NASCAR Playoffs Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The “Monster Mile” didn’t waste time to snake bit drivers in Saturday’s Use Your Melon. Drive Sober 200 at Dover International Speedway and playoff drivers weren’t exempted from the typical madness. On the opening lap of the 200-lap race, Tyler Reddick’s No. 2 Freightliner Chevrolet Camaro slid heading into the treacherous backstretch and slapped the wall, causing a massive ripple effect in NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs. Fellow playoff contender Justin Allgaier also got loose and nearly hit the wall, but the main focus was on HarrisonRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer A new chapter into NASCAR’s future has few perks as they’re further separating themselves from tradition once more. For what? To spice things up like its a game of Russian roulette? First off, I applaud the sport for making the Southern 500 at Darlington the playoff opener. A crown jewel event is the ultimate ideal start of the postseason and makes the most nostalgic weekend even sweeter. Their attempt of a doubleheader at Pocono sounds promising, but I’m not crazy about doubleheaders in major motorsports exceptRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer HOMESTEAD, Fla. – The talk of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season was all around the ‘Big Three’ of Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. Rightfully so, given that the trio went to victory lane in 20 (Busch – 8, Harvick – 8 and Truex – 4) of the 35 races heading into Sunday’s championship finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. On paper, the deck was stacked against the Middletown, Connecticut native. Logano was the only driver of the Championship 4 without aRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer HOMESTEAD, Fla. –With eight victories heading into Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kyle Busch was having a career year, tying a personal-best mark with victories and setting career-highs in top-fives (21) and top-10s (27). However, Busch’s No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota lacked rear grip throughout the race and struggled on pit road. It was an atypical performance from one of the strongest teams of the season when it counted the most. “We just didn’t have the rear grip thatRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer HOMESTEAD, Fla. – After pacing all three rounds of qualifying on Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Cole Custer appeared to be the favorite, especially when taking into account his domination of last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Ford EcoBoost 300. In 2017, he led 182 of the 200 scheduled laps – a race record – and set the record average speed for an Xfinity Series race at the track (136.140 mph). After the first two stages of Saturday’s race, it was déjà vu as Custer led all 90Read More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer HOMESTEAD, Fla. – The clear favorite heading into the championship race on Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway was Christopher Bell. The Norman, Oklahoma native had a stellar rookie campaign in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, winning seven times to break the rookie record for wins in a season (previously five, set by Greg Biffle – 2001, Kyle Busch – 2004 and Carl Edwards – 2005). Bell qualified second in the No. 20 GameStop Transformers Toyota and was scored in the sixth position at the end of StageRead More

Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Score one for the underfunded teams as Brett Moffitt and Hattori Racing Enterprises took the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship on Friday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Moffitt led a race-high 59 laps in the Ford EcoBoost 200 and beat pole sitter Grant Enfinger to the checkered flag by 2.000 seconds for his sixth victory of the season. The 2018 season was a constant battle for funding for the team owned by former driver Shigeaki Hattori of Japan, with the low point being theRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Grant Enfinger turned a lap at 169.348 mph in the No. 98 Champion Power Equipment Ford to take the top spot for Friday night’s Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was the second pole of 2018 and the third of Enfinger’s career in his 60th start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. “Our truck has been driving good all day even from when we first unloaded,” said Enfinger. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in the truck and a really good team behindRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer HOMESTEAD, Fla. – The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series kicked off the final race day of the 2018 season with a pair of practice sessions on Friday morning at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Championship contender Johnny Sauter paced the opening 50-minute practice session in the No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet with a lap at 170.465 mph as 30 trucks recorded a time. Fellow championship contender Brett Moffitt was third in the No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota. Justin Haley was sixth in the No. 24 GMS RacingRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer HOMESTEAD, Fla. – The first question for Justin Haley during the Championship 4 press conference  for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was regarding the underdog label many have put on the 19-year-old driver, the youngest of the four championship contenders. “It’s going to be the label even when I win it,” Haley said. “And it’s not underdog, it’s dark horse. Yeah, it’s dark horse, and we were the seventh seed going into the playoffs. No one even really had us going into the round of six. ARead More