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If this weekend doesn’t get you excited, you’re not a race fan

Memorial Day means a lot of things in the United States. Chief among those, of course, is the remembrance of the men and women who have fallen in battle serving the country in its armed forces. Aside from that, though, is the fact that this is the biggest racing weekend on the calendar each year. Whether it’s pavement racing, dirt racing, drag racing or just about any other form of motorsports one can imagine on oval tracks, road courses or otherwise, it will be among the biggest sporting events to take place over the next few days. If one is…

The Brickyard 400 could return … and it should have never gone away

Auto racing’s most historic and celebrated event will be contested this weekend when the 107th annual Indianapolis 500 takes the green flag at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Borg-Warner Trophy, presented each year to the winning driver, is not only the biggest prize in IndyCar racing but is one of the most sought after rewards in all of motorsports. Although not nearly as steeped in tradition as the Indy 500, from 1994 to 2020 the NASCAR Cup Series contested the Brickyard 400 on the famed 2.5-mile oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When the winds of public opinion blew toward…

Trucks and Xfinity need more Wilkesboros

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race this past Saturday at North Wilkesboro Speedway played out in front of one of the most enthusiastic crowds that particular series has seen in quite some time. Granted, there was the nostalgia element of having racing return to one of the sport’s original facilities after an absence of more than a quarter-century. Still, that race exemplified something that both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Truck Series need more of – enthusiasm. In my opinion, there is a way in which that sort of enthusiasm can be replicated. For quite some time I have…

North Wilkesboro deserves a great weekend

My least favorite word in the English language is “deserve” because everybody in our modern society thinks they deserve whatever they want just because they want it. Not very many people seem to want to go out and earn whatever they want or need, they just want it given to them claiming they deserve whatever they desire. As a result, I rarely use the word deserve in any context. However, I am going to make an exception to that right now. If ever any group of modern-era people ever deserved something, it is the people who have invested their blood,…

Appears as if Larson made sure Chastain’s Darlington mistake would cost him

Ross Chastain has run afoul of Kyle Larson on more than one occasion during the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. On Sunday afternoon in the Goodyear 400 at the Darlington Raceway, the run-in between the two competitors would ultimately cost both a shot at the race win. On a restart with six laps to go in the event, Chastain started on the inside of the front row with Larson to his outside. When the cars reached turn one, Chastain moved further and further up on the track until Larson was pressed completely against the wall but the No. 1 Chevrolet…

Perfect timing for a Darlington race

It’s no secret that many of the NASCAR Cup Series races held so far in 2023 have not been the best the sport has ever offered up. However, the drama of last week and the hype of next week could create a great opportunity for this weekend. If ever there was a perfect time and place for a race it could be this weekend in the Goodyear 400 at the Darlington Raceway. The timing is perfect because the preceding event at Kansas Speedway proved to be one of the best races of the season and the upcoming All-Star Race at…

(Un)Lucky Larson has missed out on multiple chances to win

Sunday’s Advent Health 400 at the Kansas Speedway continued a trend that has been working against Kyle Larson for the past several weeks. On a regular basis the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has been among the fastest cars on the track, if not the fastest, only to have something go wrong to take away a chance at victory leaving nothing but frustration. Larson spun while racing for the lead early in Sunday’s contest at Kansas following contact with Tyler Reddick. The combination of a fast car and outstanding pit stops eventually lifted the No. 5 machine back to the top of…

Next Gen needs to back up what it did last year in Kansas

This Sunday’s Advent Health 400 at the Kansas Speedway will provide an opportunity for the Next Gen race car to show whether or not it can still put on good races. The contests held so far this season have been very inconsistent with a few events providing good entertainment while others have not. But in comparison to the early part of the 2022, this season is not following up in a positive way. While the ‘Good Race Poll‘ administered by Jeff Gluck of The Athletic may not exactly be the most scientific guide, it can serve as a guide nonetheless…

Legacy Motor Club move to Toyota is just … smart

The organization now known as Legacy Motor Club was once called Richard Petty Motorsports in its earlier days. Jimmie Johnson then joined the organization, at that time called Petty GMS Racing, and the current name was devised. Two seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champions have their names intertwined in this one team. Petty largely serves as an ambassador for the operation now co-owned by Johnson and businessman Maury Gallagher. While Petty drove various types of cars during his legendary racing career, he is most associated with Chrysler through that company’s Dodge and Plymouth brands from his championship winning days with Petty…

If you want to see lead changes, watch pit road

Having a fast and efficient pit crew has always been an essential part of winning at the NASCAR Cup Series level. But recently, it seems as if that one aspect is playing more of a role than it should be in determining what drivers will run up front and even win races. Monday’s Wurth 400 at the Dover Motor Speedway highlighted what has been going on for the past year or so at the sport’s top level and that is the fact that many of the passes being made are taking place in the pits. Martin Truex Jr. took the…