Denny Hamlin (the black FedEx car) and David Stremme battle for the lead in front of a snarling pack during the 2008 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. Photo Credit: Curtis Palmer / Wikimedia Commons This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The last lap pass. It is what fans dream for. For drivers, it is either a moment of triumph, or a moment of devastation. At Talladega, the last lap pass is what’s expected.
Talladega Superspeedway has a history of producing thrilling finishes. Seven of the last 10 Sprint Cup Series races at this track have been decided on the last lap. Three of those were photo finishes, and the October 2010 finish had to go to a video review before declaring Clint Bowyer the winner. The margin of victory for the 2011 Aaron’s 499 finish was .002 seconds, which is tied for the closest finish in NASCAR history. Continue reading No Lead is Safe→
When a driver hits the wall at Darlington Raceway, they have earned their “Darlington Stripe”. Photo Credit: Matt Trudeau / Flickr This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is off to a competitive start as we have seen five different winners in the first five races. That trend could continue Sunday.
Jimmie Johnson loves Auto Club Raceway. It is close to home for the El Cajon, Calif. native, and he is a five-time winner at the track. He also has finished in the top-10 in nine of the last 10 races. By the way, seven of those top-10 finishes were top-three finishes. In addition, Johnson has led 716 laps in the last ten races at Auto Club Raceway, the most out of anyone. In other words, Johnson owns this track.
Bristol Motor Speedway has become synonymous with road rage. As former NASCAR champion, and current analyst on ESPN Dale Jarrett said, “Only one driver will leave Bristol happy.”
Every race seems to have conflict. Last year’s Food City 500 saw Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano scuffle after the race. Hamlin found himself again in the ring in the last race at Bristol.Hamlin triggered a multi-car pileup after his car shot up the track into Kevin Harvick. Hamlin said it was a cut tire that caused him to shoot up the track, but Harvick did not see it that way on the track. Harvick parked in front of Hamlin, exited his car, and stormed over to Hamlin’s car. NASCAR officials had to separate Harvick and the drivers’ pit crews.
Over the years, fans have seen hotheads like Harvick, and Tony Stewart lose their cool, but also drivers like Jimmie Johnson have been caught up in Bristol fever too. Even the female drivers succumb to Bristol fever, as Danica Patrick gave Regan Smith a finger wag in 2012. Now the question is who will lose their cool this year? Will an old rivalry be renewed, such as Kyle Busch vs. Brad Keselowski? Or will Kasey Kahne finally snap? Bristol fever is contagious, and you never know who it will take a hold of next.
NASCAR is back, and the season kicks off with the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway Saturday Night.
The Sprint Unlimited is an exhibition race that consists of drivers who won Coors Light Pole Awards during the 2013 Sprint Cup Series season, which means they were the fastest driver in the qualifying session, and former winners of this very race. Twenty drivers were eligible to participate, but only 18 will take to the track.
For the second year in a row, NASCAR is letting the fans help decide some of the rules for the race. Since this is an exhibition race, why not? Fans get to decide how the 75 laps and three segments are divided up, the method used to determining the starting lineup for the race, and how the field will line up to start the final segment. There are three options to choose from for each category. However, fans must have an account with NASCAR.com or must download the NASCAR Mobile App to be able to vote.
In my opinion, restrictor plate races are some of the most exciting events of the year. The plate bunches the field together and keeps the drivers in a pack that travels nearly 200 m.p.h. As a result, the plate levels the playing field, and big crashes are likely to occur. Every driver has a chance to win. Really, “it’s anyone’s race.”
Saturday’s race will feature the debut of the new look Stewart-Haas Motorsports, which perhaps is the most intriguing driver lineup in the Sprint Cup Series: Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Danica Patrick, and Tony Stewart. This will be Busch and Harvick’s first year with the team. In case you forgot, Busch and Stewart have a little history, including an altercation at Richmond in 2013. How will these two be able to work together?
Busch, Harvick, and Stewart are all former winners of this race. Harvick and Stewart have each won this race three times. By the way, Stewart is returning from a season-ending injury after he broke his right leg in a sprint car race at Southern Iowa Speedway on Aug. 5. Stewart is eager to get back on the track, and improve his impressive 4.8 average finish in the Sprint Unlimited.
Ryan Newman, a former Stewart-Haas Racing driver will make his debut with Richard Childress Racing. Newman will be the lone entry for Childress. Although Newman is more known for flipping upside down in the plate races, he is a previous winner of the Daytona 500. Maybe his luck will change with Childress. After all, Childress was in victory lane last year for this race with Harvick.
Another group to watch is Hendrick Motorsports. Their entries of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and defending Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson boast five wins in this race. Johnson was also the top plate racer last season, scoring two wins, and four top-five finishes in six races (this counts the two non-points races at Daytona).
Prediction: Jamie McMurray. He won the last plate race at Talladega in the fall, and he has four plate wins in his career. McMurray also had three consecutive top-three finishes in this race from 2009 to 2011. This time, he breaks through.
NASCAR made drastic changes to improve the level of excitement and intensity in the Sprint Cup Series’ season finale.
NASCAR’s playoff system, the Chase, became stale after Jimmie Johnson won six of the last ten Sprint Cup Series championships. Most of the time he has had commanding leads entering the final race of the season. NASCAR CEO Brian France decided it was time to change it up. Continue reading Opinion: Switch up the Chase Tracks→
The Pace Car 