The Spotter Stand – NASCAR News | NASCAR Notes | NASCAR Blog

Got a question, comment, or suggestion about the website or the blog? Still don’t know what a Bump Stop or a 7-Post Shaker is? Or maybe you just want to vent about your driver or the current state of the sport? Whatever the case may be, your Emails matter to us.

It’s why we created Catch Can: The TSS Mailbox. The Catch Can is a place where you, the readers and fans, can send your questions, comments and rants for us to answer and/or address. Each week will take the best Emails from the previous week, respond to them and post them on the blog.

We may not be able to fix the economy, predict the future, or help you get a date with that blond in your Sociology class, but we here at The Spotter Stand are here for you!

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Let’s take a look inside….

Jonathan asks: Do you think Brad Keselowski will find success over at Penske?

I think eventually yes; just not right out of the gate. He isn’t in Hendrick equipment anymore so it’s not going to be as easy as it was in the 25. David Stremme didn’t exactly set the world on fire since replacing Ryan Newman in the 12. His less than stellar season has left Roger Penske and Brad Keselowski to pick up the pieces. Couple that with the fact that Keselowski still doesn’t have a crew chief in place for 2010 and things could get worse before they get better. Now that doesn’t mean that I don’t think Keselowski has what it takes to be one of the sport’s best drivers. It’s just going to take a while before he and his team get to the level of their Penske teammate Kurt Busch.

Danny from Missouri asks: We’ve all seen the pictures of the new Nationwide COT cars. Why didn’t NASCAR create cars such as this when they developed the original COT?   

When developing the original COT car, NASCAR had safety in mind more so than stylish looks. They wanted to develop a car that was safe and one that would distance itself from the bullet shaped, streamlined car teams were bringing to the track each week. Enter the creation of the COT. By creating a car that was safer than the old one, but boxy enough to create closer racing, they were essentially killing two birds with one stone. Well, it didn’t exactly work out that way. Although the COT car is safer, it’s done more to kill the racing than help it. Personally, I think the COT was NASCAR’s live experiment. They rushed it along and didn’t have all their ducks in a row when they decided to run the car full time one year earlier than expected. As time has passed, the folks at the R&D Center probably realized that a move to a sleeker, more aerodynamic car needed to occur sooner rather than later. The “Pony Car’ movement gives them that chance.

Lucas from Ohio asks: Do you think there will be more part-time teams in the future as sponsorship becomes more and more scarce?

Yes I do. The days of securing 18, 26, or even 36 race sponsorship deals is slowly dying off. Teams such as Robby Gordon Motorsports, Wood Brothers Racing, Nemco Motorsports, and Furniture Row Racing are struggling just to get by. Instead of running a full 36 race schedule, the single car teams are left with only a handful of races to run. In turn, their goal is not the Top 35 in points but rather running at tracks where they feel they can get the biggest payout or have the most success. Unless things get better in regards to the economy, you may start to see this trend bleed over into the bigger teams. I dont’ think it’s too far fetched to think that in two or three years you may only see 20-25 full-time teams running a full 36-race schedule.

JoJo asks: Which Sprint Cup Series drivers are racing in the Snowball Derby?

According to the 5 Flags Speedway website, Kyle Busch is the only current Sprint Cup driver on the entry list. Other drivers with ties to NASCAR include David Stremme, Steven Wallace, Brian Ickler, and Stanley Smith (former Cup driver). Other drivers of note include ARCA/REMAX Series driver Grant Enfinger and Nationwide Series driver Jon Wes Townley. Townley, however, will not compete in the Snowball Derby. Townley is scheduled to run the Snowflake 100 (Pro Late Model) race instead.

Chrissy asks: In your opinion, who is the most underrated driver in the Sprint Cup Series?

In my opinion the most underrated driver at the Cup level is AJ Allmendinger. Though he doesn’t have the results to back it up, Allmendinger is one of the most talented guys in the garage. I think he if ever got the chance to be that ”No.1 guy” on a team he would instantly become a contender week in and week out. Another guy who doesn’t get the credit he truly deserves is Marcose Ambrose. Considering his racing background and how long he’s been racing stock cars, for him to come into the Cup Series and immediately make an impact says a lot about his talent and his ability.

Tyler from Arkansas asks: Being a blogger yourself, what are some other blogs that you enjoy reading?

Three come to mind- The NASCAR Insiders, Nascar-ista and The Daly Planet. All three are well written and do a great job of covering the sport. Even though I don’t think you can consider TNI a blog, it’s still a great site to visit. Both T.C. and Journo work in the sport and their insider knowledge is prominent throughout their content. If you want good writing, a little bit of gossip sprinkled in with rumors and creative blog topics Nascar-ista is the blog to follow. Michelle is a very talented writer who can get quite creative when it comes to her blogs and her posts. Another favorite of mine, and perhaps the hottest blog out there, is The Daly Planet. He’s carved out quite a niche in the world of NASCAR related media. His blogs, chats, and interactive content is definitely rattling some cages in the world of sports television.

Walt asks: Got any early predictions for 2010? 

• Kyle Busch wins the 2010 championship
• Carl Edwards will continue to struggle
• Danica Patrick makes the jump to stock cars; but not until after the midway point of the season
• Juan Pablo Montoya wins, and wins often
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. rebounds from a miserable 2009 and contends for a championship.
• Kevin Harvick announces he will leave RCR at the end of the season for a newly formed third team at Stewart-Haas Racing
• Jeff Gordon announces that he will retire after the 2011 season

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