Time To Play Hardball

Just as the All-Star Game represents the halfway point in the Major League Baseball season, the NASCAR Nationwide Series stand-alone season begins its second half this weekend at Gateway. And with both events in the St. Louis area, there’s a fitting analogy. The next three races, starting Saturday, represent the pennant drive for those in the mix for the series championship.

PHOTO CREDIT: CIA STOCK PHOTO

Standings leader Kyle Busch has a comfortable advantage heading into this crucial trio of races that also includes O’Reilly Raceway Park and Iowa Speedway. Now, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Jason Leffler, second through fourth, respectively, need to channel the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals, who overcame an 11-game deficit in late August to catch the Philadelphia Phillies.

Last year entering Gateway, the drivers in second through fourth were 183, 217 and 254 points out of first. The furthest back of those three? Edwards. This time around, the Columbia, Mo., native is 192 points behind Busch and comes home to Gateway where he’s the defending winner.