*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.
What drivers have surprised you(good or bad) going into the break?
Richard: I’m going to start with those who have surprised me most on the positive side. I thought it would take a while for Kyle Busch to get acclimated to Richard Childress Racing and it would take a while for RCR to get acclimated to Kyle Busch. There have been a couple of instances that demonstrated that, but for the most part, things have gone well with this new pairing. Busch has scored three wins and holds a solid position in the standings. Even though he is one of the most talented drivers in NASCAR, I wasn’t expecting this kind of success this early.
And along that same line, I wasn’t expecting Tyler Reddick to do as well as he has so far. Like with the Busch-RCR combination, I was expecting there to be more time for acclimation. The one win for the No. 45 23XI Racing team and their solid place in the standings has them pretty much set for the NASCAR Playoffs. I expected Reddick to have a shot at a championship run but not to be so secure this early in the going.
Another positive surprise for me has been Bubba Wallace. His string of three consecutive top-5 finishes that were recently recorded is not something he had previously shown the ability to do. Earlier in his career, he would try to over extend himself and get into trouble. As things stand right now, he would make the Playoffs even without a win.
On the negative side, I thought the addition of Kyle Busch to RCR would lift Austin Dillon. Instead, it seems as if the opposite has happened. Dillon is currently 29th in points and has had eight finishes of 25th or worse.
Legacy Motor Club seemed to show last year that they might be in position to have a solid season, especially with the addition of Jimmie Johnson as a partner during the off-season, but that has not been the case at all so far in 2023. Another organization that has not lived up to expectations has been Stewart-Haas Racing. Kevin Harvick is third in the standings but Aric Almirola, Ryan Preece and Chase Briscoe are all 25th or worse. There have been races in which those three cars have been nothing short of awful.
Legacy Motor Club has been surprisingly disappointing
Michael: I think the Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing drivers Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher have been a surprise for the good. Buescher has been consistent for most of the season. Keselowski had some outside shots at a couple of wins, something that didn’t happen by this point last season.
I would also put Martin Truex Jr. in that category too. He was on the verge of retiring toward the end of the ’22 season and looked uninterested in racing. Now he looks like a championship contender.
On the down side, I would put Erik Jones in that category. By this point last season, he was contending for wins. To this point, the Legacy team has seemed to have taken a big step backwards.
Have you been surprised by the numbers of penalties handed down this season?
Richard: There have been several penalties handed down this season although some were overturned in the appeal process. But no, I’m not surprised by that. The NextGen car has made everyone so equal that crew chiefs have to look at every possible angle to find an advantage over the competition. Sometimes those angles get caught.
On thing some may not know is that there are no secrets in a racing pit/garage area. If one team is trying something new, everyone will know about it quickly. We know that from our coverage of dirt racing. But sometimes teams not doing a particular “gray area” thing may opt to reveal that secret to the right people(officials) rather than try to replicate it. Those cars that are “randomly” selected to be taken back to the NASCAR R&D Center are not so random.
And the lack of surprise for penalties applies to driver sanctions as well. Because the cars are so equal, the pilots get frustrated and that frustration comes out by roughing another car up.
Chase Elliott was suspended for rough driving
Michael: I’m probably more surprised by the number of suspensions handed out for drivers intentionally wrecking other drivers than I am the issues with the parts. As you said, teams are always looking for some type of advantage. Teams will cross the imaginary line and get busted for it.
Drivers being penalized for purposely wrecking other drivers is not new, but it is happening more frequently. Imagine Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, or Jeff Gordon getting suspended for wrecking another driver. I do think these are warranted punishments. Still, I’m surprised it’s happening as much as it is.
Evaluate Fox’s coverage this year?
Richard: There are so many directions to go here. But first, I do not like the rotating third personality in the booth which I believe will be taken care of next year when Kevin Harvick joins Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer.
I look forward to Harvick becoming a permanent member of the broadcast crew. He has done very well in the drivers only NASCAR Xfinity Series broadcasts when he has been a part of those. I believe he will bring a balance to the booth that hasn’t been there during the time they have used the rotating special guests.
Further, Harvick has often served as the lead announcer in the drivers only broadcast so he might be a potential replacement for Joy at some point.
However, my biggest issue with Fox is the camera angles. In-car and bumper cam shots are okay when used sparingly. Fox relies far too much on those cameras. The shots are too tight causing viewers to miss much of the action. There are so many times when I have found myself wishing the camera would pull back so I could see how much closer or further apart the cars are getting compared to each other.
And of course, the number of commercial breaks and how poorly those breaks are timed is a constant complaint among fans.
Michael: Much like last year, I think Fox’s coverage has been sub-standard. They give the appearance they don’t care much about the coverage they are providing. You mentioned the camera angles and takes. Changing shots always seems to be too early or too late to capture the action.
The pit reporters provide little information. I think fans will notice this when NBC takes over. They continue to peel off accomplished reporters like Matt Yocum and Vince Welch in favor of those that probably make less money. The effort comes across on the screen.
I’m looking forward to Harvick being a permanent member of the booth. It will bring stability that will hopefully carry over to the overall broadcast.
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