1. Martin Truex Jr. has not finished better than 14th in the first four NASCAR Cup Series races. What is wrong in the No. 19 camp? Frank Velat: Over the course of the opening four races, two crew chiefs have proved their value. One, Paul Wolfe, has done so by doing …

Top Dog Ty Dillon keeps popping up at the top of this list, much in the way that Matt DiBenedetto and Chris Buescher have in recent years. The difference between those drivers and Dillon is that Ty seems to be interested in building a long-term future at his current team. …

Top Dog I’m not good at predicting the future. But last week, I wrote that I anticipated our underdogs faced a tough task if they wanted to steal the spotlight in southern California. Unfortunately, this time my outlook couldn’t have been more accurate. Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway was …

Top Dog Ty Dillon has been on a roll of late. Granted, underdog teams don’t necessarily see the type of eyebrow-raising streaks that other teams with extensive resources put together in terms of wins and top-five finishes. But Dillon continues to be instrumental in helping the long-time backmarker wind up …

Given the situation, who is the right choice to fill in the No. 6 car in the NASCAR Cup Series while Ryan Newman is recovering? Amy Henderson: I like the driver RFR went with, Ross Chastain. He’s shown that with good equipment, he can be racy and he can finish well …

A Crowded House The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series kicks off its 26th season of competition on Friday night and the division finds itself in a unique position. It appears to be the healthiest of the three major touring levels in terms of participation and the number of …

The Unusual Suspects Like every other team, NASCAR underdog operations across all three national touring series have made the trek to the Florida coast for another Speedweeks. The Xfinity and Truck teams still have some time to shake the sand out of their boots, but Cup crews have already been …

The 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season marked Michael McDowell‘s second with Front Row Motorsports. The veteran driver has been plugging away, steadily improving in his effort to be known for more than a jarring demonstration of the safety improvements of the Car of Tomorrow more than a decade ago. The …

Did Kyle Busch have a championship-caliber Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season? Matt McLaughlin: Yes; his second title was more legitimate than the first one. I’m still a fan of a champion being crowned for a full season’s worth of points, but that’s not how the rulebook reads anymore. Kyle Busch‘s …

Top of the Class When the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series turned its final lap of 2019 on Sunday, it was fitting that the highest underdog was Chris Buescher. One could have their pick of a multitude of reasons why it was appropriate that his 16th-place finish made him the …