Author: Rusty Norman

From a NASCAR Fan’s View

There’s a lot that can happen between the drop of the green flag and the final checkered flag, especially if it’s at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. So, why would I say that? One reason is because this is New Hampshire Motor Speedway and it is a fast, basically flat track with lots of speed and turns that can be lot of trouble. The other big reason is because it could rain and NASCAR has already hinted that it will run in the rain, if necessary, with the infamous rain tires.

Along with that decision, NASCAR also decided to cancel the package they were intending to test this weekend. I do believe their reasoning is good because it just may not be a good test with the speeds at New Hampshire and the rain tires along with the wet track. After all, even though the package test would have been interesting at New Hampshire on a dry track, it doesn’t follow that they could get true results on a wet one.

There is one question I have about racing in the rain. Most of the talk I hear about racing in the rain is how the teams should adapt to racing in the rain or, at least on a wet track. We all know the good and the bad about the rain tires since they’ve run them several times over the last couple of seasons and they do work but only if the track is wet. My question is, has anyone thought about the fans sitting in the stands? Does anyone really like sitting in uncovered seats in a drizzle or light rain to watch a race? Sounds to me like it could be a decision made for the TV audience rather than the die-hard fans sitting in the seats. I know the drivers can handle driving on a wet track and they probably like the challenge. I just wonder if they’ve considered the fans.

Oh well, that’s just my opinion and a discussion for another day…

Once again, it looks like most of the Chevys left their speed back at the shops. Judging from the practice and qualifying, the Chevys were the poorest performers and the Toyotas and the Fords looked to have the advantage.

I’m sure the Chevys are wondering where their previous seeming advantage went and I think that especially applies to the Hendrick Chevys. I mean, look at the lineup after qualifying and you see an obvious fact. In the top ten qualifiers, there are only two Chevys and one of them is William Byron in seventh and the other is Kyle Bush in tenth. Both of them will probably have to start in the rear since they both had problems that will likely be considered as unapproved adjustments when the race starts. Byron’s was a power steering issue and Bush backed his car into the wall on his second qualifying lap.

Now, I know it sounds like I am being a little critical but it is more a surprise to see the Chevys struggling for speed lately. I guess the Fords and Toyotas have found their missing performance from earlier in the season and the Chevys haven’t improved theirs. I realize that’s an over-simplification but it does beg the question, is this a good thing as the teams are moving close to the playoffs?

Once again, the Gibb’s Toyotas have shown up at the top of the qualifying. Christopher Bell and Martin Truex Jr. top the list and both showed they definitely had speed over the rest. Of course, you already know how this fan feels about qualifying speeds and race results. The two results just don’t necessarily agree. Fast qualifying speed doesn’t always transfer to a trip to Victory Lane.

How often have we witnessed the top qualifiers either drop like rocks at the start or only hold on to their advantage for part of the race? This may not be one of those days though. Martin Truex Jr. has shown a lot lately. I know Christopher Bell was the fastest qualifier but Truex Jr. did show good speed as well. One can only wonder if those two might run off and dominate the day over the rest.

There are a lot of drivers that need to have really good finishes and many of them need to have better days than their qualifying suggested. Look, I know the Cup teams have the ability to adjust and adapt and make a seeming bad day turn into a very good one. I also know, just looking back to last weekend’s win by William Byron that anything can happen whether or not you have the fastest car and no problems all race long. Strategy figures to be one of the most important elements on race day and this fan is willing to bet it will be no different in this race today at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

I do have just one more question though. Is it possible to have a rain-shortened race when the plan is to race even in the rain using rain tires…?

Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© July 16, 2023 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and Pod Cast Norm Productions
All music TwoBuckThemes from Mike Stewart unless otherwise stated

From a NASCAR Fan’s View

For the second time in 2023 the Cup Teams take on the Atlanta Motor Speedway and this time it will be under the lights on a Sunday night. Gee, that just doesn’t sound right for some reason. It’s not even a holiday weekend. The usual statement for a race under the light not on a holiday weekend is, “Saturday night under the lights!!”

