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Christopher Bell seeking more consistency as season progresses

Christopher Bell came to the NASCAR Cup Series with as much fanfare as any rookie driver in recent memory. However, the 2020 season spent in the Leavine Family Racing Toyota did not pan as many had thought it would. The driver who had amassed 16 career wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series during the early part of his career was only able to manage a 20th place result in the final standings in the No. 95 car with no wins and only seven top-10 finishes. But for his second full season at the NASCAR Cup Series level, the 26-year-old racer…

Photos from the NASCAR Hall of Fame

My sons and I visited the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte on April 6, 2021. Here are some photos from our visit: Richard Allen is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association Respond to this piece on Twitter –> @RichardAllenIDR or on Facebook –> InsideCircleTrack/Facebook

Mike Marlar explains the challenges and fulfillment of racing in NASCAR

For the second time in his career, Mike Marlar parlayed his racing skills into a NASCAR opportunity on dirt. The Winfield, TN native scored a top-5 finish in the Eldora Dirt Derby at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway back in 2019 driving a Camping World Truck Series entry for Josh Reaume. Two weekends ago, the 43-year-old driver not only competed in the NCWTS event at the Bristol Motor Speedway but also made his first start in the NASCAR Cup Series main event on his home state track. Marlar has also made one NASCAR start on pavement when he took the green flag…

Kyle Larson wowed by first trip to Tazewell Speedway

Most people are quite amazed when they see the Tazewell Speedway for the first time. The third-mile dirt track which features incredibly steep banking has long been loved by fans for its high speed excitement. At the same, some competitors also love the facility referred to as ‘The Bad Fast Taz’ while others who race there have a very different opinion of the clay oval. Count NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson among those who loves racing on the track located in the upper northeastern corner of Tennessee. The Elk Grove, CA driver made his first trip to Tazewell on…

Larson, Busch offer thoughts on Bristol’s racing surface

With the NASCAR Cup Series race on the dirt covered Bristol Motor Speedway fast approaching, one of the major concerns will be how the racing surface will hold up with heavy machines that have not raced on dirt in decades ripping around it for 250 laps. To prepare for the Food City Dirt Race, several NASCAR drivers entered last week’s Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals to get a feel for the half-mile speedway. Among those drivers were Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch. On Friday night, Larson set the fast time in qualifying then went on to win his heat race…

Bloomquist, Davenport praise NASCAR stars for their dirt efforts

The fact that the NASCAR Cup Series will race on what is now a dirt covered Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend has driven numerous stars who normally spend most of their time on pavement to seek out opportunities on clay surfaces for the sake of gaining experience before racing in a points-paying contest. That led several top stars from NASCAR to the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals to hone their skills in the various classes that were in competition in that week-long event. Among those who competed in the Super Late Model division at the Bristol Motor Speedway were former…

Stewart Friesen ready for Bristol and return of trucks to dirt

Few drivers who compete regularly in any of the top NASCAR divisions are more accomplished at dirt racing than Stewart Friesen. The native of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada is a veteran of Big Block Modified racing and has won many of the top events contested in that form of competition on clay surfaces. So needless to say, when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series takes to the track on the dirt covered Bristol Motor Speedway later this week, the 37-year-old driver will be counted among the favorites to hoist the winner’s trophy. Aside from his prowess on dirt, there is ample…

Mixed results for Cup regulars on Friday night in Bristol Dirt Nationals

Three NASCAR Cup Series regulars entered the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals for Super Late Model machines on Friday night at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Each of those three competitors made it to the 25-lap feature out of the field of 53 cars that attempted to qualify and heat race with mixed results among them at the end of the evening. The most noteworthy NASCAR star with dirt racing experience is likely Kyle Larson. After competing almost exclusively on dirt last season following a suspension by NASCAR and a release from his ride with Chip Ganassi Racing, the Elk Grove,…

Decision to keep Austin Cindric in Xfinity Series for additional year paying off

There is sometimes a tendency to rush young race car drivers up to the highest levels of the sport too quickly. History offers numerous examples of those who were pushed up the ladder to the NASCAR Cup Series before they were ready then ultimately came crashing down. However, Team Penske fought the temptation to do that very thing with 22-year-old Austin Cindric after he was crowned the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion. Instead, the driver was left on that tour for another year to add to his experience level and to build confidence. Now five races into the 2021 season,…

No regrets for John Hunter Nemechek after move from Cup to Trucks

Making it to the NASCAR Cup Series is typically considered the pinnacle for most American stock car racers. Getting there, even with one of the teams that may not be considered top tier, is often thought to be the realization of a life-long dream. To voluntarily leave the sport’s top level for the purpose of dropping down to one of the lower divisions would be considered by most within the sport as unthinkable. But at the end of the 2020 season, dropping down is exactly what John Hunter Nemechek did when he announced his intention to leave the Front Row…