<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0h8smL_0w6zafiG00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0h8smL_0w6zafiG00" width="640" height="426" ><figcaption>(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)</figcaption></figure><h2>1. Have Joey Logano’s Title Hopes Risen From the Dead?</h2>I don’t know the church attendance habits of Joey Logano. But regardless of what they are, he should be running to a nearby altar thanking God for the fact that for the second year in a row, the title hopes of a Team Penske driver have walked out of the grave like Lazarus himself.When Sunday’s race ended, it appeared that Logano was a few points short of advancing to the Round of 8. But as famed Lt. General Hal Moore famously said, “there is always something else you can do.”With Alex Bowman’s car failing post-race inspection and Hendrick Motorsports declining to appeal the penalty, it’s Logano, not Bowman, into the next round.This is not new for Team Penske. Last year, a penalty overturn kept Ryan Blaney’s title hopes alive and he made full use of that second life. Logano has a chance to do the same.Logano has won races and championships in a similar way: being good enough to get into a position to win, and when that time comes, being his best when it matters most.If Logano wins between now and the season finale? Look out.<h2>2. Where’s the Line Between Entertainment and Driver Safety? </h2>Charlotte Motor Speedway is to be commended for reacting to driver feedback and altering the turtles located around turn 16 of the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL before Sunday’s (Oct. 13) race.But let’s not place a laurel of honor around anyone’s neck.Tweaking the layout of a track, even in a small way, can throw a last-minute wrench in preparation for drivers and crew chiefs, giving everyone a better product. See this past spring at Bristol Motor Speedway. That’s a great thing, without a doubt. But these changes should have a degree of driver input beforehand. Tracks don’t need to run every decision by drivers, but a group of two or three should be able to test out anything new at a track for reasons of safety, which ended up being cited as why the ROVAL made a last-minute adjustment. Curveballs are nice. But if the question is about a more exciting racing product, it should never come at the expense of driver safety.<h2>3. Bowman Is the Postseason’s Most Impressive Non-Champion</h2>In the old days of NASCAR, there would be a Goody’s Headache Award given to a driver at the end of the Motor Racing Network broadcast who had a rough day. If there was a modern version of it, that award coming away from Sunday would go to Bowman. He won’t win a championship this year, but few have proved a point as much as Bowman has.Look, this was a guy who was seen as the outlier driver as the season went on, and that was even after his out-of-nowhere win on the Chicago street course. Even when the postseason began, he had to answer job security questions.The playoff era has been filled with drivers who get in with a single outlier win and are listless in the postseason. Bowman was not that case, and if not for a failed inspection, he’s in the Round of 8. You hear a lot of late-season talk about momentum for the next season, but few drivers should be as excited about 2025 as Bowman.<h2>4. Case Closed: Kyle Larson’s the New Road Course Standard</h2>If you want proof that change is inevitable, just go back a few years. Then, in 2021, placing money on Chase Elliott’s odds of winning a road course race was a safe bet. Elliott won at basically every road course at the same, but since his 2021 victory at Road America, he has not won on a road course.His teammate Kyle Larson however, has taken that crown of the Road Course King, and given that the current generation of racecar is showing no signs of being changed any time soon, it’s ludicrous to expect any difference going forward.With this year’s wins at Sonoma Raceway and the Charlotte ROVAL, Larson has now won seven. More importantly, it’s now Larson, not Elliott, who is more likely to pass Jeff Gordon as the all-time wins leader on road courses.<h2>5. Want Trust for Race Control? Try Accountability</h2>Each Tuesday or Wednesday, it’s easy to find out who has broken NASCAR rules when (for the most part) penalties are handed out. Few things are as much like shaming someone in the town square than NASCAR announcing the first and last name of someone, whether it’s a driver or crew member, and what part of the NASCAR rulebook they have breached.One of the biggest understatements these days is that in-race decisions by NASCAR race control have been at times befuddling. If there is accountability for said decisions when mistakes are made, it’s not heavily known in public.Do you want to know what would make fans and others feel that it does exist? Post weekly review of in-race calls and explain one-by-one in detailed video of what the call was and why it was made. And if a bad call was made, state that yes, someone messed up, and identify who that person was.College football does a degree of this, by the way. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">2024 College Football Rules Review | Week 6 Plays <a href="https://twitter.com/NCAAFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">@NCAAFootball</a> National Coordinator of Officials Steve Shaw provides insight from notable college football officiating calls last week ⤵️ <a href="https://t.co/59eiIkbMB1" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/59eiIkbMB1</a>— SEC Officiating (@SECOfficiating) <a href="https://twitter.com/SECOfficiating/status/1844804585485226394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">October 11, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote>Would that be harsh? Yes. But if it helps races get called better, why say no to it?About the authorAbout the AuthorBrad HarrisonBrad joined Frontstretch.com in 2020 and contributes to the site's 5 Points To Ponder column and other roles as needed. A graduate of the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication, he has covered sports in some capacity for more than 20 years with coverage including local high school sports, college athletics and minor league hockey. Brad has received multiple awards for his work from the Georgia Press Association.Sign up for the Frontstretch NewsletterA daily email update (Monday through Friday) providing racing news, commentary, features, and information from Frontstretch.comWe hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

5 Points to Ponder: Another Title Run Saved by a Penalty Call?

1. Have Joey Logano’s Title Hopes Risen From the Dead?. I don’t know the church attendance habits of Joey Logano. But regardless of what they are, he should be running to a nearby altar thanking God for the fact that for the second year in a row, the title hopes of a Team Penske driver have walked out of the grave like Lazarus himself.

5 Points to Ponder: Another Title Run Saved by a Penalty Call?

Comments / 0