The fashionable thing to do among many NASCAR fans is to show displeasure whenever Kyle Busch does anything that could be construed as controversial or inciteful. Few if any drivers arouse more boos during pre-race introductions or during post-race victory celebrations. He, quite simply, is the racer many fans love to hate. But there is a great deal of irony in all the dislike directed toward the younger of the Busch brothers. Many fans claim they want drivers to show more personality, to not be so robotic in their interviews and actions, and to allow their emotions to show through…

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During the course of this week you probably have seen or will see social media posts aplenty regarding the Chili Bowl Nationals. The annual event held inside the River Spirit Expo Center each January for Midget Sprint Cars attracts attention from all over the racing world. Fans and competitors alike from all disciplines of the sport descend on Tulsa, Oklahoma every year to take in the racing action and to be a part of the atmosphere surrounding the week-long event. While the racing action is indeed a major part of the draw to the Chili Bowl Nationals, it’s the whole…

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As a high school Psychology teacher, I have often read and heard that some believe that in order for recovery to occur among those who have serious problems the sufferer must first hit rock bottom. One must first experience the lowest of lows before making a turnaround that will lead to an upward climb that will eventually bring about full recovery according to this theory. If this line of thinking is in fact true for addicts or those afflicted with other types of disorders then one has to wonder if the same can be true of a sport as well….

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One organization on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series that appeared to be gaining momentum at the end of the 2018 season was that of Richard Childress Racing. The Welcome, NC based organization ended the campaign by scoring as many top-15 finishes over the final third of the schedule as they had over the first two-thirds of the year. Drivers Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman proved to be consistently better during the closing races of the most recent season than they had been through the first twenty-two events that began the NASCAR grind. Of course, it has to be remembered…

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Some statements are so obvious that they don’t really need to be said, but they are often said anyway. Those comments are often said to be “as plain as the nose on your face” when made. The statement that William Byron is approaching a pivotal season in his racing career fits that description as the young Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver heads into his second full-time campaign as the driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.   The entire Hendrick Motorsports organization saw its share of struggles in 2018 as only one of its drivers(Chase Elliott) won a Cup…

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Every NASCAR off-season is filled with driver, sponsor, manufacture, and crew member moves and the 2018-19 version of “silly season” has been no different. And every year, those who follow the sport attempt to decipher those moves for the purpose of determining which organizations have most improved themselves with their maneuvering. This off-season there is one organization that almost certainly has lifted itself into an even stronger position as it prepares for the 2019 campaign. With the addition of Kurt Busch to its Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team and Ross Chastain to its NASCAR Xfinity Series effort, Chip Ganassi…

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