Well… I guess that really comes from my days on the local short-tracks. If I told you how long ago that was, well, let’s just say you’d definitely know I’m no longer a spring chicken. All of that aside, this will be one of the several remaining races for those not yet in the playoffs to try and win their way in. As I’m sure you’ve been hearing as I have, nobody wants to rely on getting in on points and, I don’t know about you, but I’ve been hearing that a lot.

Just like back in the spring race, the Fords seem to have brought ‘the speed’ to the Atlanta track. However, it wasn’t quite like that last summer when Chase Elliott won in the final laps.

So, I guess the big questions still remain for this one. Will the Fords be able to carry their qualifying domination through to the checkered flag or was it just qualifying speed they demonstrated? Was it really true dominating speed over the Chevys and Toyotas? Those are questions this fan isn’t ready to answer just yet. I mean, looking back to some qualifying sessions in the past, we’ve seen one manufacturer or team dominate the qualifying and totally fall like a rock for the race. If it was true dominating speed over the others, there could be a bunch of Fords finishing in the top ten. That in itself would be at least little bit different than a lot of times this season.

Honestly and from this fan’s view, I don’t expect this race to be boring or just a one manufacturer dominated race even though in the top fifteen starters there are eleven Fords with six of them in the top six, three Toyotas and the only Chevy in the top fifteen was Kyle Larson. He qualified just below Ty Gibbs in eight.

In my opinion, and if the Fords really are that strong tonight, things could be pretty bleak for the Toyotas and Chevys when all is said and done. Still, since this is Atlanta and being able to be around in the top five or six in the final laps is very important, a Chevy or a Toyota could end up in Victory Lane.

Atlanta has always been a challenge whether in daytime, evening or night. That is one of the reasons I don’t expect this to be a “boring” race tonight. So much can happen in 260 laps and 400 miles. Just take a quick look back at last summer’s second race at Atlanta. Chase Elliott didn’t look like he had a chance at winning in the final restart but he did pull it off. Even though he has had a challenging season so far, he could do the same thing tonight.

The Hendrick Chevys didn’t look all that good in qualifying, which is a little unusual, especially this season. From my view, I think it is possible they just missed their off-the-truck setup and, since there was no practice, that made any setup problems not show up until they actually hit the track for qualifying.

The common thread seemed to be the same for most of those that struggled in qualifying and that was just being extremely loose. That wasn’t just for the Hendrick Chevys but for all makes. From this fan’s view, it seemed that some could overcome it – especially the Fords – while others will have to deal with it before or during the race.

I reckon we will know by the time the race starts tonight how the teams will handle it or if it was just in their setup for the qualifying. That should prove to be interesting when it comes down to it how NASCAR may handle it. Will they make it easier for changes to take place or will they have to fix it during the early part of the race. If it was just a qualifying setup thing, then it will be a totally different race than it looks like it could be from the qualifying order.

Whatever happens, we won’t really know until the race starts and about thirty or forty laps are run. If the Fords dominate – like they did in the qualifying – then it will likely be Fords, Fords and more Fords in the front at the end. If not then there just might be a Toyota or Chevy in Victory Lane…

Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© July 9, 2023 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and Pod Cast Norm Productions
All music TwoBuckThemes from Mike Stewart unless otherwise stated

From a NASCAR Fan’s View

Well, it’s time for the Cup Teams to hit the Nashville SuperSpeedway again and there are a lot of things about the race this weekend that should make it interesting. But there are also l a few things that are unknown as they enter into the race in the evening and transition into the night.

From this fan’s view, one of the big questions on my mind is, what happened to the Hendrick teams. It seems they have sort of lost their edge but, maybe it only seems that way. If my memory serves me, it seems they went through the same thing last season. They started off relatively strong and then faded for a while and then kinda coasted back into contention but never as strong as they were in the early part of the season. That’s not to say they were running last at all. It just seemed they lost whatever edge they had about the same time last season.

