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For Juan Pablo Montoya, 2009 marks the year that he has become, by every measure, a stock car driver. When the Columbian began his fulltime Sprint Cup career in 2007 after barely a hand-full of races ran in the Nationwide and ARCA Series, there were plenty of reasons to be skeptical of Montoya’s likelihood for success. Fast forwarding to the former Indianapolis 500 winner’s third season of NASCAR stock car racing, any lingering questions have been answered--he is a full-fledged, successful NASCAR driver.

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As I was perusing the web the other day, I ran across an interesting blog about sponsorship in NASCAR and how it should be geared more towards women. The blogs from this particular site are the results of an actual college course being offered at Virginia Commonwealth University on the business of NASCAR. The course is taught by Drs. Jon Ackley and Michael Pitts, with posted blogs by students. The author’s main premise was based on what constitutes a “loyal” fan. She cited the statistics “that NASCAR fans are 75% more likely to purchase items that are endorsed by NASCAR or a favorite driver, and 40% of all fans are females with the majority of the purchasing power.”

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_With the Northeast leg of the Chase tour now behind us, the Sprint Cup Series heads to where the title will be decided...the intermediate, cookie cutter ovals. Unlike the first two tracks on the circuit that have seen their share of unpredictability both this season and in seasons past, the Kansas Speedway will likely see the usual suspects up front early and often. Just like the teams with big budgets will own the competition this weekend, the big names of the sport will be the focus of fantasy team owners. Who's a bargain and who's a ripoff? Leave it to the Frontstretch Fantasy Insider to keep you informed._

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2009 saw J.C. Stout, a part-time Truck Series competitor, take his own Stellar-Quest Racing operation to the Nationwide ranks. And, as Frontstretch‘s own Mike Neff chronicled at Charlotte, the team got off to a surprisingly good start at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Competing against one of the deepest fields the Nationwide …

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Penske Deal to Purchase Saturn Officially Off On Wednesday, General Motors announced the dissolution of its Saturn brand after talks to sell the brand off failed. As part of GM’s bankruptcy restructuring, the company pledged to sell off the Hummer, Opel, Saab and Saturn brands while dissolving Pontiac and focusing …

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*Did You Notice?*… Joey Logano’s state of mind after that horrifying wreck heading into Turn 3 at Dover? If you check out the “interview,” what you’ll see is the equivalent of a 19-year-old "scared out of his wits.":http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_giMrOfXQk In case you missed it, here’s some highlights of what was said once he had a chance to stand back on solid ground for a minute… “It just really scared the heck out of me. I'm not sure I want to see a replay. It started rolling and I was in there like, 'Damn, please make this thing stop.' And it wouldn't. It just kept going and going. It just startled me."

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Is there be a more fickle sport than NASCAR? One moment you are an up and coming driver, brimming with a burgeoning career, celebrated by fans both young and old. Then either as a victim of your own success or by making contact with someone more popular, you draw the ire of the grandstands, receiving the type of greeting one expects will await Roman Polanski upon his impending return stateside. While the inverse of that can also be true (witness Darrell Waltrip and to some extent, Dale Earnhardt, Sr.), the flavor of the month syndrome seems to have hit home hardest during the 2009 Chase for the Championship. The 10-race playoff format, whose detractors are rivaled only in their number and intense sincerity by those who oppose government-dictated healthcare, have already turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to the hoopla of hype circulating throughout NASCAR the past few weeks. Considering how the Chase has been portrayed by many in the media the last few days, it would be for good reason, too.

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*10.* How could Tony treat his old car like that!? *9.* I see Reed. I see Robby. I see ... sky!?! *8.* _OH SH………!!!_

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*Some mentioned at Dover that 2009 is shaping up to be the best Chase since the format began. Two races in, does it deserve that billing?* Phil: No. I don't think it's the best. However, I can't think of a better example at the moment. Honestly, it's too early to tell after only two races. Amy: It's looking to be close, and Montoya makes it exciting because he will race no holds barred but calling it the best Chase ever is roughly equivalent to calling it the best turd on the manure pile.

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The Monster Mile had no mercy for our poll this week, with its slick track and tough tire compound leading to poor finishes for several drivers on last week's list. But other's pain was Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Juan Pablo Montoya's gain, each of whom put together their second straight top 5 finish in the Chase while Johnson came home with a dominating victory. Those results from Dover tightened the numbers, with both the sentimental and odds on favorite for the title now neck-and-neck in this week’s poll. But which one -- Johnson or Martin -- came out on top? And how far has the regular season points champ, Tony Stewart, fallen after an awkward incident on Sunday that sent Joey Logano barrel-rolling? See where they and others placed with our experts in the latest edition of the Frontstretch Top 15.

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