Frank Velat 
Top of The Class Michael McDowell was easily the fastest dog in the west this week. His No. 34 Front Row Racing Ford was quick from the get go and backed it up on race day, starting and finishing in 15th. McDowell was once known primarily for the violent head-on collision and subsequent barrel roll …
Top of The Class Ty Dillon is back at the head of the underdog table this week. The number 13 turned out to be plenty lucky for Dillon, as his No. 13 Chevrolet finished in the 13th position in Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday (March 24). For the Germain Racing driver, the …
After the debacle last Friday when no one posted a speed in the final round of qualifying, should NASCAR change the format? If so, how? Bryan Gable: I’ve been okay with group qualifying up until now, but what we saw on Friday is not acceptable. Single car qualifying would be an easy fix. Otherwise, introduce a …
Top of The Class Chris Buescher reclaimed his spot as the top underdog yet again this week. Buescher’s 16th-place finish highlighted a rather uneventful Cup race for the have nots on Sunday (March 17) at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. For JTG Daugherty Racing and Buescher, the race mirrored their performance in many of …
Top of The Class Ty Dillon finally unseats Chris Buescher as the top dog this week. Dillon bested the 2015 Xfinity champion by one spot, finishing 15th in the Ticket Guardian 500 at ISM Raceway. For Germain Racing and Dillon, the 2019 season has begun relatively well. Dillon has advanced to the second round of …
With a few drivers blasting the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying format this weekend, what do you think would be the best qualifying method from a competition and fan entertainment standpoint? Wesley Coburn: I like group qualifying. Single-car qualifying stretches out millions of years, furthering the casual perception that NASCAR is boring. Group qualifying makes …
Top of The Class Once again, JTG Daugherty Racing’s Chris Buescher was the top underdog in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. While he wasn’t able to secure a top-10 finish, he did bring the No. 37 Chevrolet across the stripe in 18th place. There were plenty of unknowns going into the race …
Hendrick Motorsports didn’t have a car finish in the top 10 at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the first time since 2010. Is HMS simply making gradual improvement, or is the team getting worse? Mark Kristl: Hendrick has been gradually improving. If this package provides better racing, the team will further improve. Jimmie Johnson showed obvious …
Top of The Class For the second time in 2019, JTG Daugherty Racing put a driver in the top 10 at the end of the weekend’s Cup event. This time, it was Chris Buescher carrying the torch for the organization at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as he brought the No. 37 Chevrolet across the stripe in …
In a Nutshell: Kyle Busch reigned as the weather rained, as both seemed to be the only thing capable of ending the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at Atlanta. The weather was likely inconsequential, as Busch had the dominant truck all race long and picked up his fifth win at the 1.5 mile track in …
Kyle Busch seemed a bit miffed that he wasn’t able to challenge his teammate for the win in the Daytona 500. Do you think a driver should respect the need for a team car to win a race. or should they go for it, knowing that it could cost both drivers the win? Zach Gillispie: …
Top of The Class Michael McDowell had a less than memorable Speedweeks in 2019, but it certainly ended on a high note. The veteran driver steered his No. 34 Front Row Racing Ford through the late carnage at Daytona to score a fifth-place finish. McDowell’s 286th career start yielded just his second top five finish …
