There were two NASCAR shows on Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The first was the 300-lap Sprint Cup race, ultimately won by Kevin Harvick, while the other was the post-race technical inspection process headlined by all 16 Chase for the Sprint Cup teams thanks to a series of legislative changes announced by NASCAR late last week.

The latter was a 50-minute circus with media, fans and rival teams all gathering around the Laser Inspection Station to see who would be the first to get hit with a failure and all the controversy that will surely follow.

NASCAR certainly set the stage for it on Sunday morning with Vice President and Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell warning teams not to engage in any actions that could compromise the inspection process or else face grave consequences for doing so.

Even though everyone passed on Sunday, it seems inevitable that someone will cross that threshold before the season ends – and it very well could be a winner during a pivotal moment of the playoffs. Even though NASCAR increased the tolerance that would constitute a encumbered result, it's expected that teams will push even closer to that new number, simply because that's what it takes to win when everyone else intends to do the same thing.

That's what made the Sunday scene after the race so damn captivating.

There's a good number of NASCAR observers that believe everyone in the sport spends too much time talking about lasers, weights and templates. And there's certainly some validity to it, especially in the Chase when the stakes are increasingly high and a championship could be decided by an official rather than the drivers.

But at the same time, there's a subset of observers who want to protect the parity that NASCAR has generated over the past 15 seasons at all costs. Ensuring that drivers whom take the checkered flag are legal is a matter of integrity and righteousness.

Cheating is an unfair word in motorsports as the rules are defined in gray rather than black and white, and yet, there are standards. It stands to reason that a car that passes inspection before an event should also be able to do so afterward.

But we live in the era of "transformable cars," as coined by Brad Keselowski, in which the machines can successfully pass through the LIS station and undergo changes that essentially make them illegal during the race, before transforming back into legal parameters by the checkered flag.

This can be achieved by swerving to reset rear toes and aerodynamic skew or even destroying fenders in a celebratory burnout. Everything has a purpose in the modern NASCAR and everyone is a skeptic. Everyone is looking for an edge and everyone is hoping to take away their rivals' advantage through politicking.

In short, there's a lot of agendas for NASCAR to weave through right now and the fluidity of the rule book reflects that. But simply eliminating post-race inspection is probably not the answer. Stock car racing is a money game and eliminating that procedure would basically provide the top teams in the industry a blank check to find whatever tools they can build to further seperate themselves from the rest of the field.

Look no further than the Xfinity Series for what could happen if the gap between the haves and have-nots increase. NASCAR has received some criticism for its evolving rule book this month but stock car racing is an evolving sport. It's not a timeless game like football or baseball and it requires flexibility.

When it comes to matters of fairness and parity, the folks in Daytona and Charlotte are trying their best because, let's face it, the teams are trying their best to skirt around every decision. It's the nature of the game. And that's why we spend so much time talking about tech each week.

Originally on Autosport.com

While we wait to see where Tony Kanaan, Juan Montoya, Carlos Munoz and Max Chilton land in 2017 and if Gabby Chavez, Conor Daly, Spencer Pigot, R.C. Enerson and J.R. Hildebrand can remain in the Verizon IndyCar Series, it's also necessary to point out that IndyCar's waiting room is overflowing with youthful, hungry talent.

And they pretty much have nowhere to go.

At least a dozen drivers from the Mazda Road to Indy, past and present, own IndyCar aspirations but opportunities seem limited to the second seat at Dale Coyne and possibly the third car at Schmidt Peterson. Depending on what A.J. and Larry Foyt decide, there's at least one opening in the ABC Supply stable and if Chilton leaves Ganassi to go with Trevor Carlin, one of the primo seats in the series might even be up for bid.

It sounds like Ed Carpenter has his sights set on Montoya or Kanaan to replace Josef Newgarden in the #1 slot for the Fuzzy's Chevrolet, with Hildebrand also a logical candidate and Pigot hopeful of staying on board for Indy and road racing duty. But that still leaves no less than 12-16 imminently qualified drivers going for three or four rides.

And, following the 19-year-old Enerson's seamless and eye-opening transition from Lights to IndyCar this season, it's certainly not out of the question for promising kids to get hired – especially if they bring a little money.

So here's a list (in alphabetical order) of Indy Lights' vets, past and present, that are either praying for a winning lottery ticket or another engine manufacturer to come along so they can move up to the big stage that currently sports far too few car owners.

MATT BRABHAM: The third generation of this famous family finally got into the Indy 500 and did a nice job but the 22-year-old is tired of driving the Honda two-seater and wants a full-time shot with no passengers.

SCOTT HARGROVE: This 21-year-old native of British Columbia lost the 2014 Pro Mazda title by a hair and has been scrambling to find Lights' rides ever since but IndyCar needs to cultivate a good, young Canadian and they have one in this kid.

JACK HARVEY: Runner-up twice in the Lights' championship, the 23-year-old Brit knows how to get to the front (2012 British Formula 3 champion) and has plenty of savvy, just not much money.

ED JONES: The 21-year-old native of Dubai (pictured) is headed for at least three IndyCar starts in 2017 after winning the Indy Lights' crown with Trevor Carlin, who figures to partner with KV racing in 2017.

