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A three-time champion sidelined by injury. A terrible crash at Daytona where the carnage couldn't be contained on the track. Front Row ending up the Front Two at Talladega. An "outlaw" taking an underdog team to a surprising Chase berth. The tragic loss of a Nationwide Series fan favorite and a wonderful personality to boot. Trucks hitting the dirt, where for a split-second, we were all Norm Benning fans. A team orders controversy that turned the entire Chase completely on its head. Last lap passes and blue balls finishes. Cheap shots and clusterfucks. And a short-tempered Italian getting bitch-slapped (literally). Just some of the many stories that defined the 2013 NASCAR season. Now it all comes to a close beneath the South Florida sun.



What looked to be a neck & neck shootout for the title between Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth seemingly came unraveled for the latter at the hands of an ill-handling machine at Phoenix. Such as it is, it's looking more and more like Jimmie's "Five Time" nickname will be retired for good, replaced with a new moniker: "Six Pack". A 23rd-place finish or better at Homestead will give him his 6th Sprint Cup Series championship, pushing him one monumental step closer to joining Petty and Earnhardt in the championship count. All things considered, the Jimmie haters of the world can only hope that the mechanical problems that would befall him in last year's race strike again.

Things are much closer in the Nationwide Series. An 8-point gap separates Austin Dillon and Sam Hornish Jr. Can RCR's heir to the #3/spoiled rich kid (Harvick's words, not mine) take the title, even without a victory under his belt? Will Sam put a period on his amazing turnaround of a once-floundering stock car career with a championship?

And barring some near-apocalyptic act of God, longtime Camping World Truck Series regular Matt Crafton will take home his first Truck championship by simply starting Friday night's race, thanks in part to a knack for consistency and a massive string of top-10 finishes.

Sprint Cup Entry List (43 cars)
Nationwide Entry List (41 cars)
Truck Entry List (36 trucks)

Hope Austin wins the Nationwide championship without a race win so it highlights the joke that is the series.

I don't want to see a chase in the Busch series, so fuuuuuck that.

As opposed to the current system where the top ten in points have a total of 4 wins and one of the drivers in that top ten is going to miss the final 3 races?

I blame that on buschwacking, not the points system.

Amazing to think all of those storylines happened just this year. What a long long season. A fairly successful Gen6 debut also. Many track records smashed. I hope it's 2015 when Jimmie picks up his 8th title instead of longer.

Is that all that matters? The racing's been crap, I wouldn't call it successful at all.

No I was just making a comment that track records have been broken. The racing has not been any better or worse than recent years.

Yea seriously, what the hell does not having a Chase got to do with Buschalowski winning all the races?

My point I was getting at, no matter what the points system is in Nationwide, its still a useless system. If they want to make it Whose Line is It Anyways points then they should do it.

I want to see Hornish lose the championship by less than the points he would have gained had he won Chicago/Iowa.

Its also 10 years this weekend since Bobby Labonte's last win in Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup, in the final Winston Cup race.

I'll be taking a nap in the section directly across from pit exit this weekend.

Actually, the truck race should be good.

And hoping for some BK/KB drama in the NNS race.

Jeezus.

I wouldn't give the title to the 48 just yet, folks. For one, there's nothing saying that they can't have the same kind of shitty day that the 20 guys had at Phoenix. I agree that that's an unlikely scenario, but I would have called BS if you had told me that would have happened to the 20 this past Sunday. If it can happen to them, I think it can happen to anyone.

Also, stuff breaks, as evidenced by last year's Homestead race.

If any of that happens on Sunday, I'll probably be the only one here who'll be disappointed. Regardless, I was kinda hoping for a closer and more exciting battle going into Homestead. It's been a fantastic duel between these two (IMO), and I've definitely gained a new appreciation for Matt Kenseth.

I wouldn't say I'm a fan, but I sure don't hate the guy anymore.

BTW, I haven't changed my password for several weeks. Kyle Busch is still the target of my disdain. haha

Keselowski isn't racing Nationwide this weekend. Logano is.

48 password this weekend, pleeeeeaaaaaaaassssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

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Gael

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Go Miami Dolphins!
Go New York Yankees!
Go New York Rangers!

Announced yesterday he'll be in the 48. I'm sure it's so they have a better shot at the owner's title.

This weekend is full of oddities on the entry list.

The Truck Series has, among the stuff that had been announced.

-Austin Dillon in Eddie Sharp's #6 truck.
-Travis Kvapil in the #93 truck.
-Chad McCumbee in the #99 truck.

The Nationwide Series has this, beyond the stuff that hasn't been announced

-Mike Bliss in the #10.
-Dakoda Armstrong in the #19.
-Blake Koch in the #29 for Robby Benton.
-Brad Keselowski in the #48.
-Jeff Green parking the #91 for Tri-Star, because they always have to have somebody parking, no matter what, I guess.

Corey LaJoie is making his Nationwide Series debut in the #9 for RPM.

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