Inside Circle Track

Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin enter Martinsville with decided advantages

Martinsville Speedway currently holds the distinction of being the first track to host a race in the ‘Round of 8’ portion of the NASCAR Playoffs. That means that at the end of the day on Sunday followers of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series could potentially know who one of the four drivers with a chance to be crowned as the 2019 champion will be. The winner of the First Data 500, provided that driver is one of the eight still remaining in the title hunt, will be issued an invitation as one of the Championship 4 contestants in the…

Playoff Racing: You have won me over

Matt Kenseth drove to such an impressively consistent season in 2003 that he wrapped the NASCAR Cup Series title even before the green flag was waved over the field at the season finale race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Despite the fact that he only scored one victory that year, the 25 top-10 finishes Kenseth compiled were enough to allow him to be crowned as the series champion following the season’s penultimate race in Rockingham, NC. Even though he had won more than twice as many races as any other driver on the series that season, Ryan Newman could only muster…

Mike Marlar hoping for more NASCAR opportunities

Mike Marlar is one of the most accomplished Dirt Late Model racers in America today. During the 2018 season he was crowned as the World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion which, added to major event victories such as his two Knoxville Late Model Nationals triumphs and his two Hillbilly 100 victories, gives the pilot of the No. 157 car a résumé that would be the envy of many in the sport. But even with all of those accomplishments, the Winfield, Tenn. driver wanted to add even more to his list of achievements. And this past summer, he did exactly…

Stephen Nasse Hopes Winchester 400 Victory Will Lead to More Crown Jewels

Sometimes you can just see that something big is about to happen. That very well could have been the case for those who follow Super Late Model racing on pavement leading into the 48th annual Winchester 400 held at the historic Winchester Speedway this past Sunday. For those paying attention, many signs leading into that race pointed to all the pieces falling into place for Pinellas Park, Florida native Stephen Nasse taking the checkered flag on the venerable old track located in the eastern half of Indiana and known for its worn surface and steep banking. After all, the 24-year-old…

Are the big tracks giving NASCAR a Formula 1 type feel?

The biggest and fastest tracks on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule have always required drivers to work together by using the draft in order keep pace with the competition and pass other cars. This has been true since the 1950’s when the first of what we have come to call the ‘plate tracks’ was first built. But lately it seems as if the teams, and perhaps more importantly the manufacturers, have decided that working together to achieve the goal of placing one of their own in the winner’s circle supersedes all else at Talladega Super Speedway and Daytona…

Live Updates: Lucas Oil Late Models at Rome Speedway(10-13-19)

InsideCircleTrack.com in conjunction with InsideDirtRacing.com will be providing live updates from the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctioned event at Rome Speedway in Rome, GA on Sunday evening, October 13, 2019. The updates will be provided by Richard Allen(@RichardAllenIDR on Twitter and @RichardAllenIDR on Instagram). These updates are brought to you by Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. The 2019 season has concluded at SMS but schedule information for next year will be released in the coming weeks. Classes in action: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for $10,000-to-win(50 laps) as well as the track’s regular divisions. *Please Note: These…

Live Updates: Lucas Oil Late Models at Dixie Speedway(10-12-19)

InsideCircleTrack.com in conjunction with InsideDirtRacing.com will be providing live updates from the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctioned event at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, GA on Saturday evening, October 12, 2019. The updates will be provided by Richard Allen(@RichardAllenIDR on Twitter and @RichardAllenIDR on Instagram). These updates are brought to you by Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. The 2019 season has concluded at SMS but schedule information for next year will be released in the coming weeks. Click on the play button below to hear our pre-race interview with Devin Moran. Classes in action: Lucas Oil Late…

The Numbers Indicate That Talladega Could Upset the Playoff Balance

Virtually every driver who is still involved in the NASCAR Playoffs has at some point mentioned their concern about this weekend’s 1000Bulbs.com 500 at the Talladega Super Speedway. This track, like no other within the playoff mix, holds the ability to completely shake up the standings during this ‘Round of 12’ segment of the championship deciding run toward the final race of the 2019 season in November. Simply having the best car, an outstanding pit crew, a well thought out strategy, or even a great driver may not be enough on this track to assure a win or even a…

Miserable Monster Outing Leaves Penske Relying on Talladega

Virtually every driver and team still involved in the NASCAR Playoffs came into this current stretch of three races that make up the ‘Round of 12’ pointing out that they wanted to jump start their efforts in this segment by scoring a good finish at Dover International Speedway in the Drydene 400. The emphasis on Dover was born out of the fact that the next event for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will take place in the wildcard race at the ever treacherous Talladega Super Speedway coming up this weekend. However, one of NASCAR’s power teams now finds itself…

Joey Logano needs to pick up performance in order to defend title

Joey Logano came into the 2019 version of the NASCAR Playoffs as the defending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion. And after the first round of three races within the championship series of events he remains alive in hopes of capturing a second consecutive title. However, a look at the recent finishes compiled by the No. 22 Team Penske Ford might offer a bit of troubling evidence that the hope of claiming the top prize at the end of the day at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in November could be in jeopardy. Over the last ten races Logano has managed only…