From the Marbles: Young Guns in Nationwide

For the longest time NASCAR, the Nationwide Series had talent in the driver pool, looking for the next step that is the Sprint Cup Series. Drivers such as Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski are a few who began in the NASCAR’s second highest level of racing who became a star.

As of recently, the Nationwide Series has been struggling to find an identity for its series. With drivers such as Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Keselowski dominating the wins and championships for multiple years.

But the identity is starting to change after 2011. After Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the Nationwide championship in 2011, he became the first full-time driver, not a Cup Series regular, to win the championship since 2005 when Truex did so.

There are a number of Nationwide regulars in 2012 who will be running for the championship, but also a few who will be the “future” of the sport:

Trevor Bayne

Like this guy needs an introduction. Nobody stand and give him an applause, don’t want you to get fired. Anyways … the 2011 Daytona 500 winning sensation has got to be the favorite heading into 2012. After missing crucial points due to an illness keeping him outside of the racecar in 2011, he will return as a partial schedule for Roush-Fenway Racing.

It might be a long-shot for Bayne to find sponsorship to complete his 2012 season, but if there is any driver with the ability to find a new sponsor it will be him. The Daytona 500 victory will always be a marketing ploy and hopefully will work in his favor in the near future.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

In all reality, Stenhouse is the favorite to win the championship. Of the drivers who have full-time rides in 2012, the defending champion has the best opportunity to expand his trophy case. When it came to Homestead last season, Elliott Sadler was Stenhouse’s only competition, and very well might be the same.

Another year with the new car for the series, it is very possible the competition will be much greater and we will see new names poke their talents into victory lane. Something Stenhouse needs to be on the lookout for if he is going to be the first repeat champion since Truex in 2004 and 2005.

Ryan Truex

Have you heard of him yet? I would hope so, unless you live under a rock in NASCAR news, this guy has been talked about for two years as the next up-and-coming superstar in the sport.

Ryan Truex will attempt the season opener at Daytona in a Tommy Baldwin Racing car, but will attempt to run all races in 2012. Despite TBR funding a part-time ride in the Nationwide Series, Truex is looking for opportunities, possibly Joe Gibbs Racing, to run the full season. JGR is looking to fill open races with sponsorship with Truex driving, after they were impressed with his performance in 2011.

Truex will need to prove himself, and winning races will do just that. Maybe his opportunity to visit the winner’s circle will be only when racing in JGR equipment.

Cole Whitt

He doesn’t have the most experience in the Nationwide garage area, but he is a young man who is looking to prove himself in the NASCAR community at 20-years old. He has only one full season, in the 2011 Camping World Truck Series, but will be driving the No. 88 at JR Motorsports.

He enters one of the top teams in the garage area. Experience is crucial this season for Cole Whitt. He will succeed, but JR Motorsports has a lot to handle with two rookie-type drivers in Whitt and Danica Patrick. Hopefully, the two teams for JR Motorsports will keep the cars off the walls and Whitt will be finding consistency to finish up front near the end of the season.

Justin Allgaier

Probably the most seasoned veteran for being a young gun out of this group of drivers, Justin Allgaier will enter his fourth Nationwide season, driving the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet for the second year. His best finish in points came last season where he finished third, and he looks to improve and keep his streak of finishing in the top-10 in all his full-time seasons.

He has one of the most consistent finishes in the Nationwide garage, but struggles to find victory lane. He has a lot of momentum to build from 2011, and if he expects to win a championship and compete against Stenhouse and Sadler, he will need to win races.

Breaking down “Linsanity”

America has been taken by storm, and no I’m not talking weather. New York Knicks point guard, Jeremy Lin, has become a national icon in less than two weeks.

Lin, a Harvard graduate, has led the Knicks to seven straight victories and back to a .500 winning percentage on the season.

So how did the light bulb miraculously just switch on? Well, it could be in some part to team superstar Carmelo Anthony.

New York Knicks newest star Jeremy Lin shoots over Lakers center Andrew Bynum. Credit: forbes.com

Lin confirmed to ESPN’s “The Michael Kay Show” that Anthony told coach Mike D’Antoni to put him (Lin) in Feb. 4 game against the New Jersey Nets. Lin took full advantage of said opportunity.

