from a NASCAR Fan’s View
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This won’t be just another short track race. This will be the race that decides the Final Four for the 2020 NASCAR Championship. Well… one of those spots has already been filled and we all know it’s Joey Logano so actually, three spots remain to be decided. Some will say there is only one left to be decided and they could be correct. The truth is, unless a lot of things go wrong, it does look like the cast is set and not much is different than what most thought it would be like. Well… except for Joey Logano.
After a relatively lack-luster season, Joey Logano once again locked himself into the Final Four by winning a race in the round of eight, but I won’t. This fan wasn’t the only one surprised by that, but it did happen and, once again, he doesn’t have to worry about doing much of anything this weekend but showing up. He’s locked into the Championship race and the pressure is on the rest, not him.
Texas started out looking as though it was going to be a total disaster for a couple of the front runners, namely Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin. When the race was delayed, the picture for them looked a little bleak and they would have a lot of ground to make up. Then, after three days of rain delays, the race finally restarted and, just about everything that could go right for them, did go their way and both of them ended up in a great place for going to Martinsville. Had things not turned around for them, this weekend could have looked a whole lot different.
So, let’s face it. Last weekend’s race could have turned out a whole lot different than it did and going into Martinsville this weekend might have looked very different UNLESS Hamlin and Harvick hadn’t finished the way they did. The way it looks from this fan’s view is, unless Kevin Harvick has a really bad day on Sunday, I believe he is pretty much going to be in the Final Four. Well, let me put it this way. He would have to have a major failure early on and someone would have to win their way in. The chances of him having that kind of day are very slim from my view and I just don’t think that’s the way the day is going to go for him and the #4 team. I realize I could be wrong but, I just don’t see him not being there.
So, if things go like I expect they will for Harvick, that means there will only be two spots left to get into the Final Four and that my friends is what is going to make this elimination race at Martinsville one of the most intense and pressure packed races ever. After all, this isn’t just another short track race. This is for making it to the Final Four.
So, I guess this is where we should mention Brad Keselowski as one of the top four when this one is done. Yeah, it would be a great place for that, EXCEPT, this fan isn’t so sure he is going to make the cut. He could be but, I’m just not “feeling” it. With the way the standings look right now and going into Sunday afternoon, it could actually be the Final Four but, there are a lot of things that could happen on a short track and mixing up the possibilities wouldn’t be much of a stretch.
Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman are both presently below the cutline and either one of them could benefit from a couple of the others above the cutline having a really bad day. Just thinking about that could make some of the competitors sick to their stomachs. Don’t take this the wrong way but, if the dominoes fall just the right way, both of them could make it in. That my friends is not at all what I think will happen but I do think the possibility is there that either one or both could make a surprise entry into the Final Four. I admit a lot of things would have to go their way for that to happen but, “What If?”
Since I just brought up a really big “what if,” there are a couple of other “what ifs” to consider. “What if” one of the major contenders has an engine failure, or some other type of disaster early in the race and they lose a bunch of points to the ones not expected to move on? “What if” one of the ones below the cutline wins? “What if” Kurt Bush pulls off the win at Martinsville and moves on to the Final Four?
I suppose I could go on listing more “What ifs,” simply because there are a lot of possibilities but I won’t. It is more likely that the ones that have been running consistently at, or near, the top of the standings will continue to do that and there won’t be anything out of the ordinary happen at all.
When it comes right down to it, this fan doesn’t think anything really unexpected will happen unless maybe just one of those below the cutline could move up into the Final Four and it could be by points or by winning. I just reckon we’ll find out when the back and white checkered flag falls and the day is done…
See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© October 31, 2020 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
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All music TwoBuckThemes from Mike Stewart unless otherwise stated