This one may bring about some significant disagreement from disgruntled fans, but when you consider how NASCAR chairman Brian France and president Mike Helton have held the sport together through economic hardship, that says something about their leadership. NASCAR should be thankful for and is definitely better for having Roger Penske in it for so many years – and hopefully for many more years still to come. Still, you can't help but admire and thank a man who never gave up, persisted and stuck with it year after year despite always coming up short of his goal, rather than just saying "the heck with it" and staying solely in the world of open-wheel racing and the like, where he is the ultimate giant among men. ![]() It's almost ironic to say Penske finally gets membership in that exclusive club, when by comparison, he's in a category all by himself for all the other success he's enjoyed in motorsports. It's no wonder that almost every one of his fellow Cup team owners – like Hendrick, Roush, Childress and Gibbs – all came over to congratulate Penske and welcome him into their club of owners that have won at least one Cup championship in the past. Even one of the world's most powerful businessmen couldn't help but be a bit giddy after finally achieving a goal that has eluded him for so long. You couldn't help but smile when Penske said on ESPN after Sunday's race that his first NASCAR championship is right at the top or at least equal to all of his other great achievements in racing as a driver and, more so, as a team owner. After chasing the Cup crown for 30 years, a man used to excellence in other forms of racing finally got that stock car racing monkey off his back. Here's a guy who has won 15 Indianapolis 500s, 23 series championships in other forms of motorsports, has all the money in the world that a multi-billionaire can have, yet his sporting life has never been complete until this past Sunday. As older drivers ultimately decide to retire, they can at least take some comfort in knowing that they're being replaced by young drivers who have learned their lessons well, thanks to the world of NASCAR.Įven if you're a dyed-in-the-wool supporter of teams owned by Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, Jack Roush, Joe Gibbs or others, you can't help but feel some admiration for Roger Penske. Yes, there is a huge youth movement in NASCAR that not only is evident today, but will continue to be for many more generations to come. and Camping World Truck Series champ James Buescher. And let's not forget that Keselowski wasn't the only youngster to win a championship this season: props definitely go out to drivers even younger than the new Cup champion, namely Nationwide Series champ (for the second season in a row) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. It's places like short tracks across the Midwest, the southeast or the west where not only Keselowski developed his driving talent, but also where other young up-and-coming racers are learning their craft and refining their talent. Far too many people think of NASCAR solely as the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Trucks series, but in the overall scheme of things, those pro leagues are only a part of NASCAR's expansive reach across the country that goes all the way down to the greenest levels of grass roots racing that you can find. Sunday's championship win by Brad Keselowski once again reaffirmed that even in an era where sponsorship money remains tight, youth and talent will eventually rise to the top if a driver is as good as Keselowski. With that, here are my 5 Reasons to be Thankful if You're a NASCAR Fan – and have a great Thanksgiving, everyone! And while we'd never underscore the true meaning of Thanksgiving, there's a part of us that is thankful for having such a great sport like stock car racing to follow. With Thursday being Thanksgiving Day, we obviously have a lot to be thankful for in our own lives, as well as being thankful that most of our military personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan have returned to American shores - and the rest still there will soon join them back here at home. or Marcos Ambrose, the passion and loyalty that NASCAR fans have is unmatched in most any other sport or league. Sure, fans may disagree on the merits of other fans' favorite drivers, but whether you're driver is Dale Earnhardt Jr. ![]() While many have different opinions and viewpoints on the sport and its elements, two things form a very common thread: their love for the sport and how they want to see the best and closest racing possible. After a quarter-century of reporting on all forms of motorsports, and NASCAR in particular, I've come to have a pretty good read on the pulse of NASCAR fans.
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