On Saturday afternoon, Matt DiBenedetto had a hard crash during the XFINITY Series’ O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. The No. 14 Toyota went hard into the turn 3 wall on lap 134 unassisted. He dropped his window net shortly after coming to a stop, signaling to safety crews that he was alright. “I’m …
The list of infractions NASCAR had to deal with during the Martinsville weekend was one of the shortest of the season to date. Denny Hamlin‘s No. 11 FedEx team was issued a written warning for failing template inspection twice prior to qualifying. This was the team’s third written warning, but will not result in any …
Think Small It’s an easy mistake to make: falling into the trap of thinking most of the drivers racing for NASCAR’s smaller teams are damaged goods. Sadly, it’s one that even team owners often fall into. How often have young, talented drivers taken rides in this group hoping for some exposure only to be overlooked? …
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competes at Texas Motor Speedway for the second time this season Sunday, running their second race in the Chase Round of 8. Just two races remain before that field gets cut to the Championship 4 that will compete in a winner-take-all race for the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway. 41 drivers …
Think Small The news that’s trickled in through the last week should be making everyone in the sport take pause and think about the health of several of its teams. The snowball got rolling last week when it was reported that Tommy Baldwin Racing was in the process of selling its charter to Leavine Family …
Think Small It’s a given that NASCAR’s small teams don’t have the money and equipment that the bigger ones do. But a closer look reveals there is another piece of the puzzle missing many people don’t think about: factory support. While several of the smaller teams do have alliances with larger ones, manufacturer funding is generally reserved …
Think Small Smaller NASCAR teams are constantly talking about improvement, and it’s something for which there is always room. However, improvement goals vary, and that is necessary because teams in the group are all at different stages of development as teams. One team’s goal of top-20 finishes may be totally unrealistic for another. There is …
Think Small One of the chief worries about NASCAR’s charter system when it was instituted this year was how new teams would be able to get a foothold in the sport, and while that is a concern on paper, in practice, the charter system changes very little, because teams entering the spot already have the …
Think Small I had a conversation this past weekend with Germain Racing driver Casey Mears, and I asked him the one thing he wished that NASCAR fans understood about his job. Mears offered the following assessment. “The thing I wish more fans knew is just how difficult it is to get one of these cars …
Think Small. That’s the motto for this column as I take a larger look at the teams still trying to make a name for themselves in the Cup Series despite fewer resources and a far more difficult mountain to climb. Writer’s Note: What follows is another fresh look for this column, one I expect to stick with. There are …
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