Here’s why I was hoping Road America would produce a great race

I am not foolish enough to believe that whatever I write here will have any influence on the powers that be in the decision making process for NASCAR. I also know that the decision regarding the subject at hand has most likely already been made. Still, I write anyway. I was really hoping that this past Sunday’s Kwik Trip 250 at Road America would turn out to be one of the best races of the season on the NASCAR Cup Series. Certainly, I want every race on the schedule to be a great one simply because I love racing and…

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Turn 2 Blog: Why do pit crews keep making mistakes?

*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. Are the start times for NASCAR races appropriate? Richard: The start times for NASCAR races have been a point of contention among fans and media for several years now. The Cup Series race held in Nashville did not take the green flag until after 5:00pm(eastern), and very predictably in the heat of a Southern summer, thunderstorms became an issue. Many would argue that had the race…

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NASCAR needs the Nashville market

When Formula 1 raced earlier this year in Miami, it was an event. A happening. A place to see and be seen. While none of that was important from a racing standpoint, it was important from the standpoint of drawing attention to the sport in the right circles. Those who simply love racing for its own sake may scoff at the notion that celebrity appearances and corporate VIPs gathering in a luxury suite are important for the sport, but the fact of the matter is that those sightings and sound bites from famous people and those with extreme financial resources…

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Grueling stretch run awaits NASCAR Cup Series teams

It’s almost hard to believe the 2022 NASCAR season is already 16 weeks old. That said, it has been quite a 16 weeks with first time and surprise winners, a new car that has proven difficult to get a feel for, and even a few rivalries and even a little controversy. However, the top form of stock car racing in America pushed the pause button this past weekend in order to take a break from all that has happened so far. Hopefully NASCAR Cup Series drivers and teams enjoyed the Father’s Day weekend they just had off because that will…

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Turn 2 Blog: Trackhouse affirmed as a major player

*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. Trackhouse Racing has now won races with both of its drivers, likely placing each in the NASCAR Playoffs. Theirs is an amazing story, isn’t it? Richard: The win on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway by Daniel Suarez served as further affirmation that Trackhouse Racing is for real. Some might point to the circumstances that led to Ross Chastain’s victories at Circuit of the Americas and Talladega Super…

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Did Ross Chastain actually say the right things after Gateway?

It has been well documented by now that Ross Chastain had an adventurous afternoon on Sunday in the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Illinois. Two incidents that either eliminated or hindered the chances of popular top contenders were attributed to the driver of the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. And some of those drivers showed their displeasure to their offending rival throughout the remainder of the day. On lap 66 the Chastain driven machine made contact with the rear bumper of Denny Hamlin’s car sending the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota into…

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Turn 2 Blog: Is there a right way to exact revenge?

*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. NASCAR re-introduced two tracks this past weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series raced at World Wide Technology Raceway(formerly Gateway) just outside of St. Louis and the NASCAR Xfinity Series visited Portland International Raceway in Oregon. The great turnouts at each were encouraging, weren’t they? Richard: The track in the St. Louis area was new to the Cup Series but…

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Don’t Blame the Damaged Vehicle Policy for Team Mistakes

Without a doubt, many if not all NASCAR Cup Series teams have, during this week, conducted reviews and refresher courses regarding the Damaged Vehicle Policy first implemented in 2017 and later tweaked by the sanctioning body. Two teams that looked to be in contention for a win in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway were eliminated from competition because of failure to meet the guidelines laid out by the DVP. Under those guidelines, a car deemed to be damaged by NASCAR following an incident must be repaired so that it can make a minimum speed established…

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Turn 2 Blog: Coke 600 chaos, Indy 500 red flag, and Denny Hamlin’s title chances

*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. There certainly was no shortage of dramatic ups and downs in the Coca-Cola 600 was there? Richard: All you have to do to show how many ups and downs there were in that race is to follow the time line of Kyle Larson’s night. The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion had to charge from the tail to the front no less than five times due to…

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Losing a race is supposed to hurt

The movie Patton famously begins with a scene during World War II in which American General George S. Patton addresses a group of soldiers prior to a battle. Within the speech to his troops, Patton declares that, “I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed.” Well, losing is supposed to be a distasteful thing. And when one has come close to winning in a particular competition or achieving a long sought after goal only to have victory slip away, it is supposed to hurt. That was the case on Friday night in the NASCAR…

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