A few years ago, after a few photo finishes in NASCAR and margins of victory bleeding into triple digits to the right of the decimal point, I casually asked one of the higher-ups, “What’s going on?” Is there a total tie for the win?”What if, I wondered, all the sets of eyeballs, as well as the electronic timing and scoring equipment, screamed equally?I received a chuckle and the kind of look you would get if you were asking about meteor impact contingencies. But after two of the first four races this year were too close to call by sight, I…
Author: Les Grossman
NASCAR sent a notice to Cup Series teams on Tuesday detailing changes to the Next Gen chassis that will see the rear crash structure change and are expected to result in safety improvements. Drivers have expressed concerns about the intensity of impact during a collision and these changes should lessen impacts to the rear of the car. The changes will result in modifications to the center section, rear clip and rear bumper supports.Drivers have talked about the impacts with the Next Gen car, especially since Kurt Busch and Alex Bowman have been sidelined due to concussions and concussion-like symptoms related…
NASCAR is continuing its efforts to broaden its appeal while retaining longtime fans with a campaign that will portray popular drivers and their supporters as nation states fighting for hegemony.The campaign, set to begin this weekend, is promoting a revamped 10-race playoff format known as Chasing the Nascar Sprint Cup, which will be covered by ESPN from September 14 to November 16. The campaign begins with advertisements on the theme “Sixteen Nations. Ten battles. One of them will prevail”, and concludes with the theme “The battle of four nations. Only one will prevail. The campaign includes online content and fast-paced…
When my first book, Trading Paint: 101 Great NASCAR Debates (still available on Wiley.com), released in 2010, one of the most popular of its 101 chapters was “What Would I Change if I Raced NASCAR?” I have heard from countless fans via email and in person during public appearances I have made in support of the book. Nearly everyone who purchased and read the book pointed to this particular chapter as one that NASCAR should take into account if the sport wanted to rebound from the doldrums it fell into when the economy began to deteriorate in 2007. Some of…
Bob Pockrass, NASCARMarch 22, 2018, 10:06 a.m. ETClose• NASCAR Editor for ESPN.com• 2009 and 2013 NMPA Writer of the Year• More than 25 years of experience in motorsportAs Hendrick Motorsports seeks a sponsor for Jimmy Johnson next year, NASCAR says it’s ready to help.That is, if the team wants it.As NASCAR teams attempt to navigate difficult waters when it comes to finding sponsors, the sanctioning body says it works with teams on request as they seek help retaining or attracting sponsors. He can tailor specific searches to the needs of the team or sponsors (he completed more than 90 search…
Take a look at the trending topics today, September 25.Free COVID testsCovid-19 tests can now be ordered free of charge from the US government.Starting Monday, people can order four tests per U.S. household through Covidtests.gov. People without an internet connection can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to request testing.Rapid Covid-19 tests can be done at home and can be used regardless of whether a person has symptoms. Tests should be good until the end of the year. Some dates listed on tests may indicate that they have expired, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extended these dates.The US government…
The NASCAR charter system has been the subject of debate since its introduction in 2016. Basically, NASCAR wanted to franchise all teams/cars running individually so they could collect fees from them as a separate entity. But when the system was introduced, prices hovered in the seven figures, often reaching a few million dollars for each charter. However, as time passed and charter availability decreased significantly, its prices also increased significantly. To highlight the immense price rise, consider the recent acquisition by Spire Motorsports, which they secured from Live Fast Motorsports for a mind-boggling $40 million. Clearly, there has been inflation…
As NASCAR continues to look for new venues to host future races, officials have confirmed they are exploring the possibility of holding a street race in Chicago. The driving force behind this company is none other than Ben Kennedy, the grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. Kennedy rose to the role of senior vice president of racing development and strategy, and spearheaded NASCAR’s decision to move the preseason Clash race from Daytona International Speedway to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The success of this change prompted the organization to explore other non-traditional locations to host future races, including the…
These days, NASCAR races are a far cry from the events where good old beer-loving boys used to ride around in their pickup trucks and watch their favorite drivers race around the track.Mike Skinner, one of the top drivers on NASCAR’s Winston Cup circuit, drives the No. 19 for Team Yellow Racing (Photo by Yellow Freight System)In the stands, there are now more young couples or families who go to the track in minivans to encourage their favorite drivers. On the track, mixed with the bright colors of familiar race car sponsors like Valvoline and DuPont, are some of the…
Marcus Smith, President and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., has an ambitious vision for the future of NASCAR at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville.His company reached an agreement with the speedway’s current tenants on Wednesday and must now reach an agreement with the city of Nashville, which owns the track, before any NASCAR dates can be added to the venerable 0.596-mile Tennessee Motor Speedway. If SMI achieves this goal, it is believed that Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville will be added to the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series schedule.Smith addressed the topic on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio with host Dave Moody…