Race Weekend Central

Beside the Rising Tide: 2 Out of 3 Ain’t Bad

2018 Dover Nascar Xfinity Series Brandon Jones Green Flag Photo Credit Nascar Via Getty Images

(Photo: NASCAR via Getty Images)

For the first time in two months, NASCAR hosted a triple-header with all three of their top touring series staging races at the same track this weekend at Dover. The results? With all due apologies to Marvin Lee Aday (perhaps better known as Meatloaf), “two out of three ain’t bad.” In interest of full disclosure, …

Read more

Beside the Rising Tide: Who’s Zooming Who?

2017 Arca Justin Fontaine Am Racing

(Photo: AM Racing)

Most of us were caught off guard Friday by the news NASCAR had acquired the ARCA racing series. At first glance, the merger of the two series seems ill-considered, with at least one NASCAR team owner (Rob Kauffman) even hinting he felt the RTA should investigate if the move gives NASCAR a monopoly in stock …

Read more

Beside the Rising Tide: Indianapolis Groans & the Raiders of the Lost Ticket Sales

2011 Nascar Sprint Cup Series, Indianapolis Nigel Kinrade Autostock

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade: Autostock)

If the Brickyard 400 isn’t on life support, it’s not at the top of many race fans’ bucket lists anymore either. For decades, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted only one race a year, but it was the granddaddy of them all, the Indy 500. The NASCAR race at the Brickyard was born of a disastrous …

Read more

Beside the Rising Tide: Bread and Circuses

2017 Charlotte All Star Cup Kyle Busch Trophy Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade/NKP)

In a move that should have surprised absolutely nobody with a pulse, NASCAR announced yet another new rules format for the upcoming All-Star non-points race at Charlotte next month. I have checked the rules carefully (with that laser-like focus on detail I have been noted for my entire writing career…ahem), and I can say with …

Read more

Beside the Rising Tide: Inventive Incentive

2018 Las Vegas I Cup Ryan Blaney Pack Racing Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / NKP)

Despite NASCAR’s off week last weekend, many fairly significant stories broke during what’s normally a quiet time in the sport. Completely unexpectedly, NASCAR released the 2019 Cup schedule. Typically, that schedule isn’t released until late summer/early fall at the earliest, but for whatever reason, this year (at the request of the somewhat coy series title sponsor?) …

Read more

Besides The Rising Tide: 25 Years Later, Alan Kulwicki Remembered

Alan Kulwicki 1

Editor’s Note: Sunday (April 1) marked 25 years since Alan Kulwicki, the 1992 Winston Cup champion died in a plane crash en route to Bristol, Tenn. Matt McLaughlin remembers the life of this owner/driver and 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee with this look back at his life and career. Though it was not all …

Read more

Beside the Rising Tide: It’s Snow Fun

Nascar Camping World Truck Series

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

I’m not going to blame NASCAR for making it snow this weekend in Southern Virginia. The sanctioning body can only respond to the weather, not control it, and how to respond to bad weather with a worsening forecast is one of those “damned if you do” and “damned if you don’t” situations. There’s no changing …

Read more

Beside the Rising Tide: March Mindlessness

2016 Darlington Cup Zach Catanzareti

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

It’s not the sort of racing that originally attracted me to motorsports, but every year I am engaged in a race of my own. It’s a race to see how long a season that started with high hopes (moderate hopes? Bemused acceptance?) gets to the point I wish that I’d at least interviewed for that …

Read more

Beside the Rising Tide: The Citizens’ Inspection Corps

Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Ticketguardian 500 Ism Raceway, Phoenix, Az Usa Sunday 11 March 2018 William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro Axalta And Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Ford Fusion Devilbiss World Copyright: Russell Labounty Nkp

(Photo: Russell LaBounty/NKP)

Like it or not (and I decidedly do not), the expectation of privacy outside of one’s home is about as reasonable and up-to-date as the Women’s Temperance League. When you leave your home, from the moment you leave your driveway and trigger a speeding-camera, through the time you park your car and go about your …

Read more

Beside the Rising Tide: For Want of a Hot Dog

2016 Martinsville I Cup Overhead View Nigel Kinrade Nkp

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP)

While I’m still knocking off the last of the rust and cobwebs after a long offseason, I’m slowly but surely I’m readjusting to the old grind. Part of the job involves a great many press releases that use a whole lot of words to say very little. I have to dig through bushels of chaff …

Read more

Beside the Rising Tide: First Among Equals

2018 Atlanta Zach Catanzareti Kevin Harvick Cup

(Photo: Zach Catanzareti)

In what has to be considered at least a minor miracle, not only did NASCAR get Sunday’s Cup race in, it managed to sneak the entire event in at its scheduled length. That despite a weather forecast so dire that the animals at the Atlanta Zoo had begun lining up in pairs expecting the arrival …

Read more

Beside the Rising Tide: That’s Just The Way it Is

2017 Daytona I Nxs Sunset Barry Cantrell Nkp

(Photo: Barry Cantrell/NKP)

That’s just the way it is Some things will never change That’s just the way it is Ah, but don’t you believe them –Bruce Hornsby Just some ramblings, inconsequential and otherwise, in the wake of Sunday’s Daytona 500: It’s Just the Way It Is Some things in life just have to be endured because it …

Read more