All posts by Toby Christie

Toby Christie is a contributing writer for Motorsports Tribune. He has been watching stock cars turn left since 1993, and has covered NASCAR as an accredited media member since 2007. Toby is a proud member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA). Additionally, Toby is a lifelong Miami Dolphins fan, sub-par guitarist and he is pretty good around a mini-golf course.

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Saturday night at Gateway Motorsports Park, John Wes Townley and Spencer Gallagher did not cement the foundation of friendship. On lap 144, Gallagher made contact which sent Townley crashing in turn one. Not to be outdone, Townley returned the favor 10 laps later. This impact ended both drivers’ night. What ensued after the crash was kind of hilarious. Townley bull rushed Gallagher and knocked him to the ground, Gallagher grabbed Townley’s legs and pulled him to the ground. The two then got back to their feetRead More
By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Over the course of his Sprint Cup Series career, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s biggest Achilles Heal had been Sonoma Raceway. Through his first 14 starts at the track, Earnhardt had never recorded a top-10 finish. He even once threatened to blow the track up with dynamite to demonstrate his frustration with the weaving and winding track in the land of wine. However things began to take a turn for Earnhardt at Sonoma two seasons ago. That year he qualified a lackluster 17th, but when the raceRead More
By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor No team has been stronger in 2016 than the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. Led by reigning champion, Kyle Busch, the team sports seven victories through the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ first 15 races of the year. However the team has a huge problem shaping, and it’s one that many other teams probably wish they had to deal with — they have too many talented drivers, and not enough cars to put them in. Currently the Sprint Cup Series team is packed-full with Busch, Carl Edwards, DennyRead More
SHOW #416 – Guest: Brennan Poole – We recap the Xfinity/Trucks Iowa weekend, Jeff Gordon on a short list, Jimmie Johnson gets a Nick Nom, Chase is marketable, Dale Jr. wears a hat, plus a full road course preview of Sonoma. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Toby Christie DOWNLOAD HERE CREDITS: Hosts: Kerry Murphey & Toby Christie Executive Producer: Kerry Murphey Music: Russell Nash Audio Director Voice Over: Thomas Moog SUBSCRIBE FREE HERE RSS FEED RADIO STATIONS CLICK HERE SUBSCRIBE FROM iTUNES: Take us with you! Subscribe to our audioRead More
SHOW #415 – Driver Spotlight: Daniel Suarez, we recap the Michigan race weekend, tell you what some drivers are doing for the off weekend, #42 busted again, who is on Forbes richest list from NASCAR, ThorSport burns, a full Iowa preview, plus we unveil the all new Final Lap logo (like it?) Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Toby Christie DOWNLOAD HERE CREDITS: Hosts: Kerry Murphey & Toby Christie Executive Producer: Kerry Murphey Music: Russell Nash Audio Director Voice Over: Thomas Moog SUBSCRIBE FREE HERE RSS FEED RADIO STATIONS CLICK HERERead More
By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Following a third-place finish in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, we learned that Kyle Larson’s car failed post race laser inspection. As a result we knew there would be punishments, Wednesday we learned as to what extent the team would be punished as NASCAR sent out it’s penalty report. The No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team received a P3 penalty in Michigan post-race inspection. As a result, driver Kyle Larson and team owner Chip Ganassi have each been docked 15 championship pointsRead More
By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Kyle Larson, who was without his full-time crew chief Chad Johnston this week, because of a lug nut violation at Pocono Raceway has failed post-race inspection following the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Larson came home with an impressive third-place finish, but according to NASCAR his No. 42 Target Chevrolet, prepared this week by interim crew chief Philip Surgen, fell outside of the tolerance on the laser scanner following the event. A NASCAR Spokesperson states that any penalties stemming from this violation willRead More
By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor I’m sure I sound like a broken record by now, but Kyle Larson is closing in on finding victory lane in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  Racing this week without his crew chief, Chad Johnston (suspended after a lug nut violation in Pocono) Larson qualified seventh for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan, and he was in contention all day long thanks to some great work on restarts. “My restarts were pretty good,” Larson said after the race. “You’ve got to have a good guy behindRead More
By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor Jimmie Johnson had a decent day going in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan. He started from the 16th spot, but by the mid-point of the race, Johnson had emerged as a solid top-10 car. He even led four laps during a cycle of green flag stops from lap 99 to lap 102. But at lap 162, things began to come undone for the six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. Trevor Bayne and Johnson were battling for position, when Bayne washed up the track and intoRead More
By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor It’s been an odd season for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Usually, if you’re an Earnhardt fan, you circle the restrictor plate races and Michigan on the schedule as places where the No. 88 is expected to contend for victory. At Daytona and Talladega earlier this year, Earnhardt just lost control of his car and crashed out of the events. Sunday on lap 60 at Michigan Earnhardt suffered a similar fate as he slammed into the outside retaining wall at the exit of turn two. This crashRead More