Frontstretch 5

1. The elephant in the room The fact that looms over NASCAR these days is the decline in both ratings and race attendance; it simply can’t be ignored, explained away, or overlooked. There are pieces that can’t be fixed, like the steady erosion of American car culture. That’s outside any …

1. Kevin Harvick v. Ross Chastain The XFINITY Series’ visit to Darlington Raceway marked the first of three opportunities for Ross Chastain to show what he’s capable of in top-notch equipment. And in his first start with Chip Ganassi Racing, all went well for the 25-year-old, who started on the …

1. Quicksilver One of the original one race paint schemes, if not the first, was the silver Goodwrench Chevy that Dale Earnhardt ran in the 1995 Winston (or whatever the race might have been called back then.) Because Earnhardt always ran the familiar black Chevys, it was quite a surprise …

1. Because tracks It seems easy enough: make changes to the schedules, the cars, the playoffs, even the drivers.  But NASCAR is a complex organism, and nothing is as easy as it seems, even if we think it should be. Would more short tracks/road courses/different tracks make a difference in …

1. Kurt Busch 2004 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Busch won’t return to powerhouse Stewart-Haas Racing next year. Each driver move creates two pieces to the puzzle, as the ride he vacates will need to be filled. In this case, it’s pretty likely that Cole Custer will take over …

1. Humanize the process again Last week in Holding a Pretty Wheel, I examined the recent rash of inspection failures in NASCAR. There’s plenty of blame to go around for what’s happening, but what can be done about it? First and foremost, has the process become too dependent on technology? …

1. Flipping out The 1999 race at Sonoma featured not just one, but two cars flipping through the air. First, Steve Park got turned around, slid backward through the grass and struck a barrier, sending the yellow No. 1 airborne, where it turned completely over before coming to rest on …

Editor’s note: Amy is sidelined this week with a wrist injury, but the column must go on. Get well soon, Amy! 1. Where could Christopher Bell end up? The Oklahoman tore through the Camping World Truck Series competition on his way to the championship last year, and he’s leading the …

1. Real Rivalries A good race needs to combine close competition with a balanced field. Dominating performances are only fun for those who are fans of the dominant driver/team, so having a majority of cars capable of running well and challenging for the win (or at least a top five) …

1. Erik Jones, July 2018 Not everyone loves a winner, but most fans love a first-time winner.  Erik Jones was the most recent driver to visit Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway, but he’s the latest in a long line of drivers to find their first wins at the World …