Each week after the race, I will take a look at our two Rookie of the Year (ROTY) contenders and any other drivers deemed a “rookie.”

Like a professor, a grade will be provided for their performance on the track.  All things considered, a high finish doesn’t necessarily mean a good grade, as a bad finish doesn’t always result in a bad grade.

Let’s take a look at how our two ROTY contenders fared following the STP 500 at Martinsville.

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.:

Much like the weather was not nice to Martinsville, Martinsville was not nice to Bubba Wallace.Wallace and the No.43 team seemed to struggle at the short track, though this is not uncommon for Rookie drivers.

Trouble started early with a pit road violation on Lap 53 after Wallace was caught speeding. At a track like Martinsville, even small penalties like this can put a drive a lap or two down. Just a few laps later on Lap 65, Wallace collides with JJ Yeley and continues to lose positions. Radio chatter indicated a possible flat tire on the No.43. Just 5 laps later, he’s dropped to 38th and dragging his right front splitter and hits pit road for repairs. His team finally took the car tot he garage for repairs, losing many laps but NASCAR allowed them back on track.

By the end of Stage 1, Wallace was at the end of the 38-car field and 6 laps down.

Stage 2 didn’t fair much better. Wallace did pick up a few positions but ended the stage laps down from the leaders. At the end of the race, he finished 34th and 16 laps down from the leaders.

STP 500 Grade: B-

Notes: Damage at Martinsville is pretty much inevitable. What happened to Wallace wasn’t really avoidable but it cost him a good race. The important thing to note here is that he logged most of the laps. Granted, those laps were run injured, but they were laps logged at one of the sports toughest tracks. No doubt that Wallace will come back to Martinsville next time and be better for it all.

William Byron:

There isn’t much to say this week for William Byron. The rookie ran a good race… and that is about all he did. The important thing to note here is that he stayed out of trouble and logged laps. Byron started 20th and finished in the same position, running mid-pack throughout much of the race. Martinsville is a track where teammate Jimmie Johnson has had a lot of success and the Hendrick Motorsports team has a good record of bringing fast cars to the short track. This definitely played into Byron’s favor.

Byron completed all but 3 laps of the STP 500. The rookie took to Twitter following the race saying, “tough day for us but glad to put in a full race to know what’s most important for next time.” That is the important thing to take away from your first trip to a track like Martinsville… finding out what works and what doesn’t, and to run a better race next time.

STP 500 Grade: B

Notes: While Byron didn’t make any headlines this week, he didn’t run a bad race. The best thing he can do is review his team notes, and maybe have a sit-down with Jimmie Johnson before returning to Martinsville.

Link to the original article

Each week after the race, I will take a look at our two Rookie of the Year (ROTY) contenders and any other drivers deemed a “rookie.”

Like a professor, a grade will be provided for their performance on the track.  All things considered, a high finish doesn’t necessarily mean a good grade, as a bad finish doesn’t always result in a bad grade.

Let’s take a look at how our two ROTY contenders fared following the Auto Club 400 at Fontana.

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.

Well…he finished.

There isn’t much to say about Bubba Wallace from his run at Auto Club Speedway but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Wallace piloted the No. 43 to a respectable 20th place finish on Sunday, just one spot lower than where he put her on the starting grid.

Leading up to the race, he made a handful of practice laps. Additionally, he was mid-pack on the speed charts, a good indication of what was to come on Sunday.

While Wallace didn’t do anything spectacular or noteworthy on Sunday, he logged all but one lap of the race and crossed the finish line in one piece and added more notes to his race book for future use.

Wallace continues to lead the ROTY contest by three points as the series heads to Martinsville.

Grade: B

Notes: The west coast swing wasn’t anything spectacular for Wallace and the No.43 team, but Martinsville should be. Wallace has had some success at the Paperclip. I’m excited to see him take on this track and I am expecting big things this weekend.

William Byron

William Byron stayed largely out of the way during the Auto Club 400. After sitting in the top-20 throughout the three practice sessions, Byron found himself starting 29th, a result of not making a qualifying attempt on Friday.

