Five to Watch at Darlington

By Jared Turner Martin Truex Jr. dominated last year’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 and arrives at Darlington this year as the points leader and a strong favorite. Riding high from his recent win at Michigan, Kyle Larson is seeking to score his first career victory at a track not two miles in length. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has come close but never been to Victory Lane at Darlington, a track where his legendary father won nine times and enjoyed many great moments. Like Earnhardt Jr., Chase Elliott has a family history with Darlington that runs deep. He’ll be running a paint scheme honoring his…

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Darlington Preview: A Throwback Paint Scheme Feel

By Jared Turner When Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers hit the track at Darlington Raceway for Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500, it’s going to feel like the mid-to-late 1980s again. And some other seasons from yesteryear, too. In recognition of the fabled South Carolina track’s third annual “throwback” weekend, drivers’ uniforms and cars will sport retro paint schemes harkening back to the years 1985-1989, with a few exceptions. As the sport moved into the late 1980s, NASCAR legends such as Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace were in their heyday. They and others will be celebrated during the…

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Three-Series Sweep Proves Again Kyle Busch Is a Rare Breed

By Jared Turner It’s darn near impossible to win a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, a NASCAR XFINITY Series race and a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in the same week. Kyle Busch just hasn’t gotten the memo. Having accomplished the feat at Bristol in 2010, Busch was the only driver in NASCAR history to achieve the three-series sweep in the same week at the same track. With his victory on Saturday night at Bristol, Busch has now done it twice. At the relatively young age of 32, the 2015 Monster Energy Series champion has combined for 180 wins across…

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Erik Jones Is Proving His Worth for JGR

By Jared Turner Some have questioned why Joe Gibbs Racing is dismissing Matt Kenseth to make room for Erik Jones in 2018. With all due respect to Kenseth, one of the sport’s top drivers of past two decades, it’s obvious why JGR isn’t willing to keep the 45-year-old veteran at the risk of 21-year-old Jones getting scooped up by another team. To get an idea of Jones’ talent, look no further than the past two races. He finished third at Michigan two weekends ago and then followed that up with a career-best second-place finish on Saturday night at Bristol, where he led…

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With Two Races Left, the Playoff Field Is All But Set

By Jared Turner With only Darlington and Richmond left before the playoff field is locked, it’s looking increasingly likely that the 16 drivers currently in position to make the cut will be the 16 drivers who ultimately do. Sure, an underdog could go to Victory Lane in the next two races (see, for example, Trevor Bayne, who in the past two weeks has posted his best finishes of the season), but it’s just not likely. With a whopping 58 points separating Jamie McMurray (the last driver in the playoffs) from Clint Bowyer (the first driver out), it’s going to be nearly impossible…

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The Toyotas Are Looking More and More Dominant

By Jared Turner Toyota continued its recent hot streak with a superb showing at Bristol, where cars representing the Japanese manufacturer claimed the top four finishing positions and led all but 73 of 500 laps. Toyotas have now won five of the past seven races after winning just once in the season’s first 10 events. Meanwhile, a Toyota driver — Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. — continues to lead the standings and has amassed more race victories, stage victories and playoff points than any other driver in 2017. What makes Toyota’s domination even more impressive? Toyotas account for just six cars…

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