Up to Speed Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The Month of May has finally arrived at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While some aspects of what makes Indy special will look different, but the NTT IndyCar Series are ready to put on a show at “The Racing Capital of the World.” For the first time this season, we’ll see more than 24 entries on the grid. There’ll be extra entries from Arrow McLaren SP and AJ Foyt Racing, driven by Juan Pablo Montoya and Charlie Kimball respectively. In total, 26 cars are taking the greenRead More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor Like Doc Brown and Marty McFly in Back to the Future, the NASCAR Cup Series is time traveling this week, making the jump from the future with the unveiling of the Next Gen cars to celebrating the past with Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway. A staple of the Cup Series since 1950, there are many elements to Darlington that make it a special track. From the egg-shape of the track that features one end narrower than the other as a result of building the track aroundRead More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor There have been some interesting race sponsorship names in the past, but Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway certainly tops them all – and will no doubt garner many laughs along the way. A result of a contest by Busch Beer to support American farmers, fans that donated to the cause were able to put in a name for the race, which would eventually be whittled down to four finalists. The choices came down to The Busch Latte 400, Nectar of the Cobs 400,Read More
By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The first of two NTT IndyCar Series doubleheaders will unfold this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. It also happens to be half of the four-race oval lineup, which sparks some buzz due to it’s waning quantity of races. At the same time, oval racing provides tremendous excitement and changes among the 24-car grid. This weekend will mark the oval debut of Scott McLaughlin, Conor Daly’s return to Carlin, and the return of Brazilians Tony Kanaan and Pietro Fittipaldi. McLaughlin is excited to experience oval racingRead More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor After a three-race stretch of short tracks, the second quarter of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule begins with a visit to Talladega Superspeedway for Sunday’s running of the GEICO 500. The first nine races of the season have embodied unpredictability, with eight different winners in the first quarter of the season. That trend is likely to continue this weekend as superspeedway racing, especially at Talladega, is all about unpredictability. Since opening its doors in 1969, the 2.66-mile track just off Interstate 20 in Eastern AlabamaRead More
By Luis Torres, Staff Writer For the second time in six months, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg takes center stage for the NTT IndyCar Series. While it was intended to be this season’s opening round, that honor went to Barber Motorsports Park last Sunday. That race certainly had a mixed bag of cars setting themselves apart due to excellent strategy. Look no further than Alex Palou, who won the opening round and determined to continue his momentum in Florida. “We’re coming from our first win to a streetRead More
By Luis Torres, Staff Writer It might’ve taken the NTT IndyCar Series a month later to kickoff the 2021 campaign, but the time has finally come. While the season won’t start at St. Petersburg, another fan favorite circuit known as Barber, will certainly fill the void. The unique 2.3-mile circuit will be the site of what may be viewed as a stacked roster consisting of established IndyCar stars, guys looking for a career revival, and former champions across multiple disciplines. No question, all 24 drivers have one vision and that’sRead More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor After a weekend away for the first break of the 2021 season, the NASCAR Cup Series gets back to business Saturday night with a trip to southern Virginia for the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. A mainstay on the schedule since 1949, the historic half-mile, which is also the smallest on the circuit, will test both man and machine over 500 grueling laps. As has been the case for the last year and a half, no practice, no qualifying, just line up andRead More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor A year after the COVID-19 pandemic threw the brakes on the 2020 season, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the epicenter of where it all came to a screeching halt – Atlanta Motor Speedway. The series would return to the 1.5-mile quad oval later in the year to make up the rescheduled Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, albeit without spectators. Fast forward to this Sunday and NASCAR’s best will have a limited number of fans in the stands to cheer them on as they tackle Atlanta’sRead More
By David Morgan, Associate Editor This time last year, Phoenix served as the last race before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold across the sports landscape, sending all of us, NASCAR included into our new normal. A year later, with the effects of the pandemic still being felt, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Arizona desert to take on Phoenix Raceway and Sunday’s Instacart 500, in what could be a preview of the championship race when the 2021 season wraps up at the one-mile oval in November. Through the first fourRead More