It didn’t take long for Byron and his team to make up ground. In fact, Byron ran in the top-20 throughout most of the race, even finishing in the top-10 in Stage 2.

Damage to the nose of his Chevrolet did seem to slow him down a bit towards the end of the race.  However, he came home with a top-15 finish to end his West Coast Swing.

Grade: B

Notes: Every track that William Byron comes across during the first half of this season is new, in a way. This rookie hadn’t logged any laps in the Cup car during a race until Daytona. That said, he has done well running with the big guys during the start of the season. Ultimately, the real test might just be coming at Martinsville.

Link to the original article

Each week after the race, as in the case with the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, I will take a look at our two Rookie of the Year (ROTY) contenders and any other drivers deemed a “rookie.”
Like a professor, a grade will be provided for their performance on the track.  All things considered, a high finish doesn’t necessarily mean a good grade, as a bad finish doesn’t always result in a bad grade.
Let’s take a look at how our two ROTY contenders fared following Atlanta.
After a fun-filled Daytona 500, our two rookie drivers had a bit of a while ride at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.:



After a great second place run at Daytona, Wallace found himself in a different position at Atlanta. The rough surface proved to be a tough opponent for the young driver.
Wallace and the No. 43 team brought a fast car to Atlanta, laying down quick laps during the two practice sessions and logging some much-needed time on track before raceday.
After starting 19th, Wallace ran a respectable and largely uneventful performance in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.  Unfortunately for Wallace, he ran into some trouble late in the run. Actually, he really just ran in to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. following an engine blow-up from Trevor Bayne.
Consequently, the No.43 sustained significant damage to the nose of the car and lost time on pit road as his team made repairs. In the end, Wallace finished six laps down in 32nd.
Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Grade: C
Notes: Wallace ran a good race at Atlanta. He didn’t take too many risks and would have finished mid-pack had it not been for the wreck with Stenhouse Jr.

William Byron:



Atlanta Motor Speedway was a great learning track for William Byron. The young driver did nothing spectacular over the 500 miles, but ran a good and respectable race. Through the two practice sessions, Byron and his team made a number of adjustments to the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet to earn a 23rd starting spot.
Byron dropped to the back early in the race with a loose racecar, saying he felt that something was broken. After the competition caution, it was found that the tires had corded. Following the caution and a great pit stop, Byron climbed to mid-pack and largely stayed there throughout the rest of the race. Byron finished the race 18th and two laps down.
Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Grade: B
Notes: He may not have finished on the lead lap. However, Byron and his No. 24 team gained a lot of experience at Atlanta that they can take with them throughout the season. Las Vegas should be a good race for Bryon. With a test session under his belt there, some track familiarity should suit him well.

