Category: Showcase

One month in and the NASCAR racing season is already throwing oddities at the odds. Changes for 2023 made interesting news leading into the season. The early spotlight was bright on Jimmie Johnson who is coming back with a limited driving season. The new team, Legacy Motor Club, formerly Petty GMS Motorsports, will run Johnson’s #84 Chevy.

Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty

Johnson’s first run back in the Cup car was Daytona. The attention on Johnson was almost ceremonial as welcomes and interviews took place. The on track racing, however, took over quickly. Crashes and cautions did take a toll but it was still a bit of surprise to see Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. take the win for the small JTG Daugherty racing team.

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr – JTG Daugherty Racing – Daytona 500 winner, 2023

The M&Ms characters exit from the iconic colors of the #18 Gibbs Toyota which also focused attention on the transfer of Kyle Busch to a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was an off season story. A Busch win was likely in 2023 but, perhaps, not so early on as the second race of the season. Some seat time to get used to the new team would have been expected but Busch put the #8 in Victory Lane at Auto Club.

Kyle Busch notches an early season win in the new #8 with Richard Childress Racing

Is it a surprise, or simply ironic, that William Byron with a Liberty University sponsor wins at Sin City? Granted, the #24 was sporting the Raptor colors for the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube but Byron and Liberty have a long association. The Vegas racing dealt all the cards at Byron as he took the stages and the win.

William Byron takes the checkered, and the stages, at Las Vegas (March 5, 2023)

There are also the questions concerning Chase Elliott. He took a tumble at Vail on a snowboard and is out of the #9 for a while recovering from a broken leg. How long he is out is currently set at 6 races. Josh Berry took the #9 seat at Vegas and will do so for most that Chase is out. IMSA driver Jordan Taylor is tapped to run in Texas for Circuit Of The Americas.

Chase Elliott, out for several races due to a snowboarding injury

If the race count checks, our math has Chase Elliott back in the #9 Chevy at Martinsville. April is a big month for NASCAR in Virginia. Richmond, Bristol (Tennessee, but… yeah…) and Martinsville are on tap. Phoenix, Atlanta and Texas remain for March.

Virginia, however, does not have to wait. Good racing is coming in March. Season openers are on track from Franklin County to Dominion, from Lonesome Pine to Langley, and practically every track with a flag and a gate.

Get those short track tickets for some hot laps before those big NASCAR rigs pull into town. Racing is coming, Virginia. Your support keeps it hot.

There was a lot to look at coming into Daytona. Kevin Harvick announcing his last season… Jimmie Johnson coming back… Kyle Busch in a Chevy…

With all of that, the NASCAR opener also signals the waking of racing across the country. Some tracks in the southern regions are already turning laps. NASCAR notes had already focused on a young woman (Katie Hettinger) taking the checkers at New Smyrna leading into Daytona weekend.

Some nice weather and and an open invitation had Virginia tracks turning some early practice laps as NASCAR was focused on the Great American Race. Among those was Motor Mile Speedway hosting a Daytona watch party in the suites and an open practice session for drivers and teams. This was a great opportunity to check how those winter builds and changes added up to track performance. It was also a good way to get some fans to the track to build some interest in the upcoming season.

We should also note, in this area of Virginia, Franklin County Speedway was hosting some lap sessions while Natural Bridge was working on track and structures.

Motor Mile, however, has some early traction as the SuperStar Racing Experience (SRX Racing) has Motor Mile on the schedule. There is also a partnership with Lonesome Pine Raceway that should make some waves in Southwest Virginia racing. Lonesome Pine is set for a season opener featuring the SMART Modifieds in March.

For Daytona, the “500” ended much the same as the Xfinity race the evening before. Some late race wrecks put the pressure on for another overtime green, white, checker finish. The speed and close racing put Aric Almirola into Travis Pastrana which set a spinning mess in motion. However, final lap rules played out again and the caution landed on the Kroger #47 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr for the win.

22023 Daytona 400 Winner – Ricky Stenhouse, Jr

Photo Gallery from Motor Mile Speedway – Open Practice, February 19, 2023

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Daytona, NASCAR… Throw a bit of controversy in the mix… The result is the Xfinity “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner 300″…

Yes, there were cautions and lead changes but it was Austin Hill with the checkered flag. (Again… He won last year, also)

Hill started on the pole and was in the front bunch for the most part. It was the last lap, however, that has some people looking a little closer. Sam Mayer made a hot move to get in front but speed, air, tight racing and an attempted block brought his Accelerate Chevy down on the other cars which threw the back out and into the wall. The result was a flip and roof slide that, fortunately, tossed the car back on the wheels as it came to a stop. Mayer was later checked and released OK from medical.