Of course, there have been what many would call, “challenges,” this season. I’m not so sure I’m one of those that would call them “challenges” at all. It all started when Chase Elliott broke his leg in a snowboarding accident. He was out for eight weeks. Then there were the penalties for altered parts and even those didn’t change the results much at all for them. They were still showing up pretty much as the ones to beat every weekend, particularly with William Byron leading the way. Well… that is until a few weeks ago when the Toyotas began to show a lot more strength from most of the Toyota Teams.

Now, before I talk about the Toyotas, I still have much to say about the Chevys and, in particular, the Hendrick Chevys.

There’s been a lot of talk about Kyle Larson and his up and down part of the season. I admit, it has been a bit of roller coaster ride for him and his team in recent weeks. I mean, he has had his problems but he has shown up almost every weekend with a strong car. Sometimes even with a car not so great and then a winner by the end of the race.

Although I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, he very well could have had more than two wins – not counting the dominating performance in the All Star race – and he was running up front when he was involved in several accidents that put him finishing much further back in the field in those races. Some of those had to do with things caused by Ross Chastain, today’s pole sitter. Honestly, from my view, Kyle could have had several more wins and possibly been leading in the points right now. Then there was Alex Bowman and his injured back, William Byron and his points loss and other minor things that have added up to where they all stand now.

Ross Chastain won the pole for this race and it is possible he has set the stage for his first win this season. TrackHouse has proved to be another of the stronger Chevy team organizations and it is possible they could finish at or near the front at Nashville SuperSpeedway. Both Chastain and Suarez had strong runs in the qualifying until Suarez lost control and backed into the wall and has to move to a backup car. That may not be a bad thing for him and the results won’t be known until after the race.

From this fan’s view, it is very possible this could be another Toyota night. Martin Truex Jr. seems to be showing the most strength of the JGR Toyotas lately but Bubba Wallace is right there with him. With there being the transition from early evening to nighttime, it is hard to say what the outcome will be at the end when the final checkered flag falls.

That just leaves a little time to mention the Fords. Of the Fords there are two that stand out in my mind for tonight. Those two would be Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick. I guess I should include Ryan Blaney in with them but I’m just not sure where he is in the hunt. So far, the Fords have been struggling but they have been gaining ground in recent weeks. Of these three, and I’m not saying there are no other Fords that could win tonight, I think if a Ford does win it could be Kevin Harvick. He has been showing the most consistent improvement over the season so far. I know he may not win and I know a Ford may not lead the way at the end but, I think this might be his night. Well… that is unless one of those Chevys or Toyotas dominates the night…

Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© June 25, 2023 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and Pod Cast Norm Productions
All music TwoBuckThemes from Mike Stewart unless otherwise stated

From a NASCAR Fan’s View

It’s kind of funny to me that just as many people talk about the wine as they do about the racing the Cup teams will be doing today at Sonoma. Well ok, maybe I am exaggerating just a little bit but, it does seem that way from my view. I mean, just about everyone talks about this visit to the popular track in the Wine Country at Sonoma but, in all honesty, they do talk positively and endlessly about this race. In my opinion, this is one of the best Road Courses on the NASCAR circuit and is one of my favorites, too.

Look… I don’t know if it is the way the track is laid out with its twists and turns or the differences in elevation, but one thing is certain. This is a great road course and honestly, I like it much better than COTA. I can’t explain it. I just know I like it along with many others and I always look forward to the race here.

It looks to this fan that the Toyotas have found some extra speed this weekend. All of them looked to be running about the same speeds and it appears, at least at first glance and based on the qualifying, they just might be the ones to beat this afternoon. Of course, qualifying is one thing and racing is quite another.

That’s the problem with comparing practice and qualifying for what actually goes down on race day. It is one thing when you have just a few cars on the track and another when there are thirty-six of them running at different speeds and having to negotiate the turns with someone either in the way for best entry or taking the line needed to maintain the fastest speed.

So… what about the Chevys and Fords? Well, they have shown up with speed and pace this weekend and, if nothing else, it should make for a very interesting day at the races. Of course, taking a quick look at the lineup shows five of the six Toyotas in the field are in the top eight. Only two Fords are in the top ten but those are two good road racers, namely, Michael McDowell and Chris Buescher.

