30 Degrees of Banking

The Chase is On!!

By Ryan Frisco

Photo Cred www.onlyagame.wbur.org

We are one week removed from the final race of the regular season, and the drama has yet to cease!!  Carl Edwards ended up with the win, Kurt Busch raced his way into the Chase finishing second, and Ryan Newman - not Martin Truex, Jr. - snagged the up for grabs second Wild Card!  I'm not going to try and explain in writing all of the details that emerged after the race with teams cheating and fixing the results.  All you need to know is Michael Waltrip Racing sabatoged Ryan Newman's chance at victory,  made it so Jeff Gordon had no chance at the Top 10 and opened up the second Wild Card spot for Martin Truex, Jr. by forcing Joey Logano into the Top 10.  Oh, and new intel states that Penske and Front Row Motorsports had a little side deal that helped Logano move into the Top 10 as well.  Needless to say, NASCAR found out, Truex was booted and Newman took his spot.  On to the Chase!

***UPDATE*** Since I wrote this article, Jeff Gordon has since been reinstated as a 13TH CONTENDER in the Chase!  This is an unprecedented move by NASCAR and has created a lot of drama and controversy in the sport.***

Now, I'd like to break down the Chase Contenders, from the order of who I think has the best chance to come out on top.

Photo Cred www.autoracing1.com

1. Kyle Busch - This pick isn't necessarily original, but you just can't deny how good he has been this year!  The driver that many are stunned hasn't won a Sprint Cup Championship yet, Kyle will win one, and this year's as good as any to do it.  He has a fast car every week...the only things that might get in his way, like crashes or engine problems, seem out of the picture at this time this season.  Busch is going to have to have a lot of things go wrong for this to not work out in his favor!

2. Kevin Harvick - The Closer has had himself a steadily consistent season.  He's finished in the Top 15 pretty much everywhere except the restrictor plate tracks, and there's only one of them in the Chase.  Kevin has a great car every week, and is usually in contention at the end.  Now that the whole 'playing it safe' bit is over, I'm sure we'll see him snag at least one victory in the Chase.  He will be there in the end.

3. Jimmie Johnson - It seems silly to put him so low, but I justify based on the last three weeks performance.  Engine troubles, blown tires, other people's problems...the 48 team has encountered more trouble this year than other years.  He has a high Chase seeding with his four regular season wins, and will no doubt be in the hunt, but races like the last three...that just can't happen in the Chase.

Photo Cred www.mikemulhern.net

4. Carl Edwards - Carl has been like Harvick this year, very consistently keeping himself in the picture. It's amazing, after all year, he actually goes in the Chase leading the point standings!  The fact that he didn't battle for victory often kind of left him out of the hype, but this seems awfully familiar to 2011...without Tony Stewart in the picture to battle it out with this time.

5. Matt Kenseth - 'What?!  You're ranking the high seed in the Chase this low?!!!' I know this is the question you are all asking. And yes, I am ranking him this low.  Matt has had an extraordinary year.  In his typical 'boring' fashion, as some call it, Kenseth has managed to win five races along with 13 Top 10s.  Unfortunately, I'm not that impressed.  He runs well much of the time, and at some points is downright dominating, but he's had some not so hot races more often then a Championship Contender should.  The only thing he's got going for him is he's dominated the 1.5 mile tracks, which is practically half of the Chase tracks.

6. Kasey Kahne - If you've followed me all season, you know Kahne is my preseason pick to win the Cup.  I knew he'd make it into the Chase, but assumed he'd be higher in the rankings.  Like last year, Kasey has been plagued by bad luck, but his standing outside of the Top 10 in points reflects a lot more than bad luck. This team has had problems.  Kasey has a shot at the Championship, but they can't have races where they just can't figure the car out...like Richmond last week.

Photo Cred www.newsfiber.com

7. Ryan Newman - Newman is the Lucky Dog for the Chase. He lucked out from the crazy twist that booted Truex, Jr. from the Chase.  Ryan is being let go from Stewart Haas racing after this year...this is his tryout, the chance to prove he's worth another shot in the big team era.  What's he gonna do?  I think Newman has what it takes to make some noise...just a little, probably not Championship noise though.

8. Kurt Busch - Single car team out of Colorado, Furniture Row Racing becomes the first of its kind to make the Chase since its inception.  It makes sense that they did it with a past champion in Kurt Busch, but the feat is still a huge step for the sport.  Busch raced his butt off trying to get into the Chase, and now that he's there, I'm not sure if anyone knows what will happen!  He has shown he has the speed and ability to compete with the big boys.  They haven't won yet, but if the crew can get things figured out on pit road, that first win isn't far away. Who knows, maybe Kurt Busch will go all Tony Stewart 2011 and win five races in the Chase!

Photo Cred www.usatoday.com

9. Joey Logano - One big revelation of the year; Joey Logano is a legit NASCAR driver, finally!  He has found a home with Penske Racing, and should be able to thrive there for a long time.  Can he win the title this year?  No.  He's young, and won't be able to hang at this stage, but the fact that he was a legit competitor this year, won a race and made the Chase speaks volumes to the world!  Logano will be back again, and a championship may very well be in his future...just not 2013.

10. Greg Biffle - The Bif has not been impressive at all this year.  He won a race, and had three Top 5s in the entire season.  That is a lame stat line for a Chase driver.  He has been no where near the front for  months now.  He should be a non factor, I'm completely counting him out...watch him win the stinkin' Championship now that I said that.

