THE LEFT TURN

NASCAR rolls the dice in Vegas this weekend

NASCAR rolls the dice in Vegas this weekend
All bets are off in Vegas. Photo via: Wiki Commons.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Las Vegas this Sunday for the South Point 400. This track is one of the many mile and a half bullrings that we see on the NASCAR schedule. It is known for how hard it is to get on to pit road so look for the possibility of speeding penalties. Another thing to look out for is the heat. As we all know it gets hot in Las Vegas in September, this will make the track much more slippery and there is a good chance that there will be tire problems. It should be a good race though, and I am looking forward to seeing who moves on as the round of 12 begins.

Last week, Kevin Harvick went on to his ninth victory of 2020 as he continues to tear through competition. In the closing laps he and Kyle Busch battled it out in one of the best races we have seen all year. The race was different from what we usually see at Bristol as there weren't very many wrecks and there were a lot of cars that went a lap down as there were only six cars on the lead lap. A few people were critical of the racing last week which personally I didn't understand. This race had everything you would want it to, two of the best drivers in the sport going for the win.

There was news a plenty this week in the NASCAR world. It all started on Tuesday when it was announced that Ross Chastain would take over the #42 Camaro for Chip Ganassi in 2021. This doesn't come as too much of a surprise as he had driven for them in the Xfinity Series. He was lauded as the early candidate when Larson was suspended and many were surprised when he wasn't named the replacement for this year. But in the end, it all came full circle and the driver we all thought would get the ride ended up with it. Personally, I like this move. Ross has more than proved he is capable of running up front and winning in the Xfinity Series and now he is going to get the opportunity of a lifetime in decent equipment.

The other big headline this week was the announcement that Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan would be purchasing the Germain Racing charter and starting their own team in 2021 with Bubba Wallace as the driver. This is a HUGE deal for NASCAR as arguably one of the most recognizable brands in the world is coming on board. These rumors had been persistent over the last few weeks and many questioned the validity of the reports until it was confirmed on Tuesday that this was happening. More than likely what we will see with this new team is that they will receive cars from the former Levaine Family Racing team and technical support from Joe Gibbs Racing. This will also be the first time that a driver will own a team while driving for another team since Dale Earnhardt did it when he owned DEI and drove for Richard Childress. This will certainly be a huge boost for Bubba as he will now get the funding he deserves. Look out for this team going into the future.

As the week went on the rumors got even crazier as it was reported by Adam Stern that NASCAR and Bristol Motor Speedway were in talks to run a dirt race! This was a huge surprise to me as there was hardly anything to suggest this was even an idea. This truly came out of nowhere. This isn't really all that new to the track as it hosted a World of Outlaws race back in 2000 but never has there been a full-on stock car race on the dirt there. It will be interesting to see if this comes to fruition in the next few weeks.

The driver that I have winning this week at Vegas is Brad Keselowski. Over the last few times they have been coming to this track, he has been nearly untouchable. He has four top fives, six top tens and a victory back in 2018. His lowest finish here has been seventh! He has just been phenomenal here and I look for that to continue. This would be big for Brad if he can win considering that would put him through to the next round, and he won't have to worry so much about the unknown next week at Talladega. I look for Brad to take his Mustang to victory lane come Sunday.

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
Anthony Santander has reportedly lowered his asking price. Composite Getty Image.

As we begin another week of MLB free agency, we still haven't seen any movement when it comes to Alex Bregman. Several reports are indicating that the market for Bregman is being impacted by Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander.

The thought being, Santander is expected to command less than Bregman, and teams are waiting to see how his market shakes out before making an offer to Breggy.

Which is interesting, because we're seeing reports about Santander softening his stance on demanding a four or five year deal. It appears he's willing to consider a shorter contract with a high yearly salary.

If that is indeed the case, should the Astros consider moving some salary if they can come to an agreement on a short-term deal with Santander?

In theory, trading Pressly's $14 million contract along with Victor Caratini's $6 million dollar deal could allow them to pay Santander $20 million. Of course finding a club to take on all of Pressly's money may not be realistic, but if they could pull it off, should they do it?

This move would weaken the bullpen and the depth at catcher, but the team still has Caesar Salazar to back up Yainer Diaz. And both Pressly and Caratini aren't likely to be back with the Astros anyway after their contracts expire after the 2025 season.

Should we be worried about the Rangers?

MLB Network's Robert Flores (huge Astros fan) joined the Locked on Astros YouTube channel last week and said he likes the Rangers chances to win the AL West this year, despite Vegas giving Houston better odds to win the World Series. Does he have a point?

Farewell to Justin Verlander

Verlander signed a one-year deal with the Giants last week, so it appears he's played his last game in an Astros uniform. But should we close the door on him being traded to Houston again if the 'Stros need another starter and the Giants are looking to move him at the deadline?

Plus, we share some of our favorite Verlander moments from the team's dynastic run!

Be sure to watch the video above as the guys from Stone Cold 'Stros break it all down! And be sure to share your favorite Verlander memories in the comment section on YouTube.


SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome