In years past, drivers could answer the lingering question of identifying the best restrictor-plate racer in the sport with a single word: Junior.
When it comes to that debate now, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement opens the door like the well-timed development of a third line at Daytona International Speedway.
Austin Dillon called next year’s pit road over-the-wall strategy a game-changer, and he wants be a catalyst for that change at Richard Childress Racing.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in New York City last week for a Road to Daytona 500 media tour and let NASCAR.com tag along.
This whirlwind weekend that spanned two states and bridged together a weekly NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the life milestone of graduating high school ended for Chase Elliott exactly where he wanted. At Iowa Speedway, on the race track, surrounded by his team and with another top-five finish.
At age 23, James Buescher has a wife, a son and a championship
At first, there was only bawling.
It was all Kris Buescher could do at the very moment she realized her husband, James, was going to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 17.
When the green flag dropped on the final restart Saturday night, Chase Elliott had six laps to make up nearly six positions for a coveted top-five spot. And one of the obstacles in the 17-year-old kid’s way was a man nearly 40 years his senior.
The line at Road America stretched past the autograph tables, down a small hill and around a concession stand.
It was teeming with NASCAR fans who waited out a lightning delay, watched a two-plus hour block of practice in the rain, then raced each other to be first in line as the NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers sat down at a row of white tables, Sharpies in hand.
At the very end sat Travis Pastrana, who was the star of the show.
The differences are vast for the 13-member NASCAR Next group that was announced Friday at Iowa Speedway.
The age gap from youngest to oldest is nine years. Three countries and 10 different states are represented, with drivers hailing from such locales as Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Mexico, Nevada and yes, Daytona Beach, Fla.
There is one ingredient that binds this group that has been identified as the next crop of NASCAR’s rising stars, though — they all know how to drive a race car.
With 16-year-old Erik Jones seated to his left and 19-year-old Darrell Wallace Jr. to his right, Joey Coulter was undoubtedly the veteran of the Kyle Busch Motorsports triumvirate of drivers during Wednesday’s appearance at Martinsville Speedway.