Aaron Bearden

We’ve seen this story before. But could this edition have a happier ending?  While most have struggled through this difficult 2020, Denny Hamlin has enjoyed what might be the best season of his NASCAR Cup Series career. The Virginian has matched his career-best 9.5 average finish from last year, sits …

The realm of sports is often home to feel-good stories, but they frequently prove fleeting in nature.  Given the industry’s sponsorship-focused business model and frequent need for immediate return, that’s arguably more true in motorsports than any other industry.  It’s because of that truth that deals like Thursday’s (Oct. 8) …

Bubba Wallace’s decision to leave Richard Petty Motorsports ahead of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series was surely a difficult one, an emotional call months in the making.  But look beyond emotions and it’s clearly the right decision to make.  Once a driver struggling to find sponsorship, Wallace has gone on …

Arguably the most normal part of the 2020 motorsports calendar came on Jan. 25, when the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship made its annual voyage to Florida for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.  Now perhaps the wildest moment of the entire pandemic – on track, at least – is about to …

So… they really threw the kitchen sink at that one, huh? NASCAR’s annual Cup Series All-Star Race has become as much of a testing ground for the sport as a genuine race in recent years. While the race itself has often struggled to deliver consistently, NASCAR has gotten value out …

As I made the decision that hot June day, it all seemed so simple.  Three months of races, 13 straight weeks.  How bad could it be?  Little did I know how relentless the stretch would be, or just how much I would learn about myself and motorsports along the way.  …

The Greatest Day in Motorsport will be a shell of its traditional self.  But thanks to NASCAR, it won’t be entirely empty, either. With the NASCAR Cup Series done with a flexible shift to Darlington Raceway to restart the 2020 season, the tour is now preparing for its Memorial Day …

While I was making the long post-day-job drive from Indiana to North Carolina on Friday, I did so with a slight twinkle in my eye. I wasn’t going to make it to the track that day — my drive ended an hour from Charlotte at 1 a.m. — but I …

It’s taken a few years and 25 races to get here, but there’s playoff drama to be found heading into this weekend’s Cup Series regular season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  After years where the playoff field was largely decided in the weeks prior to the finale, a quartet of …

Five months, 1,000 podcasts and one qualifying format change ago, I came to write this monthly column and found my mind wandering to multiple different things. NASCAR’s 2019 rules package was fresh on everyone’s mind, a few standout teams were dominating the series and others were quietly establishing themselves as …