Richard Allen – Page 28 – Inside Circle Track

Articles posted by Richard Allen (Page 28)

Might the Next Gen call for the use of the tandem draft at Daytona?

The words ‘tandem drafting’ will almost certainly elicit one response or another among those who followed the NASCAR Cup Series a few years ago. There was a time when two cars could run in tight nose-to-tail formation and gain significant speed for a short time at the venues then known as ‘plate tracks’. As a result, drivers found partners early on in races held at the Daytona International Speedway and the Talladega Super Speedway and rode right in front of or right behind that buddy for most of the day. The racing in those two-by-two formations looked a bit odd…

Jacques Villeneuve: Formula 1 champ hoping to achieve goal of Daytona 500 start

During his racing career, Jacques Villeneuve has accomplished what many racers can only dream about. The 50-year-old Canadian has succeeded at the highest levels of motorsports in terms of both race wins and championships. However, there is still one goal he hopes to achieve, and in 2022, he is taking steps toward doing exactly that. Villeneuve’s 1995 season was a remarkable one as the son of legendary racer Gilles Villeneuve earned the CART Series championship along with a win in the racing’s most prestigious event- the Indianapolis 500. From there, he stepped onto the world stage and earned the much…

How might a shortage of cars in the shop impact racing on the track?

While some fans may have concerns about how the Next Gen car will look or handle, there could be an even bigger issue regarding the new NASCAR Cup Series machine looming on the horizon. And that possible worry is that the sport’s teams may not have a deep enough inventory of the cars they will use during the 2022 season should they experience catastrophic disasters, especially during the early races on the schedule. It’s enough of a worry that some drivers addressed the situation during a recent NASCAR Media availability held during the test session last week at the Daytona…

Would you rather win at a “lower level” or run mid-pack at a “higher level”?

If you heard the story of a race car driver who dreamed of making it to the NASCAR Cup Series, and after a successful run through the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR Xfinity series, did exactly that. But the ending of that story depends on the reader’s perspective. After making it to the top level of motorsports, the driver in question only scored one top-10 finish in 79 starts. Then after two full seasons, that driver was no longer a part of the NASCAR Cup Series. Is that driver a failure because he didn’t succeed at the “top level”?…

No winners in the Brandon Brown sponsorship saga

A young driver wins his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race driving for a small, family-owned team that had struggled from week to week to find enough sponsorship to literally keep the wheels rolling. This is the kind of stuff that leads to the making of a Disney movie. There’s no way this story could have turned out badly, right? Well, enter vulgarity and politics along with a number of poor, short-sighted decisions made along the way and this dream story turns somewhat nightmarish. Brandon Brown drove to victory for the first time in his NASCAR Xfinity Series career last…

NASCAR stars set to take on record-setting field in Chili Bowl Nationals

The world’s largest indoor Midget Sprint Car race is set to be contested from January 10 through January 15 on the 1/5 mile Tulsa Expo Raceway, a dirt oval fashioned inside the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Already a record number of 388 entries(as of Jan. 3) have been received by event organizers for the 36th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. Not only will the best Midget drivers and teams be among those in competition but many of the top racing drivers in the world from all forms of motorsports are expected to take part, including several stars from…

Chase Elliott leading HMS into NASCAR’s “Road Course Era”

There have been times in NASCAR history in which it has been to the advantage of car owners to have a driver with particular skills on certain types of tracks. Having a driver who was great on short tracks was beneficial in the 1970’s and 1980’s with tracks under one mile in length making up a significant portion of the schedule in those days. After restrictor plates became a thing in the late 1980’s, it served teams well to have a driver who was adept at that type of racing, especially with the sport’s marquee event- the Daytona 500 -being…

How long will the ‘Kyle Larson Effect’ be felt in dirt racing?

There is little doubt that all forms of dirt racing have, over the past two years, received more attention within the world of motorsports than at any other time in history. Mentions of dirt races have been made during NASCAR television and radio broadcasts as well as in racing related news shows and various other types of programing. And more, social media posts by the sport’s biggest stars and most followed accounts have brought racing on clay to the forefront. Whether it be Late Models, Sprint Cars or Modifieds, there has probably never been a time when the names of…

Kyle Busch entered to race in Tulsa Shootout

In a story first reported by FloRacing.com, it has been announced that two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has entered this week’s Lucas Oil Tulsa Shootout to compete for a much coveted ‘Golden Driller’ trophy. The event is set to take place inside the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 36-year-old winner of 59 NASCAR Cup Series events has indicated that he will compete in four classes during the four-day event that begins on Wednesday and will be shown live by FloRacing.com. Busch will drive cars owned by Joe B. Miller in the Tulsa Shootout. Busch will race in…

Joey Logano finds himself in an interesting position entering 2022

Joey Logano has been with Team Penske since 2013 and has been thought of as a serious contender to win races and championships ever since that time. And while the 31-year-old driver will enter the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season thought of in that same way when the green flag is displayed on February 20th for the season opening Daytona 500, there will be a unique feel for this frequent front runner entering the new campaign. The Middletown, Connecticut racer now finds himself in an interesting position because of several factors. With the new Next Gen car making its long-awaited…