1. Can the At-Track Experience Be Improved?
The irony was strong with last week’s announcement of the next NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
No, it has nothing to do with anything related to Ray Hendrick, Harry Gant, or Kurt Busch.
But on the week of one of the sport’s crown jewel events at nearby Charlotte Motor Speedway, Humpy Wheeler was named as the upcoming Landmark Award recipient.
To say that Wheeler is worthy of this honor is an understatement. For it was Wheeler who hammered home the approach that when fans show up for a race, they are there for far more than that, that there’s far more to a day at the races than what happens from the green flag to the checkered flag.
Contrast that to what current NASCAR weekends look like. Understandably, track activities had to be altered during the return to racing coming out of COVID-19. But even now, qualifying is wedged in for the NASCAR Cup Series during what usually ends up being a two-day weekend. Multiple practice sessions have also gone by the wayside. Last weekend at Charlotte, the only time drivers got on track outside of the Coca-Cola 600 was for one hour of practice and a qualifying session.
It’s not hard to see the irony of that in a time where a promoter extraordinaire like Wheeler was honored. Promoters like Wheeler and his Speedway Motorsports lieutenants — such as Ed Clark, Jeff Byrd and Eddie Gossage — galvanized that mentality as well.
For some fans, being at the track for just a practice and qualifying day could be the entryway to being a lifelong fan.
One of my favorite racing stories was from the summer of 1991, when my dad took me and my brother to a practice day before the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. The first order of business was going to the catchfence to “see how fast these cars are.”
Needless to say, it helped start a love affair for me with racing, and that continues today. And at least one other person has fond memories of a time when race weekends were more built out.
Things like a full day of practice and qualifying night build race weekends out, and it’s a prime way to build on the weekend and connect with fans. Would a pole night on Friday add a day to the weekend? Yes. But adding in driver appearances would make the Saturday leading into a Sunday race less hectic.
There was a time when a race weekend was more than a race, and the sport should arc back toward that.
2. Hot Dog Lesson: There’s a Time to Be Not-So Serious
There were probably two chief reactions to Friday’s Wienie 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Hilarity.
Or accusations of blasphemy.
Yes, on the hallowed grounds of the world-famous track in Speedway, Ind., there was, with a video stream on the internet, a race contested among Oscar Mayer Wiener Mobiles.
Was it outrageously nonsensical? Yes. But was it entertaining? Also yes.
It also prompted reactions from those who likely don’t talk much about racing. So, if you are being talked about for reasons that have nothing to do with a PR firestorm, isn’t that a big win?
There’s a time to let your guard down and not take yourself too seriously, and the Wienie 500 was one of those times.
Hot dog!
3. Bubba Wallace’s Cushion? It’s Dwindling
It seems like just a few weeks ago that the cushion built up by Bubba Wallace was pointed out. However, that margin has been chipped away as the No. 23 finds itself 12th in points after failing to finish three races in a row. All of a sudden, a driver previously with a record of finishing races for the most part is on the opposite side, though it should be noted that not all of those three were of Wallace’s doing.
While not precarious, being 12th in the standings teeters toward the bubble, a place no driver wants to be heading into the summer. Wallace does not necessarily need a win, but the No. 23 could badly use a strong and respectable run this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. When you consider that intermediate tracks have generally been good to 23XI Racing, then the expectation should be for Wallace and his counterparts to run well.
Wallace is in a recent slide and needs a quiet and solid race to stop the bleeding. Nashville could be just the right opportunity.
4. It’s Good to Be AJ Allmendinger Right Now
Between now and the end of the regular season, the Cup Series will race three times on road courses.
Few drivers are likely more excited about that than AJ Allmendinger, who has won three road course races in NASCAR’s top division.
Yes, Allmendinger has reasons for high hopes going toward tracks that he should run well at and, in turn, have a good chance to win his way into the postseason.
But it goes beyond that. Throughout the late afternoon and into the night of Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, Allmendinger was a factor near the front, showing that a fifth-place qualifying effort was no fluke as he finished fourth.
But it goes beyond that. Going back to Allmendinger’s last race of 2024 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, four of his past top-10 finishes have come not a road courses, but intermediate tracks.
The No. 16 team has shown that it can more than hold its own outside of road courses, and that’s welcome news going into a span that begins this weekend at yet another intermediate track in Nashville.
When you combine that with Allmendinger’s road-course acumen, it makes him a driver to watch this summer in pursuit of a postseason spot.
5. No-Pressure Approach Serving Justin Allgaier Well
If you’re looking for a driver and team that’s racing like the pressure is off, train your eyes no further than the NASCAR Xfinity Series reigning champion Justin Allgaier.
If there is any belief that winning a title takes a 300-pound weight off one’s back, Allgaier is a prime example. Despite a handful of self-inflicted mishaps by the No. 7 team this season, Allgaier has more or less been the class of the series. How good has the No. 7 been? Consider the fact that he leads in top-five finishes and points, is tied for the most top 10s, and is second in playoff points earned.
In past seasons, it was easy to sit back and say something to the effect of ‘this is nice, but can this team win when it counts?’
That step is out of the way thanks to last year, and now, with two wins in hand, Allgaier and his team have the luxury of knowing what to do when it’s time to go for a title; their recent week-to-week outings show that.
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.