Inside Circle Track

Austin Cindric takes Team Penske to Daytona 500 victory lane

February 20, 2022 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – On the 85th birthday of his car owner, Roger Penske, 23-year-old NASCAR Cup Series rookie Austin Cindric beat Bubba Wallace to the finish line by .036 seconds in overtime to win Sunday’s 64th running of the Daytona 500. In a thrilling run to the finish in NASCAR’s new Next Gen race car at Daytona International Speedway, Cindric held off Wallace and Chase Briscoe (.091 seconds behind) to notch his first Cup victory in his eighth start in the series. Cindric got the win in chamber-of-commerce weather with…

Daytona 500: Starting Lineup, Pre-Race Analysis, and a Predicted Winner

Analysis There are more question marks going into the 64th running of the Daytona 500 than perhaps any other edition of ‘The Great American Race’. Drivers and teams face a number of unknowns that have never been faced before as the NASCAR Cup Series heads into its 2022 season with it new Next Gen car. How will the Next Gen car react in large packs for such a long period of time? Will drivers race more cautiously because of the shortage of cars and parts? Is the car safe? How will pit stops and pit strategy play out with changes…

Austin Hill nabs Xfinity checkered flag at Daytona

February 19, 2022 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Austin Hill nosed ahead of AJ Allmendinger moments before an incident on the backstretch at Daytona International Speedway ripped the engine and rear end out of Myatt Snider’s car. The caution froze the field with Hill the winner of Saturday’s Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 in his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start with Richard Childress Racing. In a large pack, the cars were streaking down the backstretch at the 2.5-mile superspeedway when an aggressive push from Anthony Alfredo’s No. 23 Chevrolet turned Snider’s No. 31 Camaro…

Zane Smith claims NASCAR Trucks opener at Daytona

February 18, 2022 By Holly Cain NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A 19-car incident as the field approached the white flag signaling one lap to go instead sent Friday night’s NextEra Energy 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season-opener into overtime where 22-year old Californian Zane Smith won under caution over defending series champion Ben Rhodes. A nearly 16-minute red flag was needed to clean up all the debris from the frontstretch melee, which happened only a few feet before the start/finish line and littered much of the track’s tri-oval. Had Smith – the leader at the…

NASCAR stars aren’t recognized by the younger generation

We all have a tendency to live in our own little worlds in which we think everyone around us is in tune with the same things we are. Whether it be in the fields of politics, religion or sports fandom we are often surprised or even shocked when we learn that those we work with, are friends with, or see frequently at the business we patronize do not have the same depth of knowledge or concern about the subjects we consider important. That was made abundantly clear to me on Friday. By trade, I am a social studies teacher at…

Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher earn Duel wins for RFK Racing

February 17, 2022 By Reid Spencer and Holly Cain NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Roush Fenway Keselowski teammates Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher swept Thursday nights Bluegreen Vacation Duels, but a last-lap collision in the second race wiped out then-frontrunner Joey Logano and spoiled a perfect night for the Ford Performance entries. Running second to Logano, Buescher made a move to the inside on the backstretch on Lap 60. Logano moved down to block, and contact between the cars sent Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford into the outside wall, crippling the car. The accident caused the only…

Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman grab Daytona 500 front row starting spots

Larson, Bowman qualify on the DAYTONA 500 front row; Villeneuve, Gragson get in on speed February 16, 2022 By Holly Cain NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has started 2022 off the way he ended 2021 – out front. The 29-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver won the pole position for Sunday’s Daytona 500 season-opener with a lap of 181.159 mph in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Wednesday night at Daytona International Speedway. And for a record fifth consecutive year, Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman has also earned a front row starting…

William Byron looking to do more grassroots racing following New Smyrna win

Over the past year or so, NASCAR Cup Series drivers from the Hendrick Motorsports stable have been branching out into to other forms of motorsports. Of course, Kyle Larson has led the way as the reigning champion is frequently seen ripping around dirt tracks all across the country in Midgets, Sprint Cars and Late Models. Also, 2020 champ Chase Elliott has followed suit with expanded participation in Midget racing and pavement Late Model competition. Over the past two weeks, Alex Bowman has made debut starts with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the FloRacing All…

Daniel Hemric ready to face the challenge of his new opportunity

For the better part of a decade, followers of NASCAR racing have thought that Daniel Hemric was a highly talented driver who was on the cusp of a major breakthrough season. That big win or that groundbreaking moment was due at any time was the belief of many. But when the Kannapolis, North Carolina driver landed a full-time ride in the NASCAR Cup Series in the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in 2019, the results fell short of expectations. Hemric’s one and only full season at the top level of the sport netted no wins and only one…

The real value of the Clash is about to reveal itself

The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum was a success in every aspect for NASCAR. There was a great deal of buzz leading into the race held inside the city limits of Los Angeles and, as isn’t always the case with heavily anticipated sporting events, the contest lived up to the hype. The stadium was virtually full of spectators, there was plenty of excitement, and the racing was entertaining with just enough beating and banging to make it interesting but not tiresome. And on Tuesday, NASCAR got what was probably the best news of all. The television audience was better…