1. Hello, Dale Jr.
After being mostly out of sight since his last NASCAR Cup Series race at Homestead in November, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will spread his wings on the new chapter of his racing life as a television commentator for NBC Sports this weekend. Fox Sports ended its 16-race opening run and has handed off to NBC, which takes the reins all the way to South Florida. It will be interesting to see what the TV ratings look like next week.
2. No aero makeover
In case you missed it, NASCAR said it wont try to jam the aero package used in the All-Star Race into any more races on 1.5-mile tracks this season. The package included restrictor plates and large rear spoilers, which bunched the field during the All-Star run. NASCAR officials said the package is something that could work and said fans will see more of it in the 2019 season.
3. Point racing
It has become painfully obvious that the 2018 season is a three-driver show among Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. They have won 12 of the first 16 races. With only six drivers winning Cup Series races so far and 10 races to go, more drivers are taking a closer look at their points. Alex Bowman, currently 15th in points, is the points bubble man with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Paul Menard hot on his tail.
