NASCAR THIS WEEK
1. Round of 12
A dozen drivers advanced into the NASCAR Round of 12 playoff segment. The four left behind were Jimmie Johnson, Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones. Of the 12, seven are from the Ford camp, including all four Stewart-Haas Racing drivers, counting Clint Bowyer, who jumped over the cut line. Pretty crazy, Bowyer said. I didnt expect that to happen, but I knew it was gonna be wild.
2. Roval hangover
Dover International Speedway is a pretty tough track, but after drivers got their first taste of the Charlotte Roval, the Monster Mile should be a breeze. The inaugural Roval race produced two late-race cautions, which helped determine the outcome. The Roval even offered up a Big One crash like you will see at Talladega in a few weeks. A total of 15 cars piled up in Turn 1 just five laps from the dramatic finish.
3. Big 3 again
NASCARs Big 3 all made it through to the Round of 12 and sit atop the points standings, which were recalculated for the next three-race playoff segment. Kyle Busch leads, with Kevin Harvick only five points off his rear bumper. Martin Truex Jr.is a mere 17 points behind Busch in third place. Busch limps in after crashing out on the Roval. That kind of sucked, but guess its a good thing it didnt matter for us, Busch said.
Godwin Kelly, [email protected]