KYLE KAISER: Only 20, the Californian captured a pair of Lights' races in 2016 and wants to follow Enerson's lead and head for IndyCar in 2017.

SAGE KARAM: It's hard to believe the ex-Ganassi driver is still only 21 and it's harder to believe that nobody has picked up the Nazareth native who dazzled everyone in his 2014 Indy 500 debut and several times as a rookie in 2015. Dario Franchitti believes in him, but sadly no car owners feel that way at the moment.

SEAN RAYHALL: The 21-year-old Georgian triumphed twice in the 2015 Lights' season and then had a good IndyCar test at Sonoma before heading off to sportscars in 2016 to make a living.

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Scored three wins in only 10 starts in the 2016 Lights' campaign and backed that up with an IndyCar test at Mid-Ohio that still has the Ganassi guys raving. The 24-year-old Swede is a two-time Macau Grand Prix winner and has that "can't miss" look but you wonder if anybody in the IndyCar paddock is paying attention.

FELIX SERRALLES: The 24-year-old native of Puerto Rico had two Lights' victories in 2016 and may have enough funding to move up.

DEAN STONEMAN: Appeared to be on the fast track to F1 before battling and beating cancer and the 26-year-old Brit made it to Victory Lane twice during the '16 Lights' season.

SANTI URRITIA: The 20-year-old from Uruguay won four Lights races this year but lost the $1 million prize as champion to team tactics, so he needs funding.

ZACH VEACH: After sitting out a year, the 21-year-old American came storming back with three victories in Lights in 2016 and then blew everyone away with his IndyCar test for ECR at Sonoma.

Starworks Motorsport owner Peter Baron has locked down a delivery date to receive his new-for-2017 Riley Mk 30 LMP2 chassis. Baron's Mk 30 will be powered by a Gibson V8 engine and run in FIA World Endurance Championship specification for use in IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series, and any other international events Starworks adds to its calendar.

"We're shored up for a car delivery in December," Baron told RACER. "Bill [Riley] is going to do some testing with it and then we'll get it a few weeks before the Roar Before the 24. One way or the other, we'll put something together for the Rolex [24]."

The Florida-based entrant says finishing the 2016 WeatherTech Championship season, which concludes Saturday night at Petit Le Mans, and other duties have planning for Starworks' 2017 Prototype campaign somewhat difficult.

"Thing have been really busy lately, we've been running a lot of PC cars and have a championship we're trying to get, so with the season about to be over, I'll have a lot more time to dedicate to the P2 car," he added. "I've seen all the [P2] announcements from JDC and PR1, and I've been like, 'Dammit, I need to get something out there.'

"I'm like a cockroach; you can't kill me. I'll keep on surviving. It will take some creative juggling, but I will get something together and we'll be out there."

Baron is known for putting together highly creative driver line-ups to start each season at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. WEC P1 champions Allan McNish and Brendon Hartley, Formula 1 veteran Rubens Barrichello, IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, and recent Formula E signee Felix Rosenqvist have all piloted Starworks entries in recent years, and given the chance to nominate his leader for January's championship opener, Baron would go with Renger van der Zande.

"Nobody knew who Renger was when he came over and started driving for me, and now he's the guy all of our drivers want to partner with," he said of the Dutchman who leads the PC standings for Starworks with Alex Popow (ABOVE). "He's ready to be a leader and every package I can come up with will have Renger in it at the top."

Andretti Autosport is expected to announce its acquisition of championship-winning engineer Eric Bretzman from Chip Ganassi Racing. Bretzman, who served as Scott Dixon's race engineer for 12 years (pictured with Dixon in 2014) and won three IndyCar championships and the 2008 Indy 500 with the New Zealander, was reassigned to Ganassi's NASCAR program in 2015 to help turn around the engineering side of its fading Sprint Cup operation.

With Ganassi's Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray now safely in The Chase, and Andretti in need of an engineering rebound after a tough 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season, the signing of Bretzman could rank among the biggest off-season scores made by any team.

Attempts to reach Bretzman for comment were unsuccessful.

It's believed Bretzman will work in the capacity of a technical director overseeing Andretti's IndyCar engineering program, and possibly some of its other racing endeavors, rather than return to the timing stand to engineer one of its IndyCar entries for the year.

At the time of his relocation from Ganassi's IndyCar program to its NASCAR operation, CGR managing director Mike Hull praised Bretzman's ability as a fixer.

"What he brings to them is a clear determination to really answer questions and solve problems," Hull said at the start of 2015. "Find a clear and direct answer and direction for everything that goes on, on a daily basis. That is what an engineer at Chip Ganassi Racing does best; he takes that cultural mindset with him when he goes to work with our people in North Carolina."

Bretzman will be tasked with the same kind of engineering lift at Andretti, and unlike his recent foray in Sprint Cup, he'll return to a series where his experience was directly responsible for two decades of success.

In concert with the rest of Andretti's excellent engineering staff, there will be heightened expectations for the Honda-powered entries piloted by Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti, and the rest of the to-be-confirmed 2017 lineup with Bretzman involved.