Coming off the bench, Lin put up a game high 25 points and seven assists in a season high 36 minutes. Before this game Lin had only played double-digit minutes once in nine games. He failed to score double-digit points in any of those appearances.

In the Knicks next game against the Utah Jazz, Lin was named the starting point guard and hasn’t looked back since.  In the six games that Lin has started he has averaged 24.3 points and 9.5 assists. In that span, Lin included a 38-point game against Kobe Bryant and Los Angeles Lakers and a game winning three point shot against the Toronto Raptors.

Lin’s insane play has led to the coining of the term “Linsanity.”

The term has been trending on Twitter after multiple Lin performances and ESPN has been using the word to describe the craziness that is Jeremy Lin.

“Linsanity” has been heard in conversations from the classroom to the subway. It really has exploded into a national phenomenon.

With every feel-good story though there are going to be a few devil advocates.

“Linsanity” is overhyped, he’s just another Tim Tebow, and he’ll be a nobody in a month. These are just a few of the things being thrown out by the Lin haters.

The one that really irked me the wrong way was the comparison to Tim Tebow. Tebow was a highly sought after college prospect, won a Heisman trophy, and was a first round draft pick. Lin went undrafted, and was occupying the sixth point guard spot on the Houston Rockets depth chart in December.

There are really only two things that these guys have in common. They both bring great energy to their respected sports and they both know how to easily grab the attention of the media.  Well I guess you could include one more – they both are great at bounce passes.

You can thank Reddit for that one, but let’s be honest, it’s not fair to compare these two guys. Lin is a rag to riches story while Tebow is just a glorified cheerleader.

The Lin story is a great one for other athletes that are thinking about giving up on their dreams. Everyone is going to get a chance to shine, but one has to take advantage of that opportunity when it arises. If you aren’t putting in 110 percent into getting better than that chance might just pass bye.

The thought of Lin not making a difference on this Knicks team for the rest of the season is hard to fathom. He has rejuvenated a team that was seven games under .500. He has brought the energy back to a team that looked like it was sleeping on the court. He quite possibly could be the savior of the Knicks season.

The spotlight is back on the Knicks and this time it’s for all the right reasons. Lin has captured the attention of the nation with his underdog story and amazing play.

Only time will tell if “Linsanity” will continue but if he continues to play at such a high level, he is going to turn the whole nation into “Linatics.”

From the Marbles: Budweiser Shootout

The 34th running of the Budweiser Shootout will take the green flag Saturday Feb. 18, as 25 drivers are on the entry list.

The eligibility rules have been altered once again, for NASCAR’s exhibition season opener at Daytona International Speedway. From the previous year, the Bud Shootout’s qualifying criteria was very difficult to understand, but this year they have simplified it a bit easier with still some room from improvement.

In 2011, drivers were eligible by being past Rookie of the Year winners, past winners at Daytona, Chase drivers from the previous season and active past champions. In 2012, NASCAR and Budweiser simplified the criteria by allowing only the top-25 drivers from 2011 standings and any driver with a win at Daytona (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400 or Budweiser Shootout).

The race is still a very open race and quite easy to get in to, with a lot of issues where drivers who had poor seasons in 2011 are rewarded. Even elderly drives such as Ken Schrader, Terry Labonte, Geoffrey Bodine and Derrike Cope are eligible because of past victories at Daytona.

It’s exactly true what was said on Twitter by @nascarcasm when he tweeted Miss Wisconsin is now qualified for the Bud Shootout for winning the Miss America pageant in January.

Might as well throw in Eli Manning. Or Adele.

Back when Budweiser was the sponsor for the Pole Award, the Shootout field was set by those who won at least one pole during the previous season. In 2011, 18 drivers won at least one pole, but since Coors Light is now the sponsor of the award, Budweiser had to provide a new criteria and eligibility to race in the first exhibition race of the season.