Photo Cred www.yahoosports.com

11. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - Junior Nation gonna be hatin on this ranking, but deep down they all know I'm right.  Dale had an adequate start to the year, placing himself in contention often.  He never won, and his competitiveness sort of died off over the Summer.  It's even at the point now where you hear Danica Patrick's name more than Dale Junior.  My how the times are changing.

12. Clint Bowyer - That was quite a stunt him and Michael Waltrip Racing pulled.  I say NASCAR makes sure Bowyer's chance at a title are slim to none this year.  'What's that, Bowyer's leading the race with three laps to go?!  Oops, I thought I saw debris in Turn 2, Caution!'

13. Jeff Gordon - Well, since I just found out about this, I really don't know where I would place Gordon.  He's run well this year, but not dominated by any means.  He's run into a lot of bad luck.  I can't see him being a serious threat for the cup.  Like I said before, maybe next year, but this just isn't his year.  But, with new life being issued him by NASCAR, who knows what could happen!!  This is playoffs baby!

30 Degrees of Banking

Back on Track

By Ryan Frisco

The title of this article has a double meaning.  First the obvious one; Sports Eye View is trying to get back on track! i.e. writing articles again.  Very very sorry to our loyal followers, if your summer has been like ours (weddings, work & vacations) then you understand, but that's still no excuse for us!!  Football is about to begin, and NASCAR and Baseball playoff races are heating up!  Life is good in the sports world.

So, on to the second meaning of 'Back on Track'...NASCAR.  The season is three races from the coveted Chase for the Sprint Cup, and the battle for those precious few last spots in the Chase is on fire! 

Photo Cred www.nascar.com

To set the lineup...there are a few drivers who are virtually a lock for the Chase. Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch are all in. That's half the Chase field decided.  Kasey Kahne is as well, with a Wild Card spot being his worst case scenario.  After that, it's anyone's game for those last few spots.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., thought to be a lock three weeks ago, is falling fast.  He is now only 20 points away from being outside the Top 10 in points, with no wins to help him in the Wild Card if he drops out.  He has a good track record at the next three tracks, but even trying to stay out of trouble doesn't always work...as he found out at Watkins Glen.

Brad Keselowski is one of the guys who has gotten it Back on Track lately.  After a great start to the year, he fell off a bit, dropping from 2nd in the standings to outside the Top 10.  With a 2nd place two weeks ago, and a 7th last week, the defending Champion has worked his way back up to 8th in the standings, 8 points ahead of 11th.  He's got his work cut out for him the next three weeks, but Bristol is one of his best tracks.

Photo Cred www.fantasyracingonline.net

Kurt Busch.  This guy was written off after 'leaving' Penske Racing two years ago.  Now, he's worked himself back up in the mix, on pace to become the first single car team ever to qualify for the Chase!  Ninth in the points, six points ahead of 11th, it won't be an easy road to stay there, but he has driven the wheels off of that car this year, and I would not be surprised to see him make the Chase and then make a surge at the cup...he's done it before.

Greg Biffle is on the bubble.  He is four points inside the Top 10.  The good news?  He's got a win.  The bad news? So do four drivers within 27 points of him.  He hasn't necessarily been running well lately either, let alone most of the season.  I'm not sure if Biffle can hold on to his spot in the Chase.  Of all the drivers on the brink, I think he has the least amount of momentum and is the most likely to drop out.

Photo Cred www.racintoday.com

Martin Truex, Jr. currently holds the last spot in the Chase, the second Wild Card based off of his victory at Sears Point.  In a career that's been plagued by 'Close but no cigar' for Truex, this season hasn't been much different. His 1 win, 5 Top 5s and 9 Top 10s could very well have been 3 wins, 9 Top 5s and 14 Top 10s.  As it stands, he is still in contention and has run extremely well this year.  I believe he can hold on to his spot and possibly break into the Top 10 by Richmond, earning a bonus point for his win. 

Joey Logano is fresh off his first win with Penske Racing last week, and has been on a tear!  It appears Logano was just a late bloomer, finally living up to the potential those always thought he had.  He is currently seven points away from a Chase spot.  Logano is going to drive hard the next few weeks, either ending up in the Chase, or the wall.  Only time will tell.

Photo Cred www.nascar.com

Jeff Gordon needs help.  The 4-time Champion is still a great driver, but has been plagued by bad luck the last two years.  I may be one of the only ones who still believe he has what it takes to be a contender.  He has the skill to win any one of these next three races, but I don't see it happening this year.  I'm guessing he'll be like the late Dale Earnhardt, Sr., challenging for the cup a few years after the majority thought he'd never return to relevance.  Next year, Jeffy.

Ryan Newman is the last driver who has a shot in the dark at making it.  Not the greatest short track driver out there, he'll have to rely on a win at Atlanta to do the trick.  With the amount of points he is behind the last Chase spot (17) he would have to benefit from someone else's enormous amount of bad luck to make the Chase on passing those in front of him with one win.  But, anything is possible at this point.

Well, that should set the stage for this 3 race shootout.  I'm picking Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex, Jr. and Joey Logano to grab the last 5 Chase spots.  Who's your picks to make it in?!

Showcase Showdown

Seasonal Sports Superiority

by Sports Eye View

Photo Cred www.sportslocal.org

For the love of every sport, we, the writers of Sports Eye View, would like to entertain you, our readers, with one of the broadest Showcase Showdowns we can come up with. After the NBA and NHL playoffs finished a couple weeks ago, the sports world has slowed down quite a bit with baseball chugging along in the middle of it's season and not much else going on. A few Tennis fans out there are closely watching to see if Andy Murray can snatch his second straight Wimbledon title and even fewer NASCAR fans are out there awaiting with great anticipation the Chase for the Sprint Cup Series. We would like to fill this gap by trying to determine which season of sports is the best. Spring boasts the completion of the NHL and NBA playoffs and March Madness while Summer brags about it's always exciting MLB season and all star game, NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup as well as the occasional Olympics. Fall brings us the start of the NFL season, College Football and MLB playoffs and Winter shows of the ever exciting ending to the NFL season along with playoffs and of course, the BCS Bowls and the occasional Olympics. So which season is better? Let's see what the writers of Sports Eye View think.