Link to the original article

“Danica Sue, this is for you!”  Those were the words said to Danica Patrick by Darrell Waltrip when the cars took to the track for “The Great American Race.”
Just a few months ago in Homestead-Miami Speedway, NASCAR’s lone female full-time driver announced her retirement from the track. Amid tears, 35-year-old Danica Patrick said she was done, but she still had two more races left: the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500.
It was dubbed the “Danica Double” which comprised of two of the biggest races in motorsports.
More importantly, they were the two races that made Danica Patrick into a household name.
So the Story BeginsDanica Patrick stepped into the IndyCar Series as a fairly unknown racer in 2005. However, that didn’t last long.
By and large, Patrick’s showing in the 2005 Indy 500 kicked off what became known as “Danica Mania.”  Suddenly, the accolades and “firsts” for a woman in motorsports began piling up.
Patrick ran the full schedule in the IndyCar Series from 2005-2011.  Sadly, her final race was the season finale in ’11, a race laden with tragedy after Dan Wheldon was killed in a 15-car pileup at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
During her time in open-wheels, she ran 115 races, won one race (Twin Ring Motegi in 2008), seven podiums, three poles, and ranked a career high fifth in the points standings in 2009.
From IndyCar to NASCARMeanwhile, Patrick got her first taste of stock cars in 2010 as she competed in the ARCA Series’ season opener at Daytona with JR Motorsports where she finished sixth.  In addition, she ran two part-time seasons, from 2010-2011, in the then-called Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports while also running the full IndyCar schedule.
In 2012, Patrick attempted to do what many others had tried, and most had failed, to do before her, make the permanent jump from open-wheel to stock cars.
Patrick ran the full 2012 season with JR Motorsports and a limited Cup engagement with Stewart-Haas Racing. That season, she posted four top-10s and one pole to score a 10th place points standings result.
From 2013 to ’17, Patrick moved to the Cup season full-time with SHR. She kicked off her rookie efforts with the coveted pole position for the 2013 Daytona 500.  In that race, she ran near the front, led five laps, and finished eighth.
Arguably, Patrick’s Cup career was largely uneventful. While she made major strides for women in motorsports, her statistics didn’t live up to the hype that many in the media put on her.
As it were, in five full-time seasons with SHR, Patrick posted seven top-10’s, zero top-five finishes, and her only pole came at the 2013 Daytona 500.  Furthermore, her highest finish in the standings was 24th in 2015 and 2016 in 191 starts.
That said, Patrick broke many records during her time on track, including a sterling sixth place finish in the 2014 Oral-B USA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  To this date, this result by Patrick remains the best finish for a female racer in Cup racing.
The Legacy of Danica PatrickWhile her on-track performance may not have been anything to brag about, Patrick’s appeal on and off track brought many newcomers to NASCAR. As a matter of fact, many of her fans are young children.
For this reason, it was never a surprise to see throngs of young kids surrounding her car on pit road before a race and sporting her colors at the track. Her involvement in motorsports has inspired countless young kids, boys and girls, to step in to a racecar.
Patrick’s fans, namely called the DanicaPack, are strong in numbers. Sure, it never mattered where she finished at the end of the race.  Ultimately, they stood by her no matter what.
One thing that has always stuck out about Patrick’s time at the race track is everything she did to insure her youngest fans were taken care of.  As it were, Danica Patrick’s time in a stock car may be over, but I think we will be seeing the her influence in this sport for years to come.
As Danica Patrick stepped out of the car for the final time, many of her biggest fans took to social media to share their memories of their driver in green.

Link to the original article

Each week after the race, I will take a look at our two Rookie of the Year (ROTY) contenders and any other drivers deemed a “rookie.”  Like a professor, a grade will be provided for their performance on the track.  All things considered, a high finish doesn’t necessarily mean a good grade as a bad finish doesn’t always result in a bad grade.
Let’s take a look at how our two ROTY contenders fared after the Daytona 500.
Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.If I was asked to pick one driver out of the 40 at Daytona who truly shined at “The Great American Race,” I would have to pick Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.
In fact, Wallace had the quintessential “crowning glory” week in Daytona to kick off his first full season in NASCAR’s highest league. Stepping in to the iconic No. 43 would be a daunting task for any driver, let alone, a rookie with a lot to prove.
Nevertheless, Wallace’s first official showing behind the wheel came in the first Can-Am Duel race. Starting 13th, Wallace avoided a wreck-filled 60 laps to emerge third and fairly undamaged.
While the Duels only pitted half the field against each other, it gave these young guys a taste of what is to come in the Daytona 500.
Come Sunday, a lot of eyes were on the young driver.  Naturally, many were curious to see how he would fair in his first 500.

