No race. No problem.

There’s a ton going on in NASCAR. So much that several stories flew under the radar. That needs to change, hence another listing column.

ESPN Changes Announcers…AGAIN!

Calling races at ESPN is like being the drummer in Spinal Tap. First Dr. Jerry Punch. Then Marty Reid. Paging Allen Bestwick.

I actually like Bestwick. He seems quick on his feet. But what does it say about ESPN to have three play-by-play guys in three years? It tells me I want FOX to carry more races. Unless Allen becomes the Vin Scully of NASCAR. I did just type that.

Danica Patrick’s Sponsor Gets Sold
 

Most of you don’t read the financial pages, in part because we’re all broke. But GoDaddy was recently sold for $2.25 billion. Not a typo.

Whenever a company is sold, the new owners do/did a brand analysis. Sometimes things are exactly the same. Sometimes things change. We all thought Red Bull would be a good fit. All I’m saying is Mark Martin and Danica should be nervous. So should racing fans who want more teams, not less.

Juan Montoya’s Crew Chief Gets Booted

Remember when Montoya almost dethroned Jimmie Johnson? That feels like it was 1975. Brian Patti  is a well-respected crew chief. He is now looking for a gig at season’s end.  
 
At what point to we state as fact open-wheel drivers can’t hang in NASCAR? This was THE story three years ago. A revolution some said. Turns out Guam tried to invade the United States. No disrespect to Guam.

Carl Edwards May Leave Roush Fenway Racing

 
This story is so big, it’s #2 and #1. Edwards went from consistently talking with Roush to not wanting to talk with anyone about his contract. The last person who did this was LeBron James. My editor just wet himself.

From a historic perspective, when has a driver contending for a title ditched his team? It might be one of the top five driver moves in NASCAR history. Yes, I went there.

From a practical perspective, what happens with Joey Logano? Does he become one of the biggest busts in NASCAR history? How does Edwards mesh with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin? What about crew chief assignments? This is massive, tectonic stuff.

Does Roush promote Trevor Bayne or Ricky Stenhouse Jr? Or does he go after Brian Vickers or Clint Bowyer? Heck, can he even find sponsors?

I’ve never seen a racing story this undercovered.  And while this column won’t change things, we have a whole lot of racing left in 2011. Enjoy the weekend, and insert random catchphrase here.