Photo Cred www.cbslocal.com

Eric - I will begin by saying that the Spring by far offers the greatest sporting events of the year. It is so obvious that I could just leave it at that, but just for your entertainment (and for the very few who don't already know this), I will explain further. Let's start from the beginning. College Basketball season is coming to a close around the end of March. You all know what this means! March Madness!! Possibly the greatest tournament of all time kicks off Spring and lasts almost an entire month. Does it get much better than that? Well yes, it does. Not only is March Madness going on, but the NBA and NHL playoff races are tightening up and the MLB season is starting. It's almost too much goodness in such a short period of time. And then, if you thought it definitely could not get better, the NBA and NHL playoffs start and finish right at the end of Spring. If you need any more explanation as to why Spring is the best season for sports, you are out of your mind.

Photo Cred www.betinternet.com

Ryan - Let me start off my promotion of the Winter Sports season by telling you a story.  When I was 10 years old, I had a crush.  On who, you might ask?  Tara Lipinski.  I, along with the entire world population, watched as the 15 year old Golden Girl took down the best in Michelle Kwan and brought USA home the gold medal.  It was a good day.  Other memorable Winter Sport memories? Anyone remember the Miracle on Ice? Yeah, the one where the scrub Americans beat the domineering Russians in the 1980 Olympic Gold Medal Match.  They made a movie out of that one.  What about that Jamaican Bobsled team?  Yup, made a movie out of that one too.  Please, if you haven't watched Cool Runnings, do.  I can go on and on...The Immaculate Reception...The Catch...every Daytona 500 and Super Bowl ever played...The Ice Bowl....The Blackout Bowl.  I feel like I got the easy task with this Showdown.  I'll go into more details once I see what the other guys have to offer.

Photo Cred www.mlb.com

Ben- Close your eyes and just imagine for a minute. You’re sitting outside on the porch; warm coffee in hand, a fleece jacket wrapped around your shoulders.  A nice, crisp breeze blows over the lawn and rustles those leaves that are shedding their green hue to the grandiose orange, reds, and yellows the fall delivers. A bonfire in the distance is tingling your nose, reminding you of your youth.  At this point all of your senses are engaged- except the sense of excitement. You walk inside, turn on the TV and gear up for the greatest sports season of all- FALL. “So Ben, why is it the best?” The NFL season is throwing off its rust, the NBA is jumping into form, and the English Premier League is kicking into gear  (Yes, I'm not above punning my way though an article). Oh, and in case you forgot, a little thing called PLAYOFF BASEBALL is in full swing. Playoff baseball is straight up magic. Even casual fans start to get batty with the constant excitement of a 7 game series (I’m done, I swear). Still not enough for you? Just head into town to watch young, talented high school kids, with aspiring dreams of stardom, put it on the field every Friday night under the lights. Simply put, fall is awesome. 

Photo Cred www.uwishunu.com

Caleb - There is one event in the sporting world that captures the hearts and minds of the entire globe. One two week stretch in the heat of August that causes even the shallowest of sports fans to skip class, work and even their wedding to find the closest television set. Without further adieu....The Summer Olympics. While I believe that March Madness is the best sporting event in the United States, The Summer Olympics is without a doubt the most amazing event in the wide world of sports that spans far beyond the borders of MERICA. The London 2012 Olympics broke the record for the most watched event in television history. While Americans and small populations in the rest of the world are glued to the NBA and MLB finals, every eye and ear in the world unites within each country to cheer their team on in each individual event. The national pride that is sprouted from just one gold medal for a small country truly shows the beauty and brilliance that athletics can bring to our world. I have many more reasons why the Summer seasons reigns supreme, but starting with the top seems most appropriate. The Summer Olympics makes the season of Summer simply scintillating.

Photo Cred www.keepingscore.blogs.com

Eric - To snuff out the Summer sports season first, you brought up the event that takes place every 4 years. Sure it's fantastic when it is happening, but it is 2 weeks every 4 years. That is hardly as good as something that happens year in and year out. Fall is good because of the NFL getting started but everyone knows the end of the season and playoffs are the best part of the NFL season. Playoff Baseball is the only great thing the Fall has going for it. Premier League soccer is just a blip on the radar in America. NASCAR is probably more watched than the Premier League. If we all lived in England, the Fall would be kicking butt entirely due to Premier League soccer but we all live in America. The Winter does have some good sports as well but once again, the Winter Olympics only happen once every 4 years. The NFL playoffs are awesome and definitely the highlight of the Winter but that is about it. So in summary, the Summer has one great event every 4 years, the Fall has MLB playoffs and the Winter has NFL playoffs. Compare that to the Spring having March Madness which happens every year, NBA playoffs which happen every year, NHL playoffs which happen every year and the start of Baseball, which is always extremely exciting, and you have yourselves a clear winning. Prove me wrong!

