On this week’s episode of Frontstretch Happy Hour, hosts Trey Lyle, Michael Massie and Dalton Hopkins are joined by NASCAR Xfinity Series driver of the No. 71 DGM Racing Chevrolet Ryan Ellis.
Ellis joins to discuss his season so far ahead of this weekend’s Xfinity travel south of the border to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the series’ first international race in over a decade. The four talk about the headaches of travel each team has had to go through and how it can be improved for next year. That is, if there is a next year.
Additionally, the group reacts to Denny Hamlin announcing he will not travel to Mexico while he is still on baby watch. NASCAR has reportedly stated that they will grant the NASCAR Cup Series star a playoff waiver if this is the case. What does this mean for both Hamlin and his potential fill-in driver Ryan Truex?
Finally, the quartet reacts to the entertaining Michigan International Speedway race of this past weekend and join Ellis in longing for the Xfinity Series return there.
Watch the whole show below or listen to the audio version wherever you get your podcasts.
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
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.
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.