Inside Circle Track

Dirt Late Model drivers describe Bristol track’s readiness for NASCAR

The NASCAR Cup Series raced on a dirt-surfaced track last year for the first time since 1970 when the high banked Bristol Motor Speedway had its concrete covered by a layer of clay. The 2021 version of the Food City Dirt Race faced a number of challenges as it was the first time dirt had been placed on the half-mile facility in two decades so there was a learning process to go through. Further, heavy rain fell leading into the events for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Cup Series which made the dirt more difficult to…

Ty Gibbs: NASCAR’s newest villain?

Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch have multiple things in common. Each either was or is immensely talented behind the wheel of a race car. Each of these fierce competitors is ranked among the winningest drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history. Each of these drivers have won multiple championships. But also, each of these drivers, at least among certain portions of the NASCAR fanbase, was or has been regarded as a villain at one time or another. Racing needs that character in the black hat whose actions not only deter or even intimidate competitors but also riles…

Turn 2 Blog: The Next Gen on Short Tracks & Does NASCAR Need Dirt?

*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. So far in the 2022 season there have been two NASCAR Cup Series short track races(Richmond & Martinsville) and both have been remarkably uneventful. While the Next Gen car seems to have improved the racing on the intermediate tracks, has it done so at the expense of the short tracks? Richard: The first two short track races of 2022 have been rather uneventful. There were a…

Zane Smith and Front Row proving to be a strong Truck Series combination

Whenever a driver joins forces with a different team it seems logical to expect there to be an adjustment period to take place before that new combination can begin to enjoy success. That has definitely not been the case for driver Zane Smith and the Front Motorsports team early on in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. As a matter of fact, the new pairing has proven to be the class of the field up to this point in the 2022 campaign. Following a successful 2021 season that saw Todd Gilliland score a win along with ten top-five and…

Late Race Contact: It’s either right or wrong and you can’t see it both ways

The topic of what is and isn’t acceptable in terms of contact between race cars on the last lap or during green/white/checkered finishes has been a hot topic of debate over the last two weekends. The wild endings in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race as well as NASCAR Cup Series event at the Circuit of the Americas along with the battle coming to the checkered flag in the NASCAR Xfinity Series show at the Richmond Raceway have stirred a good deal of conversation. And as is usually the case, it seems as if fans are deciding what is…

Turn 2 Blog: Strategy Races & the Beauty vs Ugly of the Playoff System

*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. The Toyota Owners 400 at the Richmond Raceway turned into a strategy race with Denny Hamlin ultimately claiming the win after his crew devised a way for the No. 11 car to have the best tires at the end of the race. Not all races have to come down to a last lap bumper car match to be interesting, do they? Richard: I generally don’t mind…

Photos of NASCAR Cup Series cars(No. 19-99)

Here are photos of every car numbered 19-99 entered in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway: Richard Allen has been covering NASCAR and other forms of motorsports since 2008. Respond to this piece on Twitter –> @RichardAllenIDR or on Facebook –> InsideCircleTrack/Facebook

Can the Next Gen bring the “Action Track” back?

Several years ago, the Richmond Raceway earned the nickname of of the ‘Action Track’ due to the fact that the NASCAR Cup Series races held there often featured a great deal of excitement and sometimes a little controversy. The 2008 run-in(or run-ins) between Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are forever etched into the memories of many fans. And those who are old enough likely remember the “yap-yap mouth” post-race situation involving Kevin Harvick and Ricky Rudd in 2003. However, it seems as if that reputation has slipped away from the track a bit over the past few seasons. In…

Turn 2 Blog: COTA Thoughts & What to Expect from Bristol Dirt

*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’s Next Gen(or Gen 7) car just completed its first road course weekend. Thoughts? Richard: Many aspects of the Next Gen car appear to have been designed with road course racing in mind. The new machine’s independent rear suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and the sequential transaxle are all components used in road racing. With the NASCAR Cup Series employing more road courses than ever before on its…

Ross Chastain takes first NASCAR Cup Series win at COTA

March 27, 2022 By Holly Cain NASCAR Wire Service AUSTIN, Texas – In exactly the kind of thrilling final lap, final-turn high-action finish NASCAR has so often provided on road courses, Ross Chastain persevered in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix to win his first career NASCAR Cup Series race at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas – the sixth different winner this season. Chastain really had to earn this one – coming out on the right end of a frantic, four lead-change, two-lap final overtime. And he did – moving veteran A.J. Allmendinger and Alex Bowman in the…