Let The Engines Roar: by Anthony Baker

     For years, well even since it first became a thing NASCAR has always had some interesting officiating. This has happened ever since it became a thing. The problem now is that the “grey area” in the rule book is being exposed to full effect due to the circumstances that come about during a race. Also the issue seem to happen faster than a rash.         The issue I would like to go over is the spins or crashes under a green white checkered and what deserves a caution and what doesn’t. If it’s a single car spin or so NASCAR will give the vehicles a chance to continue, but the problem is how long will they give them before the caution must be thrown. This issue came under the magnifying glass on Sunday at the Brickyard 400 with Ryan Preece crashing down the back straight with 2 to go. He tried to get back going but the tires were flat and he had no fuel pressure and stopped well before the leaders took the white but the caution wasn’t thrown until the...

     What’s becoming a question that gets asked almost every day, one would have to start wondering what would happen if the 38 race cup series schedule could feature 38 different tracks.  In the past few seasons NASCAR has quickly transitioned from a sport that mainly runs on ovals to many different road courses and venues that aren’t the traditional oval.      With a lot of different tracks interested in hosting a NASCAR race, I think now is a great time to expand on the different tracks that we go to as well as returning to tracks of old. That were once on the schedule. There’s been recent additions of tracks such as WWT raceway and Nashville, as well as returning to tracks of old such as North Wilksboro speedway and the brickyard layout of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  The current schedule has tracks of different shapes and sizes and it could get even crazier as the announcement of the 2025 schedule draws closer.      Now there ...

Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK      When you look at potential favorites to win the championship one would probably guess Kyle Larson or Denny Hamlin off the top of their head. Maybe even Chase Elliot, or even Tyler Reddick. There is one guy who I think is a big threat if they can just have luck go their way. That guy is Christopher Bell.      For much of this year so fat Bell has either finished towards the front, or bad luck finds his way and he’s finishing at the back. He currently has 3 wins and 6 top 5 finishes but he also has 5 dnfs. He has an average starting spot of 10th with an average finishing spot of 16th.          The numbers don’t jump out but that doesn’t tell the full story. This last month alone there were 3 separate races that Bell looked destined to win, rather on ice or strategy but something took him out of contention each time. Bell dominated WWT raceway and looked to be able to win the race...

Me in the fan zone area outside of the entrance         In a refreshing new series that I’m starting up, I decided to write about my experience at different NASCAR events that I attend over time. This race weekend at Nashville was the first race that I’ve attended outside of my home state and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I must say I had a time this past Sunday and now it’s time to share my experience with everyone.      For starters I took a Rally Bus from Nashville to the tracks location in Lebanon Tennessee which was about a 45 minute drive, but as soon as I got on the bus I could already feel the atmosphere as the bus was packed with fans ready for action. Nothing screams NASCAR like taking a seat and being offered a beer almost immediately, before one could get comfortable. I also shared the bus with a large group of people that came all the way from Canada to see their first NASCAR race in person so that was a cool experience teaching them t...

      Over the years, there has been talk about expanding the fan demographic, racing in new places, along with trying to keep the core NASCAR fanbase together. It’s a tough task but one shining star is how the Midwest shows up to the racetrack.        For years the Midwest in my opinion has a fanbase that has been largely overlooked for the southeast, and the west, but now with the recent additions of WWT Raceway, Chicago street, Nashville Superspeedway, and now Iowa speedway the Midwest is now largely apart of the summer months of NASCAR. Sellouts and near sellouts have become the norm for these tracks every year ever since they were added to the Cup series schedule and I think that shows how much the Midwest region loves to watch NASCAR. The fan zones have been rocking and the stands have been packed as for many, finally having NASCAR at their track is a dream come true.        The Midwest is like the screw that holds everything ...

    We saw what many call an average NASCAR race end in a shocking turn of events. We saw the racing grove get wider than I can ever recall seeing it. We also didn’t have as many brake and tire issues as the race in 2023, but if you ask me the fan experience is what stole the show.      WWT Raceway is a track that amplifies how important fan experience and marketing is to a race track and also showcases that it’s more than just the race itself.  Multiple entertainment lineups across the whole weekend with a whole fan experience taking up the outside of the grandstands shows what happens when a race track goes to great lengths to please their fans on race day. More games, free bbq and free samples of things such as Monster Energy, free Pit Boss sauces and spices, and even some Rebel bourbon. There were cooling bus stations all around the track for fans to cool off if they got too hot and free WiFi all around the facility as well. TV doesn’t show these things...

    Christopher Bell celebrates as he wins the rain shortened  Coke 600 on May 26, 2024 (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)  ASSOCIATED PRESS         What was supposed to be the perfect way to end off a weekend of amazing Motorsport spectacles, ended with enraged or confused NASCAR fans wanting straightforward answers. What was supposed to have been the longest race of the NASCAR season turned into a rain shortened event, and the biggest story of the weekend and the month of May all together with Kyle Larson running the double really ended up with Kyle Larson running only a single race and it wasn’t the NASCAR race, and that also has led to controversy in the industry. Let’s jump into it.      For starters this car once again showed that it excels on the 1.5 mile tracks and that is something that probably won’t change for some time. The racetrack itself is also starting to age and add character with its hot and slick surface that kept drivers on...