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With the Indianapolis 500 this weekend it got the NASCAR fan in me thinking. Which NASCAR drivers would I like to see in the Indy 500. The quick answer is all of them, but I made a list of my top 5 picks and an honorable mention. Honorable Mention- Joey Logano... Joey Logano makes this list for three reasons. The first being his thrilling driving style, and aggressive nature. Logano for better or for worse is a true star of the show type of driver and NASCAR fans would watch that. The second reason is the fans perception of Logano. There’s only a few people who are truly in the middle with their opinions of Logano his polarizing nature would be a massive draw. The third reason is the likeliness he could run it although not much if any has been reported on Logano’s interest driving for Roger Penske who owns one of the most historic teams in Indycar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Indycar Series Joey could easily find a competitive ride. 5th- Alex Bowman- This one might be a bi...

      Martin Truex Jr. wins the Instacart 500 at Phoenix, and in  day that started with him getting into wall Truex rallied to be in the front at the end. Sunday's race was somewhat of a preview of who could be a Championship contender when the series returns to Phoenix in November.      Ryan Blaney won Stage One, and it started Penske's dominance of this race. The three Penske drivers of Keselowski, Logano, and Blaney combined to lead 197 of the 312 laps and both stages. They also all finished in the top 10 with Logano leading the way in second. Stage One also featured the biggest accident of the race involving Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman, and Austin Dillon.     Joey Logano won Stage Two, and it continued Penske's dominance of the race. Stage two was fairly chill with the exception of an accident between Cody Ware, and Anthony Alfredo where the two got tangled up in turn two.      Stage Three featured a race to the front from M...

      The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season is fast approaching, and its predictions season. With the Daytona 500 almost a week away I went week by week, race by race, and I predicted the winner of every single points paying race of the 2021 Cup Series Schedule. Daytona 500- Denny Hamlin....Could  anybody else really win this race?  Daytona Road Course- Chase Elliott...DUH! Homestead-   Denny Hamlin... As long as this race isn't the championship race Denny Hamlin has a good shot of winning here.  Las Vegas 1- Joey Logano... Logano has won this race two years in a row, so I wanna gamble on Logano making it three in a row. Phoenix 1- Kevin Harvick... The Desert King gets his crown back, Harvick eventually has to win another at Phoenix. Atlanta 1- Kevin Harvick... 20 Years after the passing of Dale Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick is the perfect driver to win this race. Bristol Dirt-  Christopher Bell... HOT TAKE ALERT... Christopher Bell is the best s...

  To The Andretti Family,  I hope you all are doing well during these hectic times. I write you this letter for the grieving I, and many still feel for John Andretti’s passing. I’ve spent the past year thinking about this letter and what to say. I wanna start by talking about myself. I am a 22-year-old recent graduate of Texas State University, and I want to be a high school history teacher and football coach. I have been a NASCAR fan since I was three, and I was the first in my family to fall in love with auto racing. This love of racing starts from another love of mine… Cheerios. At the time I got a small Cheerios car, not knowing it was a NASCAR, but not too long after getting the car my parents were trying to get back to a Dallas Cowboys game, and while we were flipping channels and I saw the same Cheerios car on TV and I was hooked. This was in 2001, and I quickly learned that bright yellow 43 was driven by none other than John Andretti. That day I became a lifelong fan...

Christmas is coming, and NASCAR drivers write letters to Santa too! Here is a quick peak at what the 2020 Playoff Contenders wanted to make their 2021 even better than 2020. Chase Elliott- More Road Courses... When you win the championship it's hard find a gift better than that, but Chase is by far the best road course racer in the Cup Series. NASCAR has already scheduled seven points paying road course races in 2021, but the more the merrier for Chase.  Joey Logano- Tj Majors Life Time Contract... Tj Majors spotting for Joey Logano is what got him to the Championship Four. Logano blocked Harvick for roughly forty laps at Kansas which essentially eliminated Harvick from advancing, and helped him advance. Brad Keselowski- A Better Pit Crew... Brad's pit crew folded when he needed them most, routinely bad pit stops in the championship race at Phoenix putting him behind every Championship Four Contender every pit stop.  Denny Hamlin- A Championship... This one is low hanging frui...

      By Justin Segar -         It's Chase Elliott's world, and we're all living in it. After a dominant performance Chase Elliott wins the race, and the 2020 Cup Series Championship. Phoenix Raceway hosted the championship race for the first time in the tracks history, and I do not think that it lived up to expectations, nor did it live up to the standard of a championship race. It was incredibly hard to pass, and it made the race come down to the race off of pit road, and restarts.      Although the stages don't matter much at all for those in the Championship Four Chase Elliott destroyed the field after he started in the back for failing pre race inspection twice. The remaining three drivers in the Championship Four largely controlled the race especially Joey Logano who lead basically the entire stage. Brad Keselowski's biggest struggle during the race showed up early, his pit crew being a tad slow on pit road.     Stag...

