By Bob Ellis

We just passed the halfway point in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and we are heading into an off-weekend, as the teams gear up for their next race at the Indianapolis Speedway.

So, instead of looking at the upcoming race this week, let’s take a look at some of the stories that were generated in the first half of the season.

Before I jump into the two biggest stories involving Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart, both from Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), let me briefly touch on two other interesting stories that have emerged this year as well.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. moved from his late father’s race team (DEI) at the end of last season, where he was winless and finished well out the top 10 in points, to Hendrick Motorsports. He is currently second in points with one win.

Dale Jr. didn’t like the way DEI was being run by his step-mom, and when she refused to hand over controlling interest to him so he could run it the way he thought it should be run, he left. I think he has quietly proven his point so far this season, without coming out and saying: “I told you so.”

Another hot topic this year is the fact that the new race car is being run for the full schedule and NASCAR is strictly enforcing a zero tolerance policy with it. Even Tony Stewart says the new car “is the biggest change (in NASCAR) since I’ve been part of the series in the last 10 years.”

NASCAR has confiscated several cars, has handed out huge fines, point deductions and suspensions for anything about the car that does not meet its specifications.

NASCAR has even changed the rules for wheelbase measurements to stop teams trying to manipulate the car better in the corners by altering the wheelbase on each side of the car.
Now on to the two bigger stories developing in NASCAR: Kyle Busch’s dominance and Tony Stewart’s leaving of JGR.
Kyle Busch has been on a tear this year. He has won seven Sprint Cup races, five Nationwide Series races (four of those in JGR cars), two Craftsman Truck Series races, and has established himself as the top contender to win the Sprint Cup this year.

What is even more impressive is that this is his first year at JGR, and this is the first year that JGR is racing with Toyotas. I would imagine that the powers that be at Toyota are quite happy right about now.

I don’t expect Busch to disappear in the second half of the season, but I do expect him to win fewer races, as the other more competitive teams get a better handle on the new car. Look for him to be a contender for the Sprint Cup though.

I can’t see him finishing any less than third this year.

The other story that has grabbed headlines has been Tony Stewart’s departure from JGR, to become part owner and driver for the new Stewart-Haas Racing team.

There has been a lot of talk on the Internet and in traditional media that this might not be the best move for Stewart to make. The team he has become aligned with has not done better than one top five finish in the past several years.

Well I’m going to tell you this is a deal that Stewart could not turn down and he will make it work.

He was offered 50 per cent of the team just to come over, with no money out of his pocket. The team also has the only treadmill wind tunnel in North America, and the team is supported by Hendrick Motorsports — the same team that Dale Jr. is driving for this year.

“I really feel like when you look at this program, we have support with Hendrick engines, Hendrick chassis, and Hendrick technical support,” Stewart was quoted last week on NASCAR.com. “So I feel we have the variables in place to go out and be competitive right away.”

You can’t argue with that, although I think it’ll take a little longer than Stewart suggests before the team becomes truly competitive. But they will get there.

Enjoy the weekend and if you are looking to get your racing fix, then try the Rolex Sports Car Series, which is racing this Sunday in Birmingham, Alabama.

Here is the link to this article at thespec.com

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