Photo Cred www.reuters.com

Ryan - Eric, I beg to differ.  When it comes down to it, there are only two seasons in the running for this title, that being the Summer and Winter due to the presence of the Olympics.  These games are so amazing that they can only have them once every four years!  You are also not putting nearly enough stock in the start of the NFL season in the Fall.  If you're honest with yourself, you know, just like the rest of us, that the NFL is by far the greatest and most popular sport in America by leaps and bounds.  Nothing comes close.  Sorry man, the Spring is that lapse in the year when you're just waiting for the Summer months to come.  So, why does Winter beat the Summer? Each have the Olympics, which gives them an EVEN upper hand over the Fall and Spring.  Unfortunately for the Summer, there isn't much else than that besides Training Camps and Preseason.  Winter has the exciting end to the NFL regular season, the spine tingling playoffs and the one event that breaks all of the TV records every single year, the SUPER BOWL!!!!  Again, I got the easy task.  Oh, and I forgot to mention earlier; the BCS Championship Series!  Easily one of the Top 5 single sporting events of the year.  The Winter season captures those who love professional sports, college sports, and once every four years even throws something in there that the entire world can tune into.  Seriously, need Ben and Caleb even take a stab?

Photo Cred www.gambling911.com

Caleb - Ryan beat me to the punch about the Olympics. I would rather have the greatest sporting venture of all time once every 4 years than the normal American sports championships every single year. The simple fact that it happens once every 4 years makes it that much better and bolsters the summer season's resume. Also, are we really making the argument that the summer Olympics are the only event happening in the summer? Did we forget that 3 of 4 golf major championships occur in the summer? Now I know some of you will bash golf for being boring, but have you ever watched the U.S. Open? Have you ever been glued to the television for 5 straight hours on a Sunday? The U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship all occur in the summer and carry a unique change of pace from the normal big 4. Also, summer holds Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the tennis world which carry the same glorified weight as the golf majors. Summer holds the unique and brilliant sporting events that the rest of the seasons just don't have. Also, which of you can deny checking your phone or internet each and every night to get text updates from the Phillies, Pirates or Orioles? We may not be at the beginning or the end of the MLB season, but I would argue that the middle of the season is much better than the beginning. Divisional races are taking shape, new stars are being born and surprise stories are always popping up. For any true baseball fan, the summer months are the best time of year. I see your individual points and I believe we all have strong cases because sports are amazing all year round, but there is simply nothing better than listening to the baseball game on the radio on a summer night, waking up early to watch Tiger struggle in the British Open, or wearing your USA colors and screaming and shouting about synchronized swimming. Bummer for the rest for only one reason, summer is the best, the best of the seasons.

Photo Cred www.rampagedreality.com

Ben - Sure, the Olympics are fantastic, that's impossible to argue against. But while you're talking about 2 weeks, everyone else is thinking big picture: consistently the best at round house kicking you in the face for 3 whole months season. It just so happens to be fall. I mean who doesn't love variety; that's what Fall is about. THREE types of football (HS/College/Pro), soccer leagues across the whole world (not giving up on soccer Eric!), Hockey, Basketball, and playoff baseball (And Baseball is the most "American" sport there is, shouldn't that just be the end of the argument? Could be, Wont be). The fall is set up for sporting events every night of the week. The amount of quality sporting action available is just wild- like riding an eagle through the mists of Valhalla during a full moon. Doesn't get much better than that!

Alright everyone, now it's your turn.  There is no way to settle this for good without having your input on the matter.  How do you help?

1. Post in the comment section of this story.
2. Vote on the poll along the right side of the blog.

Help us out, which sporting season is the best overall?!!

Green - White - Checkers

Stop #18: Daytona #2

By Ryan Frisco

That's right fans, buckle your seat belts 'cause we're about to go racing at Daytona for the second time this season!  This is the third restrictor plate race of the year, and we've seen already the excitement and surprises these tracks have to offer.  I love these races!

Let's cut to the Chase already: What is the race going to look like tomorrow night?!  

Photo Cred www.blogs.orlandosentinel.com

Excitement.  From start to finish.  You've got the gleam of the lights shining off the cars as they race around the track.  You've got 40 cars within half a second of each other on the track, banging on each other's doors.  You've got the potential for 20 cars to be caught up in a crash at any second of the race.  It's suspense.  It's craziness.  It's that feeling that you never know what's about to happen till it happens. I love it.  The fans love it.  Try it out, you'll love it!

Kyle Busch won the pole for the race, with teammate Matt Kenseth starting second.  Joe Gibbs Racing had three of the dominant cars in the Daytona 500 earlier this year until engine failures doomed them.  So far, it looks like they're going to be the cars to beat going into the second round in Daytona Beach.  Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin; keep your eyes on them.

Photo Cred www.draftingthecircuits.com

For Denny, this is literally do or die.  He has less than 10 races to get himself back into the Top 20 in points and win at least two races.  After missing four races due to a compression fracture in his spine, the going's been tough getting back into the picture.  He has no room to play it safe.  The team is calling crazy strategies to have a shot at the win, he's taking chances on the track...sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't.

You can't call a winner at Daytona.  Anyone has a shot until the checkered flag flies.  David Ragan won at Talladega earlier this year...he's 29th in points.  Trevor Bayne won in his second ever start two years ago in the 500.  Derrike Cope won two Daytona 500s...yes, you don't know who he is.  Just for that reason, I'm not going to predict a winner tomorrow night, I'm just going to sit back, relax and enjoy the action!  

Ryan Frisco is a co-founder of Sports Eye View, as well as the Head NASCAR Analyst.  He can be reached at ryanafrisco@gmail.com

30 Degrees of Banking

NASCAR Nuggets: Kentucky

By Ryan Frisco

Photo Cred www.floridasportstalk.com

The Victor: Another 1.5 mile track, another win for Matt Kenseth and the Joe Gibbs Racing Team.  They've really got these intermediate tracks down, as that is Kenseth's fourth victory of the season.  What does that mean?  It means he'll start out with at least 12 bonus points once the Chase starts.  In an era where most championships come down to less than 20 points (and some times the number of wins) every bonus point Matt can collect now bodes well for his standing after Homestead in November.

