On this week’s episode of Frontstretch Happy Hour, hosts Trey Lyle, Dalton Hopkins and Michael Massie dive into aftermath of an underwhelming NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway.
One of the big topics going into the race was whether or not Throwback Weekend had run its course. The trio debate whether NASCAR should scrap the concept, revamp it or keep it as is. They also select which throwback schemes from this past weekend were the best.
The guys also talk about Kyle Larson‘s early and late wrecks in Sunday’s (April 6) race. In the first wreck, was Larson being too aggressive too early, and is that part of a bigger issue? For the wreck at the end, should he have still been on the track at that point in the race?
Ryan Blaney was on his way to his first win of the season prior to Larson’s second crash. He ultimately lost the lead on pit road and failed to get back to the front. It’s the latest in a line of blown opportunities by the No. 12 team when they had a race-winning car. The three hosts discuss whether the loss of these potential playoff points will come back to bite Blaney in the playoffs.
William Byron led the opening 243 laps of Sunday’s race, and for a while, it seemed he may lead every lap. The No. 24 lost the lead through the lone full green-flag pit cycle and wasn’t able to race back up to the front. The gang argue whether it was entertaining to watch Byron’s greatness on display in the early portions or if it was bad for the series to see such a little amount of passing on the day.
Watch the whole show below or listen to the audio version wherever you get your podcasts.
A Graduate of Virginia Tech in Sports Media and Analytics, Trey Lyle has been covering NASCAR since 2021 as the producer of the Fast Lane with Ed Lane on VTRN Sports 93.3 FM in Lynchburg, Va.
Trey joined FS in 2023 to cohost Happy Hour and help out on the podcast front as the producer for Brining the Heat with Bryan Nolen. Now, he oversees the entire podcast operation for Frontstretch.
Dalton Hopkins began writing for Frontstretch in April 2021. Currently, he is the lead writer for the weekly Thinkin' Out Loud column, co-host of the Frontstretch Happy Hour podcast, and one of our lead reporters. Beforehand, he wrote for IMSA shortly after graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2019. Simultaneously, he also serves as a Captain in the US Army.
Follow Dalton on Twitter @PitLaneCPT
Michael Massie joined Frontstretch in 2017 and has served as the Content Director since 2020.
Massie, a Richmond, Va., native, has covered NASCAR, IndyCar, SRX and the CARS Tour. Outside of motorsports, the Virginia Tech grad and Green Bay Packers minority owner can be seen cheering on his beloved Hokies and Packers.