Andy Belmont News

C.E. Falk spent Thursday morning and afternoon doing something he loved. He worked on the suspension parts of the Hillman-Circle Sport cars Landon Cassill and David Stremme will drive a week from Sunday at Pocono.

Newman, in his first season with Richard Childress Racing, has earned top-five finishes in two of his last three races entering Sunday's Crown Royal 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a race Newman won one year ago.

Four Nationwide Series drivers – Chase Elliott, Trevor Bayne, Ty Dillon and Brian Scott – are eligible for a $100,000 Dash4Cash bonus at IMS on Saturday, the third of four races in which the bonus is available from the series sponsor.

So, what now? The NASCAR Sprint Cup season is one race beyond the halfway point, and the weekend off has given organizations a chance to regroup.

Editor's note: Track Smack is a weekly feature that will showcase a panel of NASCAR.com experts providing their analysis from the previous week, while also looking ahead.

There's nothing wrong with ovals, but the NASCAR season is seriously lacking in variety.

Kasey Kahne , driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports , spent Wednesday, July 23, in the Buffalo area promoting the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' upcoming New York race, the Cheez-Ita 355 at The Glen .

Team Penske's resume is loaded with successes, including 15 Indy 500 victories, a Daytona 500 win and 12 IndyCar season titles and the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

ROSSBURG, Ohio a?? Before the green flag fell on the second annual Mudsummer Classic, Tony Stewart already was lobbying for the next NASCAR race at his beloved Eldora Speedway.

They saw the real thing Wednesday visiting Indiana National Guard troops at Camp Atterbury.

Jerry Tunney knew he was wanted to have a career in racing as soon as he bought a full-size car at age 13. "Ever since then, it was something I've focused on 100 percent,"he said.

The Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is just around the corner, but I can't help but wonder how this race could be so much better.

With one of the most famous races on tap at the Brickyard, the hunt for the top of the Chase Grid continues.

Just in time for the Brickyard 400, the new scoring pylon is now in place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

With all due respect to Jim Nabors, the Purdue University marching band, and their traditional rendition of the unofficial state song prior to each Indianapolis 500 from 1972 to this past May, co-drivers Ricky and Jordan Taylor and the No.

Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn't have the best of days at Michigan International Speedway in June.

Chase Elliott's brilliant start in the NASCAR Nationwide series has overshadowed the steady, unspectacular debut of fellow rookie Ty Dillon.

Ky. Busch 1-62, Hamlin 63-73, Keselowski 74-78, Larson 79, Ku. Ky. Busch 1-62, Hamlin 63-73, Keselowski 74-78, Larson 79, Ku.

CCS racers Ryan Cabrera and Chase Mollak at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Photo by Lisa Theobald, courtesy of CCS Florida.

Perhaps the only driver with a chance to prevent Brad Keselowski from winning Sunday's Camping World RV Sales 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was his Team Penske teammate Joey Logano.