Inside Circle Track

John Hunter Nemechek focused on Xfinity title as Cup opportunity awaits

After a lackluster 2020 season in the NASCAR Cup Series with Front Row Motorsports, driver John Hunter Nemechek opted to leave the sport’s top division to accept a ride in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports thinking it would be better to run up front at a lower level than to run mid-pack at the top. At the time of that move, some questioned the decision but the Mooresville, North Carolina native quickly silenced the doubters by scoring five wins and placing third in the final 2021 Truck Series standings. Now, Nemechek is in prime position to…

Bubba Wallace grabs Texas pole

After the two rounds that made up NASCAR Cup Series qualifying for the the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, it was Bubba Wallace who topped the charts earning the No. 1 starting position for Sunday’s race. It was the 23XI Racing Toyota driver’s first pole of the 2023 season and his second such career achievement. The race at the Fort Worth, Texas track will be the first of three in the ‘Round of 12’ portion of the NASCAR Playoffs. “It feels great,” Wallace told USA reporter Kim Coon following his effort. “I appreciate everybody on this 23…

Texas might be more of a wild card than people think

When fans, media and competitors consider which of the races within the second round could be one with the potential to turn the NASCAR Playoffs upside down, they typically think of the second race in the set at Talladega Super Speedway or the third on the makeshift road course known as the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But perhaps not enough credit is given to the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at the Texas Motor Speedway as a possible fly in the ointment. Yes, Talladega with its pack drafting and the ever present danger of the ‘Big One’ along with Charlotte…

Turn 2 Blog: Denny Hamlin embracing the villain role is a good thing

*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. It’s good that Denny Hamlin is embracing the role of villain, isn’t it? Richard: Racing, or any sport for that matter, needs a good villain. Fans not only need an individual or team to root for but also one to root against. However, it’s not easy to play the role of the ‘bad guy’ because not many people want to get booed when their name is…

Trevor Bayne on his limited racing opportunities: “We’re only here to win”

If you think you have had some hectic days, you might need to check with Trevor Bayne and let him tell you about this last Thursday and Friday. Within a 24-hour time period the 32-year-old driver from Knoxville, Tennessee was in a maternity unit witnessing the birth of his fifth child then running 300 laps in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the high banks of the Bristol Motor Speedway. It was a wild series of events for the former Daytona 500 winner making only his second NASCAR start of the 2023 season for Joe Gibbs Racing. “It has, it’s…

Christopher Bell earns Bristol Night Race pole; Start time moved up

Christopher Bell turned the fastest lap in the final round of NASCAR Cup Series qualifying on Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway to earn the pole starting position for Saturday’s 500-lap Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol. The start time for the event, originally slated for 7:30, has been moved up to 6:30 due to the possibility of rain during the evening hours. The race will be aired live by the USA Network and the NBC Sports App as well as by PRN Radio. Starting Lineup: 1. Christopher Bell, 2. Denny Hamlin, 3. William Byron, 4. Michael McDowell, 5. Martin…

Bristol spring race returning to concrete surface in 2024

Beginning in 2021, the Bristol Motor Speedway covered its concrete surface with dirt for the facility’s spring races. A total of three NASCAR Cup Series events along with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races and a myriad of Dirt Late Model and Sprint Car shows were held over the three years clay was added to the track. However, that will change beginning in 2024 as the dirt will no longer be used by NASCAR at the east Tennessee venue. That announcement, which had been expected, was made official on Friday as the track prepares for its NASCAR Playoffs weekend. “As the…

Martin Truex Jr. facing uphill battle at Bristol

Martin Truex Jr. will enter Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at the Bristol Motor Speedway 7 points out of the top-12 in the standings. With this being third contest held within the first round of the NASCAR Playoffs, the checkered flag will bring about the first set of cuts from the championship hunt. A total of four drivers will see their hopes of a title at season’s end evaporate. Despite having won three races so far in 2023 and being the regular season champion, finishes of 18th at Darlington and 36th at Kansas have landed Truex in the 13th…

Stage breaks reinstituted for Roval … but will it matter?

NASCAR’s Elton Sawyer announced recently that stage breaks, which had been eliminated for the road course races held so far in 2023, will be put back in place for the upcoming Bank of America ROVAL 400 on the road course at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Senior Vice President of Competition pointed out that the sanctioning body, along with participants and other partners, were in agreement for the sake of uniformity throughout the NASCAR Playoffs. Although there have been no yellow flags at the end of stages on road courses this season, points were still awarded after the predetermined number…

Turn 2 Blog: Racing is better when teams have to manage tires

*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. Tire wear makes racing better, right? Richard: The answer to this question is absolutely. More tire wear results in pit strategy becoming more of a factor. In Kansas we saw teams short pit, almost like they do in Formula 1, trying to hit pit road a couple of laps before the driver just ahead in hopes of getting back out on track and making up ground…