Motorsports

What NASCAR Rules Would You Change?

If you were in charge of NASCAR for a day, what rule changes would you put in place? Mike Neff: Holy crap, we don’t have that much room in this column. The main rules I would change? The minimum clearance for the front of the car will be 4 inches. The splitter will be removed, […]

Published

6 days ago

May 9, 2025

Your Sports Nation

If you were in charge of NASCAR for a day, what rule changes would you put in place?

Mike Neff: Holy crap, we don’t have that much room in this column. The main rules I would change? The minimum clearance for the front of the car will be 4 inches. The splitter will be removed, and we will go back to a valence. Stage racing stays but there are no stage cautions. The points are awarded, but the race continues. Wheels will have five lug nuts, and tire sidewalls will be 4 inches. There are more, but that would be a good start.

Amy Henderson: Remember the shrimp guy in Forrest Gump? The list went on for days. It’s like that. First, find areas to open up where teams can work more: suspensions, gears, etc. Lose the splitter, raise the cars up and find ways to replace aero grip with mechanical grip. Find a way to create more horsepower — and more importantly, unrestricted horsepower, at least on the non-superspeedways. If that means a smaller engine, so be it. Tires that wear out. Get rid of the stage cautions (keep the points if you want). Lastly (not really, but I could go on all day), give teams real input on the cars and racing packages. I bet if you put guys like Chad Knaus, Paul Wolfe, Cole Pearn and other longtime wrenches in a room, they could fix a lot of things.

Christopher Hansen: You could have a laundry list of changes to the current state of NASCAR, but starting with one of the more obvious is bringing back more horsepower for the NASCAR Cup Series car. More often than not over the past few seasons, we keep seeing comparisons to the current NASCAR Xfinity Series car and how it is more durable than the Next Gen car. Also, bringing back the standard five lug nuts for wheels would help with making loose wheels become a distant memory.

Wyatt Watson: I would get rid of the playoffs and return to a season-long points format to crown a champion. Nothing would make me happier than to return to a points format that rewards consistent finishes and worthy results for a champion. However, I would keep stage racing around but get rid of the stage caution to allow for natural race strategy to play out.

Which Chevrolet Cup team is having the better season so far: Kaulig Racing, Spire Motorsports or Trackhouse Racing?

Jake Altmayer: In terms of raw speed this season, I have to go with Spire, as the team has been consistently bringing fast cars to the racetrack and is frequently contending for top-10 finishes. However, Kaulig has actually improved the most of the Chevrolet teams since last season, as both of its drivers (AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon) have been regularly running inside the top 20, with Allmendinger even contending for a playoff spot. While it will likely be an uphill battle to get one of its drivers into the playoffs, so far I’ve been really impressed by the speed that Kaulig has shown in 2025.

Neff: Trackhouse has Ross Chastain, who is doing well in points and running up front, but Daniel Suarez and Shane van Gisbergen have had subpar seasons. Kaulig has been very middling, so it is probably Spire that is having the best season. Carson Hocevar‘s finishes have not been indicative of where he has been running. Michael McDowell has been close to winning a couple of races. Justin Haley hasn’t been at the level of the other two, but every now and then he has a good showing.

Henderson: While Trackhouse has shown speed, it has lacked consistency, and Suarez and van Gisbergen have really struggled. Kaulig hasn’t been able to buy Allmendinger a stroke of luck, and their other driver is Dillon. Spire, meanwhile, has shown growth and is becoming more consistent. It’s the only organization in this trio with two drivers in the top 20 in points. Its drivers are qualifying well. It’s starting to put together complete races, and that is something that has to be learned by doing it. While Trackhouse is still the more likely playoff contender, I absolutely would not be surprised if a Spire car made the cut this year, either on points or a sneaky win. It’s really maximizing its resources right now.

Hansen: Spire. Take Texas Motor Speedway, where two of the three entries qualified inside the top 10 in Hocevar and McDowell, with both running well late until accidents took both out of contention for solid finishes. Hocevar and McDowell both currently sit inside the top 20 in points. Their Spire teammate Haley just had a crew chief change, bringing on former crew chief Ryan Sparks to replace Rodney Childers during the off-week, in what has been to this point an underwhelming start to the season for Haley, with one top-10 finish in 11 races. Chastain has seemingly carried Trackhouse most of this season and is coming off a runner-up finish at Texas, while Suarez and rookie van Gisbergen have had their struggles to start this season, putting them deep in the standings. Meanwhile, Kaulig has shown some good speed from veteran Allmendinger, currently sitting 19th in the overall standings. Even Dillon has been able to put together some solid finishes inside the top 20, including a 12th-place run at Texas last weekend.