The First Loser: Jamie McMurray came home second at Kentucky, a nice run for the Chip Ganassi driver.  McMurray may not have had the second fastest car Sunday, but it was decent nonetheless.  In a season burdened by the obscure happenings, it's nice to see Jamie's finishing position mirror the kind of car he actually had.  He still has a looooong way to go to have any chance at the Chase.

Pat on the Back: I'll tell you what, Joey Logano is having a good year.  It seems the switch to Penske was almost as good for him as it was for Kenseth to move to Gibbs!  The kid is really coming into his own, and after so many well run races like his fourth place at Kentucky, I'm going out on a limb that he is not far away from a breakout year!

Also, Kurt Busch.  I bring him up every week, and I'm really close to just making him one of the guys who should be finishing in the Top 10 each week instead of a scrub in shoddy equipment.

Photo Cred www.nascar.com

Can't Start, Won't Start: Jimmie Johnson, the points leader, has dominated the season.  There is no doubt about it.  He has won three times, and that number isn't six only because of himself.  Restarts have been the death of Johnson this year, and Sunday was no different. After being the man to beat all day and leading almost 200 laps, Jimmie fell victim to the restart once again.  Blaming it on Matt Kenseth not starting the race fast enough (the truth is that Johnson couldn't get going and got in the way) he was spun out and went from the front row back outside the Top 20.  He was able to work his way back to 9th, but should have won the race.  Big mistakes so far for the 48 team.

Excitement at Kentucky Motor Speedway last weekend.  The Chase picture is starting to take shape.  I'll leave you with a nasty crash that took out defending champion Brad Keselowski and Greg Biffle!

Ryan Frisco is a co-founder of Sports Eye View, as well as the Head NASCAR Analyst.  He can be reached at ryanafrisco@gmail.com

Green - White - Checkers

Stop #17: Kentucky

By Ryan Frisco

Photo Cred www.espn.go.com

I'll be honest with y'all; I'm not looking forward to the race at Kentucky.  I think NASCAR has brought in too many of the intermediate level tracks that don't have much character.  Tracks like Bristol, Martinsville, Talladega, Richmond...these tracks have a little something different about them you don't see anywhere else.  I like that, and most of the fans like that as well.  The races at tracks like Kentucky turn into a fuel mileage race, which is about the most excitement you really see.  I will say one thing positive going into it: it's a night race.  You know how much I talk about my love for night races!  If NASCAR was going to do anything to make racing at Kentucky better (besides removing the track from the circuit) making it a night race was the way to go.

So, Saturday night...what's going to happen?  I really don't have too much to say this week.  Kentucky will come down to pure speed and great strategy.  Brad Keselowski and Paul Wolfe have killed it in the strategy section the past three years.  Let's see if they can pull out a fuel mileage win here again.

Photo Cred www.sbnation.com

Expect the Hendrick cars of Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to be near the front all night.  Junior has the pole, I expect him to run well.  Why did I leave out the fourth Hendrick car, Jeff Gordon?  Every time I lump him in with the Hendrick squad, he seems to be the only one who doesn't run well.  I'm using reverse psycology this week; I'm not picking him to be fast, so he'll prove me wrong as usual and probably win the race! 

Other cars that win when it comes to pure speed?  Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart. 

My Pick: Kurt Busch.  He has proven he is fast this season, and they usually go with an obscure pit strategy.  This week, I'm thinking the strategy just might work.

NASCAR...under the lights...tonight! 

Ryan Frisco is a co-founder of Sports Eye View, as well as the Head NASCAR Analyst.  He can be reached at ryanafrisco@gmail.com

30 Degrees of Banking

NASCAR Nuggets: Sonoma

By Ryan Frisco

Photo Cred www.yahoosports.com

The Victor: The last time Martin Truex, Jr. won a race, I was still in high school. Since then, I've graduated college, gotten a real job, gotten married and had a son.  Needless to say, it's been a while for Martin, and victory in the rolling hills of Sonoma couldn't be sweeter. A track where he has performed well the last 5 years before running into trouble, the breakthrough second career victory is finally in hand.  Now the wins can start flowing.  I have a feeling the nickname The 'Other' Junior will soon wear off and Truex, Jr. becomes a valid title contender.

The First Loser: Hmm, I'm pretty sure we've had Jeff Gordon in this segment before this year.  Again, oh so close!  If not for that totally ridiculous ill timed pit stop right as the caution came out, I'd say Gordon would have been the one sipping wine in victory lane.  As it fell, Gordon had to fight his way back from 38th on a ROAD COURSE to finish second.  I'd say a win for him given the situation.  Jeff is inching closer to that Top 10 in points, and oh so close to a win.  I'd say we'll be calling his name in the Victor column before the Summer's out!

Photo Cred www.speedtv.com

Tough Luck: Three guys on Sunday had great cars but ran into hard times in Sonoma.  Kyle Busch's day just never seemed to go right.  A speeding penalty on pit road and more than one spinout caused by someone else resulted in a 35th place finish.  Tony Stewart was in prime position in the last quarter of the race before a spin relegated him to 28th.  Juan Pablo Montoya, the king of road racing, dominated the Top 5 for much of the race. Sitting in second place with 2 laps left, his car ran out of gas and he fell from runner up to 34th.  Chase hopes are looking slim for him.

