1. Mother’s Day and Racing Should Not Mix
It was always an understood fact. NASCAR staged races on most Sundays through the years with two exceptions – Mother’s Day and Easter Sunday.
Why?
As my dad explained one year while riding in his truck about why there was no race that weekend, “Because Mrs. France said so.”
Yes, some traditions come and go. NASCAR bid farewell to fans rushing home from church just in time for the 1 p.m. ESPN Speedworld telecast and the 400-mile July race at Daytona International Speedway.
But this sport was built on the backs of traditions and things that fans knew were important. Avoiding racing on Mother’s Day and Easter Sunday was a nod to what meant a lot to the sport’s core fans – spending time with your mom on Mother’s Day and pausing for the pastels and deviled eggs on Easter. Does that apply to all fans? No. But it does apply to an audience that NASCAR’s recent overtures toward tracks in places like Rockingham Speedway and North Wilkesboro Speedway suggest that it wants to reclaim after years of neglect.
Traditions and heritage should mean something in NASCAR. A simple way to give a few nods to them is to pause on Mother’s Day and Easter. If nothing else, it’d give fans more time to follow the advice of the late Bear Bryant in the South Central Bell commercial:
“Have you called your mama today? I sure wish I could call mine.”
2. Is Josh Berry Playing with House Money?
If you look at the results from Kansas Speedway, then you’d surmise that it was a solid day for Josh Berry. A closer look, however, reveals something more.
The No. 21 was one of the faster cars of the day, finishing fourth to end the second stage before hopes of a win were dashed by a pit-road speeding penalty. Not to be shaken, Berry rallied to finish sixth, proof that when it comes to intermediate tracks, the No. 21 has what it takes to challenge for a win.
Remember, Berry won earlier this year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and when you consider that the playoffs have multiple tracks of this style, the No. 21 could be in a prime position to make some noise, as long as it can clean a few things up on pit road.
The good part? Berry and company are playing with house money and can fine-tune things between now and the playoffs.
3. How Long Can Heim Time Wait?
Corey Heim rolled to a 13th-place finish at Kansas on Sunday (May 11) for 23XI Racing as a fourth entry for the multi-car operation. That exceeds the best finish all year long for one of the team’s full-time drivers, Riley Herbst.
So far, we have only seen Heim on one-off spots in the NASCAR Cup Series as Herbst is now full-time for 23XI Racing. Racing is an expensive sport, and clearly, Herbst’s financial backing makes the decision to put him in a seat an easy one, so this is not an argument of one driver against another for one seat.
It is, however, a sign of building urgency. How long can either 23XI or Toyota afford to have Heim in a holding pattern waiting for the right alignment? The NASCAR garage is chock-full of drivers in the present or past who got tired of waiting to and rather jumped at an opportunity to race elsewhere.
If someone on the Toyota side does not figure out something soon, Heim could join the likes of Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon by switching manufacturers.
4. Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott Are Bucking the Points System
If you long for the days of consistency, then what Bubba Wallace and Chase Elliott are doing this season is right in your wheelhouse.
Neither has won a race in NASCAR’s win-and-you’re-in landscape this year, but both find themselves in good shape points-wise, stuffing them away for a rainy day.
That’s a good thing for Wallace, who has been amid a rainstorm of late. Two races ago, he was seventh, his best start to a season points-wise. Now, following two crashes in a row, he is 10th. But as a result of a solid points start to the season, Wallace is avoiding hanging out near the cut line, somewhere he has been the past few years.
As for Elliott? His 29 laps led on Sunday at Kansas were the most by any driver not named Kyle Larson. Despite a pit-stop mishap that dropped him to 15th, Elliott’s season remains one of consistency, putting him fourth. More remarkably is that he is higher in points than four drivers with a win this season.
As we saw last year, the best way to position yourself for a title is to get into the playoffs early. Elliott’s running a season right now is intent on doing just that.
5. Was this the Turning Point for Brad Keselowski’s Season?
If the Hindenburg Award for Foul Fortune was still a thing (longtime readers of this site know what I am talking about), Keselowski would be a standing recipient given how his season has gone.
It seems that all phases of bad luck have found the No. 6 team this year, so much so that if Pedro Cerrano showed up right now, he’d suggest sacrificing a live chicken.
Keselowski and RFK Racing can run up front and win races. There is too much talent around the No. 6 car to forget how to do that.
This past Sunday was a strong testament to that. Despite being below 30th in points and likely needing a win for a playoff spot, Keselowski drove like he has run near the front all season. He found himself in second after the second stage before a crash ended his day for the third straight race.
There’s no way around it. Keselowski needs a win, and confidence from a good showing can build toward that. Sunday was a big step toward getting there.
Brad joined Frontstretch.com in 2020 and contributes to the site's 5 Points To Ponder column and other roles as needed. A graduate of the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication, he has covered sports in some capacity for more than 20 years with coverage including local high school sports, college athletics and minor league hockey. Brad has received multiple awards for his work from the Georgia Press Association.