NASCAR Silly Season has taken as many twists and turns as a lap at Watkins Glen.
But there are still plenty of unknowns with three races before NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup that will have an effect this season — and beyond.
Here are five storylines to follow over the next few weeks:
1. The 2011 Schedules — Most of the 2011 Sprint Cup schedule is complete. Two new dates at Kansas Speedway — and a new Cup venue with the Kentucky Speedway race — account for the greatest shuffle.
Although the first Cup off week is a little later than this season and occurs after the third race, which will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, followed by a second open date for Easter, the August respite will be eliminated next year.
It’s very possible that the first off week, which many believe to be a momentum killer, will disappear altogether in 2012 to compact the schedule, particularly if the National Football League expands deeper into the month of February, as expected.
Another trend is the lack of Saturday night races in the Chase. As with this season, only Charlotte will hold that distinction while the other events go toe-to-toe against the NFL.
FOXSports.com will cover a Texas Motor Speedway announcement concerning its 2011 schedule on Tuesday, which should wrap up most of it.
Over in the Nationwide Series, with Gateway International Raceway opting out, that opens two dates there. Nashville Superspeedway will pick up a Truck race in the July hole before the Brickyard, which could include Nationwide. The fall date will likely go to Iowa Speedway, which has been successful with its solo summer romp. Iowa’s first date will be Aug. 6. The race at Road America will once again parallel the Infineon weekend and Montreal will move to Aug. 20 — opposite Michigan’s Cup race.
2. Drivers — Now that Kasey Kahne's plans with Red Bull Racing have emerged and AJ Allmendinger has re-signed with Richard Petty Motorsports, what other racers will fill out those companies' rosters next year?
Red Bull Racing’s future depends on many variables, primarily, Brian Vickers return to competition. Vickers will be at Bristol this weekend and should be able to shed light on his future. If he’s given the green light to race, expect a two-car team with Vickers and Kahne. A three-car operation is very unlikely next year.
Although RPM has locked down Allmendinger for next season, with Kahne, Paul Menard and Elliott Sadler leaving — along with the Budweiser and Menard’s sponsorship — the company’s immediate goals are to lock down sponsor backing and drivers. Team sources say a deal with Marcos Ambrose is close to completion.
There have been murmurs of RPM talking to Scott Speed and Aric Almirola, but it might be in the company’s best interest to scale back to two drivers and rebuild for the future.
Other drivers that are still not locked down for next season but appear to be close are Regan Smith with Furniture Row and Jamie McMurray with Chip Ganassi Racing.
And don’t be surprised if Landon Cassill enjoys an expanded role in Cup competition next season. Cassill has logged a myriad of miles while testing Hendrick cars and his feedback is rock solid. With NASCAR making changes on the Cup noses for next season, a driver with technical knowledge will be at a premium. He is scheduled to drive the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Cup entry this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.
3. Sponsors — Remember when July 1 used to be the drop-dead date for sponsors and teams to re-sign or sign deals? With so much uncertainty, companies are doing due diligence before locking down programs — generally for a single season.
On Tuesday, the Clydesdales will carry Budweiser's new driver, Kevin Harvick, into the Richard Childress Racing compound for the long-awaited announcement that Budweiser will sponsor the No. 29 Chevrolet. We’re hearing that Jimmy John’s could be the associate sponsor. With solid performance over the last year, RCR has wooed blue chip sponsors into its camp.
So what about other outstanding sponsorships? Bass Pro Shops is expected to re-up with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Best Buy has been pleased with Allmendinger. All indications are that Army will return with Ryan Newman. And a car dealer other than Hendrickcars.com could soon be an associate on the No. 5 Chevrolet for Mark Martin.
Two unknowns for 2011 are Mobil 1 and Hendrick's No. 24 of Jeff Gordon. A Mobile 1 deal appears in the works with Stewart-Haas Racing but nothing has been finalized. And Hendrick Motorsports is still searching for an associate for the No. 24. Walmart at one time appeared to be a possibility, but fizzled out.
4. Crew chiefs — With Kasey Kahne’s departure from RPM, the question remains: What will Kenny Francis do? Francis undoubtedly will be a hot commodity since his contract with the company ends this year. Two scenarios kicked around the garage last weekend have Francis joining Kahne at Red Bull or moving to Hendrick Motorsports to start preparing for Kahne’s arrival in 2012. Francis was expected to sit down with folks from RPM this weekend to discuss his future.
And who will be Paul Menard’s crew chief at RCR? While many assumed Slugger Labbe would join his current driver, particularly given the success the pair shared this year, RPM picked up the crew chief’s option three weeks ago. RCR generally hires from within so stay tuned on the Menard front. The fourth team is preparing for Menard's arrival already as RCR will field the equipment and personnel for Terry Labonte in the three races he is doing this year for Stavola Labonte Racing to get that future Menard team up to speed. It's certainly a possibility that crew chief Doug Randolph, who is working as crew chief for Labonte in those races, could take the role with Menard next season.
5. NASCAR/track movers and shakers — A successor has yet to be found for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby, who continues to oversee his garage and a variety of other tasks. With the possibility of a new feeder series being introduced next year, Darby’s plate will be full overseeing the other series directors.
Joie Chitwood III is a welcome addition as president of Daytona International Speedway, International Speedway Corp.'s crown jewel. As ISC’s vice president of business development, Chitwood spent the last year analyzing the companies current tracks. His tenure as COO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway offered Chitwood a firm understanding of marketing a motorsports mecca. Chitwood is a racing enthusiast with strong people skills, traits that are necessary in an effective track president.
