The top two NASCAR national series — the Sprint Cup Series and the Nationwide Series — are both off to the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, but NASCAR’s top performers aren’t the only ones who will be back at work this weekend.

Both the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour are set for their first action since the heated UNOH Battle At The Beach at Daytona International Speedway last month. It’s the season-opening races for both, with the K&N Pro Series tackling Bristol Saturday afternoon after the Nationwide Series race and the Mod Squad off to Caraway Speedway for the first of five races at the .455-mile banked oval.

There’s a huge field of cars entered for the K&N Pro Series second visit to Bristol — 43 teams are entered for 36 starting spots, and the D4COPD 125 entry list features some of NASCAR’s brightest young talent. Vermont’s Steven Legendre joins two-time Oxford 250 champ Eddie MacDonald in the field this weekend, alongside 2012 K&N Pro Series West champ Dylan Kwasniewski, Brett Moffitt, Jesse Little (Chad Little’s son) and lots of others. Last year, former Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. became the first Brazilian-born driver to win a K&N Pro Series race when he won the series’ inaugural visit to Bristol.

As for the Modified guys, Caraway is a throwback track nestled in the heart of rural North Carolina. Modified ace Ted Christopher, though not on the official entry list for the Charles Kepley Memorial 150, is expected to be there in a Joe Brady-owned car, and New York native and three-time series champion George Brunnhoelzl III will be back to defend his title against Burt Myers, Jason Myers, and New Hampshire’s own Andy Seuss.

“In The Pits” own Travis Barrett will be at Caraway for the Southern Modified Tour opener, and we’ll be sure to have plenty to talk about both on this week’s show and next.

See you at the track!

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Kasey Kahne is a disaster thus far for Hendrick…who thinks he can recover? Most of the wrecking has not been of his making, but he’s buried in the points. What do you think?
Speaking of points, how about Martin Trues Jr.? He was one step away from losing his ride with NAPA. Can the 56 stay in the top 10 or will he do the Paul Menard slide? Wait a minute, Menard’s up there too!

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The fuel injection system reared it’s ugly head again in Las Vega, apparently helping to ruin what could have been a win or certainly a very good finish for Brad Keselowski of Penske Racing, who experienced fuel pick-up issues that finally took a toll and relegated him to a 32nd place finish.

Teammate AJ Allmendinger experienced the same issues but worse, spending time in the garage, while his crew changed parts and tried to figure out what was going on with the EFI, finally swapping out the entire electronic fuel injection system.

According to MRN and Sirrius Radio Host Dave Moody, who I talked with on Friday, teams will eventually get this figured out. My question is , by the time that happens will there be drivers who have lost solid opportunities in races were they had great cars and subsequently adversely affected their entire season?

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Photo Credit: by DigitalRedEye

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Tony Stewart can cross another race track off his bucket list! The defending Sprint Cup Champion was simply too good on re-starts, holding off Jimmie Johnson by about a half second to win Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway for his first career win at the southwest desert track!

Greg Biffle picked up his third, third place finish in the first three races and sits atop the Cup standings for the first time since 2005. Stewart’s teammate Ryan Newman finished third with Carl Edwards completing the top five with Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne and Dale Junior rounding out the top ten. Junior led 70 of the first 73 laps!

On Saturday Ricky Stenhouse Jr. led the final 50 laps pulling away from veteran Mark Martin during a final 39 lap green flag run to the finish to win the Sams Town 300.

Around the Track , tomorrow!

John Williams

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We’re still in the desert! The Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series are in the town that never sleeps for this weekend’s Kobalt Tools 400 and the Sams Town 300 at the D-Shaped, aggressively banked, 1.5 mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway!

Carl Edwards is the defending Cup winner and he and Jimmie Johnson have both won twice at the Vegas track in the last five years with Johnson picking up the most career wins with four overall!

Coming out of Phoenix Denny Hamlin has the momentum after his big win there and Greg Biffle will try to continue his strong start that has carried him to two consecutive third place finishes.

And teams will try to avoid the issue surrounding the fuel injection fiasco that literally shot circuited Tony Stewart No. 14 in Phoenix Sprint Cup.

We’ll cover every lap right through the weekend, so keep it right here!