25 drivers is still a good number of racecars. Despite being eligible for the Bud Shootout on Saturday, there are still a few drivers who will not be racing. Trevor Bayne, 2011 Daytona 500 winner, will not race due to not having a racecar provided by the Wood Brothers. Brian Vickers will also not race due to not having a racecar after Red Bull Racing closed its doors.

There are drivers who will begin their season Saturday with their new teams for the first time such as Kurt Busch (Phoenix Racing), A.J. Allmendinger (Penske Racing), David Ragan (Front Row Motorsports), Clint Bowyer (Michael Waltrip Racing) and Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports). These drivers will be looking to start their season with positive momentum heading into the 36-race season.

We will find out whether pack-racing will return this Saturday, and if NASCAR’s wholesale changes to the racecars will be enough to take away the two-car tango all together or if it will not allow teams to tango for long periods of time.

Either way, the race will be exciting and full of 50 laps of hard, quality racing.

And, at the end of the day, Speedweeks 2012 is finally back.

From the Marbles: Who will be in the 2012 Chase?

The Daytona 500 is the start of the 2012 season for NASCAR. The first of 26 tests before the Chase for the Sprint Cup. (CBS Sports)

I really shouldn’t test my luck after writing a column in 2011 for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway about my favorites to win the championship, and after selecting Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin, two of those turn out to be good choices.

So pressing my luck once again, as Speedweeks at Daytona quickly approaches, I have some preseason favorites as to who will be in the running for the championship come mid-September.

When it comes down to the end of the 2012 season, fans need to realize consistency during the Chase is what will win championships. It is unlikely another driver such as Tony Stewart will rack off five wins in the final 10 races to win the championship in a tie. What Carl Edwards did in the Chase last season was remarkable, having the best 10 race average finish in the Chase with 4.9.

There are always teams who can be considered locks when it comes to the end of the season playoff format. Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Stewart, Edwards and Kevin Harvick will make the Chase and be considered consistent “favorites.”

The ones who might be on the cusp of missing will be Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Paul Menard and AJ Allmendinger. With those six I mentioned before who will make it and four who will not, who are the remaining drivers who will contend those final 10 races?

Kyle Busch is the first lock. NASCAR knows this guy is a hot-headed driver with a lot of passion for winning. His early season successes always allows this driver in the Chase before he and his team crash in the playoffs.

Kasey Kahne and Jeff Burton will be my surprises this season to make the cut. Kahne enters his first season with Hendrick Motorsports and with that equipment, the competition should be worried about the talent behind the wheel and pit box.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will make the Chase as he did in 2011 for the first time since 2008. Denny Hamlin will also return in 2012 after a disappointing season in 2011, and with his new crew chief Darian Grubb, the Joe Gibbs Racing team will perform back to its normal pace.

Last, but not least, the 2011 surprise of the year, Brad Keselowski, will be the front runner at Penske Racing. After ending 2011 in third in the points standings, Keselowski returns in 2012 with momentum. This “Blue Deuce” is the car to watch early in the season to see if he will make noise prior to having a run for another championship.

Jimmie Johnson heads into 2012 after losing his first championship since 2005. He will still be the favorite. (Auto Week)

Fans always say that winning needs to be more of an emphasis for drivers in the Sprint Cup Series, and last year with Stewart winning the championship, it proved winning is very important, and having a string of great finishes can nearly lock a championship. However, the consistency of the No. 48 team led by Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson are the epitome of greatness.

Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team will win the championship in 2012, not only because of their inability to have mistakes, but there is no other complete team or organization that can prove differently.

Funniest three Super Bowl commercials

Good thing the game lived up to all the hype because the commercials certainly did not. As a staff, we could only find a few commercials that make us laugh past the first viewing.

3. Doritos sling baby

Even when the commercials as a whole didn’t meet the hype, Doritos did once again. I mean, this grandma is slinging a baby, what is not to love?

2. E-Trade

Another baby commercial, but come on, watching this baby talk every time an E-trade commercial brightens your day.

1. M&Ms

Any time there is the LMFAO song, “Sexy and I Know It” and candy involved you know it has to be good. Enjoy.

Have any suggestions about our picks? Let us know which ones were your favorites.