The first Chevy doesn’t appear until the fifth spot and that’s AJ Allmendinger but, there are seven strong Chevys in a row starting at the ninth spot. As long as those in the top five or six don’t just run off and leave everyone else behind as they sort themselves out, the Chevys just might make things tough on those Toyotas.

Once again it appears, at least to this fan, the Hendrick Chevys might have missed the setup off the trucks this weekend. They didn’t qualify all that well last weekend and this weekend looks very similar. Chase Elliott qualified tenth, Alex Bowman fourteenth, Kyle Larson sixteenth and William Byron is way back in twenty-sixth.

I have to admit; that kind of surprised me since Kyle Larson was one many talked about as a contender for the pole – since he’s had so many at Sonoma – and he just didn’t show the speed in qualifying. As many saw in the Xfinity race on Saturday, he isn’t flawless and he had a miscue that cost him big time. Perhaps that will motivate him even more to perform well today. It wouldn’t surprise this fan at all to see him up front pressing for the win at the end of the day at Sonoma. He does have his work cut out for himself, but then lately, that has been just another day at the races for Kyle.

Probably the biggest surprise from this fan’s view was how much William Byron seemed to be struggling to make speed this weekend. Considering the way he’s been running this season, it just didn’t seem like everything was clicking for him and his crew chief, Rudy Fugle. Of course, I won’t discount their ability to make wholesale changes and them be contenders by the end of the day. Not saying they will be able to pull it off but, I do mention it as a possibility.

Looking at the race for today and the way things can happen on a road course, I suppose it is possible the Toyotas could all finish at the front and there are three that could end up as the winner when it is over. But this is Sonoma and, just like any other day in a NASCAR race, anything can happen. Why it would even surprise this fan if someone like Kevin Harvick ends up in Victory Lane when the final checkered flag drops. Come to think of it, that wouldn’t be a bad thing at all either…

Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© June 11, 2023 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and Pod Cast Norm Productions
All music TwoBuckThemes from Mike Stewart unless otherwise stated

From a NASCAR Fan’s View

What a week it’s been for NASCAR. Chase Elliott suspended for putting Denny Hamlin into the wall at Charlotte. Chase Briscoe and his team docked a bunch of points, suspensions for crew members and money for a counterfeit part on the number fourteen Stewart-Haas. In general, it’s been an interesting week for the NASCAR cup teams.

So… what’s going on? Things have been pretty dicey this season and, as usual, I have my own opinion of why things seem to be so intense.

With the Next-Gen car, NASCAR has achieved a parity in the Cup series like never before in the series. (Well… at least as far back as I can remember; and believe me, that’s a pretty long time.) From this fan’s view, the teams are getting a handle on the car and, even though not all have found as much speed as some of the top teams, the racing is tight and the car is tough.

It’s that second part that has changed the game in some ways. The car being able to take somewhat of a licking and keep on ticking has made for even more aggressive driving than even last season. All of the manufacturers are beginning to show up very competitive to the tracks and, with the tighter competition, the parity has brought about a different mindset from the drivers. (Well, once again, at least that’s my opinion.)

I’m sure there will be those that disagree with me but, honestly, that doesn’t bother me at all. I’m going with what I see week in and week out and there has been a difference in attitude and the way the drivers compete with each other. Now, look. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing but it is different.

Before the Next-Gen, the previous car couldn’t take much abuse. Maybe a little pushing and bumper tag but the drivers had to be much more careful of how hard they could lean on someone or pay a big price in performance and usually a trip to the pits for repairs. Now, it has become pretty obvious that, with the toughness of the car and the parity between them, life in the fast lane is about as intense as it can get. The drivers aren’t nearly as “nice” to their competitors because the car can take more. To make a long story short, it reminds me of older days and times when you might hear someone say, “Look cotton-bloomer! I tried you high and I tried you low and then, it was time for you to go!!”