John Williams

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Not exactly a revelation…just two races into a very long year and we are seeing some early surprises! Denny Hamlin has started strong with a win and a top 5 to lead the Sprint Cup Series, perhaps a bit of a surprise to see Greg Biffle up there in second place. No surprise with Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounding out the top five, but then it gets interesting! Martin Trues Jr. sits in 6th, part-timer-again and ageless Mark Martin is 7th and Joey ”can’t miss” Logano is 8th…now can Truex and Logano, who arguably need to make the Chase this year to ensure employment in 2013, stay in that elite group? We’ll find out pretty quickly!

In the Nationwide Series, Elliot Sandler is your early leader with a win and a top 5, followed by another surprise, rookie Austin Dillon!

Back with some info on Fuel Injection shut downs..see you then!

John Williams

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Check out the newest podcast above or read it below… Denny Hamlin of NASCAR makes history with the Number 11′s 198th win, new rules and regulations for the Jet Dryer due to Juan Montoya’s Collision with one at the Daytona 500 and Dodge is seeking new teams for the new Model Car being introduced in 2013…

Denny Hamlin’s win in the No. 11 at Phoenix was the 198th time that the No. 11 had visited victory lane, tying it with the famed No. 43, which of course was the number that Richard Petty drove to 192 wins in his storied career.

NASCAR has decided to run an additional pace car with flashing lights in back of the last Jet Dryer from now on, in the wake of the collision with Juan Montoya’s car during a caution at the Daytona 500. In addition, all Jet Dryer drivers will be required to wear helmets and fire suits as well!

And Dodge is seeking teams for their new model being introduced for 2013 after Penske decided to go “Ford” starting next season, right now only Robby Gordon would be running in a Dodge, but the Manufacturer is already contacting potential teams including Richard Petty Motorsports!

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Denny Hamlin is ready to reclaim his position as a Sprint Cup Championship favorite, with new Crew Chief Darian Grub in the box. Hamlin led the final 53 caution free laps to pick up the win in Sunday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix international Raceway, the 18th career victory for the driver of the Joe Gibbs Fed Ex Toyota, putting Hamlin into the lead in the Sprint Cup standings after two races!

Kevin Harvick finished second after losing fuel pressure with under 2 laps remaining, followed by Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski.

Apparently there is still a learning curve with the fuel injection and the electronics that go with it! Reigning Cup Champ Tony Stewart turned off his motor to save fuel during the last caution and couldn’t get the No. 14 to re-fire , finishing 2 laps down in 22nd place.

On Saturday Elliot Sadler won the Nationwide Series Bashas Supermarkets 200, his first series win since 1998.

John Williams

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No tandem drafting to speak of at the Daytona 500 and by the looks of the finish it wouldn’t have mattered because Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Junior couldn’t pass the solo car of Matt Kenseth anyway! What the lack of drafting did produce was some spectacular wrecks as the Daytona 500 returned to the familiar pack racing, always exciting but very unpredictable.

Nascar won’t penalize Brad Keselowski for tweeting while he was waiting out the red flag after Juan Montoya’s car belted that jet dryer and Joey Logano delivered a critical top 10 finish giving the “can’t miss kid” as Mark Martin described him, a needed boost in a career that was already being questioned after just three years!

And despite all of the postponements, delays, wrecks, jet fuel bonfires, you name it, this Daytona 500 was the 2nd most watched in NASCAR history.

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What a weekend at the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s Superbowl of racing…lots of tweets…and some criticism for the way the track handled that fire (You know the one that started when Juan Pablo Montoya crashed into a Jet Dryer?)…are you kidding, is there a race track anywhere that is prepared for that kind of freakish wreck where hundreds of gallons of ignited jet fuel is spewing all over the tarmac..you don’t put the fire out with water…they actually used Tide detergent to clean the fuel off the track…good job!

Danica Patrick..3 wrecks…none of her making, and she had some speed…the pole for the Nationwide Series race and even after her wreck in the Daytona 500 she came back out with some impressive lap times considering the condition of the car.

Dale Earnhardt Jr..almost but not quite enough…the Ford engines were tough …he had his 5th finish of 3rd or better in the Daytona 500 and it was Roush Fenway’s 300th victory in Nascar.

John Williams

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