Pat on the Back: Gotta hand it to a few guys again.  Kurt Busch finished fourth.  He runs so well in underfunded cars.  Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards both finished in the Top 10...at Sonoma!  They aren't known for running well there.  Marcos Ambrose went home 7th, which is expected for him here, but still good for the man from Down Unda'.

The standings are crowded from 10th to 20th, and races before the Chase are dwindling.  Guys have to start making their moves soon to stand a chance.  On to Kentucky next week!...yeah, I can't even fake that I meant that excitement.  More on that this weekend...

Green-White-Checkers

Stop #16: Sonoma

By Ryan Frisco

NASCAR gets a bad rap sometimes because the only 'skill' involved is the ability to turn left.  Those people are seriously misinformed, haven't taken the time enough to actually watch a race intensely or are just jealous they don't have the greatest job in the world driving 200mph every weekend.  But, for those who have this opinion, try tuning in this week as NASCAR takes on the first of two ROAD COURSE races in the Napa Valley of California.

Photo Cred www.stockcarracing.com

These tracks are a different breed.  11 turns make up this windy track, as drivers turn left AND right with some S bends and180 degree hairpin turns.  This track isn't necessarily about having the fastest car, it's more about finesse and timing.  It's nearly impossible to pass at Sonoma.  Naturally, on a track this difficult and tight, there are going to be a ton of tempers flaring and drivers pushing each other around.  You can get away with that here, as speeds are much lower and you don't run the risk of causing a serious crash.

There is also an added element to these races; Ringers.  Every year, we see drivers enter these races that aren't part of the normal circuit.  They are professional road course racers, and many times they give the full timers a run for their money.  I've seen Ron Fellows and Boris Said both legitimately contend for victory and have solid Top 5 finishes.  It definitely makes it interesting for these drivers to be out there, although I have seen them falter as of late as the regular NASCAR drivers have stepped up their game at the road courses.

Photo Cred www.speedwaymedia.com

So who should we be looking out for?  Top two always here are Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcos Ambrose.  Both drivers have two career victories, and both of them are on road course tracks only.  They will be in contention.  Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are two other big ones.  Martin Truex, Jr. and Clint Bowyer, the two Michael Waltrip Racing cars, have been solid as well, as Clint won here last year.  Also, keep an eye on the Busch Brothers, as both run very well at these tracks.

Dark Horse Alert: Danica Patrick.  Danica ran full time Nationwide last year, and dominated at Montreal until an untimely shoe was thrown in her path.  I expect her to have a better than average run this week.

My Pick to Win: Jamie McMurry.  He's starting on the pole.  He's driving the #1 car.  Why not?

Ryan Frisco is a co-founder of Sports Eye View, as well as the Head NASCAR Analyst.  He can be reached at ryanafrisco@gmail.com

30 Degrees of Banking

Playing Catch Up!

By Ryan Frisco

To all of my loyal NASCAR followers (I believe there are 8 of you) I apologize for my lack of presence the past couple of weeks.  I have slacked severely, and there is no excuse for it.  I will try to get back to my consistent ways with timely previews and reviews of each race.  I mean come on, without NASCAR what would the Sports Eye View Blog be?  This is totally the Cash Cow!

Let's start with a quick review of Pocono two weeks ago.  Jimmie Johnson dominated and won the

Photo Cred www.fox6now.com

race, Tony Stewart continued his hot streak with a Top 5 finish.  Enough said.

Last week, NASCAR endured a tragedy in the death of driver Jason Leffler.  He died while racing the Sprint cars on the dirt tracks, something he was looking forward to getting heavily back into.  He leaves behind a young son.  What is NASCAR to do in an event like this?

NASCAR isn't like other sports.  Yeah, other athletes run the risk of serious injury or death, but not like in NASCAR.  The death of an athlete in this sport happens more often than in other professional sports.   I've seen it too much in my lifetime.  First I saw Adam Petty die in a crash, the grandson of NASCAR's King Richard Petty.  Then it was Kenny Irwin, and Dale Earnhardt, Sr., one of the sport's top 2 most famous, popular and decorated drivers of all time.  It happened at NASCAR's grand stage, the Daytona 500.  Within the past couple years, Dan Wheldon, and Indy 500 Champion and beloved Indy Car Racer, was killed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Photo Cred www.flapperdays.blogspot.com

So, what is NASCAR to do?  What they've been doing since the beginning, and what they've continued to do nonstop: make the sport safer.  They have added technology to all of the tracks to soften the impact on the wall when a driver hits it.  They have reinforced the roll cage to protect the driver inside.  They have implemented a HANS device around the drivers head/helmet to keep their neck from snapping forward.  They have found numerous ways to keep the cars from going airborne.

Yes, there have been deaths in the sport, but it is obvious that there have been many more deaths prevented by the hard work NASCAR has done to make the sport safer over the years.  But, events like this bring light to the fact that every single one of these drivers runs a serious risk each and every Sunday they step into that car.  Jason Leffler, we are praying for your son and those close to you.  We enjoyed having the opportunity to see you race at the NASCAR level.

Photo Cred www.usatoday.com

In light of these events, the race went on as planned Sunday at Michigan.  The track was primed for one of the four Hendrick cars to win, but that was not to be...

The Victor: The Bif!  Greg Biffle somehow pulled out victory Sunday.  He may not have had the fastest car out there, but he put himself at the front near the end and held on for dear life.  Second two weeks ago, first this week...Biffle's Summer so far is heading in the right direction, with a spot in the Chase!

The First Loser: Kevin Harvick.  He just keeps doing this, finding himself near the front at the end.  Happy Harvick is looking like his old self...which is bad news for everyone else not named Jimmie Johnson.

