Fresh Faced Racing

This is the Statt Mann Baby. It’s time to Scatt a little bit.

I continue to love the 2013 season in many forms of racing. New names are appearing in the sharp end of driver points standings. I talked about IndyCar last week.

Now we see Aric Almirola ninth in NASCAR Sprint Cup points qualifying him for the Chase playoffs thus far in the season. Another name up there is Paul Menard who’s 11th in points. Names like that of three-time champion Tony Stewart are having a difficult season thus far. He’s 21st in points. Four-time champion Jeff Gordon is 12th barely hanging on to a spot in the Chase.

I think new names create new interest but, as they say, there’s a long season ahead.

In Formula Drift there’s a couple new names in the top ten after two of seven rounds. The key name is Michael Essa who’s fourth this season after changing to a new car for 2013. Essa was fourth this weekend in Atlanta showing continued strength on the season for a driver who’s never won a Formula D event but he appears to be sneaking up on the career breakthrough.

I continue to believe that the real appeal in motor racing is the development of new names to cheer for. It brings in new fans and expands the appeal of the sport when it’s clear that the chance to win is scattered among several teams.

If all the wins are split among the usual suspects, the appeal dwindles in my opinion. I think that’s another one of the reasons fans get attention deficit disorders if they get the feeling the outcome is determined before the race starts.

Peace.