       What a cutoff race!! NASCAR scheduling Martinsville as the cutoff race for the Round of 8 was genius. The race had drama, comers and goers, an incredible points battle, and exactly why NASCAR created this playoff format. NASCAR truly had a once in a season type of race.     Stage One was won by Denny Hamlin, but it was clear that early on the race seemed to be between Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., and Chase Elliott. Early on there was some strategy, and it was apparent a few guys were points racing based on late stage strategy. It would prove its value later on, but Denny Hamlin winning this stage would be all the difference between advancing to Phoenix, and not.      Stage Two showed that Elliott, and Truex were a little bit ahead of Hamlin, but concern started to set in for championship favorite Kevin Harvick. He had been running outside the top 10 all day, and looked largely irrelevant. If Chase Elliott, or Martin Truex we...

           A race that truly took days to get through was surprisingly underrated in my opinion. After several misty days in Texas Kyle Busch finally won his first Cup race of the season, and it greatly impacted the playoff battle. Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick struggling plus a playoff driver not winning at Texas really makes Martinsville a must win situation for the bottom four playoff drivers.      Stage One started on Sunday afternoon, and it created the story lines for Wednesday including Denny Hamlin getting out of the groove losing valuable track position, and Kevin Harvick getting loose hitting the wall creating a consistent issue with damage. It was clear early on drivers recognized the value of track position, and Clint Bowyer held on to win stage one.     Stage Two lead to the rise of Martin Truex Jr., and after starting in the back from a penalty involving his spoiler he quickly made his way through the field, and looke...

      In a season filled with so many twists and turns it is sadly winding down. Eight drivers remain in the hunt and half of the final four is a compelling battle between six drivers. Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin are essentially locked in on points, and the races in this round being at Kansas, Texas, and Martinsville really sets up well for them. Martinsville is the "wildcard" of the round, but even then the elite drivers there always rise to the top.     Kansas actually sets up as the most compelling in my opinion, and here's why six different active playoff drivers have won here. Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick both have three wins at Kansas, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., and Joey Logano all have two wins at Kansas, and Chase Elliott has one win at Kansas. Denny Hamlin has won two of the last three at Kansas including the race this July, and last seasons playoff race. I think Denny Hamlin is the favorite coming into this race, but Kevin Harvick's 9.6 av...

      What an interesting story for a race. I rarely am down on competitive races, but I am down on this Kansas race. The finish resulted in fans watching Harvick almost helpless in his attempts to try to pass Joey Logano, and Logano used his master blocking skills to clinch a spot in the Championship Four.      Stage one was controlled by Chase Elliott largely, and seven of the eight remaining playoff drivers scored stage points. Stage one was the best racing of the day, and it is becoming more obvious this intermediate aero package works best in cool, cloudy, and wintery weather.  Stage two was won by Denny Hamlin, and it was an interesting battle in the closing laps of the stage, but it was at that point I realized passing for the lead was going to be a problem at the end of the race. It was another stage dominated by the playoff drivers, and it tightened up around the playoff cutline after stage 2.  Stage three was a mess. Playoff contender Ku...

      The Roval weekend has came and went, and it was a bit of a let down in my opinion. This year was NASCAR's third attempt at the Charlotte infield road course, and it was the most boring of the three. Based on the history of the Roval with its crazy finishes, as well as Saturday's Xfinity race, the expectations were sky high...and it flopped. Even though it didn't meet those full expectations the end resulted in a satisfying race winner for many fans...Chase Elliott.     Stage 1 was the best stage of the race in my opinion. Although it wasn't raining, seeing the Cup guys starting a race on the rain tires for the first time ever was unique. Starting on the rain tires allowed for early race strategy, and when the first caution happened Ty Dillon and Matt DiBenedetto changed to "slick" tires to fly through the field, and Dillon snagged a stage win. Full-time underdog Timmy Hill also earned a career best stage finish of fifth place.     Stage 2 had a r...

          Road course racing has been a part of NASCAR for decades, but the upcoming 2021 season, it is more important than ever to be a good road course racer. There a a few drivers who stand out among the rest as the true road course ringers of NASCAR. Here's the Top 5 for Racing Refresh writers Justin Seger and Zachary Bell. Honorable Mention  Justin -  Clint Bowyer: Bowyer is never a bad pick for a road course event.  He has a win at Sonoma and has a solid average finish at both Watkins Glen and Sonoma. He barely misses the cut this time around.  Zach - Chase Briscoe: A guy that ford has significantly invested in, especially with his road racing. Combining that with his natural talent, Briscoe has won two road course racing in the Xfinity Series including the inaugural races at both the Charlotte Roval, and Indy Road Course. Briscoe having not competed in the Cup Series yet is what makes him my honorable mention, but were we to make this...

