Inside Circle Track

Bubba Wallace fighting “slippery slope of self-doubt”

For the second week in a row on the NASCAR Cup Series, driver Bubba Wallace experienced self-inflicted issues that ruined his day. And the 29-year-old 23XI Racing pilot expressed difficulty dealing that reality. On Sunday in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, the No. 23 Toyota was involved in an incident that ultimately resulted in an early end to his day and a 37th place finish. That issue came one week after Wallace spun without contact from any other car on lap 10 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway then tagged the inside…

It’s been quite a year for Ross Chastain

also Won Talladega Run ins with Hamlin, Elliott and this past weekend with Harvick 2 Xfinity wins- won at Vegas in 2018; won at Daytona for Kaulig in 2019 Looked like he was on his way until Sponsor debacle- DC Solar Went to truck series in 2019 and won 3 races and finished 2nd in standings for Niece Motorsports One year ago, Ross Chastain entered the NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas without a win in the sport’s top division. But on that March 27th day, the Trackhouse Racing driver claimed his first…

Austin Hill making bid to show Cup teams he is worthy

There is no doubt that whenever a NASCAR Xfinity Series race is held on one of the super speedway style tracks Austin Hill will be among the contenders for the win. The 28-year-old driver’s victory on Saturday in the Raptor King of Tough 250 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway was his third triumph out of five races so far in 2023 and his second(combined with Daytona) on the tracks that call for drafting and pack racing. In all, Hill has amassed five wins at Daytona and Atlanta(since the reconfiguration) in the Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The…

Ford dominates Atlanta qualifying

After Chevrolet won the first four NASCAR Cup Series races of the 2023 season, Ford team roared to life during qualifying on Saturday afternoon at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The ‘Blue Oval’ machines for Team Penske grabbed the first three starting positions for Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400 on the 1.5-mile track with Joey Logano’s lap of 177.374mph leading the way over Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney. The Ford teams of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing took the next five positions on the starting grid. The only Chevrolet represented in the final round of time-trials was the Hendrick Motorsports…

Penalties for Hendrick, Kaulig harsh but necessary

I will start this piece by saying that I am typically not in favor of having an abundance of rules in racing and over regulation. But NASCAR doesn’t care what I think, and in reality, neither should you. That said, however, the recent penalties issued to Hendrick Motorsports and Kaulig Racing were necessary. Whether you, I or anyone else like or don’t like the number of rules and restrictions instituted by NASCAR regarding the Next Gen car does not matter. There are rules and when those rules are violated there have to be consequences, and sometimes, those consequences must be…

This year could test Atlanta’s super speedway status

After a significant reconfiguration of the Atlanta Motor Speedway that was first used last season, the NASCAR Cup Series will return to that venue for the first of two 2013 visits this weekend. While the two races held here in 2022 showed that the type of racing had changed from previous visits to the historic track, it may be this season that will show what the racing will be like going forward. Prior to the 2022 season, AMS had its banking increased from 24 to 28 degrees in the turns while the racing groove was narrowed. The aim of the…

Turn 2 Blog: The new package didn’t help & Phoenix not the best place to decide championship

*Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideCircleTrack.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the NASCAR and pavement short track racing topics of the day. Did the new aero package put in place for the shorter tracks and road courses actually do any good at Phoenix? Richard: After the Next Gen proved to be a bit of a disappointment on short tracks and road courses in 2022, NASCAR trimmed the rear spoiler and took away some of the diffusers under the cars in hopes of improving the product on the short…

Turn 2 Blog: Chase Elliott’s waiver & Expectations for Jonathan Davenport at Bristol

*Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideCircleTrack.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the NASCAR and pavement short track racing topics of the day. Should Chase Elliott receive a waiver that would allow him to make the NASCAR Playoffs despite missing races? Richard: As has been well documented, Chase Elliott suffered a broken leg while snowboarding last week which will cause him to miss multiple races. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion was looked at by many going into this season as the favorite to emerge from the NASCAR Playoffs…

Can William Byron find the consistency that could lead to a championship?

As he did on Sunday in Las Vegas, William Byron has shown during his relatively short NASCAR Cup Series career that he can win races for his Hendrick Motorsports team. The 25-year-old driver now has a streak of at least one win in each of the past four seasons. But the bigger questions surrounding the driver who hails from Charlotte are can he become a regular front runner and multiple-time winner during each campaign and can he seriously challenge for a championship at the sport’s top level. The 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion’s best result in the final series standings…

Should NASCAR teams limit what drivers are allowed to do away from their primary occupation?

The topic of what sorts of activities race car drivers should engage, or perhaps better said, be allowed to engage in away from the track has been discussed for quite some time. This past week, the subject was again brought to the forefront when it became known that 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott had sustained a broken leg in a snowboarding accident. As a result, it appears as if the sport’s most popular driver will be sidelined for multiple weeks. The impact of driver missing races, especially such a noteworthy star as Elliott, can be far reaching. Team…