Holding A Pretty Wheel

If only it was like it used to be. If only the racing was like it was in (fill in the year of your choice here). If only these drivers were real racers. If only NASCAR hadn’t changed. If only… If only… If only. Fans love to wax nostalgic about …

Fans have been feeling their ages lately as a slew of drivers, ones who defined a generation of racing, have stepped aside in recent years. You know the names by now: Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne…all popular multi-race winners and title contenders.  Some will …

You can say that NASCAR isn’t exciting these days, but this year, that certainly doesn’t include Silly Season.  Both rumors and moves started early and have become hot and heavy over the last few weeks. Drivers moving on so far this year include Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Trevor …

Seventy years into the game, NASCAR teams will use this weekend at Darlington Raceway to celebrate the sport’s long and colorful history with throwback paint schemes and uniforms. It’s appropriate that the nod to the past comes at Darlington, the sport’s oldest superspeedway at its oldest continuously run race (if …

To the rear, inspection. These words have become all too familiar over the last couple of seasons as NASCAR has cracked down on weekend inspection failures. Frankly, it’s not a great look for the sport, as some weeks multiple teams pile up the failures, giving outsiders the impression that nefarious …

The end of Saturday night’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway marks the halfway point in the 2018 season.  After 17 races of the 36-race schedule, we’ve seen just six different winners, the fewest in four decades.  Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch have 10 of those …

Long, hot days give way to sultry nights, tracks are hot and slick and expectations and frustrations mount.  It’s summer in NASCAR, and with 12 races to go in the sport’s regular season, there’s a rivalry brewing right along with the summer storms. Or is there? 2018 to date has …

To NASCAR’s future purchaser: Congratulations on your acquisition.  You have an exciting time in store for you, and I wish you the best of luck in your new endeavor. Your position is somewhat unenviable; our sport has come to a crossroads in recent years.  It’s grown exponentially, changed immensely and …

So, this All-Star Race. NASCAR released the format for its All-Star event next month, and well, color me a bit underwhelmed. Two things went down: a change to the rules package for the cars and another to the format of the race itself. Let’s talk about the cars first.  NASCAR …

There was a time when a NASCAR driver was practically synonymous with his sponsor — that blue STP car was so recognizable as Richard Petty’s ride that “Petty Blue” is a color in every fan’s frame of reference. Though Dale Earnhardt drove the Wrangler ride for several years, one look …