Special Commentary: Cup
Pocono Win Has Yet to Sink in for Chris Buescher
Four days following Chris Buescher‘s rain-shortened victory at Pocono Raceway, he took to the twist and turns of Watkins Glen International for the first laps since his triumph on Monday. Leading 12 laps at Pocono, the only laps the No. 34 car has been out front this season, Buescher upset a lot of teams chances of …
Photo Finish in Phoenix Conserves NASCAR’s Early Season Momentum
For the second time in four races, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series set a record for the closest finish at a track. This time, Kevin Harvick outlasted Carl Edwards at Phoenix International Raceway by the same .010-second gap that separated Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex, Jr. in the season-opening Daytona 500. If you listened closely, …
Full Throttle: New Rules Painting NASCAR into a Tight Corner
Friday, at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR distributed rulebook changes designed to specifically categorize personal conduct violations. The intent would seem to be curbing any activities that might shine a disparaging light on the sport. While it is a noble concept in theory, providing little change in NASCAR’s philosophy its unintended consequences could cause a negative impact long-term. …
Full Throttle: Time to Change How NASCAR Does Plate Racing
To say the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is going through a change heading into 2016 is an understatement. The charter system, reduced field size, the overtime line and the low downforce package are all creating quite a bit of upheaval heading into the year. But one thing that hasn’t changed for the last four years …
Context, Consistency & Dangerous Precedents
Context can be a dangerous word but it is a word that is quintessentially appropriate to the asinine punishment meted out to Matt Kenseth by the powers that be. From all points across the NASCAR diaspora, the instantaneous reaction to Kenseth’s punishment after his wreck with Joey Logano last weekend was one of shock and …
With Clint Bowyer Penalty, NASCAR Sets a Precedent
The hope Clint Bowyer and Michael Waltrip Racing had any hopes of advancing past the Contender Round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup took a significant shot on Wednesday when the team lost its appeal of penalties for an illegal suspension piece confiscated at Chicagoland Speedway. MWR had the option of making a final …
Tony Stewart’s Retirement is Reality… But It’s Not All Bad
Wednesday afternoon brought the announcement many expected would happen a lot sooner than it did. Tony Stewart confirmed the news every major media outlet had been reporting since last weekend: he’s retiring from full-time Sprint Cup competition at the end of the 2016 season. Is anyone really surprised? Sure, it’s disappointing to see yet another …
Will Jimmie Johnson Return to Form?
I think I have said this every year and will probably continue to say this ever year thereafter, but I am always amazed at how fast the season goes. The Daytona 500 simultaneously feels like years ago and days ago. I remember the race clearly and recall already thinking about the Chase and how different …
NASCAR’s Need to Play It Safer
During practice for May’s Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, James Hinchcliffe was involved in a vicious accident. Losing liters of blood, Hinchcliffe was saved only by the stellar Halmatro Safety Crew that the Verizon IndyCar Series employs. Three months later, in NASCAR’s annual return to the same track, NASCAR Xfinity Series Blake Koch was …
Austin Dillon Crash Aftermath a True Display of NASCAR Camaraderie
We’re going to cut to the chase right here. The ride that Austin Dillon took into the catchfence early Monday morning at Daytona International Speedway was one of the scariest-looking crashes I’ve seen in over 25 years of either watching or being involved with the sport. There were few, if any people at the track …
Hope for Michael Waltrip Racing
It’s been a difficult couple years for Michael Waltrip Racing. At the end of the Sept. 7 Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway in 2013, the team seemed to be in the best position in its then-seven-year existence. Clint Bowyer was incredibly consistent, making the Chase for the second-straight year and appearing to be …