Hendrick Motorsports: So, I mentioned that Hendrick was supposed to dominate?  Check out these stats.  Jeff Gordon, great car, crashed on lap 6, 37th.  Kasey Kahne, dominated, cut a tire while leading, 36th.  Dale Earnhardt, Jr., was running away with the lead, blown engine, 35th.  Jimmie Johnson, runner up with 3 laps to go, cut tire, 28th.  Each and every one of these drivers had a legitimate shot to win, it just wasn't in the cards this week.

Photo Cred www.heraldtimesonline.com

Shout Outs: Gotta give a shout out to Martin Truex, Jr. He came home third, which moved him up four spots in the standings.  I'm confident he'll find himself in the Chase this year.

I'm going to keep mentioning Tony Stewart until he has a bad finish.  5th place Sunday. The string continues, as he is now 10th in points!  Five races ago he was outside the Top 20.  What a run!

I've got one more shout to Sports Eye View writer Caleb Musselman.  He turned 23 on Tuesday!  Exciting birthday, right?  Now he can...nevermind, he's just a year older.  Happy Birthday!

Okay, that's enough for this week, I think we're caught up enough.  Next week, we're going road racing!  It's a whole different ballgame, tune in this weekend for the Sonoma Preview!

Ryan Frisco is a co-founder of Sports Eye View, as well as the Head NASCAR Analyst.  He can be reached at ryanafrisco@gmail.com

30 Degrees of Banking

NASCAR Nuggets: FedEx Autism Speaks 400

By Ryan Frisco

The Victor: WHERE IN THE WORLD DID THAT COME FROM TONY STEWART?!!!!!  I definitely was not expecting Smoke to come out on top at Dover.  Not at the start, not at the 3/4 mark, not at the 7/8 mark.  After a completely dirt poor start to the season, a 7th last week and win at Dover is a HUGE upgrade to the season.  Tony finds himself in prime position to nab one of the two Wild Card spots as the Summer is just heating up.

Photo Cred www.usatoday.com

The First Loser:  Another guy I didn't expect to see there at the end; Juan Pablo Montoya.  Juan didn't have the fastest car Sunday, but he made the right call at the right time to be at the front when it mattered the most.  Montoya has impressed as of late, and he's keeping himself in position so that if he does nab one or both of the road course wins, he'll have a good shot of grabbing a Wild Card berth in the Chase.

Pat on the Back:  Jeff Gordon came home 3rd.  A good finish for him in another season of bad luck.

Kurt Busch ran another great race, only to be stung by poor pit strategy.  Good job to come back to 12th.

Photo Cred www.whattalking.com

Penske Racing:  Brad Keselowski finished 5th, Joey Logano 7th.  This team has been great at times, poor at times and wrapped up in controversy.  Although Keselowski was penalized 6 points for failing post race inspections, finishing up front again is encouraging after a rough stretch in May.  Logano is still working back from his 25 point penalty.  Penske looks to be back on track somewhat.

Jimmie Johnson Penalized: Yep, that's right.  Jimmie Johnson broke the rules, and paid the price.  That should silence the critics! Johnson was on the bottom line during the race's final restart, next to Juan Pablo Montoya, the leader.  Jimmie started the race prematurely (the leader, Montoya, was supposed to) and failed to give the position back to Montoya before the start finish line.  That led to a black flag, penalty trip down pit road and a 17th place finish one lap down.  

Was it controversial?  Yeah, you could argue that Juan spun the tires and didn't get going when he should have.  But, NASCAR made the call and I believe it was the right one.  Take a look at the video and decide for yourselves.

Next up is Pocono!

Ryan Frisco is a co-founder of Sports Eye View, as well as the Head NASCAR Analyst.  He can be reached at ryanafrisco@gmail.com

Green - White - Checkers

Stop #13: The Monster Mile

By Ryan Frisco

There are many tracks on the NASCAR circuit.  Some are things of legend, others are your run of the mill ordinary track.  Some are new and some are old.  Some, like Darlington two weeks ago, have nicknames that kind of send a chill down your spine.  That was the Lady in Black (queue goosebumps).  This week, the drivers head to Dover, which is nicknamed the Monster Mile...and no, we're not talking friendly monster, like in Monsters, Inc.

Photo Cred www.flickr.com

Dover is known as the track too tough to tame.  It's one whole mile of holding on for dear life as you careen through the corners at 165 mph next to a wall with no give.  There's not a lot of room on the track like at Las Vegas or Fontana.  If you crash here, you're walking away with a migraine, no matter what part of the track it is.  The Monster's out to get you this Sunday.

So, what's in store for this Sunday?

As far as cautions go, I'm betting on over 10.  This week marks the first race of the summer months.  What does that mean for drivers?  That means they only have 12 weeks left to solidify their spot in the Chase...that means they better get goin!  If they've been playing it safe so far, and that game ain't workin yet, they better start taking some chances.  If the guy in front of you is giving you a hard time to pass him, just bump him out of the way to pick up that extra point.  If your car isn't giving you enough horsepower, run it just a little harder until it blows up.  The first 12 races were the warmup. The next 12 are the Sprint to the playoffs.  It's time to make your move!

Things are just about to get exciting in NASCAR.  Who's got the edge this week?

There are three drivers who have literally owned Dover over the recent past.  1. Jimmie Johnson 2. Kyle Busch and 3. Martin Truex, Jr.  All three of these guys should be in the hunt at some point in the race.

Photo Cred www.aarons.com

My Pick:  I'm reaching deep into the bag this week, and 10 years into the past for my pick at the victor. Mark Martin!  Yes, the same Mark Martin  who hasn't raced full time since the Nextell Cup.  Yes, the same Mark Martin who's like 55 years old.  Yes, the same Mark Martin who does the dorkiest Aaron's commercials with Michael Waltrip.  This old dawg still has a few tricks up his sleeve, and he might just play one of his final cards left this weekend.  Here's to the oldies but goodies!