Sam Mayer, last lap at Daytona. Xfinity – Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner 300

The question becomes the caution and the timing. NASCAR last lap caution rules are based on who is in front at the “time of caution”. This has some #7 Justin Allgaier in a twist as he was in front as the #1 went loose, hit the wall, and was already flipped when the caution lights and flags came out.

Mayer already backwards and beginning to flip – Caution not yet on – Justin Allgaier (#7) has the lead

Call it maybe 2 seconds… 2 and a half… Maybe…? In that small span of reaction time to the events on the track, Hill had gotten by Allgaier as those lights came on. With that, NASCAR set the timing on the video replay to the timing of the caution “ON” and gave Hill the win.

Photo Call at the time of the caution.

Allgaier fans are a little upset. Was the caution “late”…? Could the caution have come quicker…?
Best we have is “maybe”. There are fingers on buttons and those fingers are attached to human beings that have eyes on different spots and have reaction times to what they see. At Daytona speeds, those reactions are measured with real distance.

Hill is the winner. Allgaier was third. John H. Nemechek came across in the 2nd slot, which could also be a thing as he was below the yellow apron line. Yes, he was forced down due to the on track action but…

Rules and calls are best left to the officials. Second guessing and hindsight calls are what water coolers are for…

Do we still have those…?

Racing hasn’t changed. Some venues have come and gone and some rules have been modified and the cars have evolved…

But racing hasn’t changed. It is still drive, pass, survive, win…

Now… There are some “fans” that like to pine on the “old days”… The pre “death of Earnhardt” days… The days of “racing was racing”…

They have no real clue what they are on about. They are romanticizing something they think they believe. Was it different? Yes… But the racing hasn’t changed. So… Are those differences really worth the effort of endless complaining?

Different, maybe, in the sense that more manufacturers were involved. However, some manufacturers don’t exist now. Different, perhaps, in the sense that racing did not have the competition of attention that it does now. There is a lot that exists now that hasn’t before. Gaming, video media, more than four TV channels… Different, in the very real sense that those changes “fans” claim have taken racing away from the roots were brought on by the death of the man they throw back to.

Dale Earnhardt’s death at Daytona changed everything and left everything the same. Nobody ever wanted to trailer away a bent up and broken pile of junk that just hours ago was a showcase of effort, money and a lot of time. The cost to replace or fix that for the next race was a big hit and money was, and still is, a strain.

The differences of rules, mechanics and safety have all had to evolve following the death of Dale Earnhardt. The safety changes alone for the drivers forced an evolution of engineering. The safety of the teams lining the pits made changes. The safety of the fans made changes. Those who complain that racing isn’t what it used to be seem to be complaining for the sake of increased injury or death without actually seeing that the effort on the track is what it always has been. Go faster than the others and win…

There is a lot of talk tossed about on stage racing and the “playoff” format. “Just let them race” seems to be a rally cry. They forget the long, “follow the leader” events as drivers held their equipment for the final laps. They seem to have forgotten that the season champion often was decided well before the season had reached the finale. For the most part, these fans had no real grasp of the points system then and haven’t bothered to try to see it now.

They complain because they want to make noise. They complain because they can. They complain because they always have. They complain because they can’t grasp that evolution of technology forces an integration of that evolution into everything.

They complain because the “good ole days” are gone. Those days were never as “good” as they think unless they actually look at why. With that, is it possible that the “changes” they point to in racing are simply something they can spout about without sounding so obviously short-sighted about the changes happening in society around them…?

NASCAR is evolving forward and, finally, embracing many changes that have already been filtering into other motorsports. Formula 1, IMSA, Indy, Rally, Drags… They have all embraced women, people of color and other nationalities… NASCAR makes some moves in that direction and we get “that ain’t racin’!” and “snowflakes are taking over!” and, well… worse.

For the most part, this is a response to a lot of what was spouted about on social media following the LA Coliseum “Clash”. People complained about the format and location and a lot about the rapping and “half time” entertainment. They moaned about the show, the racing and the time.

Well… The show is back at Daytona for the Duels. Will they find something to fuss about now…?

Yes… Of course they will…

Big changes for IMSA and the Rolex 24 are on the grid for 2023. However, unless you are a race fan or “car person” or otherwise involved in motorsport, you might never know. Regular television and their newcasts don’t seem to mention the Rolex or the scale of the race at Daytona as an opening of American racing for the new year. All eyes continue to follow the NFL and the season games leading to the Superbowl.

