Cliff Daniels Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor FORT WORTH, Texas – The Lone Star State comes calling this weekend when the NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Texas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s running of the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Texas first joined the circuit in 1997, but back in 2017 went through a reconfiguration, dropping the banking in Turns 1 and 2 from 24 degrees to 20 degrees, as well as widening the racing surface from 60 feet to 80 feet. Meanwhile, Turns 3 and 4 remain banked at 24 degrees and 60 feetRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – Ryan Blaney has struck the first blow of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway by timing in the fastest of the four title contenders in the lone practice session of the weekend. The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford put up a lap of 27.602 seconds, 130.425 mph early in the 50-minute session, putting him third on the overall leaderboard and he would not be moved for the remainder of evening. Christopher Bell followed Blaney in practice at fourth-fastestRead More

There is more work to be done but NASCAR is back at its oldest venue after a 27 year hiatus.Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Following last Sunday’s United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway, all eyes were on NASCAR penalty day to see what penalties, if any, would stem from the weekend in the Arizona desert. On Wednesday, the report was released, with a number of teams caught in the sanctioning body’s crosshairs. Most notably, Hendrick Motorsports had the hammer dropped on them for the hood louvers that were taken from all four team cars after practice. Though the team still dominated on Sunday with new parts, a cloudRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor AVONDALE, Ariz. – As Chase Elliott was driving his way toward winning the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship last season, Hendrick Motorsports’ newest hire was keeping a keen eye on the proceedings back at the shop in North Carolina. That driver was Kyle Larson. Signed by Hendrick after losing his ride with Chip Ganassi Racing just four races into 2020 due to the use of a racial slur on iRacing, Larson’s path to redemption also became a path toward becoming a Cup Series champion. After watchingRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer PHOENIX – Kyle Larson has been the driver everyone’s been trying to beat in the NASCAR Cup Series all season. After 35 hard fought and demanding races, it’ll come down to the 312-lap finale at Phoenix Raceway where Larson will look to cap off a dream year with a championship. Not only is Larson determined to give it his all to win the title, he’ll also look to become the first man since Jimmie Johnson in 2007 to win 10 races in a season. The Californian willRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The announcements just keeps on hitting left and right as three announcements have taken place in the world of NASCAR over the past 24 hours with plenty more to come. Plenty positives, but some I’m simply skeptical due to the fact it has some implications, ranging from a specific driver to the status of one race team. Here are some of my takeaways from each of those confirmations involving Alex Bowman, Daniel Suarez and Hailie Deegan. Bowman Succeeds Another NASCAR Icon In a clever socialRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer A day removed from the sad and alarming news of Jimmie Johnson and his wife Chandra testing positive for COVID-19, the race must go on without the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion for the first time since Loudon in November 2001. Filling in the prestigious role for Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be Xfinity Series regular Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports, looking to make the absolute most out of driving the No. 48 Ally Financial Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 after getting the call fromRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Hours after bringing home his best finish of the season with a runner-up result in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson received the news that his No. 48 Chevrolet failed post-race inspection, resulting in a disqualification. The disqualification drops Johnson to last in the running order for Sunday’s race and means he will also have to start the next Cup Series race, which takes place on Wednesday at Charlotte, from the tail end of the field. NASCAR Cup Series managing director Jay FabianRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season for the full-time drivers in the series leading into February’s running of the Daytona 500. Age: 44 Years in Cup: 19 Career Wins: 83 Accomplishments: Seven Cup Series championships (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016) One last ride. After announcing over the offseason that the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season would be his last, Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team are gearing up to send the greatest driver of his generation off withRead More