SATURDAY EVENING UPDATE: Brad Keselowski won the final NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway Saturday while Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who finished second, won the series championship. Carl Edwards, in the hunt for the Sprint Cup title, finished third in the race.
Earlier, Edwards won the pole for the Sprint Cup showdown Sunday afternoon, with Martin Truex Jr. second and Kasey Kahne third. Tony Stewart, the only driver other than Edwards in contention to win the Chase for the NASCAR Championship, will go off 15th.
Earlier . . .
The best kept secret in Canadian sports is the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.
Don’t believe me? Take a look at this video, which gives you an idea of what this series is all about.
When you finish watching the video, make plans to watch the Year in Review TV program that is scheduled to be shown Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. on TSN2.
(It will be shown again on TSN2 Monday at 8:30 p.m., Tuesday at 3 p.m. and again next Saturday at 11 p.m. Don’t get TSN2? It will be on the main channel, TSN, on Wednesday at midnight and next Friday at 4 p.m.)
Speaking of NASCAR, the big showdown for the Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship will take place Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida. The pre-race show will be on TSN2 at 2 p.m. and the green flag will fly at 3 p.m.
The only two drivers who can win the title are two-time champion Tony Stewart, who has won four of the Chase races to date, and Carl Edwards, who has won none.
However, Edwards leads by three points (Stewart won the race last weekend at Phoenix and still couldn’t overcome the three-point lead Edwards had going in: NORRIS NOTE - I apologize for the severe brain fade here - Kasey Kahne won the Phoenix race) and has won two races at Homestead-Miami to Stewart’s none, so they’re really pretty even.
Of course, the trash-talking dominated the last media conference of the week and what would you expect?
Best line was Stewart’s: “I’d wreck my mom to win a championship.”
Of course you would, Smoke, and so would Edwards.
Incidentally, TSN2 will carry the NASCAR Nationwide race Saturday at 4 p.m. And the last truck race of the Camping World Series can be seen tonight on Speed TV at 8 p.m.
Incidentally, NASCAR has still not issued a truck series schedule for 2012. Speculation continues to swirl about a potential Mosport date for that series . . .
Here’s some hard news: Suzuki Motor Corp. has pulled out of motorcycle racing at the Moto GP level but says it will be back on track for the 2014 season.
In a student, Suzuki said: "Suzuki Motor Corp. has decided to suspend temporarily its participation in FIM Road Racing Grand Prix MotoGP from 2012.
"This suspension is to cope with tough circumstances mainly caused by the prolonged recession in developed countries, a historical appreciation of Japanese yen and repeated natural disasters.
"Having an eye to returning to MotoGP in 2014, Suzuki will now focus on developing a competitive new racing machine for that class.
"Suzuki will continue motocross racing activity and support of road racing activities using mass-produced motorcycles, by obtaining FIM homologation and co-operation with the supplier of its development racing kit parts."
Ace Suzuki rider Alvaro Bautist has already left the team for Honda.
Finally, ekartingnews.com is live-streaming editor/publisher Rob Howden’s race call of the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals competition this weekend in Las Vegas. It started Friday morning and will go all weekend at link here.
Four IndyCar racers are entered: Raphael Matos, EJ Viso, Jay Howard and Martin Plowman.
Rob reports that the team Dan Wheldon was supposed to run with has his prepped kart in Vegas and, as a tribute, his name will be kept on the entry list and in the results. Dan was well-loved in the paddock and his absence is much noted, Rob says.
I made an effort to follow CASCAR in the early 2000s, but once TSN went to full (albeit tape delay) coverage of the Canadian Tire Series, I haven't missed a race. It's really one of the best, most exciting series in the world and it doesn't get enough attention. It has just the right mix of oval track and road racing... And unlike a lot of road racing, there's constant wheel-to-wheel racing. You really watch an NCATS race knowing that pretty much anyone in the top 12 or so has a legitimate shot at the win... And (especially if you live in Ontario) you can then go see them live for a really affordable price. I've never missed an NCATS race at Delaware Speedway!
The NASCAR Cup series could learn a thing or two from them... Add a couple more road courses, and put them back on bias ply tires so they can slide around naturally!
Posted by: john | 11/18/2011 at 10:44 AM
Stewart didn't win the Phoenix race, Kahne did.
Stewart has also won twice at Homestead, in fact he won the first Cup race held at Homestead.
Posted by: James MacDonald | 11/18/2011 at 11:16 AM
Sports teams in Canada, NASCAR included, do NOT know how to promote themselves. It is a sad state of affairs when U.S. college football outdraws any Canadian sports team hands down!
Posted by: Tumbleweed | 11/18/2011 at 02:32 PM
Let's hope it's a good, clean (ie honest) race, but above all a SAFE RACE!
Posted by: jason @ motorsport sensors | 11/19/2011 at 05:09 PM
Burnout, clashing of cars, super chase. Can't get better than any of these than NASCAR.
Posted by: CGS cat back exhaust | 01/25/2012 at 12:20 AM