All posts by David Morgan

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – As is custom at the season finale, NASCAR President Steve Phelps and Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell took to the stage in front of assembled media to discuss a range of topics currently concerning the sport in 2024. This year, the focus was on the recent race manipulation penalties at Martinsville, officiating challenges that have occurred in multiple series this year, charter negotiations, the Playoff format and whether the drivers vying for the championship are the most deserving, among others. After nearly anRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be the first title fight of the weekend to be settled, as the four remaining drivers in the Playoffs will duke it out Friday night at Phoenix Raceway for the right to hoist the championship trophy when the checkered flag falls. Eight drivers started the Playoffs with a berth in the championship race in mind, but half of them fell by the wayside, leaving Grant Enfinger, Christian Eckes, Corey Heim, and Ty Majeski as the four driversRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – No driver in the NASCAR Cup Series has won back-to-back championships since Jimmie Johnson in 2009-2010 at the end of his run of five straight championships. Ryan Blaney will be looking to buck that trend when the green flag flies on Sunday’s Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway where he enters as the defending series champion. In a title run eerily similar to his run a year ago, the driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford comes into the season finale havingRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – Back here again. For the seventh time in his NASCAR Xfinity Series career, Justin Allgaier and the No. 7 JR Motorsports team head into the season finale with a shot at the championship. They’re hoping it’s lucky No. 7 for them to finally capture the title that has eluded them for all these years. “Just a different mindset this year,” Allgaier said of what sets this championship run apart from the others. “I think in some ways I’m a little bit angry atRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – Is Ty Majeski the early favorite heading into Friday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway? His record on short tracks throughout his career would certainly point that way. The 30-year-old Wisconsin native counts those types of tracks as his bread and butter and with the title race being held on the 1.0-mile oval in the Arizona desert, that short track prowess could be the advantage he and his No. 98 ThorSport Racing team to be able to hoist theRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Since the end of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, the entire industry has been waiting on pins and needles to see what the sanctioning body’s reaction would be to the apparent race manipulation undertaken by 23XI Racing, Richard Childress Racing, and Trackhouse Racing in the closing laps. On Tuesday, we got our answer. NASCAR took a deep dive into the data following the race and determined the No. 23 of 23XI Racing, the No. 1 from Trackhouse, and the No. 3 from RCRRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor The final laps of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway were full of drama, centered on two drivers battling it out for the final transfer spot into the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4. William Byron was fading fast, trying to hold off the drivers behind him in order to maintain his place inside the top four of the standings, while Christopher Bell was mired back in the pack, just hoping to have a chance to steal that position away. Byron would be followed by two fellowRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Close, but no cigar. Over the course of the final five laps of Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, both Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin could taste victory and a berth in the NASCAR Cup Series championship race, but by the time the checkered flag waved, they were left with only disappointment. Hamlin held the point at the start of the final restart, with Blaney hot on his heels as the two drivers dueled it out for the win. However, there was another challengerRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Christopher Bell was the class of the field all day long in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but he’ll have to settle for a disappointing runner-up finish instead of what looked to be an inevitable win. After starting on pole, the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led 63 of the first 80 laps in the first stage, where he would finish second to Tyler Reddick. Bell would go on to lead an additional 92 laps and the secondRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Lady Luck giveth and Lady Luck taketh away. NASCAR Cup Series regular season champion Tyler Reddick looked as if he was in Lady Luck’s good graces early in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after pocketing a stage win in the first stage of the race. However, just as luck can change on a dime in a Las Vegas casino, the same happened for the driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota in the second stage when he found himself pinned onRead More