Category: NASCAR Blogs

I’ll admit it. I got spoiled over the last couple of years getting to watch the biggest stars in Dirt Late Model and Sprint Car racing do battle on the high banks of the Bristol Motor Speedway. Big purses and the lure of one of the most iconic venues in all of motorsports was hard to resist for competitors which made covering those races a thrill. However, the usage of the legendary track during the time it has been covered in clay was greatly reduced this time around. A pair of events featuring the American All-Stars Pro Late Model Series…

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It would be hard to imagine that anyone doubted the NASCAR Playoffs chances of Kyle Larson going into the 2023 season. However, a massive points penalty doled out to all four Hendrick Motorsports teams for an issue related to the hood louvers on the their Chevrolets, a suspension of crew chief Cliff Daniels, and consecutive runs that featured mishaps at least allowed some uncertainty to creep in. Following finishes of 18th and 29th in the Daytona 500 and at Fontana, California to kick off the season, Larson and the No. 5 team turned things around with results of 2nd and…

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What exactly makes a racing venue a short track? One obvious answer to that question is the size of the track. The typically accepted measurement of a short track is most often thought to be a racing facility in which a lap covers less than one-mile in length. But another possible answer has to do with the style of racing that takes place on the track. It could be argued that short track racing features close-quarter action in a compact space that sometimes results in a little sheet metal rubbing. So even if a speedway measures less than one mile…

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Jonathan Davenport is very good when he is working within his comfort zone of a Dirt Late Model cockpit. Kyle Busch is very good when he is working within his comfort zone of a NASCAR cockpit. However, both of those highly accomplished racers are about to step outside their respective comfort zones when they participate in a much less familiar form of competition in the very near future. The 39-year-old Davenport will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series-sanctioned Food City Dirt Race at the Bristol Motor Speedway on April 9th driving a third Chevrolet entry for Kaulig Racing as a…

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For the second week in a row on the NASCAR Cup Series, driver Bubba Wallace experienced self-inflicted issues that ruined his day. And the 29-year-old 23XI Racing pilot expressed difficulty dealing that reality. On Sunday in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, the No. 23 Toyota was involved in an incident that ultimately resulted in an early end to his day and a 37th place finish. That issue came one week after Wallace spun without contact from any other car on lap 10 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway then tagged the inside…

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  also Won Talladega Run ins with Hamlin, Elliott and this past weekend with Harvick 2 Xfinity wins- won at Vegas in 2018; won at Daytona for Kaulig in 2019 Looked like he was on his way until Sponsor debacle- DC Solar Went to truck series in 2019 and won 3 races and finished 2nd in standings for Niece Motorsports One year ago, Ross Chastain entered the NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas without a win in the sport’s top division. But on that March 27th day, the Trackhouse Racing driver claimed his first…

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I will start this piece by saying that I am typically not in favor of having an abundance of rules in racing and over regulation. But NASCAR doesn’t care what I think, and in reality, neither should you. That said, however, the recent penalties issued to Hendrick Motorsports and Kaulig Racing were necessary. Whether you, I or anyone else like or don’t like the number of rules and restrictions instituted by NASCAR regarding the Next Gen car does not matter. There are rules and when those rules are violated there have to be consequences, and sometimes, those consequences must be…

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After a significant reconfiguration of the Atlanta Motor Speedway that was first used last season, the NASCAR Cup Series will return to that venue for the first of two 2013 visits this weekend. While the two races held here in 2022 showed that the type of racing had changed from previous visits to the historic track, it may be this season that will show what the racing will be like going forward. Prior to the 2022 season, AMS had its banking increased from 24 to 28 degrees in the turns while the racing groove was narrowed. The aim of the…

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*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. Did the new aero package put in place for the shorter tracks and road courses actually do any good at Phoenix? Richard: After the Next Gen proved to be a bit of a disappointment on short tracks and road courses in 2022, NASCAR trimmed the rear spoiler and took away some of the diffusers under the cars in hopes of improving the product on the short…

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*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. Should Chase Elliott receive a waiver that would allow him to make the NASCAR Playoffs despite missing races? Richard: As has been well documented, Chase Elliott suffered a broken leg while snowboarding last week which will cause him to miss multiple races. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion was looked at by many going into this season as the favorite to emerge from the NASCAR Playoffs…

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