In the NASCAR hierarchy and chain of command, the Camping World Truck Series that made its annual stop at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday night is considered Double A in scope, style and substance. It’s sort of like the Texas League in baseball.
Only 16 drivers can win the title as the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins Sunday in Chicago, including Las Vegas drivers Kurt and Kyle Busch. The experts don’t give them a chance, but the best teams don’t always win in a playoff format like NASCAR instituted this season.
Kyle Busch finished fifth in Saturday’s NASCAR Truck Series race in Michigan. It was his 500th NASCAR start in a Toyota.
Brendan Gaughan was back at it, back running around in circles Friday night, in Kentucky. He finished sixth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. It was an excellent result; the announcers said the No. 62 South Point Camaro was loose going into the turns, tight coming off.
There’s a scene in the iconic stock-car movie “Days of Thunder” that takes place the night before the big race — the Daytona 500, if memory serves — in which Robert Duvall talks to Tom Cruise’s car. Duvall was cast as crusty crew chief Harry Hogge; Cruise as brash young driver Cole Trickle.
Kyle Busch won another race at Auto Club Speedway in California Sunday. He suggested that Harry Hogg from “Days of Thunder” should get an assist.
Jonathan Goldsmith, the debonair actor from the TV beer commercials, was the guest of Richard Petty’s NASCAR team at the Kobalt 400. He said he drives his father’s 1994 AMC Jeep, and that he would would be driving the No. 6 car in the race.
NASCAR almost fell over while taking a deep bow over Brad Keselowski’s exciting victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. But at least one commentator suggested the rule changes weren’t responsible for Dale Earnhardt Jr. running out of fuel on the last lap.
It was about halfway through the Kobalt 400 on Sunday afternoon when the Performance Racing Network announcer’s voice crackled over the speakers in the media center. He reported that he was back at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, that the race was being dominated by Kevin Harvick, that only 16 cars were on the lead lap.
The idea behind talking to Brian Vickers was to point out that not long ago he was one of NASCAR’s brightest young stars, and then he nearly died — twice — from blood clots in his lungs and legs.