Now… We’re not saying that the Superbowl is not a big thing. It’s just that a mention or some
“B roll” of the pit area under a voice-over acknowledging that there is an event in Daytona would be appreciated. The number of points of interest create a few good angles to pursue for even a basic preview. After all… Twenty-four hour endurance races don’t happen every day…

For example, the return of the GTP class as the upper end prototype moving into 2023 which replaces the “Daytona Prototype” is a pretty big deal. The “Grand Touring Prototypes” feature Le Mans Daytona hybrids and Le Mans Hypercars allowing manufacturers to showcase and build upon hybrid technology while racing with improved performance. The GTP class was king of the road back in the 1980s into the 90s and the return with new tech should be something to watch into this new season.

GTP then (left) and GTP new for 2023 (right)

Another angle, perhaps, are the drivers and teams running with mixed backgrounds of open wheel and sports car racing. The location, Daytona, also presents the story line as a motorsport focus for the good part of a month. The “Roar”, the Rolex, The NASCAR Duels and the Daytona 500 put Daytona on the international map as a focal point of speed.

For car fans there are even more bits to look at. A large field and variety for this year means more action on the track and more emphasis on manufacturers mixed with driver skill and team performance. Mix that with the racing in the Michelin Pilot Challenge and the manufacturer mix is expanded even further.

Perhaps, a sideways glance with a dash of humor could entice some mention in prime time news. Porsche is having a time with the current race package and the Balance of Performance rules. The new 992-type 911 GT3 R entries are not running with the rest of the pack very well. They are easily 2 to 3 seconds off the pace. After the “Roar” practices and shakedowns, the IMSA ruling on BoP did not offer bump for Porsche. Their confidence, however, in the machine and the teams seems to be holding as they look for performance during the Rolex.

Football seems to be king this time of year. All we are saying is… “Hey… Over here..! There are some things happening that might have some interest to your viewers… “

Coverage is on NBC, USA and Peacock for the Rolex 24.
Andy Blackmore Design also has the 2023 Rolex 24 Spotter’s Guide available. This is a race fan “must have” for keeping track of who is who in what out on the track!

There is a lot of racing coming up. Here in Virginia, the Rolex 24 has a lot of connections. The GTD Pro / GTD classes will be racing at Virginia International Raceway later on. Some of these drivers (Hélio Castroneves confirmed) could show up at Motor Mile Speedway for the SRX event later this year. As a lead in to NASCAR, Virginia is to host quite a bit of action.

Put the football down and go racing!

Virginia racing in 2022 raised the bar a bit. There was quite a bit of attention on some profile events. NASCAR, for example, ran up some winning numbers.

Denny Hamlin had his first 2022 win at Richmond in April. Kevin Harvick rolled his second win there in August. Both of these drivers had 2 wins which put both in the playoffs.

William Byron also had 2 wins and a playoff bid with Martinsville hosting one of those in April. The playoff elimination race at Martinsville was also one for the books. Up to the final laps, the race was really conservative. Drivers and teams played the race with caution rather than charge and risk equipment or place. The late laps developed into more of a race but it was Ross Chastain that made the move to be remembered. Running on the outside with his foot on the floor, he drove the wall of turn 3 and 4, literally, to hold speed and pass Hamlin to make run at the “final 4”.

Late Model racing also came down to the wire for the championship. The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series came down to some controversy and tight racing at Motor Mile and Dominion Raceway. Virginia was the focus from the western to the eastern part of the state. Defending Champ Peyton Sellers and Layne Riggs were separated by just a few points. The Motor Mile races ran hot with Sellers in a borrowed car for the wins. Those races were later held out and the Dominion races pushed the points with Riggs on top by 4. Riggs was now the youngest champion. The previous one to hold that distinction was Sellers.

Another big score for Virginia was the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) running at South Boston. Drivers from across the spectrum settled in for national TV network racing showcasing the track and the southside Virginia region. NASCAR and IndyCar stars such as Tony Stewart and Ryan Hunter-Reay were just a couple of highlight drivers running on the historic South Boston asphalt.

Virginia International Raceway has been a national showcase for the state with nothing but growth and support from IMSA (ROLEX 24 level of racing here in VA), Grand-Am, F3/F4 and more. VIR has been consistent with fans and drivers.

Dirt tracks certainly had a good showing with Virginia racing. There is good support from the east at Virginia Motor Speedway to to the west at Wythe Raceway. Winchester in the north to Natural Bridge in south central ran weekly with a good show variety.

Drag racing even had a national return as Virginia Motorsports Park added NHRA Nationals to their busy 2022 schedule.

The result is a strong racing foundation in Virginia grass roots and fan support. For 2023, we’re hoping these events keep the energy high. NASCAR, of course, has 4 appearances (6, if you count Bristol on the Tennessee side) split at Richmond and Martinsville. NHRA may be skipping VMP in 2023 but there will be plenty of other big series running the lights. The SRX series is also back in Virginia with a spot on the Motor Mile schedule! IMSA, SRO and Hyperfest are just some of the returning events for VIR.

