Inside Circle Track

Zeke Shell, Nik Williams score Late Model wins at Kingsport

Kingsport Speedway hosted a pair of Late Model Stock Car feature races on Friday night as part of its ‘Back to School’ special event filled with giveaways and activities for kids. Zeke Shell and Nik Williams took the checkered flags in a pair of thrilling twin main events at the place known as “The Concrete Jungle”. Shell came into the night as the leader of the track’s LMSC standings and he proved to be the fastest in qualifying for that division as he turned a lap of 14.490 seconds around the concrete oval to beat out Hayden Woods, Nik Williams,…

NASCAR to cut field sizes in Xfinity and Truck Series for 2019

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 23, 2018) – NASCAR announced several rules for the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series aimed at strengthening both the competition on the race track and the identity of each series. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, a maximum starting field will be 38 cars starting in 2019. As part of the restructure, NASCAR will reallocate the purse money previously awarded to the 39th- and 40th-place finishers to the rest of the field. “Our goal is to ensure that each race features the strongest field and best racing for our fans,” said John…

5 Reasons Why NASCAR Drivers are Retiring at Younger Ages

Richard Petty: 54-years-old Darrell Waltrip: 53-years-old David Pearson: 51-years-old Bobby Allison: 50-years-old Cale Yarborough: 49-years-old The names listed above are members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame with the ages at which they left the sport listed beside each. As can be seen, these legendary figures remained active in racing in either a full-time or part-time manner into their late 40’s and even into their 50’s. Granted, some of them may not have been terribly competitive late in their careers, but others were. Nonetheless, they were still a part of the sport for multiple decades. Carl Edwards: 36-years-old Kasey…

Christian Eckes scores ARCA dirt victory in Springfield

The ARCA Racing Series took to the track on Sunday afternoon to contest one of its two annual events held on dirt ovals with the running of the Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois. At the end of the day when the competitors packed up to leave the ‘Land of Lincoln’ it was 17-year-old rising star and dirt racing novice Christian Eckes who, along with his Venturini Motorsports team, came away with the checkered flag and the winner’s trophy. Gus Dean started the race from the pole position after turning the fastest lap in qualifying…

Kasey Kahne plans to race more on dirt following NASCAR retirement

Kasey Kahne announced earlier this week that the 2018 campaign would be his final season as a full-time driver on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The Enumclaw, Washington native who has taken 18 checkered flags at NASCAR’s highest level cited a desire to spend more time with his family and to seek other business opportunities as reasons for his departure. After leaving industry powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the 2017 season, Kahne has spent this year piloting Leavine Family Racing Chevrolets with limited success. One top-5 finish in the July event at Daytona International Speedway along with…

The Bowman-Gray provides a truly unique racing experience

For fans of short track racing there can be little doubt that Bowman-Gray Stadium offers up one of the most unique experiences and entertaining programs in the sport. The tight quarter-mile track that was once featured in a series called “Madhouse” on The History Channel provides fast paced action, intense rivalries, varying formats, and old style, hard-nosed racing. Bowman-Gray Stadium is truly a must see venue for any fan of short-track racing, or any form of racing for that matter. Recently, I took a break from my usual Saturday night dirt track routine so that my two sons(ages 15 and…

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series news and notes for Bristol

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Next Race: Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway The Date: Saturday, August 18 The Time: 6:30 p.m. ET TV: NBCSN Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 266.5 miles (500 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 125), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 250), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 500) Starting Lineup for the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol 1. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet 2. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet 3. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota 4. (21) Paul Menard, Ford 5. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet 6. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford…

Do Ford teams have reason to worry about the switch to Mustang?

This past week the performance arm of the Ford Motor Company unveiled the Mustang that will be used in competition by its teams on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2019. The announcement, made at Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, was well timed with the series heading to the heart of American auto industry for the Consumer Energy 400 at the Michigan International Speedway. Former MENCS champion and current co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing(a Ford team) Tony Stewart drove the new Mustang onto the stage where it was greeted by a host of Ford drivers, owners and other dignitaries. Needless…

Starting Lineup and Race Info for the Consumer Energy 400 at Michigan

Race: Consumers Energy 400 The Place: Michigan International Speedway The Date: Sunday, August 12 The Time: 2:30 p.m. ET TV: NBCSN, 1:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 400 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200) Starting Lineup: 1. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 202.794 mph. 2. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 202.731 mph. 3. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 202.100 mph. 4. (20) Erik Jones, Toyota, 201.805 mph. 5. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 201.748 mph. 6. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 201.658 mph. 7. (78) Martin Truex…

NASCAR must find someone who will lead from the front

Championship winning UCLA basketball coach John Wooden was quoted as saying “Great leaders are always out front with a banner, instead of behind with a whip.” In a sport in which being the leader is a highly prized position to hold, NASCAR has seemingly been led from the rear for almost two decades. During the organization’s formative years and then during the time in which it came to be known as the top form of motorsports in America, NASCAR was headed up by two of the strongest leaders a sport could have. On a weekly basis there was no doubt…