on their race cars? Our Jerry Jordan reported splitters had been adjusted to curve further inward, shaped with Bondo or resin in a way to push the …

Did You Notice? … Every controversy we’ve seen in NASCAR this year has revolved around… rules? We changed the rules package for 2015 even though there was great racing the year before. Restart rules have been continually criticized, tweaked and remain a major sore spot. Green-white-checkered rules were modified, then …