Category: NASCAR Blogs

Going into Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway there were numerous questions that observers of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series were hoping to have answered. With the race cars being fitted for the first time in competition with tapered spacers meant to reduce air and fuel flow to the engines and thus reduce horsepower, many wondered how the racing would be impacted on the track known for causing extreme tire wear due to its aged asphalt surface. But instead of having that question fully answered, there were actually more questions raised during the running…

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I am going to play the “NAS $400K Piston[$100K to 1st]” contest on DraftKings.com under the name IndyJones. The game pays $100,000 to the winner and pays through the top-9,880 places. It comes with a $10 entry fee. Each driver is given a dollar value with each participant being allotted a budget of $50,000 to purchase six drivers. Following last week’s complete debacle in which four of my drivers were swept up in the Big One at Daytona, I have revamped my lineup for the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. As can be seen, I am banking heavily on a…

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Going into the 2019 season NASCAR faced a number of big issues. As has been widely reported, television ratings have been dropping for a decade or more along with grandstand attendance. Several of the sport’s biggest stars have retired in recent years to be replaced by younger drivers who are in the process of finding their way. And more, new leadership is now in place at a critical time in the history of the sanctioning body with its primary series sponsorship set to expire at the end of this year. Unlike most sports, NASCAR opens its season with its marquee…

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I am going to play the “NAS $750K America’s Race” contest on DraftKings.com under the name IndyJones. The game pays $100,000 to the winner and pays through the top-17,651 places. It comes with a $10 entry fee. Each driver is given a dollar value with each player being allotted a budget of $50,000 to purchase six drivers. Here are the six drivers I chose and why: Ryan Blaney($9,000) – Blaney seems like a good value here when it is considered that he led more than half of this race in 2018 on his way to a 7th place finish. He…

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With the season-opening Daytona 500 set to roll this Sunday, there will be a very different feel to this upcoming racing campaign in regard to the way penalties are handed down at stock car racing’s highest level. NASCAR officials recently announced sweeping changes regarding the punishments to be levied for infractions found during post-race tech inspections. These changes will be implemented throughout the 2019 schedule. Most noteworthy was the revelation that wins by teams and drivers whose car is found to be outside regulations will be taken away. Those cars will be disqualified with the offending driver and team receiving…

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For years the term “The Big One” has been associated with the two high speed tracks on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Super Speedway frequently see at least one and sometimes multiple crashes in which numerous cars are involved during the running of their events. Because of the use of restrictor plates at those two venues, cars tend to run in large, tightly grouped packs in which one small mistake can lead to catastrophe for as many as 15-20 drivers at a time. Indeed, the recently run Advance Auto Parts Clash special event race…

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Kyle Larson did not win a single Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in 2018. And considering the way the playoff system is structured in this form of racing, winning is essential for drivers and teams to assure themselves of a spot in the “post-season” and to advance from round to round once the playoffs have commenced. Because the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 team failed to win a race during the season another key statistic might have been overlooked when poring over Larson’s final stat sheet at the end of 2018. That important stat would have been a significant…

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The most successful coach and quarterback tandem in NFL history is without a doubt that of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. To back up that declaration, the New England Patriots are about to participate in their ninth Super Bowl during the 18 years those two men have been paired together within that organization. In their previous eight appearances in professional football’s championship game their record is 5-3. While not quite as cut-and-dried as is the case in the NFL, the combination of Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan may very well be the greatest coach and player combination in NBA history….

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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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