On this week’s episode of Frontstretch Happy Hour, hosts Bryan Nolen, Michael Massie, Dalton Hopkins and Chris Graham discuss what the future of NASCAR Cup Series racing in the Chicago area should look like.
Chicagoland Speedway put on great racing in front of a sold-out crowd on Sunday (July 5), but there are rumors the Chicago street course could return. Which one should NASCAR go to in 2027? Could the schedule handle both? The hosts also pitch where they think NASCAR’s July 4 weekend should take place.
When NASCAR’s penalty report came out on Tuesday, two names were noticeably not on it: Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Hill. The quartet get into whether the two drivers should’ve been penalized after a few incidents in Sunday’s race and analyze NASCAR’s reckless driving penalties as a whole.
The NTT IndyCar Series’ television ratings for Road America were even with Cup’s at Sonoma Raceway two weekends ago, with both coming it at around 1.8 million viewers. The gang weighs in on if IndyCar is catching up to NASCAR in popularity.
Finally, the guys take a look at how terrible their NASCAR In-Season Challenge bracket is doing and predict who will win each matchup this coming Sunday at EchoPark Speedway.
Watch the whole show above, on YouTube or listen to the audio version on Apple, Spotify or 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
Chris Graham is a motorsports producer, director, and broadcast engineer based in the Philadelphia-area. Through his work with NRN Productions, he’s helped build and execute live race coverage and sports streaming workflows ranging from lean, two-to-three person crews to full broadcast-style productions. Chris has worked across nearly every position in the truck—producing, directing, technical directing, replay, graphics, camera operation, and engineering—and has supported events and partners including FloSports, the ASA STARS National Tour, and Diamond State Digital. He’s also involved in developing live show formats and digital coverage that bring fans closer to the stories behind the racing. He is currently also the producer for the Frontstretch podcast Happy Hour.
Thanks for choosing to comment on this article. A name and email address are required to post a comment. The email address is not publicly visible or shared. Please keep in mind that comments are moderated according to our comment policy.