One last thing about all this. In these recent times, have you noticed how crowding a driver into the wall has become more common than in the past? Yeah, that’s what I thought… me, too.

So… considering all of that, how do you think this race will go this weekend at St. Louis? Will it be a dogfight or will it be a bit more tame than recent races? You see, those are good questions and I’m not sure I have the answer. I know the track is basically a flat track and can be a challenge to manage the turns lap after lap. I also know there are those that need to get a win – although those numbers are dwindling a bit – and I believe that is going to add to the aggressiveness of the drivers.

Judging from the practice and qualifying sessions, the Fords and Toyotas have closed the competitive gap on the Chevys. Yeah, I know there are three Chevys in the top ten starters but there are also three Toyotas and four Fords and one of them is last week’s winner, Ryan Blaney. Of course, that raises the question, will he make it two in row?

The top ten starters are some of the strongest teams in the field and anyone of them could end up in Victory Lane. Just look at the strength of those in the top ten starting positions. Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr, Joey Logano, William Byron and Ross Chastain.

Need I go on? I could but just let me add this. There are several starting further back that I just can’t rule out of taking the win. Stenhouse, Suarez, Gibbs, Bell and Bowman. Anyone of them could pull off a not-so-surprising win. Of course, I just can’t rule out Kyle Larson even though he is starting twenty-second. Between him and crew chief, Cliff Daniels, there are too many times it has looked like they don’t have a chance and yet, they manage to either run up close to the front or at the front when it comes to the last. After all is said and done, I think this is going to be one whale of a race. Well… that is unless one of the thirty-six entrants dominates and leaves the rest in the dust…

Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© June 4, 2023 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and Pod Cast Norm Productions
All music TwoBuckThemes from Mike Stewart unless otherwise stated

From a NASCAR Fan’s View

It’s time again for the Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. It has become something we do every Memorial day weekend and a time that we and NASCAR celebrate the fallen heroes and families of the military. A day of remembrance and appreciation of those that gave their all in service to our country. I don’t know about you but I am thankful for what these soldiers did and I am moved by thoughts of what their families have sacrificed and gone through.

Not only is it a day of celebration and remembrance but, it is a day for the longest race in stock car racing. Six hundred miles of going round and round the one and a half mile oval and trying to keep up with changing track conditions as the race moves from daylight to darkness. Four stages of one hundred laps. Four stages with playoff points to win and strategies to be used to continuously move a driver towards the front of the field to hopefully claim the victory at the end of the six hundred miles.

Now, consider the fact that this long and important race will be faced with no practice and no qualifying. The lineup is assigned according to NASCAR’s plan for lineups when no qualifying is possible because of whatever conditions keep it from happening.

Well… from my view, it could mean some very interesting things as the race progresses. Pit selections, which can often make a difference in the end results of the race, are arrived at according to the way they lineup. From my view, that can also make the end result very interesting when the final checkered flag drops on this, the longest race.

I suppose it is possible the lineup could have turned out exactly as it is even if they had been able to qualify. Because mother nature did intercede in cancelling qualifying, we will never know the answer to that question. Would it make any difference? That, too, won’t be known until the race is done and the winner shows up in victory Lane.

Considering all of these things, everyone wonders which of the drivers and teams will survive the six hundred miles and which of them will enjoy the spoils of winning the Coca-Cola six hundred.

To be honest, I don’t really have any idea which one will win but I do have some I would like to see win and some I think have the best chance. I know this isn’t my normal way of talking about a race weekend but, this weekend is not a normal race weekend. It is a celebration and yet a solemn remembrance of what it costs for us to be able to enjoy a weekend like this in these United States. We thank those heroic warriors and families for their contribution and sacrifice.

There are those that are asking, because of his recent performances, if Kyle Larson is ready to string a bunch of wins together. The end results haven’t always been there but he has shown up just about every weekend as the one to beat. Unfortunate circumstances have often kept him from winning more than two races so far but, he has usually been at or near the front when it comes down to the final laps. After his performance in the All-Star race last weekend, this fan can’t help but wonder if it might be Larson in Victory Lane.

