NASCAR Mark Martin

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Five Potential Candidates to Fill in for Tony Stewart

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Colby NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Photo - Getty Images
Photo – Getty Images

The farewell tour for three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart is not going the way anyone in the sport could have imagined.

Stewart, who suffered a burst fracture in his back while driving a dune buggy Sunday, January 31, will miss the beginning of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

The entry list shows Ricky Stenhouse Jr will race in lieu of the no. 14 for Stewart in the pre-season, non-points paying event, the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona on February 13th. Also racing in lieu of the no. 24 for the Jeff Gordon, who is now retired, is Casey Mears. Both drivers will continue racing with their existing teams for their season opener, the Daytona 500 on February 21st and beyond.

So now, the biggest question that remains is, who will fill in for Stewart beyond the Sprint Unlimited? There are many drivers without a full-time ride in Sprint Cup or without a ride in any NASCAR division and several candidates from the XFINITY or Camping World Truck Series. Here is a list of five candidates I feel have the best shot to get the ride for at least some of the races, that Stewart will miss.  Continue reading →

Austin Dillon Completes XFINITY Series Sweep at Charlotte

NASCAR Track News Xfinity Series

When NASCAR comes to Charlotte Motor Speedway, Austin Dillon doesn’t mind being a creäture of habit.

After experienced veterans Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne knocked themselves out of contention 151 laps into Friday night’s Drive for the Cure 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at the 1.5-mile track, Dillon streaked away from Erik Jones to win by 2.809 seconds over the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

With the victory, Dillon completed a season sweep at Charlotte, both wins coming from the pole position. The triumph was Dillon’s third of the season in the XFINITY Series and the sixth of his career.

Dillon’s closest call came not on the track, but during the pre-race ceremony. A fireball from one of the skyrockets used to liven up the proceedings dropped out of the evening sky and singed Dillon’s firesuit. Continue reading →

Sonoma: All Gordon All The Time, Except the First Couple of Years

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
SONOMA, CA - JUNE 26: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet, signs autographs for fans during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 26, 2015 in Sonoma, California. Photo - Chris Trotman/Getty Images
SONOMA, CA – JUNE 26: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet, signs autographs for fans during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 26, 2015 in Sonoma, California. Photo – Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Jeff Gordon will retire as the winningest driver in Sonoma Raceway history. Despite more than 20 years of dominance at the track, winning did not always come easy for the California native. Continue reading →

Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan Preview

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

13 Quicken Loans 400_2C

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Next Race: Quicken Loans 400

The Place: Michigan International Speedway

The Date: Sunday, June 14

The Time: 1 p.m. (ET)

TV: FOX Sports 1, 11:30 a.m. (ET)

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

Distance: 400 miles (200 laps)

Truex Triumphs At Pocono, Carries Momentum To Michigan

Martin Truex Jr. finally closed the deal.

The No. 78 Furniture Row Racing driver led the most laps for the fourth consecutive race in last weekend’s Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 at Pocono Raceway and fended off defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick for his first win of the season. Continue reading →