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. […]
The Building Speed Blog
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. […]
2025 Season
2025 Richmond Race Report
Your 2025 Richmond Race Report features a redeeming win, heartbreak for 23XI, and a lot of Toyota pit road troubles. […]
Road Courses
Shane van Gisbergen’s Odds in the Playoffs
Shane van Gisbergen’s odds of advancing deep into the playoffs seem high if you look only at his four wins and 22 playoff points. Going into Richmond, he’s tied with Denny Hamlin for most wins this year. van Gisbergen is third in playoff points, trailing only Hamlin (24) and Kyle Larson (23). But there’s a caveat. (Isn’t there always?) […]
2025 Season
2025 Iowa Race Report
The 2025 Iowa Race Reports includes bitten fingernails due to fuel concerns, a Brad Keselowski surge, and a rash of cautions that threw a bunch of strategies out the window. […]