Easter Week: The Calm Before More Storms

NASCAR never races on Easter.

Never.

It also never races on Mother's Day, for the same reason. They'll race on the day before, but that's OK.

Easter is the deep breath at the end of a long first segment. Only eight races, but the beginning of the new season is usually an extension of the previous one. Work on 2015 will start in earnest in October of 2014.

That's why the Easter break is important.

It's not just the drivers, either. They generally aren't at the shop all week, fixing the stuff that got broken in the week prior. Crew members are, and they work a LOT of hours.

Easter is a chance for them to take a break, and it's much-needed.

Add to that the fact that some of the teams have gotten the handle on the new Gen-6 car and the new rules quicker than others.

Our good friends at the NASCAR News Service (Reid Spencer, we mean you!) have compiled a list of stuff you might be interested in for this all-too-brief cessation of speed and drama.

Enjoy!

From the Tweet-addled mind of @nascarcasm:

• "This week, Kevin Harvick made it to the checkered flag before all other drivers. This is a major step up from the previous week at Texas, when he made it back to Charlotte before all other drivers."

• Kevin Harvick’s win at Darlington Speedway is the milestone first victory for F1 team owner Gene Haas.

• The setting sun caused visibility issues for drivers early in the race. And if you’re keeping score, yes, the drivers managed to find a way to complain about rain AND sunshine in the span of one week.

• Unlike races earlier this season, the race at Darlington Raceway had a rare 0% chance of rain. Regardless, AirTitan 2.0 self-activated one hour before green flag merely out of habit.

(Follow @nascarcasm on Twitter. His unique views on NASCAR are his own – but chances are you already knew that.)

NASCAR Numbers

By Reid Spencer 

462:  The total number of laps led by Kevin Harvick in his two NASCAR Sprint Cup victories this season. Harvick led 224 laps in winning Saturday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway to go with the 238 he led in getting his first victory of the year at Phoenix. In the six other races combined, Harvick has led 53 laps.

41:  The number of positions both Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. improved at Darlington over their finishes in the previous race at Texas Motor Speedway. Earnhardt was first out of the Texas race (43rd) after a close encounter with the infield grass. Harvick retired in 42nd with engine issues. At Darlington, Harvick and Earnhardt ran 1-2.

5: In eight NASCAR Sprint Cup races this season, the number of times Dale Earnhardt Jr. has recorded a top-three finish. After winning the Daytona 500, Earnhardt has finished second three times (at Phoenix, Las Vegas and Darlington) and third once (at Martinsville).

586:  The total number of laps led by Kyle Busch in the last five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Richmond International Raceway held in the spring. Hence, it’s likely Busch will notch the 30 laps he needs to reach a career milestone of 10,000 laps led in the series. Busch led at least 32 laps in each of the last five spring races and won four of them.

1:  The number of drivers advancing to the final round in each of the seven knockout qualifying sessions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this year. Joey Logano kept his perfect record intact Friday at Darlington Raceway, then qualified on the outside of the front row in the final round.