Inside Circle Track

Is it more important to have a great car or a great driver?

Whether it be media members or fans, we all have a tendency to give certain drivers too much credit or too little credit when they win races. At the same time, there is a tendency by some to lavish all credit on the car and the team when a particular driver succeeds while offering little acknowledgement to the person behind the steering wheel. “Driver X wins so many races because he has the best car” is a phrase often used when it is believed that a person considered to be a less talented driver scores victories. Conversely, “Driver X is…

This writer owes Ryan Newman for reviving my interest in dirt racing

In the fall of 2006 I was serving as the cross country coach at Seymour High School when the sports editor for the local newspaper in Sevier County, Tennessee came to do a pre-season story on the team. During our conversation the reporter remarked that he did not know for sure when the story would run being that he was very overworked as the only sports journalist in a county with four high schools, each with multiple sports teams, trying to fill his section of The Mountain Press. I thought about that conversation for a couple of days then decided…

NASCAR did what NASCAR had to do

It’s almost certain that no one was happy about the fact that the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 only saw a few laps completed before rain brought everything to a halt on Sunday and ultimately pushed the remainder of the race into Monday afternoon. Rain outs at race tracks never work in anyone’s favor. A significant number of fans will have to go home only having seen 20 laps contested in the ‘Great American Race’. Crew members will now have an already tight turnaround for the next race set for Las Vegas Motor Speedway(first practice on Friday) in less…

Ty Majeski follows disappointing Truck Series result with World Series triumph

The Super Late Model division hit the track for the final night of the World Series of Asphalt at the New Smyrna Speedway on Saturday night in the Orange Blossom 100. At the end of the night it was Ty Majeski who would receive the accolades as the victor of the main event in what proved to be a milestone victory for the Wisconsin native. The win came just one night after Majeski ended his run at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race on his roof after being caught in a wreck not…

Brad May dominates Thursday night SLM feature at New Smyrna

The seventh night of the World Series of Asphalt took place at New Smyrna Speedway with action in the Super Late Model division. When all was said and done on Thursday evening it was Brad May who left the track located just minutes away from the Daytona International Speedway as the race winner. It was the Florida driver’s second feature win of the World Series. Jesse Love, Jr. was fastest in qualifying as he turned a lap in 17.782 seconds around the half-mile paved oval to beat out Brad May, Jake Garcia, Derek Griffith, Ryan Moore, Augie Grill, Sammy Smith,…

Stephen Nasse claims Wednesday night World Series win at New Smyrna

The World Series of Asphalt continued on Wednesday night with action again taking place in the Super Late Model division at New Smyrna Speedway. After an off-season switch to a Rowdy Manufacturing chassis home state driver Stephen Nasse collected his first win of the 2020 season as he took the checkered flag and the winner’s trophy away from the Florida track. Jesse Love was quickest in time-trials after he posted a lap of 17.894 seconds around the half-mile paved oval. That effort beat out Tuesday night winner Derek Griffith, Sammy Smith, Augie Grill, Stephen Nasse, Jett Noland, Jake Garcia, Gus…

Derek Griffith claims Tuesday night World Series glory at New Smyrna

The Super Late Model division was back in action in the World Series of Asphalt at the New Smyrna Speedway on Tuesday night after being given a reprieve the previous evening as the ARCA Menard’s East Series took center stage. By the end of the night on the track located just minutes from the famed Daytona International it was Derek Griffith who received the accolades as the feature winner following a highly competitive feature race. Derek Griffith continued his solid World Series performance by posting the fast time in qualifying with a lap of 17.826 seconds around the half-mile paved…

Speedway Motorsports still working toward Nashville Fairgrounds renovation

The saga of the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville continues as representatives from Speedway Motorsports met earlier this week with government officials in the Tennessee state capital to discuss the auto racing venue’s future. This comes as the Metro Board of Fair Commissioners is urging Mayor John Cooper to move forward with the Major League Soccer stadium and to “decouple” talks with racing at Fairgrounds Nashville. On Tuesday the Fair Board voted unanimously to write a formal letter to encourage Cooper to follow through on the already approved $335 million soccer stadium. “We’ve got to get this done,” Fair Board Commissioner Jason Bergeron…

Turn 2 Blog: What does the future hold for NASCAR in 2020?

*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. Richard: The Busch Clash held this past Sunday at Daytona International Speedway is now over and the only thing I think we can say we learned from that race is the so-called “greatest drivers in the world” in the NASCAR Cup Series are more than capable of destroying lots of equipment. But now that the exhibition race is over, it’s time to focus on the event…

Gio Scelzi making quick progress on pavement as he looks toward NASCAR

Giovanni Scelzi has been in the sport of auto racing for his entire life. As the son of former NHRA champion Gary Scelzi, he was carried to race tracks even before his first birthday. And now, the second generation racer appears to be bound for his own time in the racing spotlight as he prepares for a full season behind the wheel of a car prepared by highly successful Bill McAnally Racing on the ARCA Series West as well as other selected pavement races. On Sunday night, the 18-year-old native of Fresno, CA found his way to victory lane in…