1. Saturday will mark the only Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway in 2025. Out of the tracks that currently have two dates, which one should also go down to one race weekend?
Mike Neff: In all honesty, who shouldn’t go down to one date? The vast array of race tracks in this country that would put on a NASCAR Cup race is impressive. Drop a race from Daytona, Talladega, Atlanta, Bristol, Martinsville, Phoenix, Charlotte, Vegas, Darlington and Kansas. That is 10 races, where might we go instead? Thanks for asking. Chicagoland and Kentucky are ready right now. That leaves eight slots to fill. Fans want more short tracks, assuming we can fix the racecar. There are iconic tracks that can pay homage to the roots of racing. The series could run Hickory, South Boston, Lucas Oil Raceway Park, Stafford, Thompson, Five Flags, Evergreen and Berlin. Don’t forget the success of dirt racing. They could run Springfield, DuQuoin, Knoxville, Volusia and Lucas Oil. The schedule would reach more fans in areas that haven’t seen Cup racing in ages.
Christopher Hansen: I have Bristol Motor Speedway at the top of my list for tracks that should go down to one race a season. The spring race date at Bristol is not what it used to be with poor attendance numbers and rough weather at times. With the Next Gen car’s continued struggles with the short track package, there should be one race for Bristol, which is the night race. The atmosphere inside the Last Great Colosseum under the lights is one of the best experiences a NASCAR fan could ever have. Over the years, the Bristol night race has provided many memorable moments like Dale Earnhardt versus Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon’s bump-and-run on Rusty Wallace to win in 2002, and Tony Stewart’s helmet toss to Matt Kenseth’s hood in 2012, to name a few.
Andrew Stoddard: I’m going with Bristol. The spring race at the Tennessee short track has been much maligned over the past 5-10 years. The facility experimented with dirt racing for three seasons from 2021-2023 before returning to the concrete configuration in 2024. Regardless of racing surface, the spring Bristol race has featured big patches of empty grandstands where there should be fans. Furthermore, taking away the spring Bristol race could add to the prestige of the Bristol night race in the late summer/early fall, nearly on par with the crown jewels of the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500.
Mark Kristl: Bristol desperately needs to drop its spring date. NASCAR tried making it a dirt track for its spring date. It didn’t work. Last year, there were Goodyear tire issues; this year’s spring attendance didn’t return in droves. As for where it should go, move it to North Wilkesboro Speedway and then take the All-Star Race somewhere else. Could we take the All-Star Race to Five Flags Speedway, a premier short track for super late model racing? Regardless, drop spring Bristol for North Wilkesboro.
2. Who has a worse reputation among his competitors: Austin Hill or Carson Hocevar?
Stoddard: It is close, but I’m giving the nod to Austin Hill on this one. Carson Hocevar has made more than his fair share of enemies in the Cup Series this season. However, Hill’s actions have been more egregious, whether it be the right-rear hook of Aric Almirola at the very high-speed Indianapolis Motor Speedway a few weeks ago or punching Myatt Snider at Martinsville Speedway on 2022. Hill’s run-ins in the Xfinity Series also come with a side of hypocrisy. After the spring Martinsville race earlier this year, the NXS drivers had a meeting at Darlington Raceway the following weekend, during which Hill spoke about being a leader and setting an example in the NXS garage. Well, Hill has yet to back up those words with his actions, and that is what gives him a worse reputation than Hocevar.
Kristl: Hocevar has a worse reputation because he has driven that way through his ascension up the ranks. Whether it was multiple moments in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career, ruffling feathers this year, etc., Hocevar has a dirtier reputation. But Hill should not be far behind, because he seems to lack remorse for his actions.
Hansen: Austin Hill. In his last two starts, Hill was involved in a controversial crash involving Almirola at Indianapolis, missed the next race at Iowa, then proceeded to aggressively race Michael McDowell for position at Watkins Glen, setting off a massive accident collecting 16 cars. Carson Hocevar has made his fair share of enemies throughout the course of his NASCAR career, but Hill is tops among the duo when looking at what he’s dealt with in his last two Xfinity Series starts.
Neff: It is an interesting question, but it is probably Hill. Hocevar causes some wrecks, but most of the time it is because he is racing hard and trying to win. Hill’s transgressions are more out of a lack of control of his emotions. He finds himself in situations where he feels he was wronged, and he uses his car as a weapon. It is one thing to stick your nose into a spot that puts yourself and other drivers in danger of wrecking. It is completely different when a driver gets mad and intentionally wrecks people. That is where several of Hill’s problems have fallen, and that is why he has the worse reputation.
