Anthony Alfredo
Lessons from the 2026 Daytona Duels
Everyone else does recaps, I’ll instead look at lessons from the 2026 Daytona Duels. Some things to think about as we look forward to Sunday’s Daytona 500. […]
blog
Cleetus McFarland
Daytona Really is a Different Animal: Travis Pastrana, Tony Stewart and Cleetus McFarland
The large number of people who turn up at the first race of the NASCAR season is due to two things: One is that the money makes even coming in last a decent propositio financially. Second, Daytona really is a different animal. […]
Daytona 500
Fastest Daytona 500 Qualifying Laps 1982 – 2025
Daytona 500 Qualifying is tonight. Forty-five drivers will compete for 41 spots in this year’s race, but we won’t know who earns those spots, or where all but two cars start today.q […]
2026 NASCAR Rules
If I Ran NASCAR
While we’re waiting for NASCAR to announce a possibly new format for the 2026 championship, here’s what I would change if I ran NASCAR. […]
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix Proves the Case for More Practice
This is the second year in a row that the end of the NASCAR season left a sour taste in my mouth. Last year, it was manufacturer manipulation at Martinsville that excluded Christopher Bell from the Championship 4. This year, it was a race in which chance played more role than skill. […]
Briscoe, Chase
Dr. Diandra’s 2025 NASCAR Championship Race Preview
After 35 races and three knockout rounds, four drivers qualified to race for the championship: Chase Briscoe, William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. The driver who posts the best finish at Phoenix becomes the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. […]
Briscoe, Chase
A Single Mistake in This Year’s Playoffs Can Be Fatal
In the closest playoffs since this format started in 2017, even Ross Chastain’s go-for-broke last-lap attempt to advance to the Round of 8 was unsuccessful. […]
Engines
Fuel Mileage Calculations: The People Who Know Aren’t Telling
Fuel mileage races have always been part of NASCAR, but increased access to data is giving fans new insights into the competition to reach the checkered flag. More than once this year, fans have perched on the edges of their seats during the last few laps of a race, listening to a crew chief tersely instruct his driver to ‘save fuel’. […]
Bubba Wallace
Does the Gen-7 Car Help Non-Playoff Drivers Win in the Playoffs?
Eric Jones and John Hunter Nemechek had really strong runs at the first playoff race — despite neither having made the playoffs. Their performances got me wondering whether the Next Gen car helps non-playoff drivers win in the playoffs. […]
2025 Season
2025 Summer Daytona Race Report
The summer 2025 Daytona race report includes one of the best superspeedway races I’ve seen in a long while with really close racing, lots of lead changes and a winner coming from mid pack in just two laps. […]