Which Richard Childress Racing Xfinity driver would you rather build a Cup team around?

Watson: I would rather build a team around Austin Hill because he has built the experience necessary to enter the Cup Series. If it weren’t for RCR having only two charters and both Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch occupying the two seats, Hill should have already been racing Cup years ago. He is dominant on superspeedways and has occasionally shown speed and a winning car at intermediates and short tracks alike. Hill has been long overdue to make the next step into the Cup Series, and Jesse Love needs to spend a few more seasons in the Xfinity Series before he’s ready for the jump.

Altmayer: While both drivers have a lot of raw talent, I’d have to go with Love. At just 20 years old, Love has shown great speed at virtually every type of track he’s raced at so far, and he also has the consistent results to back it up. Love may not have the same level of experience that Hill does, but given how young he is, he has the most potential of the RCR pairing.

Hansen: When building a dream team, it’s best to have a proven veteran driver with years of experience like Hill has. However, Love has made great strides in his second full time Xfinity season with RCR, with eight top-10 finishes to begin the 2025 season. If I was forming a Cup team but could only take one of those two drivers, I would choose Hill, given his success not only on the drafting-style tracks but also his ability to win at other tracks on the NASCAR schedule like he’s done in Xfinity. For example, winning at Martinsville Speedway this year and on a 1.5-mile track like Las Vegas Motor Speedway in spring 2023.

Which intermediate track produces the best racing in the Cup Series?

Henderson: Homestead-Miami Speedway has had the best racing. Kansas Speedway has had some great finishes. Either one of them is going to put on a show. Homestead deserved to be awarded the finale next year, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kansas host it one of these years as well. Darlington Raceway is still The Lady in Black. Charlotte Motor Speedway has been good enough to earn the fall race back on the oval. Las Vegas has had better racing than some of the finishes have shown. Those are my top five, in that order.

Watson: Kansas edges out Charlotte in being the best intermediate track. Kansas has everything you need in a track for the Next Gen car: constant battles throughout the field, comers and goers, multi-groove racing, you name it. To be fair to Charlotte, we only get to watch the oval once a year for the Coca-Cola 600, and last year the race got shortened by rain. There might be some recency bias, especially with last year’s spring race producing the closest finish in NASCAR history, but from race to race in the spring and the fall, Kansas has produced banger-after-banger races.

Neff: Currently, it is Vegas. The asphalt is aged, and the result is tire falloff and multi-groove racing. Homestead is a close second. The variety of racing lines available to the drivers makes for some awesome races. Texas is getting close. The asphalt needs a couple more years of age to get the higher groove to come into play, but the racing is decent. Kansas puts on pretty good races. Atlanta, hopefully, will age and get back to the great track it was. Charlotte’s repave has been incredible in that the surface has not degraded over all of the years since it was repaved.

Altmayer: While you could make a case for most of the intermediate tracks, I have to go with Kansas. Since NASCAR switched to the Next Gen car in 2022, the track has put on consistently great racing, with drivers having multiple lanes to run on its aging surface, allowing for plenty of passing opportunities. Additionally, in the Next Gen era, the track has never scored less than an 80% on Jeff Gluck’s Good Race poll, which reflects the quality of racing we’ve seen at the 1.5-mile speedway.

What is it that Mike Neff doesn’t do? Mike announces several shows each year for the Good Guys Rod and Custom Association. He also pops up everywhere from PRN Pit Reporters and the Press Box with Alan Smothers to SIRIUS XM Radio. He has announced at tracks all over the Southeast, starting at Millbridge Speedway. He’s also announced at East Lincoln Speedway, Concord Speedway, Tri-County Speedway, Caraway Speedway, and Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Amy is an 20-year veteran NASCAR writer and a six-time National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) writing award winner, including first place awards for both columns and race coverage. As well as serving as Photo Editor, Amy writes The Big 6 (Mondays) after every NASCAR Cup Series race. She can also be found working on her bi-weekly columns Holding A Pretty Wheel (Tuesdays) and Only Yesterday (Wednesdays). A New Hampshire native whose heart is in North Carolina, Amy’s work credits have extended everywhere from driver Kenny Wallace’s website to Athlon Sports. She can also be heard weekly as a panelist on the Hard Left Turn podcast that can be found on AccessWDUN.com’s Around the Track page.