3. How will Connor Zilisch’s collarbone injury shake up the Xfinity Series playoff battle?
Kristl: It’ll take him out of contention for the regular season championship, but that should be it. Connor Zilisch has the most playoff points in the field, so if he runs OK in the Round of 12 races, he will advance to the Round of 8.
Neff: Zilisch’s injury doesn’t change much. Justin Allgaier and Hill are the next two best drivers in the series this season. Hill’s situation is already set, and it will be up to him to rebound once he hits the playoffs. Allgaier is always a title threat, and this is another year where that is still the case. Sam Mayer and Jesse Love are also championship threats. Either of them could get hot and make a deep run. That said, Zilisch is still the favorite until he has problems in the playoffs.
Hansen: A broken collarbone takes six to 12 weeks to fully recover, according to the Mayo Clinic. This would be right in the thick of the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs, and it could be a tough time for Zilisch behind the wheel while trying to recover from that scary fall in victory lane at Watkins Glen International. If the injury is still causing Zilisch any sort of pain inside the car, the 19-year-old rookie may end up needing a substitute driver in case he’s not able to compete at 100% because of the injury. His JR Motorsports teammate Allgaier seems poised to be in the driver’s seat when the playoffs begin if Zilisch is not able to race at full health.
Stoddard: It’s going to be hard to tell until we get a more specific timetable for Zilisch’s return. If Zilisch gets back in the No. 88 Chevrolet in time for the playoff opener, then it’s possible the young phenom won’t skip a beat. I mean, he’s already bounced back from an injury once this season, looking absolutely dominant since his one-race haitus for a back injury sustained at Talladega Superspeedway. On the other hand, a broken collarbone is a much significant injury, especially with how much the drivers work their shoulders turning the steering wheel repeatedly. I could see Zilisch continuing to be a championship contender, but he likely won’t be nearly as dominant as recent weeks.
4. How far will Kaden Honeycutt go in the Truck Series playoffs with the No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing team?
Hansen: Kaden Honeycutt has a great opportunity to make a deep playoff run driving the No. 52 Halmar Friesen truck for the remainder of the season. Honeycutt had put together a solid rookie season driving for Niece Motorsports, scoring a best finish of third at both Charlotte and Pocono. If he can continue putting solid finishes together throughout the playoffs like he’s been doing throughout the regular season, Honeycutt may have a legitimate chance to reach this year’s Championship 4 if he continues to run up front consistently through the remainder of the season.
Neff: Honeycutt has had some good runs this year and the No. 52 team has a win this year, but neither has been a championship threat in the past. The best title finish for Friesen is fourth, and that was 2019, the one year he won two races. Honeycutt might make the final eight for the team, but you can’t reasonably think anything more than that.
Kristl: Put him down for the Round of 8 but unable to advance to the Championship 4. Honeycutt lacks any playoff points, so not only does he have an uphill battle there, but he also has not shown the results capable of making it to the Championship 4. Honeycutt will make it past the Round of 10, but that will be it — which, to be fair, is an accomplishment given his late-season team switch.
Stoddard: The No. 52 team and its new driver will both make early exits from the Truck Series playoffs. Honeycutt has a lot of potential to win races and work his way through the ranks, but switching teams and manufacturers right before the playoffs is going to be steep learning curve for him. Also, if you take away Stewart Friesen’s win at Michigan International Speedway, the No. 52 HFR team would not be in the owner’s playoffs; in fact, they’re only 14th in the owner’s points. Honeycutt has only two career top-10 finishes at the Truck Series’ Round of 10 tracks. It would be a feel-good story for the 22-year-old Texan and the underdog HFR team to make a deep playoff run, but I have a hard time seeing it.
Mark Kristl joined Frontstretch at the beginning of the 2019 NASCAR season. He is the site's ARCA Menards Series editor. Kristl is also an Eagle Scout and a proud University of Dayton alum.
What is it that Mike Neff doesn’t do? Mike announces several shows each year for the Good Guys Rod and Custom Association. He also pops up everywhere from PRN Pit Reporters and the Press Box with Alan Smothers to SIRIUS XM Radio. He has announced at tracks all over the Southeast, starting at Millbridge Speedway. He's also announced at East Lincoln Speedway, Concord Speedway, Tri-County Speedway, Caraway Speedway, and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Andrew Stoddard joined Frontstretch in May of 2022 as an iRacing contributor. He is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, the University of Richmond, and VCU. He works as an athletic communications specialist at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va.