iNSIDE SCOOP: What Just Happened?

Man, I must be in a time warp…again.

Apologies to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, which was must-see when I was a high-school kid (and yes, we did have talkies back then), but it feels like the NASCAR world is just sort of spinning on its own and nobody’s paying attention.

I don’t mean NASCAR’s stewardship of it, and I don’t mean that nobody cares about it. I do, and so do you, if you put up with arcane references to cult movies and my misspent youth. I mean that there’s hardly anything going on lately.

The Race to the Chase was packed full of stories every week. This team did that, these guys don’t like each other, who said what about whom? That kind of thing was rife last month. 

Then came Richmond, and all the calamity that ensued around the Chase field, part trois. First Truex was in, then he was out. Newman was in, and so was Gordon, and we had a baker’s dozen instead of the traditional 12.

Lots of stuff still percolating under the surface around that, too. Has anyone seen Ty Norris since the edict came down? I haven’t, but I know where he is. I’m not telling, either. ESPN and Turner are out of the TV biz come 2015, NBC is in along with FOX. 

Juan Montoya is heading to Indy Cars, Kurt Busch is heading for Stewart-Haas along with Kevin Harvick. Newman is on his way to RCR. Truex will likely get the 78 Furniture Row car after NAPA bus-chucked him and MWR.

If that’s not momentum (albeit more bad news than good), then there is no such thing. Most of us looked forward to the Chase, not only to see who would win it but to see what would happen next.Many of us popped popcorn and sat back to watch it all unfold.

The Chase started, and Matt Kenseth won two straight.

 Crickets.

Sure, there are storylines. New multi-zone tires are on the cars at Kansas. The top three in the points are in a different galaxy than the other 10. Kansas is a difference-maker, with Charlotte and Talladega up next.

None of them match what went before.

Sure, there’s a question on the schedule, which should have been released by now, but there’s likely only minor tweaks involved. Bruton Smith lost again in court and will almost assuredly announce his intent to move Charlotte Motor Speedway elsewhere…again.

At Kansas this weekend, we’ll see who comes out the other side with the point lead. Kenseth is good there, and has won the last two races. Johnson’s driver rating is out of this world at KS, and he could be putting the final pop-top on his six-pack of series titles.

In a related move, MWR just announced an open-house for next Wednesday, the week of the Charlotte race. All four drivers will be on hand, and fans will be allowed to roam the former Cineplex-cum-race-shop nearly at will.

That might be worth going to, just to see what happens. Think the old popcorn maker at the snack bar is still working?