Coming off a 2015 season where the team served as one of Honda's most prominent performers when RHR and Munoz combined for three wins, Andretti Autosport spent the majority of 2016 searching for missing speed.

Despite the valiant efforts led by Andretti's drivers and engineers, a single win, albeit at the Indy 500 with Alexander Rossi, was the lone bright spot among far too many races where ill-handling cars blighted the program's capabilities. By adding Bretzman in a senior engineering role to spearhead a turnaround, a return to form would seem inevitable.

And on a lighter note, with Eric's younger brother Ben having just won his first IndyCar championship with Simon Pagenaud at Team Penske, the Bretzman rivalry will resume as Andretti Autosport seeks its first title since 2012.

Originally on Autosport.com

Originally on Autosport.com

Above: Cliff Ebben was not to be beat Sunday as he took his fourth GT-1 SCCA Runoffs championship. Credit: Jay Bonvouloir

To close out the 2016 SCCA National Championship Runoffs presented by Garmin VIRB, the powerful GT-1 field filled the hills around Lexington, Ohio, with thunder emanating from the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Cliff Ebben, of Freedom, Wisconsin, claimed his fourth SCCA National Championship with the victory.

Ebben, in the No. 36 McMahon Group/Stumpf Ford/Lamers Ford Mustang was the Tire Rack pole sitter. After racing earlier this weekend in the SCCA Pro Racing sanctioned Trans Am Series event at VIRginia International Raceway, Ebben led the GT-1 field to the start Sunday afternoon at the Runoffs and was overtaken by defending Runoffs GT-1 champion Michael Lewis, of Escondido, California, in the No. 12 Goodyear/Peg's List.com Jaguar XKR.

Lewis and Ebben toured the 2.258-mile, 13-turn track nose-to-tail for the first half-dozen laps, with Ryan McManus, of Westfield Center, Ohio, in the No. 07 The McManus Agency/Goodyear Chevrolet Corvette falling nine-seconds back in third. But beginning on lap eight, Ebben started poking the front of his car alongside Lewis.

Just before the race's halfway point, Ebben managed a good run out of Turn 9 heading into Thunder Valley and got alongside Lewis. The duo was side by side as they entered the left-hand bend at Turn 11 with Ebben on the outside. The two touched, Lewis spun, and Ebben headed off to what would ultimately be his fourth GT-1 Runoffs championship.

"Everything went real smooth today," Ebben said. "It's been a while since I've won at the Runoffs. It's nice the weekend ended up well. This win is as good as ever."

After the spin, Lewis collected himself, but had fallen into the clutches of McManus in third. Putting his head down, Lewis pulled away intent on chasing down Ebben. But that wouldn't be possible this day, and Lewis finished second.

"We made some changes and the car was better today, but it wasn't ultimately enough," Lewis said after the race.

After McManus lost contact with Lewis, he came under pressure from Dave Ruehlow, of Hartland, Wisconsin, in the No. 31 Ruehlow Racing Chevrolet Corvette. Ruehlow's car had come into its own during the second half of the race and he was able to overtake McManus on his way to a Sunoco Hard Charger award and third-place finish.

"I had a great time out there," Ruehlow said about his first Runoffs podium. "About 10 laps in, my car kind of came alive. I got comfortable out there and started reeling McManus in. I stayed on his bumper, we had some good racing, I got around him, and at the end I was just trying to keep my tires going."

McManus finished fourth and fifth went to Todd Peterson, of Boulder, Colorado, in the No. 2 Peterson Machining Inc. Ford Mustang.

The 53rd SCCA National Championship Runoffs presented by Garmin VIRB, the Pinnacle of American Motorsports, crowns Sports Car Club of America's Club Racing National Champions this year at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, from Friday, September 23 through Sunday, September 25.

While the live broadcast of all 28 National Championships is available live at SCCA.com, each race will be on demand in the coming weeks.

Provisional results for Sunday's SCCA GT-1 National Championship at the 53rd SCCA National Championship Runoffs presented by Garmin VIRB at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with finish position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car and laps complete.

1, (1), Cliff Ebben, Freedom, WI, Ford Mustang, 23.

2, (2), Michael Lewis, Escondido, CA, Jaguar XKR, 23.

3, (4), Dave Ruehlow, Hartland, WI, Chevrolet Corvette, 23.

4, (3), Ryan McManus, Westfield Center, OH, Chevrolet Corvette, 23.

5, (5), Todd Peterson, Boulder, CO, Ford Mustang, 23.

6, (7), Jeffrey Hinkle, Destin, FL, Dodge Challenger SRT, 22.

7, (6), Kenneth Davis, Escondido, CA, Chevrolet Corvette, 10.

DNS, (8), Mark Boden, Winnetka, IL, Porsche 997 GT3 Cup, 0 .

Overall Time of Race: 32:55.554
Average Race Speed: 94.638 mph
Margin of Victory: 8.588 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: Michael Lewis, 1:22.866 (98.096 mph)
Sunoco Hard Charger: #31 Dave Ruehlow
Lap Leaders: Laps 1-10, #12 Michael Lewis; 11-23 #31 Cliff Ebben