SpinGate fallout continues
-MWR goes down from 3 to 2 full time teams.
-Brian Vickers out for season due to blood clot in leg. Expected to be back in time for 2014 season.
Man, if only MWR didn't do what they did:
-Ryan Newman & Jeff Gordon would not have to be inserted after the fact into the Chase
-Martin Truex Jr wouldn't be out of a sponsor & therefore a job (shame that innocent as he is, he suffered the most in this)
-MWR would be going to into 2014 as a 3 car team
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After much speculation and anticipation, NASCAR announced the 2014 Sprint Cup Series schedule on Tuesday, and it is highlighted with a push to primetime for several events and a previously announced move for one of the sport's most historic races.
Next year's slate of Sprint Cup races -- the 13th consecutive year with 36 points races and two additional non-points events -- features more tweaks in time than wholesale changes to established venues and events. An important addition for 2014 will find the NASCAR Air Titan track-drying system at every Sprint Cup race weekend.
"This season has delivered plenty of drama and excitement, and we're anticipating even more for our fans in 2014 now that the Gen-6 car has competed at every track,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR's senior vice president of racing operations. "Having the Air Titan at each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend allows us to meet a very important goal set by our Chairman and CEO, Brian France: to drastically decrease track-drying time to the best of our ability and ensure our fans in the stands and those watching on TV get to see each race on its scheduled day."
Appropriately, the Feb. 20 Budweiser Duel at Daytona makes its inaugural start under the lights to kick off a new round of primetime weekends.
Other NASCAR Speedweeks activity includes the Feb. 15 Sprint Unlimited and the Feb. 23 Sprint Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500.
As previously announced, Texas Motor Speedway will move its annual spring night race from Saturday to Sunday this year -- April 6 -- optimizing its schedule with the NCAA Final Four Men's Basketball tournament in Dallas.
And Kansas Speedway will host its first ever Cup race at night on May 10 -- swapping with Darlington (S.C.) Raceway for the Mother's Day weekend event. Darlington, in turn, will host NASCAR’s historic Southern 500 on April 12.
Another notable shift in the schedule includes a one-week move forward – March 30 -- for Martinsville (Va.) Speedway's annual spring race.
Other notable dates include the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Sept. 6 regular season finale at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway The two off-weekends are April 20 (between Darlington and Richmond) and July 20 (between New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Indianapolis).
The 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins again at Chicagoland Speedway on Sept. 14 and will feature the same 10 venues in the same order as 2013, ultimately crowning a new champion on Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The television partners remain the same as well with FOX Sports handling the first half of the season, TNT doing six summer races then ESPN/ABC handing the final 17 races in the final year of its contract. FOX Sports 1 will televise events formerly on the SPEED network -- the Duels ad the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race – while adding the Sprint Unlimited.
