On this week’s episode of Frontstretch Happy Hour, hosts Bryan Nolen, Michael Massie and Dalton Hopkins are joined NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning Crew Chief Jeff Hammond.
The four guys discuss the pros and cons of the 2026 Cup schedule, which was leaked by The Athletic on Tuesday (Aug. 19). They get into RFK Racing’s dilemma for this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, where at most, only one of the team’s three cars will get into the playoffs after all three had consistent seasons.
ThorSport Racing announced on Monday (Aug. 18) that three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Matt Crafton will retire from full-time competition at the end of the season. The quartet reflect on Crafton’s long career and debate whether or not he will get into the NASCAR Hall of Fame someday.
Finally, the gang talks tires after Saturday’s (Aug. 16) race at Richmond Raceway proved to be a thriller thanks to excessive tire wear.
Watch the whole show or listen to the audio version wherever you get your podcasts.
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.
Bryan Nolen is the Operations Manager and Multimedia Director for Frontstretch.com. He also hosts the Bringing the Heat with Bryan Nolen Podcast and occasionally makes appearances on The Happy Hour Podcast. He has a Sportscasting degree from the Dan Patrick School of Sportscasting. He resides in Boise, Idaho, with his wife, his French Bulldog Archer and two rabbits.
Follow him on Twitter @TheBryanNolen
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