Up to Speed Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The Month of May” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is here with the GMR Grand Prix kicking the three-week journey for the NTT IndyCar Series. A field of 27 drivers will embark on what could be another unpredictable grand prix on the 2.439-mile road course. Why the unpredictability? Simple answer being weather. Over the last two years, rain parlayed a key role into the race with Rinus VeeKay (2021) and Colton Herta (2022) conquering the madness. Although initial weather reports indicated heavy downpour and thunderstorms on raceRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor The Monster Mile. Bristol on steroids. No matter the nickname, Dover Motor Speedway lives up to the hype as being one of the most physically demanding racetracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. One of just a few concrete tracks currently in use by NASCAR’s top division, drivers have likened a lap around the one-mile oval to riding a rollercoaster, as they drop off the straightaways into the turns before rocketing back uphill on corner exit. By the time the checkered flag flies on Sunday’s runningRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Following last week’s open test session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the drivers shift their focus to Barber Motorsports Park, the final site before “The Month of May” kicks into high gear. Although the race has a new name with Children’s of Alabama replacing Honda as the event title sponsor, the same action and intensity folks love about the road course remains the same. A popular venue amongst drivers and fans, Barber is a venue where some competitors never forget if things fall short. Among thoseRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor TALLADEGA, Ala. — From the smallest track on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule to the largest. Following last weekend’s race on the flat half-mile of Martinsville, it’s on to the biggest and baddest track on the circuit – the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway and Sunday’s running of the GEICO 500. Since opening its doors in 1969, the track just off Interstate 20 in Eastern Alabama has been a wild card on the schedule with the unpredictable nature of superspeedway racing on full display over the past half-century,Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor After playing in the dirt last weekend, it’s back to the asphalt this weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series gets set for Sunday’s running of the NOCO 400 at Martinsville A mainstay on the schedule since 1949, the historic half-mile in southern Virginia, which is also the smallest on the circuit, will test both man and machine over the course of the afternoon and is a place where bent sheet metal and hurt feelings are all but inevitable. Given that Martinsville serves as the final raceRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is one of INDYCAR’s most prestigious events of the season and for a valid reason. A former stop in the Formula One World Championship from 1976-1983, American Open Wheel Racing have since kept the Southern California street course alive and vibrant. More than any other street courses, Long Beach has had the luxury of having stability which has kept the venue on the calendar on an annual basis. Fans pack the venue to see various racing disciplines, ranging fromRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer The future of Texas Motor Speedway has become the focal point of the INDYCAR paddock, press and fans alike over the past few years. With the second round of the championship trail drawing near, there’s still such an unknown about the once revered 1.5-mile oval’s future. However, there’s some buzz going into this weekend’s PPG 375. Among the positives is a promising crowd showing up to support Pato O’Ward, who captured his maiden INDYCAR win in Texas two years ago. In fact, O’Ward bought an entireRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Following a marathon Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas last weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series heads back to the short tracks starting with Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway. Often described as the perfectly designed race track by drivers, the 0.75-mile track lends itself to not only short track characteristics of beating and banging, but also the characteristics of a larger track with the side-by-side racing that will take place throughout the event. Though the track has lost some of its luster in recentRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Serving as the United States home for Formula 1 since opening in 2012, the Circuit of The Americas plays host to some good ol’ American Muscle this weekend when the NASCAR Cup Series comes to town for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. The 20-turn, 3.41-mile road course sitting just outside of Austin, Texas is the first of six road courses for the Cup Series to visit in 2023 and will give drivers and teams their first look at some new rules for the road courses thisRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor After a three-week stint out west, the NASCAR Cup Series is much closer to home this weekend as it heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second superspeedway race of the season – Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400. Atlanta’s aging racing surface, which had been in place since 1997, held together as long as possible, but the 260 laps around the 1.5-mile track in July 2021 were the last on that particular surface as the track underwent a repave and reconfiguration for the 2022 season. The 24-degreeRead More