While everyone talks about “Game Seven Moments” in stick-and-ball sports, sometimes the most exciting are the Game Six elimination moments. One team has the advantage but wants to finish off their opponent, while the other team is in that win-or-else mode. This weekend at ISM Raceway in Phoenix, we will see that win-or-else mode play …
Everything is bigger in Texas, and nobody finds more ways to entertain NASCAR fans than Eddie Gossage at Texas Motor Speedway. In the NFL, they talk about coaches being from either the Bill Belichick or the Sean McVay coaching trees. In racetrack promotion, they talk about the Humpy Wheeler promotion tree. Mr. Gossage has been …
The NASCAR playoffs are heating up this weekend. The first cut from 16 to 12 drivers sometimes eliminates a true contender, but usually it just erases the championship pretenders. But this week, after the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, we will see some of the top teams end their title hopes. The …
Why did they build full-sized seats at Talladega Superspeedway? Nobody uses more than the edge of their seat all day. This is not a race – this is an experience. Many years ago, I had the pleasure of hosting a VIP experience for fans in the infield at Talladega. I am not sure I saw …
This weekend’s race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL separates the old-school fans from the newer NASCAR fans quicker than anything else does in the sport. Most of the old-school fans like me look at the ROVAL as a gimmick. I have no problem with including a road course in the NASCAR playoffs, but this …
Richmond Raceway is one of my all-time favorite tracks on the NASCAR circuit, but they need to officially drop one of their nicknames. Its original nickname of “Strawberry Hill” is fine, even if I don’t automatically think of Richmond, Virginia, when I think of strawberries. “America’s Premier Short Track” is fine too, although I know …
Do the NASCAR playoffs do anything for you? Maybe I am too old-fashioned, but having a one-race, winner-take-all race just doesn’t do it for me. The concept to have more “Game 7 moments” in the sport was to generate more interest. But television ratings are only big for big races, not for the playoffs. It …
In NASCAR racing, there is always this tendency to repeat mistakes. There was a time when night races were rare and very popular. Now, we have so many night races, the originals aren’t special any more. Darlington Raceway came up with a unique and clever idea with the Throwback Weekend. Now, people are saying there …
Nothing beats the anticipation of the beginning of the season and the thrill of the Great American Race — the Daytona 500. We waited all winter for it, and it’s a sign that spring is on the way when NASCAR returns. But a close second to the excitement of the Daytona 500 is the anticipation …
Is anyone else going to enjoy a weekend off from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing? Me neither, I was only checking on you. Real NASCAR fans would love to see 52 weeks of NASCAR Cup racing. But the competitors do need a break, and maybe the reality is that a little less NASCAR racing …
It’s Bristol, Baby! Those three words used to get everyone fired up back in the day when 160,000 wedged their way into their skinny seats for a night of crazy drama. They call this place “The Last Great Colosseum,” and it really felt like this must be what it is like to be at the …
Did you miss me? If the answer is no, how dare you! Back from my one-week sabbatical, I return with some possibly controversial opinions. The great thing about auto racing fans is that you can seldom get 20 of us to agree on anything, including whether the weather was awesome at the track. But one …
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