Holding A Pretty Wheel

These last few weeks and months must have seemed like an eternity to Tony Stewart, a man whose life has been heretofore defined in fractions of seconds. They certainly seemed as so to his fans, who have been awaiting Stewart’s return since the three-time Sprint Cup champion was sidelined by …

Nothing is perfect.  That’s true of life as well as racing.  2016 has been a very solid NASCAR season so far; the racing is as good as it’s been in 15 or 20 years, particularly on the intermediate tracks.  There’s stability for teams to grow into the future.  Optimism flourishes. …

Between the photo finishes decided by mere inches and the fierce competition for position throughout Sprint Cup races this year, the faces at the front have been more or less constant.  At the end of the day, there’s Jimmie Johnson’s smiling face in Victory Lane, or someone from a team …

“Hey, Stan, did you see the race yesterday?” That’s the question tossed casually around at water coolers on Mondays. It can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” perhaps followed by some banter about this driver or that one.  Casual fans and diehards alike can commune for a few …

Things are looking up in NASCAR Sprint Cup’s 2016 season.  The racing is better than it has been in years so far (will that change as more teams figure out the new aero package?  There’s every reason to believe it will stay competitive).  TV ratings were higher for the third …

While there have been rumblings in the past that NASCAR probation is not a hefty enough punishment for some of the infractions for which it’s been assigned, it might not be a good idea to test whether it has teeth with a second violation a week later. Furniture Row Racing, …

There have been a lot of incredible things in NASCAR’s nearly 70-year history: close finishes, wild crashes, big tracks, small tracks (and a round one), pretty cars, ugly cars, pretty drivers, not-so-pretty drivers.  There have been hundreds of drivers running in hundreds of races over the years.  Most have their …

It might seem like just yesterday that the checkered flag came out at Homestead, but another NASCAR season is already gearing up this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, where Daytona 500 practice starts Saturday and 25 teams take the track Saturday night for the pre-season Sprint Unlimited. It’s certainly been …

As the 2016 season rolls closer and some form of franchising (NASCAR calls it a charter system, but it’s essentially franchising) seems inevitable, the sport will only get more competitive.  The elite teams will still be the elite, but things will really heat up in the middle of the field.  …

Not much is for certain in racing but here’s one thing that is: At the end of the weekend, NASCAR will crown a champion at its highest level. The four drivers still standing consist of the aging hero on his way into the sunset, the reigning champ and resident bad …