All posts by David Morgan

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BRISTOL, Tenn. – Matt DiBenedetto was 12 laps away from a lifelong dream being realized as he held the lead in Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Unfortunately for the driver of the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota, that dream would not come true as Denny Hamlin passed him on lap 489, leaving DiBenedetto to watch Hamlin’s car pull away through his windshield en route to the victory. A dejected DiBenedetto fought back tears on pit road afterRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BRISTOL, Tenn. – Earlier this week, Matt DiBenedetto finally got the news he had been dreading. Despite being in the midst of a career year, he would not be returning to the driver’s seat of the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota next season. The Grass Valley, California native classified the news as “devastating” when it was released, but after some time to process what had happened, the always optimistic DiBenedetto did his best to keep a smile on his face despite the uncertainty thatRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BRISTOL, Tenn. – Clint Bowyer heads into Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway clinging onto the last place in the Playoffs for dear life with just three races left in the regular season. After finishes of 20th or worse in three of the last four events, any misstep by the driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford could spell doom for his hopes of making it into the postseason with a chance to contend for the championship. “SnakebitRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BRISTOL, Tenn. – A day after the NASCAR world held its breath as word of Dale Earnhardt, Jr’s plane crash spread like wildfire, Justin Allgaier was well on his way to bringing some good news to his team owner courtesy of a win in Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. However, it was not to be as a cut tire struck Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the closing laps, forcing him to pit road and having to settle forRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BRISTOL, Tenn. – Under bright blue skies in East Tennessee, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series got its first look at Bristol Motor Speedway ahead of Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. After what was a mostly one groove race in Thursday night’s Truck Series race at the track, it was much of the same in first practice on Friday. Erik Jones, who led both Xfinity Series practices on Thursday, was once again at the top of the board in the first ofRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Thunder Valley this weekend for the annual Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, a showdown under the lights on the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” that is sure to leave sheet metal twisted and tempers flaring once these drivers get done battling for 500 laps. Racing at Bristol is always intense, but when the lights go down for the night race each August, the intensity gets cranked to 11. The aggressiveness thatRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BRISTOL, Tenn. – Ross Chastain noted he and his team were going to “Press the Attack” in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoffs and starting with Thursday night’s UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the driver of the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet held true to his word. Chastain started the night on the outside pole, leading the majority of the first stage and taking the stage win. It was much of the same in the second stage, with Chastain and eventual race winnerRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BRISTOL, Tenn. – It wouldn’t be a race at Bristol Motor Speedway without tempers flaring at one point or another during the event. In Thursday night’s UNOH 200, it was two playoff drivers in Stewart Friesen and Matt Crafton that butted heads in the final stage of the race. Battling for position on lap 152, Friesen and Crafton got together, sending Friesen for a spin in Turn 4. Though Friesen was able to gather his Chevrolet back up with minimal damage, he was quick toRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BRISTOL, Tenn. – Ross Chastain has always been an aggressive driver, but since making the decision to switch from competing for the championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series to the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series in mid-summer, the Alva, Florida native has been showing he is a force to be reckoned with behind the wheel. As the Truck Series Playoffs start with Thursday night’s running of the UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Chastain carries in a series leading three wins among drivers competing forRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Bristol Night Race is always a race that is circled on the calendar each year for the sheer entertainment value the event provides and the classic moments that have occurred in the race over the years. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. started on the front row for the August 2002 running of the famed race in front of a packed house. When all was said and done, the fans would be sure to remember what would transpire in the 500Read More