Who Will Be Making NASCAR News in 2013 (and Other Thoughts) - Speedway Digest

After taking an off-season from writing for the first time in a long time, it is hard to know what to write about. So much has happened.

First of all, we have a new car coming in 2013 and I am very excited to see how that goes. Testing has been going on and the reviews from the drivers are good, but no one has raced this in a competitive race yet with 43 other cars. No one knows if the car will be as stable as the previous car, what will the downforce be like in a competitive race, what will the dreaded aero push be like and just how passing will be. I know we all are hoping for great things, but as always, there may be tweaks to each car manufacturer once the real racing starts. Let’s hope we don’t get too much of that.

My question to you is this: Does the car look more like the street version to you and does that make any difference to you?

Jeremy Mayfield is back in the news and you just can’t make this stuff up. The Mayfield saga is like a car wreck you pass by and just can’t help but look. Just when we thought that ol’ Jeremy was out of the spotlight, he calls into a live MRN show with Eli Gold featuring Brian France. France took the call and was pleasant while Jeremy said it was the only way he knew how to get ahold of France and asked what he needed to do to get back into racing.

Are you kidding me?

France answered that Jeremy knew the road back and that he, and NASCAR, would welcome Mayfield back if he went through the proper procedures – also known as the Road to Recovery Program.

Mayfield signed off and no one was injured in the making of the phone call.

So does that mean we’ll see Mayfield back at the track any time soon? I don’t think so Scooter. Mayfield has had nothing but trouble since this whole affair started and he is still in trouble with the law for having stolen property in addition to other charges. And going through the program would be admitting defeat and succumbing to NASCAR. I just don’t see that happening. If you want some additional fun reading, follow his wife Shana on Twitter. I am not sure whether or not to admire her for standing by her man, or feel bad for her since she has obviously drank the Jeremy Kool-Aid. Shana has never been charged in connection with the sordid affair and she has had to file for bankruptcy.

All that aside, the real fun starts with Speed Weeks and then the real racing begins with the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. We’ll see some first class racing and several NASCAR drivers sharing seats on teams. If you have never watched the Rolex 24, I highly recommend it.

But what we are all waiting for is the Daytona 500 and the stories that unfold. As much as the kick off to the season and all the hoopla that surrounds the 500, it is a restrictor plate race and it is a gigantic crapshoot. It can propel a relative unknown to a win (Trevor Bayne) or it can be the road to the title (Jimmie Johnson).

I want to review the drivers who will make news in 2013.

Let’s start with Kurt Busch – because we just have to.

KuBu is a former champ and one heck of a driver, but he is also his own worst enemy. After laboring for Phoenix racing last year, he managed to get 3 straight top 10 finishes for Furniture World at the end of the year. No one knows what 2013 will bring for KuBu. Will he be the still angry, explosive driver that people put up with because of his talent or will he wreck a lot of cars and burn out his welcome at Furniture Row before you can say howdy doody? Let’s face it, this is one wreck we all want to watch.

Brad Keselowski, the reigning champ. Who saw that one coming? I for one thought JJ would pull it out in the end but a series of miscues down the stretch combined with Brad’s coolness and belief in himself kept JJ from being called Six Time. Now the questions are: Will the change to Ford make a difference for Penske? Will Brad be more Johnson-like or Stewart-like in 2013? Back to back or at least battling for the title or make the Chase while having a mediocre season and never really challenging? Should be fun to watch no matter what.

OK, that’s enough for now. More later. Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts!!

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