Midweek NASCAR Linkage

The Chase is set and if you're not in it, you're not going to get talked about. Welcome to the Chase for the Cup: Year Five. Linkage below:

—Jimmie Johnson goes back-to-back, wins Richmond.

—Helio Castroneves wins Chicagoland IRL finale, Scott Dixon claims second IRL title.

—Also in IRL news, Dario Franchitti runs back to the series to replace Dan Wheldon at Ganassi. Wheldon moves to Panther Racing, displacing Vitor Meira.

—Robin Miller's mailbag is always fun.

—The Nationwide Series gets its own COT. Target date is 2010.

—In what may be the most useless work by a researcher at ESPN I've seen in a while, they're doing "ancient chaseology"—what would have happened if the Chase were around back in the 1970s.

—Jason Keller is getting the shaft once again. Hey the guy only finishes in the top-15 every week in a series overrun with Cup drivers.

—Speaking of getting the shaft, Mansfield Truck winner Donny Lia gets released and promptly turns around and gets the chance to drive the No. 81 Randy Moss Chevy.

—Dodge is throwing in the towel in the Truck Series.

—Had to wait a week, but Joey Logano will make his Cup debut in the No. 02 at Loudon.