Wyatt Watson has followed NASCAR closely since 2007. He joined Frontstretchas a journalist in February 2023 after serving in the United States Navy for five years as an Electronic Technician Navigation working on submarines. Wyatt writes breaking NASCAR news and contributes to columns such as Friday Faceoff and 2-Headed Monster. Wyatt also contributes to Frontstretch’s social media and serves as an at-track reporter, collecting exclusive content for Frontstretch.

Wyatt Watson can be found on X @WyattGametime

Jake Altmayer joined the Frontstretch team in 2025, assisting as a news writer and contributing to other weekly columns and articles, such as Friday Faceoff and Xfinity Breakdown. A 2024 graduate of DePaul University, Altmayer has closely followed NASCAR’s national series (Cup, Xfinity and Trucks) for nearly a decade and has attended more than a dozen races over the course of that time. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, spending time with his loved ones, and listening to his favorite band, the Beach Boys.

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Motorsports

What’s Good in Niagara? Toronto Motorsports Park ready for ground-shaking weekend

It’s the unofficial kickoff to summer with the Victoria Day long weekend now just a day away, and Toronto Motorsports Park is ready to welcome thousands through the gate. The Victoria Day Weekend Spectacular kicks off on Friday and runs until Sunday, and offers no shortage of attractions for all types of racing lovers. Race […]

Published

5 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

It’s the unofficial kickoff to summer with the Victoria Day long weekend now just a day away, and Toronto Motorsports Park is ready to welcome thousands through the gate.

The Victoria Day Weekend Spectacular kicks off on Friday and runs until Sunday, and offers no shortage of attractions for all types of racing lovers.

Race Director Neale Armstrong says there’s nothing like drag racing, and says the park is better than ever.

When it comes to the lineup of vehicles taking to the drag strip, there’s no shortage of variety there either.

Armstrong says no matter what you’re looking for, you’ll probably find it.

Outside of his title as Race Director, Armstrong also races himself as he sits behind the wheel of the Northern Warrior Jet Dragster, which boasts a jet engine.

He says it doesn’t take long to make it through a quarter mile.

Passes can be purchased for individual days, or as a weekend bundle for Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Toronto Motorsports Park’s website.

(Written by: Matt Latour)

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Motorsports

Claremont Motorsports Park kicks off Memorial Day Weekend with thrilling doubleheader – eagletimes.com

CLAREMONT, N.H. — Claremont Motorsports Park is set to ignite Memorial Day Weekend with an action-packed doubleheader, featuring two nights of adrenaline-fueled racing as part of the NASCAR Advanced Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series. The excitement begins on Friday night, May 23, with the ASETEX Tire and Auto 604 Modifieds, Outlaw Late Models, R.E. Hinkley […]

Published

29 minutes ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The excitement begins on Friday night, May 23, with the ASETEX Tire and Auto 604 Modifieds, Outlaw Late Models, R.E. Hinkley Super Streets, Lavalley Building Supply Pure Stocks, and the J.P.’s Trucking Ridge Runners taking to the track. Fans will also be treated to a special appearance by the Junior Champ 206 class from the Claremont Karting Series, showcasing the next generation of racing talent.

The high-octane action continues on Sunday, May 25, when MDP Motorsports Promotions presents Day 2 of the weekend with another full slate of stock car action. The Granite State Pro Stock Series will return to where it all began 14 years ago with a 125 Laps Main event paying S4,000 to the winner. Co-highlighting the day will be the inaugural Todd Martel Memorial for the R.E. Hinkley Super Streets going the distance of 60 laps with $2,000 going to the winner.

“Todd was a staple around the speedway for years weather [SIC] it was as a car owner or overseeing the infield crew , the speedway and his family all wanted to do something in his honor Todd,” said Mike Parks, general manager.

This event will be round one of the Summer Six Pack Series. Rounding out the card will be the Lavalley Building Supply Pure Stocks, Six Shooters and our first four-cylinder Enduro of the 2025 season.

“Memorial Day Weekend is always a special time at Claremont Motorsports Park, and this doubleheader is the perfect way to celebrate,” Parks said. “We’re thrilled to bring fans two nights of unforgettable racing and the chance to see the stars of tomorrow in the Junior Champ 206 class.”

