All posts by Aaron Bearden

By Aaron Bearden, NASCAR Contributor Phew. The last few weeks sure have been fun, haven’t they? Ever since the conclusion of the West Coast Swing – another solid stretch of the schedule – NASCAR has gone on a tour of many tracks that fans and media alike seem to clamor for, often putting on thrilling races in the processes. The past five races have seen all three of the schedule’s short tracks, a superspeedway race and just a single 1.5-miler, which was itself interesting due to the wild-card nature ofRead More

By Aaron Bearden, NASCAR Contributor It took only one instance of a race-winner suffering an “encumbered” finish for this writer to reach a significant conclusion regarding the ruling: it, or at the minimum the name it’s been given, needs altered. One thing’s been confirmed with relative consistency regarding NASCAR’s latest buzzword – it doesn’t seem a good fit. Don’t believe me? Look no further than NASCAR’s most popular (and soon to be retired) driver. Never used the word “encumbered” to describe anything. Don’t plan on ever using it. Can weRead More

By Aaron Bearden, NASCAR Contributor Like many in the NASCAR world, I was left with a torrid mixture of happiness and sadness amid Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s retirement release on Tuesday morning. There was shock to the suddenness of the announcement, one of the few news stories in recent years to not be leaked (looking at you, Stewart-Haas Racing to Ford announcement). But at the same time, Earnhardt’s retirement – coming in his 18th year in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and following a season marred by concussion-like symptoms – was expected sooner ratherRead More

By Aaron Bearden, NASCAR Contributor Andretti Autosport’s shocking announcement Wednesday of the addition of two-time Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso to the team’s roster for the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 Presented by Penngrade Motor Oil in a joint venture with McLaren sent a shockwave that’s rippled through the motorsports world throughout the day. The repercussions of the announcement have yet to be seen, but the one immediate effect it’s had on fans is a thought of whom else they’d like to see participate in the Month of May. Every fanRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer *Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Season for 24 drivers. We will release one driver preview per day over a 24-day stretch. Age: 38 Years in Cup: 16 Career Wins: 28 Biggest Accomplishment: 2004 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (then Nextel Cup Series) champion Fresh off of a season that saw him break an all-time record for consistency and an offseason that brought a wedding with wife Ashley, Kurt Busch appears to be in a good position heading into aRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer *Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Season for 24 drivers. We will release one driver preview per day over a 24-day stretch. Age: 32 Years in Cup: 7 Career Wins: 21 Biggest Accomplishment: 2012 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (then Sprint Cup Series) champion With a championship, 21 wins and a seat at the legendary Team Penske, 32-year-old Brad Keselowski has much to be proud of as he nears what many consider the prime era of the average driver’s career. However,Read More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer *Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season for 24 drivers. We will release one driver preview per day over a 24-day stretch. Age: 39 Years in Cup: 15 Career Wins: 17 Biggest Accomplishment: 2008 Daytona 500 Champion 2016 was a surprisingly inconsistent season for one of NASCAR’s most consistent drivers, but the good news for Ryan Newman is that he’ll have a chance to return to form in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with Richard Childress Racing (RCR)Read More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer *Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Season for 24 drivers. We will release one driver preview per day over a 24-day stretch. Age: 34 Years in Cup: 4 Career Wins: 0 Biggest Accomplishment: 2013 Daytona 500 Polesitter In many ways, 2017 has already been a good year for Danica Patrick. The lone female in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS), Patrick has filled the early parts of the year with activities away from the race track, launching herRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer John Hunter Nemechek‘s climb to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) championship will be a little more steep than anticipated after the releasing of NASCAR’s latest penalty report. Nemechek’s No. 8 Chevrolet was found to be outside of tolerances during post-race inspection following Saturday’s UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Due to the infraction, Nemechek’s No. 8 team has been docked 10 driver and owner points, and crew chief Gere Kennon has been fined $6,000 and placed on probation until the end of 2016. The penalty comesRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer The first race of the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup has come and gone, and with it a plethora of storylines have unfolded in the paddock. Teams that laid dormant throughout the summer have suddenly come to life, while drivers that entered as favorites to hoist the Sprint Cup at the end of the season have suddenly found themselves in a hole after facing unexpected issues. Martin Truex, Jr., stamped his name into the second round of the Chase with a victory inRead More