There is one driver that many of the competitors have a negative opinion of and that is … yeah, you guessed it … Ross Chastain. I like Ross but I think one thing that amazes me about him is how he sits atop the driver standings because of his consistency in finishes but has no wins yet. Of course, one thing that doesn’t show up in the standings is how some may not be ahead of him because of his aggressive driving. I only bring it up, not because I don’t like him but, because I can think of races he might not have done so well had he not been the cause of others not finishing ahead of him. I’m sure some may disagree with my thinking and that’s okay but, I’m not the only one that sees him as being overly aggressive at the wrong times. (Oh well, that’s my opinion, anyway.)

There are several that have a very good chance at winning this one and Ross is one of them. Along with him, I would name Kyle Bush, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Chase Elliott and Aric Almirola. In fact, there are a bunch of drivers that could win and for some of them it would be their first victory in Cup. I’m not so sure there will be a first-time winner tonight though. I won’t rule it out but I think some of the drivers that have been at it longer have a better chance.

So, when all is said and done by the end of this one, I expect we’ll see a battle between the Chevys and Toyotas, in particular, and there could be a surprise win by a Ford (even though I don’t think so.) The Fords have been struggling most all season and I just don’t see one of them sitting in Victory Lane at the end of the night, but… I just might be completely surprised…

Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© May 28, 2023 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and Pod Cast Norm Productions
All music TwoBuckThemes from Mike Stewart unless otherwise stated

From a NASCAR Fan’s View

There’s a reason they call it the All-Star race and there’s a reason why it is so special. This year’s All-Star race is at a place NASCAR hasn’t visited in twenty-seven years. That place is North Wilkesboro Speedway, BUT, wait a minute… that’s stuff we all already know. The All-Star race is special because it is a different race than a usual NASCAR race. Even though the drivers have already shown themselves to be extremely aggressive since the Next Gen car has proven to be able to handle some bumping and rubbing, there is something about the All-Star race that seems to bring out even more aggression.

Gee… do you think it has anything at all to do with that million-dollar prize and that prize being a winner take all type thing? Yeah, that’s about as obvious a statement as any of us could make. (Even the commercial leading up to this weekend’s race makes the statement, “What would you do for a million dollars?”) From this fan’s view, it looks like they will do just about anything if the opportunity arrives and they can win the money. To be honest, no one can really blame them. (After all, it is a million dollars.)

This brings me to a situation that has been more prevalent since they’ve gotten more familiar with the Next Gen car and especially this season. Of course, to me there is a difference between being aggressive and overly aggressive.

You see, I agree with the fact that “rubbin’ is racing’” but I don’t agree with turning someone being the only way to pass. I’ve heard all the statements recently about how so many say they are happy to see the aggression back in the sport. They also say it’s what the fans come to see. Heck, they even say they’re glad to see some of the emotion that leads to blows. I do understand the emotions and I do understand how it sometimes gets out of control, (Hey, I used to race and I’ve felt those emotions and dealt with all the adrenaline that comes with good hard racing.)

I know there’s been a lot of talk about Ross Chastain and how many drivers are upset with him because of his aggressive driving but there are others. I realize it is a fine line between what many find acceptable and unacceptable and I agree with much of what people express about acceptable and unacceptable aggressive driving. Let me give a quick comparison from another race and another driver.

A few weeks ago, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin were going for the win at Kansas. Without going into a long explanation of the end of the race, just let me say why I thought what happened was unfortunate to say the least. In the final laps, Denny was closing in on Kyle and they had several laps of good, hard, side-by-side and bumper-to-bumper racing. Once again, without going into a lot of detail, it came down to the final lap going down the back straight.

After a hard-fought battle between the two, and this is my opinion, Denny took a cheap shot at Kyle and turned him into the wall. He said he was overly aggressive and accidentally got into his left rear and turned him into the wall. Even though Kyle took it better than this fan, what disappointed me was that for several laps the two had battled for the victory and it was still either ones race when Denny decided to turn him into the wall. He said it was an accident but, I believe it was intentional. After all was said and done, he turned Kyle to pass him and it could have still been Denny’s race if they would have battled the same as they had all the way to the checker. The fans in the stands and I were both disappointed. Not that Denny won but the way he won.

