Inside Circle Track

If anyone is going to challenge JGR’s supremacy it will be …

Previously on this site we posted a piece titled “Why wouldn’t Joe Gibbs Racing dominate again in 2020?” and in that article several points were made as to why the organization that won more than half of the NASCAR Cup Series races and the season championship in 2019 will again rule the roost in the upcoming season. In this piece we will offer up a few reasons as to why those charged with opposing the JGR juggernaut might have at least some reason for optimism. Keep in mind that NASCAR has mandated that no new parts can be developed in…

Why wouldn’t Joe Gibbs Racing dominate again in 2020?

There were 36 NASCAR Cup Series races held in 2019. Joe Gibbs Racing won more than half of those races. That organization also placed three of its four drivers in the Championship 4 final race held at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Kyle Busch eventually earning the title for the company owned by the former Super Bowl winning football coach. The dominance of JGR in 2019 goes beyond winning races and the championship. That organization’s Toyotas led over 4,000 laps during the course of the season with only one of their drivers(Erik Jones) having an average finishing position outside the top-10. And…

Three Drivers Who Will Move Forward in 2020

There are winners and losers in every form of competition. But NASCAR and all other forms of racing can be particularly harsh in the regard. Consider that in this weekend’s Super Bowl there will, of course, be a winner, but at the same time, there will only be one loser. In racing’s Super Bowl(Daytona 500), however, there will only be one driver and team that take the checkered flag in first place leaving 39 others with the realization that, on that day at least, they were losers. After all, in the words of the great philosopher Ricky Bobby, “If you…

RCR’s Ryan Gifford loving life both on the track and off

Ryan Gifford’s racing past goes all the way back into his childhood when he began competing in go-karts. But the native of Winchester, Tenn. really began to fall in love with the sport as a 15-year-old when he first steered a Dirt Late Model onto the track at Winchester Speedway. Since then, his life has very much revolved around the sport that he has not only grown to love but has made into his livelihood. On Sunday afternoon the 30-year-old racer found himself in one of his favorite environments as he wheeled a Late Model around the Cherokee Speedway in…

Jeremy Clements: “I just want to be competitive”

Jeremy Clements posted a solid season in 2019. The Spartanburg, SC native’s four top-10 finishes were more than he had scored in any single season of his career. Further, the driver who completed his ninth season as a NASCAR Xfinity Series regular had an average finishing position of 16.9 which was another career best. And consider too that the small family operation’s success came after getting a late start going into the campaign compared to their competitors. In the end, Clements managed a 14th place finish in the final Xfinity Series standings with a best race finish of fourth coming…

Rich’s Ramblings: “Real Racing” vs “Computer Racing”

From time to time I plan to drop in a brief(4-6 minutes) recording to offer a few thoughts. I plan to make most of these on the way to or from a race track on some topic that may be of interest but not necessarily for a written story. This offering is about the recent firestorm that took place on social media as some drivers who race on the track took exception to the fact that others who race on a computer platform seem to be receiving attention from major NASCAR drivers and teams that the “real racers” rarely get….

Which of this Solid Rookie Class Will Come Out on Top?

The class set to compete for 2020 Rookie of the Year honors on the NASCAR Cup Series is one of the most talented groups of first year drivers the sport has seen in a while. And what’s more, the four young stars seeking that title will be supported by some of the sport’s top organizations. Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, Cole Custer and John Hunter Nemechek have indicted their intentions of collecting the trophy previously earned by the likes of Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch. While there have been talented classes to seek…

Should Cup Series Drivers Compete in Any Other Forms of Racing?

During the past week we have seen video clips of NASCAR racers Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell taking wild rides as they raced Midget Sprint Cars in New Zealand. And as is often the case whenever high-profile drivers are involved in incidents away from NASCAR, the opinions regarding whether they should have even been participating arise. Larson emerged from his accident a bit battered and bruised with a black eye being the obvious sign that something had gone wrong. Despite that, he continued to race and to win “Down Under”. For his part, Bell left New Zealand and headed back…

Thank You, Racing!

To say that we are living in some turbulent times is not exactly breaking news to anyone. Political tension, international tension, racial tension, religious tension, and generational tension are all a part of the daily narrative we are bombarded with on television news broadcasts, social media, internet websites, and even newspapers. With all of that, 2019 has certainly been a year filled with uncertainty, anxiety and even anger. On a personal note, add to all of those issues mentioned above that I began the year by burying my father, who passed away last New Year’s Eve. Of course, all of…

The time has come to shorten the NASCAR schedule

The NASCAR Cup Series schedule calls for teams to make their way to 36 points-paying races and two additional exhibition events over the course of each season. And indications seem to point to the probability that such a long season is taking its toll on the competitors involved in the sport. This past season a respected driver and a championship winning crew chief that seemingly could have had multiple years remaining in the sport decided to step away with both citing a need to spend more time with family as a chief reason for leaving. Front Row Motorsports driver David…