    Denny Hamlin wins a wild one in Talladega. In one of the most controversial finishes in NASCAR history, the double yellow line played a major impact in the finish of another Talladega race.  The entire race was sloppy in the best way possible, as the race set a new track record of 13 cautions, and only two playoff drivers finished in the top 10.     Stage 1 featured one of the messiest starts to a race I have ever seen. NASCAR had planned for a competition caution on lap 25, but NASCAR had three cautions before the competition caution.  The early race wrecks lead playoff favorites Denny Hamlin, and Kevin Harvick to ride around in the back waiting. A late stage incident involving Alex Bowman and Aric Almirola gifted Chris Buescher the stage win.      Stage 2 featured a scary wreck where Kurt Busch went airnorn, riding on the hood of Cole Custer's car. This brought out a short red flag to repair the track's wall. The second stage featured a...

Exhibition Races: Busch Clash on the Daytona Road Course, Texas All Star Race AJ -NASCAR's exhibition events are some of the most important on the schedule for the premier series of stock car racing. I believe that having the Clash on the road course sounded great at first. They were making a new event out of an iconic one. With the addition of the road courses in the regular season, there isn't as much of a need to do this with the Daytona Clash, though. I'm not let down, but I would have preferred it left alone. With the All-Star moving to Texas in 2021, it marks the third consecutive season the All-Star event will be held at a different track. In my opinion, they should keep this a tradition and move it somewhere new every year. Good move for short gain, but PLEASE don't keep it in Boss Hoss's back yard.  Zach - When the Daytona Road Course was announced as the Busch Clash I was excited, but after NASCAR ran the Daytona Road Course this season I'm a bit down ...

This week we return to Earnhardt Country... Talladega. Since its first race in 1969 Talladega has been filled with memorable crashes, speeds, finishes, and images its crazy past is what brings us back every time. These are my Top 5 Talladega moments, and a few honorable mentions.  Honorable Mention  - 1987 Winston 500 A race weekend that changed NASCAR and Talladega forever. This was the race where Bill Elliott qualified with an average speed of 212.809 MPH, and had the "World's Fastest Race Car."  - 2013 Aaron's 499 The ICONIC Front Row Motorsports 1-2 finish. Talladega is home to the underdogs, and the 2013 Aaron's 499 was no different. A relatively new and underfunded team lead by David Ragan, and David Gilliland the two locked up and had an immaculate drive to the lead. This was an organization altering moment, and this finish perfectly encapsulates the underdog potential at Talladega.  THE LIST 5. 2009 Aaron's 499 "Brad Keselowski has won this race,...

         The hometown kid cashes in on the correct strategy call.  In a race dominated by Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Alex Bowman; Kurt Busch lucks into the race winning strategy. The race featured several good battles throughout the field, but the lead was hogged by Denny Hamlin. Hamlin and Elliott were the only two able to drive off from the field.      Stage 1, after the competition caution the stage was dominated by Denny Hamlin. The competition caution reset the field a little bit, but as Hamlin pulled away it was a battle for second between Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, and Chase Elliott. The hard racing between those three was the most entertaining part of stage 1. The early restarts highlighted the aggressiveness necessary to get up front in this aero package.      Stage 2, was dominated by Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin, but the man with the final word, for the stage, was Chase Elliott. Alex Bowman fought up to the top...

        The Athletic's Jordan Bianchi, and Jeff Gluck released a breaking news story that NASCAR has another rumored 2021 schedule change. The schedule change is a wild one where Texas Motor Speedway loses one of its points paying races in favor of Circuit Of The Americas in Austin, Texas. That's not all though, Texas Motor Speedway will get the All Star race to replace the points paying date, but keeping two race dates. As a NASCAR fan in Texas, who lives roughly 45 minutes from Texas Motor Speedway, it is incredibly exciting news overall.      Let's begin with what this means for Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). Located in the northern part of Fort Worth, Texas is TMS. It is rather far from race fans in the three of the most populated cities in the state. Austin is roughly 210 miles from the track, San Antonio is roughly 285 miles away, and Houston is approximately 275 miles away. Race fans in these cities have a lengthy commute, especially for a tr...

             The Xfinity Series playoffs are finally here. Arguably the most competitive NASCAR national series. Seven different drivers won a race in the regular season, and all seven have at least two wins. The Xfinity Series Round of 12 includes Las Vegas, Talladega, and the Charlotte Roval. The Round of 8 includes Kansas, Texas, and Martinsville. The Championship Round is a single round event at Phoenix.       Chase B ri scoe - 7 Wins (Las Vegas, Darlington, Homestead, Pocono, Indy Road Course, Dover, Bristol), 14 Top 5s, 18 Top 10s, Average Finish 7.6, + 48 Points. Zach :  The most dominant driver in the Xfinity Series enters the playoffs as one of the two favorites. He struggled by his standards this summer, but a rebound at Bristol has brought momentum back to the team. His points cushion, and performance this season makes him a virtual lock for Phoenix. Justin :  Briscoe comes into the playoffs as a championship fa...