Local Look: Texas

Events: Dickies 500, O'Reilly Challenge, Silverado 350K

Local papers contributing: Union Sentinel, Star-Telegram

All for one or all for naught

The deal: NASCAR is getting ever so closer to the day of franchising, writes Greg Zyla or Kings Features Weekly Service for the Union Sentinel in Blairsville, Ga.

Zyla predicts that within five years the top 38 Nextel Cup teams, and possibly a starting field's worth of 43, will be franchised -- and that's not exactly a bad thing.

Zyla suggests team franchising would protect the integrity of the sport and give the owners who helped bring NASCAR to its most popular state a guarantee return on their investment.

Too many teams are struggling.

Why we care: Next year the field is going to be even more diluted with the entry of Toyota and the possibility of as many as 50 cars qualifying for 43 spots.

ALSO •   NASCAR.COM News Wire •   Complete Race Coverage

The top 35 in owner points only does so much, and the current system has too many loopholes such as the past champion's provisional and the ability to buy another qualifier's car after failing to make the race.

Multi-millions are at stake. Not to mention the sponsors.

Franchising might not solve all the problems, but it's a start.

All dogs go to ... racetracks?

The deal: NASCAR is going to the dogs, and other four-legged creatures, writes Alyson Ward of the Star-Telegram in Fort Worth, Texas.

ORDER TODAY •   '07 NASCAR Pets Calendar

Go around to the driver's motor homes and their furry loved ones can be found. There's Foster and Gracie, the boxers of Greg Biffle and girlfriend, Nicole Lunders.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. also has a boxer, Killer. Tony Stewart has a Chihuahua named Kayle. And Kurt Busch brings along Jim, a cairn terrier, and Ginger, a Yorkshire terrier.

Matt Kenseth used to travel with his cat, Lars. But now he stays at home with the Kenseth's new feline, Charlotte.

Why we care: NASCAR driver charities extend into the pet communities as well.

Last year's top-selling item on NASCAR.COM was the 2006 NASCAR Pet Calendar. The 2007 version is out now ($13.99), and portions of the sales goes to the Greg Biffle Foundation to benefit animals.

The new calendar features Stewart with Kayle, and Kyle and Pattie Petty with their horses.

Also new this year is the book, "Pit Road Pets: NASCAR Stars and their Pets." Net proceeds of this project go to the Ryan Newman Foundation for animal welfare and wildlife preservation.

Bodine in driver's seat in NCTS race

Inside the Numbers Bodine Brothers (Cup)   Geoff Brett Todd Years 25 18 15 Starts 570 480 228 Wins 18 1 0 Top-5s 100 16 7 Top-10s 190 61 21 Poles 37 5 5 Avg. Start 13.8 21.2 23.9 Avg. Finish 18.4 23.5 26.9 • Stats: Geoff | Brett | Todd Busch Series   Geoff Brett Todd Years 13 6 18 Starts 94 77 315 Wins 6 5 15 Top-5s 31 31 89 Top-10s 39 52 156 Poles 13 16 7 Avg. Start 13.0 5.5 16.4 Avg. Finish 16.5 10.5 15.0 • Stats: Geoff | Brett | Todd Truck Series   Geoff Brett Todd Years 5 1 4 Starts 21 3 62 Wins 0 0 10 Top-5s 6 0 28 Top-10s 9 0 40 Poles 1 0 1 Avg. Start 15.8 22.7 12.8 Avg. Finish 16.4 33.0 10.2 • Stats: Geoff | Brett | Todd

The deal: If Todd Bodine can close out 2006 like he did '05, he'll bring the first championship to his racing family, writes John Sturbin of the Star-Telegram.

Bodine leads the Craftsman Truck Series by 86 points on Johnny Benson with three races to go, the first of which comes tonight at Texas Motor Speedway.

Bodine closed out last season by winning the final three races of the year at Texas, Phoenix and Homestead. He has three victories at Texas, one short of the track record.

"I think it's going to come down just like any other points race -- who has the worst amount of luck and the worst kind of luck," Bodine said.

Why we care: Bodine is the youngest of three brothers -- Geoffrey and Brett --from Chemung, N.Y.

"It would be more important than just winning it for me," Todd Bodine said. "With what my brothers and I have gone through in the sport, what we've given to the sport and what the sport has taken from us ... we've endured a lot. There have been a lot of ups and downs -- from losing rides, to Geoff almost getting killed in Daytona.

"Not that the sport owes us anything, because we love the sport. We've devoted our lives to the sport.

"To be able to stand on that stage at the end of the year with that trophy -- not only for myself but for my father, who was a track promoter for 25 years, and my mom, who watched three sons at one time on a track and has been a nervous wreck -- it would be incredibly special for me to do that."