Ryan Frisco is a co-founder of Sports Eye View as well as the Head NASCAR Analyst.  He can be reached at ryanafrisco@gmail.com

30 Degrees of Banking

NASCAR Nuggets: Coca Cola 600

By Ryan Frisco

I feel like I've said it too many times this year, but I'm going to say it again; I love NASCAR under the lights!  You just never know what's going to happen, and this week was no different, as NASCAR's longest race got even longer thanks to the second craziest thing I've ever seen in the sport. But, let's start with...

Photo Cred www.newsobserver.com

The Victor: Kevin Harvick, the Closer, closed out another one.  Creeping the entire race, slowly working his way up through the field, Harvick, in his patented form, stole the race at the end to pick up his second victory of the year.  After falling just short of the championship in 2010, Harvick looks primed to make another run at it this year.

The First Loser: Kasey Kahne.  The victor last year in the 600, he fell just short after dominating the race, settling for second.  The same thing happened last week, as he had the race in hand, but lost the lead to Jimmie Johnson in the All Star Race.  All in all though, a great run.  It's nice to see Kahne's finishes reflect how strong he is and not be ruined by a certain someone *cough* Kyle Busch *cough*.  The Kahne Gang is keepin' it strong!

Pat on the Back: Kurt Busch has run surprisingly strong this year, especially for the below par equipment he's driving.  If not for a stroke of bad luck here and there, he'd be sitting in the Top 10 in points.  Great job to come home third, let's hope he can keep his attitude in check to stick around for a while.

Denny Hamlin had another great Top 5 run.  The field better watch out if he makes the Chase.

For the first time all year, I'm writing something positive about Tony Stewart!  He finally got another Top 10!!  He finished 7th, and teammate Ryan Newman came home 6th.  Easily the best overall showing for this team all year.

In case anybody overlooked it, Marcos Ambrose came home with a Top 10 finish.  Good run for the Aussie.

Okay, let's get to the craziness.  First, the big crash.  Watch:

There were more crashes, but this one was the best.  I know for most people reading, this is the highlight of the race you were looking for.  You're welcome.

Caught on Camera...Literally: This is the real craziness of the race.  I've never seen anything like it before!  So, like in football, FOX Sports has added an overhead camera to get an aerial view that moves around the track.  Somehow, one of the cables running over the track to drive this camera broke, and was left hanging on the track, suspended from ground to air.  The leader, Kyle Busch, ran over the cord, snapping it off as well as mutilating the right front of his car.  Three or four cars in total sustained damage from the cord, and NASCAR had to red flag the event for over half an hour to clean up the camera mess and let the cars and crew fix what the cord had ruined.  What?!!  Seriously, I've seen a lot of crazy things, but this is by far the second craziest in NASCAR ever.

What is the first, you might ask?

Alright, enough of the craziness already!  Let's get going to the Monster Mile, Dover!

Ryan Frisco is a co-founder of Sports Eye View, as well as the Head NASCAR Analyst.  He can be reached at ryanafrisco@gmail.com

Green - White - Checkers

Stop #12: Charlotte

By Ryan Frisco

Photo Cred www.skirtsandscuffs.com

Fresh off last week's record breaking win for Jimmie Johnson in the All Star Race, NASCAR spends another week in Charlotte for the famed Coca Cola 600, NASCAR's longest race of the year.  600 miles!!  The race begins during the daytime, and goes well into the night.  Drivers face tougher physical conditions inside the car than any other track, and crews have their hands full trying to make the necessary adjustments to the car to make it run under the lights just as well as it did under the sun.  So much goes into winning this race, and walking away with the Coca Cola 600 title is always well worth it.

Photo Cred www.foxsports.com

There's been a bit of controversy the past week as a result of a FOX Sports inaccuracy.  The lineup for the final segment of the All Star Race was set by the average finishing position of each driver in the four previous segments.  NASCAR lined the drivers up in the correct order.  Jimmie Johnson was to lineup fourth before the final pit stop.  Nothing wrong with that based on the first four segments' performances.

FOX Sports decided to show what the final lineup would be, and they got it completely wrong.  They showed Johnson starting outside of the Top 10.  When viewers at home saw the inconsistency, they assumed Johnson had cheated and that it was a conspiracy theory by NASCAR to put him in position to break the record for All Star Race wins, which he did.  Naturally, they took to the Twitter World to express their thoughts, putting NASCAR in a tough spot directly following the race.

Sports fans are an interesting breed, and there will never be an end to the multitude of conspiracy theories about how the most minute details in every sporting event play out.  If nothing else, it makes for good media articles.

So, let's get going to Charlotte!  Race is Sunday night.  Starting around six in the afternoon, going deep into the moonlight.  Fans and drivers have complained that the action isn't as exciting since they repaved the track some years back, but I think it's still just as enjoyable to watch.  Plenty of action going on all over the track.

Photo Cred www.zimbio.com

The big story tonight is going to be Jimmie Johnson.  He has shown pure dominance at Charlotte Motor Speedway his entire career.  He's always the heavy favorite to win this race. Am I choosing him?  No, of course not!  If you've read any of my previous articles, you know I can't go with the heavy favorite to win any race.  I'm always willing to go with the underdog.  So, for the Coca Cola 600 tonight, I am choosing none other than Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to break out of his slump and grab the victory.  He needs it, NASCAR needs it.  What, I can root for the Cinderella story, can't I?