This is the Statt Mann Baby. Time to Scatt a little bit.

Some notes on the weekend: You’ve got to love Furniture Row Racing. First, it’s based in Denver instead of North Carolina. And it’s grown from an also ran to a championship fighter with Martin Truex. Then, this weekend, it’s announced a second car with major sponsorship and an up and coming driver, Erik Jones.

Erik Jones

The Furniture Row program has blossomed enormously with its Toyota relationship and the satellite program with Joe Gibbs Racing. I love it when little guys grow up.

Another grown up program is at Mazda. You might not think of a factory program being an underdog but the Mazda guys are a small team from a small manufacturer.

It spent two years trying to make its diesel program work in the prototype class. Now it’s gone back to its 2011 championship engine and it’s getting faster and faster. Sunday it was thirty seconds in front of the IMSA field at Road America after starting from the pole.

But a late pit stop put Tristan Nunez and the prototype back to fifth. The team needs a win. Badly.

Finally, IMSA this week announced a second Prototype Challenge class. That answers a question no one was asking: How do we create some Little League ribbons for team owners and sponsors.

Peace.