Many decisions "loom on key components off the track" for NASCAR's '18 season, and there is a variety of "some 'silly season' items" that could be decided in the coming months, according to Bob Pockrass of ESPN.com. NASCAR "will have some two-day shows for Sunday races coming up where NASCAR Cup cars are on the track for only Saturday and Sunday," and it will be "interesting to see if fans will like the new format." Watkins Glen Int'l is "on pace to sell as many tickets as it did in its successful weekend last year." Pocono Raceway and Martinsville Speedway "could be more of the barometers if it works." Pockrass wondered if other tracks will "decide it will work for them or be afraid to pull the trigger based on tradition and the belief they need qualifying on another day to potentially attract fans who can't afford nor attend Sunday?" Meanwhile, as it stands now, there is "no agreement between Goodyear and NASCAR" to remain as the "official tire sponsor and provider." But it "certainly would be surprising if this deal doesn't get done" (ESPN.com, 7/5).
YOUNG & RESTLESS: MOTORSPORT.com's Jim Utter wrote, "We already know NASCAR’s next stars -- they race in front of us every week. The more relevant question is, when will we take notice?" The answer is "when their performance demands it." Drivers Kyle Larson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., William Byron and John Hunter Nemechek have "answered loud and clear" over the past few weeks. Entering this season, Larson was "considered a talented up-and-comer in the Cup series but over a few short months, his performance has propelled him into the spotlight." For Byron, "after consecutive wins -- the first and second of his career" in the Xfinity Series -- the talk has "suddenly turned to what Hendrick Motorsports Cup car he will drive" in '18. Nemechek’s back-to-back wins in the Camping World Truck Series "opened the spotlight on a rising talent with an inspiring story, winning against the odds while competing with an underfunded team." NASCAR fans "legitimately wonder who [will] possibly fill the driving shoes" of talents like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart or Dale Earnhardt Jr. Utter: "The answer is always right in front of us" (MOTORSPORT.com, 7/4).
