Is it the new NASCAR package or just two-team domination?

As the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series approaches the halfway mark of the 2019 season, there have been some very exciting and interesting races while there have also been several events that have not exactly been riveting. And unfortunately for both NASCAR and its fans, the more recent races to have been run are among those considered to be some of the least interesting of the year. Using reporter Jeff Gluck’s(@Jeff_Gluck on Twitter) “Was it a good race?” poll as a guide, races at Pocono, Michigan and Sonoma(the three most recent events) have been counted among the worst of the…

Continue reading

NASCAR made the right call in Chastain case

After making the decision to switch his points status from the NASCAR Xfinity Series to the Gander Outdoors Truck Series just a week before, Ross Chastain looked as if his gamble had paid off in a major way on Sunday at the Iowa Speedway. The Florida driver wheeled his Niece Motorsports Chevrolet truck into victory lane after taking the checkered flag as the apparent winner of the M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Stores. As a result of that win, Chastain was all but assured of making the NGOTS Playoffs. It proved to be a very well received situation as…

Continue reading

Did NASCAR just set a precedent for red flags before stage breaks?

On the surface, the SpeedyCash.com 400 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race held on Friday night at the Texas Motor Speedway might seem like a somewhat historic event in the history of NASCAR because of the fact that driver Greg Biffle came out of retirement to score his first win in any of NASCAR’s top three divisions since 2013 and his first NGOTS victory since 2001. However, this race could actually go down in the history books for another reason as there may very well have been a new precedent set by the sanctioning body regarding the officiating of stage…

Continue reading

It’s not just that Jimmie Johnson hasn’t won in two years …

The significance of the date June 4, 2017 should not be lost on fans of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. It was on that date that seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson wheeled his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet into victory lane at Dover International Speedway marking his last win. To put it in perspective, it has been almost two full years since the winner of 83 races in NASCAR’s top division last took a checkered flag. Considering just how good Johnson and longtime crew chief Chad Knaus were for a run that lasted a decade and a half, the fact…

Continue reading

Will the Coca-Cola 600 provide William Byron with his Jeff Gordon moment?

The similarities are remarkable. William Byron will start the 2019 Coca-Cola 600 from the pole position on Sunday as he seeks his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Despite having noteworthy credentials coming into his current opportunity, there have been some who have questioned whether the 21-year-old driver should even be where he is during his first year-and-a-half in the No. 24 Chevrolet. Poor finishes were somewhat the norm for Byron during his rookie campaign as he would prove to be the only Hendrick Motorsports driver to miss the NASCAR Playoffs ultimately finishing in the…

Continue reading

600 Miles is the Right Distance for this Race … but how about others?

In an article posted recently by Motorsport.com Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin stated his belief that the Coca-Cola 600 race held annually on Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway has outlived its purpose in terms of distance. The winner of this year’s Daytona 500 suggested that the traditional event would hold as much prestige at a distance of 300 miles as it does at its current distance of 600 miles. “The sport doesn’t ‘need’ any particular thing. I don’t think that anything is totally necessary,” Hamlin said in the article. “If the race was 300 miles,…

Continue reading

Looking at the 2019 Cup season at the All-Star break

The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series has reach its traditional All-Star break in the schedule. The break is a time for the teams evaluate where they are at this point of the season. There have been some interesting story lines and surprises as the Coca-Cola 600 approaches this weekend. The main story of the 2018 season was the “Big 3”, how Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. were winning nearly all of the races. As the playoffs approached, the “Big 3” weren’t winning as much and it was Joey Logano that knocked off all three in the finale…

Continue reading

Turn 2 Blog: New Aero Package Improving ‘Cookie Cutters’ but Hurting Short Tracks?

*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: There was much talk and speculation coming into the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season regarding the implementation of a new package teams would have to use on the race cars. Horsepower limitations and various aerodynamic adjustments were mandated by NASCAR with the hope that the on-track product would be improved. And while those at the top of the sanctioning body might not say…

Continue reading

Chase Elliott’s win at Talladega was good for NASCAR in multiple ways

When Chase Elliott crossed the finish line ahead of the pack on Sunday afternoon in the Geico 500 at Talladega Super Speedway there were actually several winners. While it was the second generation driver’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of 2019 and his fourth overall, there were numerous people who felt the impact of that win. Going into the Talladega event, every one of the nine races held this season had been won by drivers from only two organizations. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex, Jr. had scored a total of six triumphs for the Toyota team…

Continue reading

NASCAR needs its own version of Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is one of the most electrifying personalities in all of sports. He is one of those figures who causes people to care when they otherwise might not. Whenever he is in contention to win a golf tournament both die-hard and casual fans alike tune in hope of witnessing history being made. Whenever he is not playing well and is not in contention to win, they do not tune in. And those numbers are likely increased even more when the tournament in question is one of golf’s major championships. He also creates a general buzz that engulfs his sport….

Continue reading