Strap in, Virginia… Racing is coming in hot!

Martinsville Speedway has earned a reputation as a “Half Mile of Mayhem”. For NASCAR elimination weekend of October 27-30, 2022 it was maybe just a bit of “trick or treat” for racing mayhem on the track that has so much history.

Let’s be fair. Racing in NASCAR has evolved. The build of the cars, the technology, the safety, the money… It is all a floating combination held together by loose tension and respect that resonates around the garage from track to track. For October of 2022, the setting was there for a “perfect storm” of pushing, rubbing, tapping and all of the tension that puts “mayhem” in Martinsville.

It wasn’t there. Well… It was… A bit. The tension lingered in the background as fans and teams seemed to be expecting something to happen. Halloween weekend as it may have been but the feeling of walking through a “haunted house” expecting a zombie at any moment was a bit how it felt to be at Martinsville.

Everyone expects short track racing to be a slasher film with wrecks and crashes but this weekend at Martinsville, all three races turned out to be more like a suspense thriller. The laps added up. The pressure increased. There may have been a spin or a flat that brought the yellow that released some of the tension. The green dropped and it pushed back up again.

It was this way for all three races. The modified race stacked up and drove over in turn 3 as the white flag waved to checkers. Wheel touches launched one over the other setting the finish win for Corey LaJoie (also racing in the NASCAR Cup series). The turn 3 crash also was also not enough to keep the season championship from points leader Jon McKennedy. The celebration also included the car owner points leader, Tommy Baldwin Racing.

PHOTO GALLERY – NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED – VIRGINIA IS FOR RACING LOVERS 200

The Xfinity series racked up just a bit more. Minor cautions mixed with stages kept a lid on it up until the last 50 laps or so. Stage 1 and 2 traded wins with Brandon Jones and Ty Gibbs. A bunch up in turn 4 at lap 220 caught many and bent up some cars. Another contact at lap 234 put Allmendinger back with damage. A 3 wide attempt set the field for overtime.

The final laps were repeated attempts at green, white, checkers. It was a boiling point on the track as Ty Gibbs walled team mate Brandon Jones setting up a win. Gibbs crossed the line as race fans let him have it with rounding of jeers. During presentations, Ty Gibbs did a “WTF did we just see” kind of thing as he doused the famous Martinsville grandfather clock trophy with Monster energy drink.
The Xfinity series “Championship 4” were set with Noah Gragson, Ty Gibbs, Josh Berry and Justin Allgaier.

PHOTO GALLERY – NASCAR XFINITY SERIES – DEAD ON TOOLS 250

The jeers continued for Ty Gibbs during introductions for Sunday and the NASCAR Cup Xfinity 500. It was something as it pushed the audio displaeasure for Bubba Wallace (after a suspension for wrecking and fighting Kyle Larson) to the back burner. That is how compressed the weekend finale had gotten by race time.

The Cup race ran mostly incident free. There were a few cautions outside of stage finishes but no real “mayhem”. There was certainly less aggression than the day before. However, the sold out crowd was on edge waiting for something to happen. Their patience paid off…

With a championship position on the line, there was a lot of pressure to race and stay in the race. There were some bumps and position changes but clean racing seemed to be the show. It was that same pressure of the championship that made a last lap move come out of desperation.

Christopher Bell made it by Chase Briscoe for the lead coming out of turn 4 and across with 4 laps to go. Denny Hamlin also got by Briscoe placing the #11 a spot or two above the championship bubble. It was the last lap and it looked all but locked as Bell crossed with the win. Hamlin was in a good spot to advance. That is when Ross Chastain, also in the hunt but behind Hamlin, made a bold move that caught everyone off guard.

Denny Hamlin made the entrance to turn 3 as Chastain was accerlerating out of turn 2. Hamlin was 2 seconds and change in front of Chastain. However, has Hamlin was diving on the brakes to enter turn 3, Chastain was on the gas and shifting into the higher range. As Hamlin was accelerating out of turn four towards the checkers, Chastain was still on the gas and on the wall moving forward like a rocket using the right side of the #1 as a groove to hold on. Chastain came to the line, pushing Brad Keselowski with him, passing Hamlin by a nose to take the position and the championship spot in the advance.

It was brilliant, dangerous, wild, crazy and, by all accounts, should not have worked. Tires could have blown, the catch wall could have given, the car could have bounced and spun, other cars could have been caught up, etc… etc… etc…

But it did work. This time. For that, Ross Chastain joins Christopher Bell, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott for a shot at the 2022 Championship in Phoenix.

PHOTO GALLERY – NASCAR CUP – XFINITY 500