Inside Circle Track

Jeremy Clements: “I just want to be competitive”

Jeremy Clements posted a solid season in 2019. The Spartanburg, SC native’s four top-10 finishes were more than he had scored in any single season of his career. Further, the driver who completed his ninth season as a NASCAR Xfinity Series regular had an average finishing position of 16.9 which was another career best. And consider too that the small family operation’s success came after getting a late start going into the campaign compared to their competitors. In the end, Clements managed a 14th place finish in the final Xfinity Series standings with a best race finish of fourth coming…

Rich’s Ramblings: “Real Racing” vs “Computer Racing”

From time to time I plan to drop in a brief(4-6 minutes) recording to offer a few thoughts. I plan to make most of these on the way to or from a race track on some topic that may be of interest but not necessarily for a written story. This offering is about the recent firestorm that took place on social media as some drivers who race on the track took exception to the fact that others who race on a computer platform seem to be receiving attention from major NASCAR drivers and teams that the “real racers” rarely get….

Which of this Solid Rookie Class Will Come Out on Top?

The class set to compete for 2020 Rookie of the Year honors on the NASCAR Cup Series is one of the most talented groups of first year drivers the sport has seen in a while. And what’s more, the four young stars seeking that title will be supported by some of the sport’s top organizations. Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, Cole Custer and John Hunter Nemechek have indicted their intentions of collecting the trophy previously earned by the likes of Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch. While there have been talented classes to seek…

Should Cup Series Drivers Compete in Any Other Forms of Racing?

During the past week we have seen video clips of NASCAR racers Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell taking wild rides as they raced Midget Sprint Cars in New Zealand. And as is often the case whenever high-profile drivers are involved in incidents away from NASCAR, the opinions regarding whether they should have even been participating arise. Larson emerged from his accident a bit battered and bruised with a black eye being the obvious sign that something had gone wrong. Despite that, he continued to race and to win “Down Under”. For his part, Bell left New Zealand and headed back…

Thank You, Racing!

To say that we are living in some turbulent times is not exactly breaking news to anyone. Political tension, international tension, racial tension, religious tension, and generational tension are all a part of the daily narrative we are bombarded with on television news broadcasts, social media, internet websites, and even newspapers. With all of that, 2019 has certainly been a year filled with uncertainty, anxiety and even anger. On a personal note, add to all of those issues mentioned above that I began the year by burying my father, who passed away last New Year’s Eve. Of course, all of…

The time has come to shorten the NASCAR schedule

The NASCAR Cup Series schedule calls for teams to make their way to 36 points-paying races and two additional exhibition events over the course of each season. And indications seem to point to the probability that such a long season is taking its toll on the competitors involved in the sport. This past season a respected driver and a championship winning crew chief that seemingly could have had multiple years remaining in the sport decided to step away with both citing a need to spend more time with family as a chief reason for leaving. Front Row Motorsports driver David…

Can Hailie Deegan become what Danica did not?

This week has brought the news that female racing sensation Hailie Deegan is now part of the development program for the Ford Motor Company’s racing arm. It is believed that the move to Ford Performance from Toyota Racing Development will speed the 18-year-old’s path toward putting her in a ride on one of NASCAR’s national series. The California native and second-generation racer will drive for DGR-Crosley Racing in 2020 on the ARCA Menard’s Series and will also pilot a car for Multimatic Motorsports in IMSA competition. Both of those organizations are supported by Ford. “I could not be more excited…

Gateway Nationals Further Uniting the Worlds of Dirt and NASCAR

This weekend’s Arizona Sport Shirts Gateway Dirt Nationals racing event held in the former home of the NFL’s Rams franchise when that team still played in St. Louis is bringing together two parts of the racing world that do not always fit on the same page. Competitors in Super Late Model, Modified, and Midget Sprint Cars will take to the make-shift track inside the Dome at the America’s Center for three nights of racing action beginning on Thursday. As part of that racing action, several very recognizable names from outside the ranks of dirt racing will be taking part. NASCAR…

Will Martin Truex remain a championship contender without Cole Pearn?

A somewhat surprising announcement recently came out of the Joe Gibbs Racing stables when former NASCAR Cup Series championship winning crew chief Cole Pearn revealed that he had decided to step down from his duties as the leader of the No. 19 Toyota team of driver Martin Truex, Jr. Together the pair has won 24 races and the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series title. Citing a need to spend more time with his family, Pearn stated that he would be pursuing opportunities outside of NASCAR for the foreseeable future. “This was an incredibly difficult decision,” Pearn said in a press release…

Ty Majeski to drive Niece Motorsports truck in 2020

On Monday night Ty Majeski appeared to be on his way to one of the biggest Late Model wins of his career until he found himself turned and heading toward the inside retaining wall during a late race restart at Florida’s Five Flags Speedway in the 52nd annual Snowball Derby. Instead of a carer-defining win, the Wisconsin driver ended his night with a battered race car and a 14th place finish. On Tuesday, Majeski’s fortunes turned as it was announced in a press release on NieceMotorsports.com that he would drive on a full-time basis for Niece Motorsports during the 2020…