For more information, visit claremontmotorsportspark.com.

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Motorsports

‘Fastest Seat In Sports’ returns for Indy 500 with 2 legendary athletes aboard

INDIANAPOLIS – Fox Sports is continuing its crossover with IndyCar by featuring two iconic athletes in the “Fastest Seat in Sports” at this year’s Indianapolis 500. The “Fastest Seat in Sports” is a specially designed two-seat Indy car that takes ceremonial laps ahead of IndyCar races. This marks the first time since 2019 that the […]

Published

1 hour ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

INDIANAPOLIS – Fox Sports is continuing its crossover with IndyCar by featuring two iconic athletes in the “Fastest Seat in Sports” at this year’s Indianapolis 500.

The “Fastest Seat in Sports” is a specially designed two-seat Indy car that takes ceremonial laps ahead of IndyCar races. This marks the first time since 2019 that the two-seater will lead the field before the Indy 500.

Tom Brady, Jimmie Johnson will lead Indy 500

Behind the wheel will be none other than seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, teaming up with NFL analyst and former quarterback Tom Brady.

What they’re saying:

Johnson, who has 29 IndyCar starts under his belt, shared his excitement with FOX Sports.

“I love the Indy 500,” Johnson shared. “There is an energy and excitement around the 500 that is unlike anything I have experienced before.

FILE: #6: Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet prior to the NTT IndyCar Series 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 14, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Credit: Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty Images)

He added: “Certainly, pre-race ceremonies are the ultimate racing experience that I’ve had outside of the car. I’m thrilled to be a part of the program and to see the stands full one more time. I’m extremely honored to come back and do it and to be able to also share this experience with another seven-time champion.”

How to watch ‘Fastest Seat in Sports’

What’s next:

Fox Sports is in its first year as IndyCar’s broadcast partner and has vowed to make the Indianapolis 500 its biggest televised event of the year.

It kicked off the season with baseball analyst Alex Rodriguez in the Fastest Seat in Sports at the opener in St. Petersburg, Florida.

RELATED: Why was Pete Rose banned from baseball? What to know after MLB’s hit king reinstated

The 2025 Indy 500 race will be broadcast on FOX and available to be streamed live on the FOX Sports website and the FOX Sports App.

The ride will occur just before the green flag, scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Eastern on May 25. The FOX coverage of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 begins at 10 a.m. Eastern.

Jimmy Johnson, Tom Brady’s careers

Dig deeper:

Johnson, who transitioned to IndyCar for two seasons after retiring from NASCAR, was named the Indy 500 top rookie in 2022.

A NASCAR Hall of Famer, Johnson spent 19 seasons behind the wheel of the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. He now serves as the majority owner of Legacy Motor Club, a NASCAR team that recently formed a partnership with Knighthead Capital Management—a private equity firm in which Tom Brady holds a stake.

After giving Brady his high-speed ride at the Indy 500, Johnson will fly to North Carolina to race in the Coca-Cola 600, marking his 700th career NASCAR start. Brady is expected to join him at the event.

Brady considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history with seven Super Bowl championships. He is also a five-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time Associated Press Most Valuable Player, 15-time Pro Bowler and the 2007 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.

The Source: This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press, FOX Sports contributed.

SportsNASCARNewsU.S.News

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NASCAR TV schedule this weekend: North Wilkesboro 2025

NASCAR is racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway with two national touring races scheduled to take place at the .625-mile North Carolina speedway this weekend. Photo: Kyle Stephens/The Racing Experts NASCAR TV schedule for Friday, May 16 Practice and Qualifying for NASCAR Cup Series 4:30 p.m. ET (Open) TV: FS2 Radio: MRN & SiriusXM Channel 90 […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

NASCAR is racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway with two national touring races scheduled to take place at the .625-mile North Carolina speedway this weekend.

NASCAR TV schedule for Friday, May 16

Practice and Qualifying for NASCAR Cup Series

4:30 p.m. ET (Open)
- TV: FS2
- Radio: MRN & SiriusXM Channel 90
6 p.m. ET (All-Star)
- TV: FS1
- Radio: MRN & SiriusXM Channel 90

NASCAR TV schedule for Saturday, May 17

Qualifying for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Window World 250 Race

1:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Radio: NRN & SiriusXM Channel 90

All-Star Heat Races for NASCAR Cup Series

5 p.m. ET
TV: FS2
Radio: MRN & SiriusXM Channel 90

NASCAR TV schedule for Sunday, May 18

NASCAR Cup Series’ All-Star Open

5 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Radio: MRN & SiriusXM Channel 90

NASCAR Cup Series’ All-Star Race

8 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Radio: MRN & SiriusXM Channel 90

Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.