While this wasn’t his first time at Daytona in a Cup car, as he ran the summer race in 2017 in the No. 43 in an emergency role for an injured Aric Almirola, this was his first real test. Nothing compares to the Daytona 500.
At any rate, Wallace started the race in seventh and ran front to mid-pack most of the race. More importantly, he avoided the wreck-fest that ended Stages 1 and 2 and even managed to escape the “Big One” at the end.
Of course, the biggest headline that came from the 500 was the battle for second coming to the checkered flag. At this point, Wallace and Denny Hamlin found themselves in a door-to-door battle for second coming to the checkered.
In the end, Wallace ended up against the outside wall with Hamlin pinned up against the driver’s door. However, Wallace took runner-up by inches but the real battle seemed to come after engines had been shut off. In comments after the race, Wallace commented that Hamlin raced him much like he raced Ryan Blaney at Martinsville last October. Hamlin countered back with comments on Twitter.
Do we have a new driver feud starting to kick off 2018?
In any case, Wallace’s second place finish made him the highest finishing African-American driver in Daytona 500 history. By and large, this is a great thing for Wallace and for this sport. Furthermore, I think this is only the start of many records that this young driver is going to break this season.
Following the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took to his weekly podcast, Dirty Mo Radio, to praise Wallace and his racing by saying, “A lot of people kind of wondered if he had done enough, I guess, to get this opportunity. I never felt that at all or felt like he didn’t deserve the chance. And he went out and proved it on Sunday by driving like a veteran and driving with his head on his shoulders.”
While Wallace had a great start to his season at Daytona, the real test begins this weekend at Atlanta.
Daytona 500 Grade: A-
Notes: While Wallace raced and battled hard for his second place finish, Daytona is one of those tracks where anyone can win. Let’s see how he fairs at Atlanta.
William Byron

By and large, Daytona was a bit of a wild ride for rookie William Byron. Although Hendrick Motorsports brought a fast car to Daytona, that didn’t stop him from causing a few caution flags throughout the week.

On one hand, Byron’s week at Daytona started off on a high note. Topping the leaderboard for final practice and posting a great qualifying run, Byron found himself in the third starting spot for the first Can-Am Duel race.
All told, that was about the only good thing about the Duel race for Byron and the No. 24 team. Incidentally, he spun out during his Duel race and ended up 18th.
As a result, the North Carolinian started at the back of the field in 33rd for the Daytona 500.
As a consequence, Byron’s first Daytona 500 was fairly eventful as he was involved in a few caution flags. First, Byron was caught up in the Stage 1 crash on lap 60.  This incident collected some big names like Jimmie Johnson. Later, possibly due to damage sustained in the earlier crash, the No. 24 hit the wall to bring out a caution for debris.

In the waning moments of the 500, Byron lost grip and lost control of his Camaro. In this case, good handling keeps him mostly damage free and he is able to continue on. Accordingly, he finished four laps down but ten spots higher than where he started in the 23rd spot.
Daytona 500 Grade: C-
Notes: While Byron may not have had a great race, he gained some valuable time in the racecar. Also, this was his first official race in a Cup car. Above all, he still has a lot of learning to do before he can get rid of his rookie stripes.

Link to the original article

Rookie of the Year (ROTY) Candidate: Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.
Wallace, a Mobile, AL native, began his NASCAR career in 2010 in the K&N Pro Series East with Rev Racing as part of the Drive 4 Diversity program. He made his NASCAR XFINITY Series debut in 2014 for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) as part of their driver development program.  In six starts with the organization through 2014, Wallce logged a best finish of seventh.
While racing with JGR, Wallace competed full-time for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from 2013-’14. As a matter of fact, Wallace earned a win at Martinsville in 2013, becoming the first African-American NASCAR driver since Hall of Fame member Wendell Scott to win a race in NASCAR’s top three national series.
In 2014, he won four more races in the Truck Series, triumphant at Gateway, Eldora, Homestead and Martinsville.

Just three years later, Wallace leaped to the Cup series on an interim basis for Richard Petty Motorsports’s main racer Aric Almirola. Consequently, in four races last season in the No. 43 ride, Wallace highest finish of 11th at Kentucky.
Wallace made 85 starts in the XFINITY Series, scoring six top-5 finishes and 35 top-10 results.
In 2018, he will take over the No. 43 Chevy Camaro as a “satellite” teammate to the Richard Childress Racing organization.

ROTY Candidate: William Byron

Undoubtedly, Byron, the 20-year-old Charlotte, NC native, might be the youngest in the Cup series.  However, he comes in with a ton of talent. In fact, Byron’s career in the top NASCAR touring series began in 2015 in the K&N Pro Series East where he tallied four wins, five top-fives and 11 top-10’s in the 14-race schedule. With strong, consistent performances, Byron won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Championship trophy that season.
A year later, Byron moved up to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in a full-time effort for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Dominant all season long, he collected seven wins, 11 top-fives and 16 top-10’s in the 23 race schedule. He was named Rookie of the Year for the series that season, setting a record for most wins in a season by a rookie driver. On the other hand, engine woes at Phoenix derailed him from a championship, as he finished fifth in the final standings.