So, judging from what we’ve already seen in the heat races – even with the rain tires – tonight’s race should prove to be very interesting. It could be won by anyone of the competitors and it could be a race where one driver dominates the field. I’m really hoping it isn’t a follow the leader type race and I hope it isn’t just a “bumper-car fest.” I do believe the drivers will do just about anything if it means being able to take home a million dollars. I just hope they race for the win and not just bulldoze their way through…

Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© May 21, 2023 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and Pod Cast Norm Productions
All music TwoBuckThemes from Mike Stewart unless otherwise stated

From a NASCAR Fan’s View

Darlington… yeah, that’s one name for it. Another is, “The Lady In Black.” Another is, “The Track Too Tough To Tame,” and it is the track the Cup teams are going to “attack” today and I believe that is exactly what they are going to do; attack “The Track To Tough To Tame.”

Everyone knows the track this week is one of the oldest tracks in the series and it has always been one of the toughest tracks, so I guess you can say it literally lives up to its name. It is tough on tires – always has been. It’s a challenge to drive with the difference between turns one and two and three and four and it’s tough on the drivers even though most of them love the track. The preferred line is right up next to the wall but you have to be able to run low as well. It is a track that makes for very exciting racing.

It looks like the Toyotas have found some speed again this weekend and they start one-two on the front row. Of course the Chevys take up the next three and a half rows before there are two more Toyotas. The Fords don’t show up until the tenth and eleventh spots so, from this fan’s view, it looks like they are still searching for a little speed, at least for qualifying. (And well… you already know how I feel about the difference between qualifying laps and racing laps.)

So… does it really look like it could be a repeat of last weekend with a Toyota taking the victory? Well… it could be but, I’m really not so sure. The Chevys have been showing a lot of speed most all season and it seems the Toyotas are just now coming to life. Well, at least finishing up front that is. JGR has two races in a row and they look to be a force arriving at the right time. Of course, they do have a better showing on the length tracks we are coming to than they did on the shorter tracks.

Now, what about the Fords? All the Fords have been struggling when it comes down to the final laps of the races. They only have one win this season and that was Joey Logano. Realistically, I’m sure Joey could have a run for the victory today but, he has been struggling recently. I’m not sure if they are really struggling or if, since they have a win in the bank, they’re just not just trying a lot of things before they get to the meat of the season. It could be they have found all the things that don’t work and they will start honing their results to be at full strength when it comes down to the playoffs. (Can you tell I don’t trust anyone when it comes to racing results until the playoffs start? But then again, they may be truly struggling and it only follows that they will find their way…)

Another Ford that might be a threat today at Darlington would be Ryan Blaney, at least from this fan’s view. He has been about the most consistent Ford most of the season. He has always shown up with speed, it’s just they haven’t closed the deal yet. I do think the fords will figure out their problems and the speed will follow and turn into winning ways. It’s just not like them to stay down for an entire season and there are several that do show signs of life whether or not they have been running up front.

Once again, I have to say the Toyotas do look strong for the race today. Both Martin Truex Jr. and Bubba Wallace qualified with good speed and just by starting up front could be an advantage for them. I won’t rule out their Toyota teammates either because Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick have been showing speed just about every weekend so there is no way to rule them out of running for the win today. When it comes to Ty Gibbs, well, I just don’t know. He has been running good but just hasn’t been able to close the deal at the end of a race. Of course, as good as the Toyotas and Ty have been running, he could show the way at the end of this one. (Notice I’m not saying he will; I’m just saying he could…)

I just can’t close this out without mentioning the Chevys, many of them, have once again shown up with speed and any one of several of them could take it to victory lane today. Chase Elliott, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Kyle Bush, Ross Chastain and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – any of them could pull off a victory and that’s just to name several. There are others but, it comes down to this. I think it is going to be a day where the Toyotas and Chevys fight it out to the very end. Of course, when it comes down to it, the Toyotas could dominate the whole thing but…

Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© May 14, 2023 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and Pod Cast Norm Productions
All music TwoBuckThemes from Mike Stewart unless otherwise stated

From a NASCAR Fan’s View

The NASCAR Cup teams take it to Kansas Speedway this weekend and there are a bunch of drivers that need a win or a very good finish in this race. Not so much to take away some of the stress of them trying to qualify for the playoffs but more for just getting some momentum going in this 2023 NASCAR season. I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not but the Chevys have been the ones to beat when it comes to race day. In fact, there are two drivers and teams that have started off the season with laps led and looking hard to beat, are the two Hendrick teams of Willian Byron and Kyle Larson. So far this season, they have led the most laps and each of them have two victories.

Now, I’m not saying they have been unbeatable (which has been very obvious lately) but they have consistently shown up with fast cars and generally results to show for it. In fact, from this fan’s view, I would say Kyle Larson could have already won four or five of the races in this early part of the season. But once again, it seems that, “If it weren’t for bad luck, he’d have no luck at all,” to quote from an old song from many years ago. At least two times in the last few weeks, being in the right place at the wrong time has cost him a possible victory. Some would call that racing luck and I believe that has had something to do with it. I won’t go into a long explanation of why I think his luck has been bad, especially the last two weekends but just the same, it can turn the other way just as fast.

William Byron and the number twenty-four team on the other hand, has so far been very impressive most all season long, too. Both he and Kyle have looked strong off the truck just about every week. In fact, he could have won last week had it not been for a bad set of tires in the last long green flag run. Even if it hadn’t been for the poor performance in that part of the final stage, he might have been able to give Martin Truex Jr. a run for his money along with Ross Chastain.

Speaking of Ross, he is from Alva, FL and that is about thirty miles from where I live. His TrackHouse Chevys have been fast almost every week, too. Although he hasn’t made a lot of friends this season much like last season, I can’t argue with his success and I am sure a win is in his future but his aggressive style will likely come back to bite him along the way. Even this last weekend, he got into Brennan Poole and that contact on lap eighty-two of the four hundred took Kyle Larson out of contention for the rest of the race. Although not able to keep the pace for the rest of the race, he did manage to get in Ross’s way and possibly held him up just long enough from getting to Truex, Jr. and, from this fan’s view, kept him from a possible win over Truex Jr.

Although the Chevys look strong this weekend, from this fan’s view so do the Toyotas. After last weekend, I just can’t reasonably count out Martin Truex Jr. from making it two in a row. It looks like they have found some speed over at the JGR Toyota camp and Martin led the way last weekend. Looking at qualifying speeds, it is awfully hard to not see the Toyotas of Truex, Bell, Reddick and Hamlin as threats to win this weekend along with Bubba Wallace. Any one of the Toyotas could pull into Victory Lane when this one is over.

And then… there are the Fords. After a disastrous race last weekend, Joey Logano looked much better this weekend for the Kansas Speedway. He had speed and qualified sixth for the race today. Of course, he is right there in between the four JGR Toyotas but I don’t think that will deter him from making a run for the win. After Last week’s race, this fan thinks he and his crew chief have something to prove and it could result in a win which wouldn’t surprise me all that much, (even if I would rather see a Chevy sitting in Victory Lane.)

The race today at Kansas Speedway is going to be a hot one and possibly in more ways than one. Temperature-wise it’s going to be hot and that could be rough on both cars and drivers. It is expected that up against the wall will be the best place to run, but at this track, the racing groove is from the bottom to the top. It just depends on which one ends up working the best. If someone, or several someones, can run the bottom and the top they will likely walk away with the win.

This is another race where it is hard to pick a possible winner and I won’t even try. One thing this fan knows for sure is that only one of the thirty-six drivers can win. Which one is the real question…

Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© May 07, 2023 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
All audio productions by www.podcastnorm.com and Pod Cast Norm Productions
All music TwoBuckThemes from Mike Stewart unless otherwise stated