From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book “All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story” with racer Geoff Bodine.

Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.

You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.

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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin issues worrying health update on lingering injury

Denny Hamlin has revealed an injury which has bothered him throughout the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. The veteran driver has already secured his playoff spot with a win at Martinsville, perhaps making him more willing to admit a little short-term weakness with his post-season spot already assured. NASCAR HEADLINES: Cup Series leader […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Denny Hamlin has revealed an injury which has bothered him throughout the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

The veteran driver has already secured his playoff spot with a win at Martinsville, perhaps making him more willing to admit a little short-term weakness with his post-season spot already assured.

NASCAR HEADLINES: Cup Series leader demoted as dozens of in-race penalties confirmed

The 56-time Cup Series winner was talking to fellow veteran Kyle Busch on his Actions Detrimental podcast this week, having needled the two-time champion about ‘dodging’ an appearance on the show.

Hamlin recalled: “You dodged me for a year, I think you were supposed to be on here after Indy of last year? You wrecked my ass…you were inside of me and lost control.”

Hamlin: My wrist is still not the same

The pair bickered good-naturedly for a bit before Hamlin admitted: “I felt that he was dodging me to not take responsibility for crashing into me, but then it turned out he actually did have a wrist issue.”

That turned into the pair sharing stories on their recent injury histories, with Hamlin admitting that he’s still suffering from the impact of a wreck in the first race of the 2025 Cup Series.

“I got in a wreck in Daytona this year and my wrist is still not the same,” he said. “In February, that’s three months now and it’s still not right.”

Busch sympathized, adding: “Mine took until about the end of the year to be right. There’s still times when I work out that I’m like ‘hmm, it’s gonna be sore for this week’.”

READ MORE: Michael Jordan-owned 23XI team could leave NASCAR MID-SEASON after appeal hearing

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Kyle Busch outlines path for son Brexton to enter NASCAR

Kyle Busch shared details on how his son, Brexton, will compete in NASCAR. While speaking to Denny Hamlin on the Actions Detrimental podcast, Busch was asked if there’s a right path for Brexton to follow. “I don’t think there’s a right path,” Busch said. “He’s getting more into the Legend car right now. He turns […]

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Kyle Busch shared details on how his son, Brexton, will compete in NASCAR. While speaking to Denny Hamlin on the Actions Detrimental podcast, Busch was asked if there’s a right path for Brexton to follow.

“I don’t think there’s a right path,” Busch said. “He’s getting more into the Legend car right now. He turns 10, he can’t race a Legend car until he turns 10. That’s this week, so he’ll actually race his Legend car debut this week at Hickory. There’s a lot more racetracks around our area for Legends cars, pavement racing Legend cars than there are the Dirt Micro.

“…For KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports), KMB still exists, it’s the Legends cars, the Micros, the Bandoleros. It’s just that stuff that I’ll keep doing with Brex. But the next level, so when he turns 12, it will be Late Model stuff, so getting him into Dirt Late Models, getting him into Pavement Late Models. I’d like to keep him on both, just learning that sense of all the different vehicles that you can drive. Don’t stay in anything too long that you learn those bad habits that keep you good at that, that doesn’t allow you to keep your mind open and fresh to new things.”

Kyle Busch wants the Kyle Larson path for Brexton

Busch also said that when Brexton turns 13 and 14, he will get him into the Super Late Models and a few Late Model Tours “for the dirt world.” The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion wants Brexton to race on both pavement and dirt because Kyle Larson has done the same thing in his career.

“I look at Kyle, ‘Tiny’ Kyle Larson,” Busch said on the Door Bumper Clear podcast in April. “I would say he’s obviously one of the top talents right now in our space and in the dirt world space as well. He can get in anything anytime and go fast. I feel like the dirt world and having that expertise and feeling comfortable crooked and being sideways and not having the grip has helped him a lot over the years and just being able to carry cars further than they were potentially worth. And then obviously the pavement side as well, just kind of get that craft as well of being on the pavement.”

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