Last season, Byron competed full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for JR Motorsports. He brought home four wins, 12 top-fives and 22 top 10’s in the 33-race schedule. Ultimately, the young driver brought home the 2017 XFINITY Series Championship trophy and the SUNOCO Rookie of the Year honors.
Byron will pilot the No.24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports for the 2018 season. In the mean time, Daytona will be his first start in NASCAR top series.
Sunoco ROTY Scoring

• Rookies will score points identical to the season-long points standings. Points are collected in the three stages and any potential victories attained in the year.
• In order to qualify for ROTY, a driver must attempt to qualify in at least eight of the first 20 events.
• Following the final race of the season, the highest-ranking Rookie in the standings wins top honors for the year.

ROOKIE “Yellow Stripe”Rookie drivers will bear a yellow stripe on the rear bumper of their cars. Sometimes, a driver who is not a ROTY candidate will run a yellow stripe if they have not run on that track before. If NASCAR decides that the driver does not have enough experience at that track, yellow stripes will adorn their car.

Link to the original article

It’s that time of year again race fans!  Indeed, it’s time for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race! Tonight is one of the few times of the season where points mean nothing.  As a result, this race throws drivers into a new race format and requires the teams to adjust quickly to come out on top. Let’s take a look at the All-Star race through the years.

For the full article, click here.

We are getting deeper in to the season and we are starting to see which teams are going to be the one’s to keep an eye on, and which teams need to make some changes.
This week, we are headed to Phoenix, the next stop on the west coast swing. So let’s take a look at four things you need to know before the green flag flies.
1: Keep an eye on Kevin Harvick.
Harvick and his team have won five of the last seven races at Phoenix so it’s a pretty safe bet to stick him on your roster for your fantasy teams this weekend. The No.4 team from Stewart-Haas Racing has been strong this season and I don’t see Phoenix being any different.
2: Also keep an eye on Ty Dillon.
The younger Dillon brother will be piloting the No.14 for Stewart-Haas Racing while Tony Stewart is still recovering from his back injury. This will the the second race this season that Dillon has stepped into the shoes of the famous “Smoke.” This will be Dillon’s tenth Sprint Cup Series start, his third this season, and his second at Phoenix. His first start came back in 2014 when he was driving for his grandfather’s team, Richard Childress Racing. Dillon started 26th and finished 27th, but it was only his second start in a Sprint Cup car…
3: Each of the three manufactures have seen victories this season.
Yep. That’s right! We are three races in and each of the three manufactures have been to Victory Lane. Toyota took the first win at the Daytona 500 with Denny Hamlin. Chevrolet followed suit at Atlanta with Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel. Then last week, Ford got their first victory of 2016 with Brad Keselowski at Las Vegas. It’s safe to say that these cars are running strong this season but the big question looms…how will Stewart-Haas Racing handle the switch to Ford next year?
4: Don’t forget about the other guy!
By the “other guy,” I am referring to the other Rookie of the Year contender, Ryan Blaney. This young gun finished 6th this last weekend at Las Vegas and shows a lot of promise as the pilot of the No.21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. While it is still early in the season, I can see Blaney making headlines more than once by the time we reach Homestead. We may just have our toughest Rookie of the Year battle yet between Blaney and Chase Elliott. Two young drivers who come from deep racing roots. These guys are definitely going to make some noise in the coming years.
And one thing we learned at Las Vegas…WIND IS A GAME-CHANGER!!!!
Last week’s race at Las Vegas was one of the windiest races in NASCAR yet. It was clear from the start that it was going to be the biggest factor throughout the race and the teams and drivers were going to have to adjust. While it may have proven difficult for some, it left race teams with a few unique experiences that they can hopefully use later in the season. It was even windy enough to cause a dust storm in the middle of the race. Definitely something you don’t see every day!

Link to the original article